Restaurant-style chicken francese is a bright and lemony chicken dish perfect to be served over rice. This classic Italian dish has the most tender chicken with one of my favorite sauces, plus, it's done in under an hour.
Looking for more Restaurant-style Italian Meals? Try our Chicken Saltimbocca, Chicken Scarpariello, or Eggplant Parmigiana.
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Chicken Francese
- ⏲️Ready in: 45 minutes
- 👪Makes: 8 servings
- 📋Main ingredients: Chicken Breast, Lemon, White wine, and Garlic.
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: This restaurant-style chicken francese is the perfect recipe for a family dinner or an easy recipe to scale up to party size!
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Why this Recipe
My mom always used to make us chicken francese for dinner when we were growing up, although she never called it that. We were not the easiest kids to feed, so she just called it Lemon Chicken. This is cutting board to the table in less than an hour, which is great when you're trying to feed a family. It's not 15 minutes, like our Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil or Pasta with Cauliflower, but chicken francese is worth a little bit of a wait. Or you can try its cousin, Chicken Piccata, a similar recipe but with capers and no egg!
Chicken Francese is one of those dishes that everyone loves to argue about where it is from. People love to say it's an American dish. Regardless, it is at the very least an Italian-inspired dish, and whether the recipe comes directly from Italy, we will never know, because there is no written recipe. But somehow, when the Italian immigrants showed up, so did chicken francese. But you can also make a more Americanized Lemon Cream Sauce.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Parmigiano Cheese- The difference between Parmesan and Parmigiano can feel trivial to some, but it does make a difference. Parmigiano has to be made in Italy, and it's aged at least 2 years, while Parmesan is made here in America and only aged about 10 months.
- Olive Oil- Always go for high-quality oil in a dish like this. You are going to taste the olive oil in the chicken, and you should choose a single olive, olive oil.
- White wine- Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to for cooking. I've recently been turned on to a brand called Sea Salt. It is so tasty and refreshing. Cheap enough to cook with but good enough to drink. You could also use a Pinot Grigio.
- Fresh Herbs- I like to add fresh herbs at the end of the process because basil and parsley will add a fresh flavor to the dish.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.
How to make Chicken Francese
This recipe makes about 8 servings, but it can easily be scaled up to serve a party. See the FAQs to see how!
Step 1: Start by combining flour and garlic powder on a large plate to dredge the chicken. Dredge the chicken in the flour and pat the flour into the chicken breast.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine eggs, parmigiano, and salt. Dip the chicken into the egg and cheese batter.
Step 3: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Then place the cutlets in the pan, careful not to overcrowd.
Step 4: Work in batches. Fry the chicken for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Add more olive oil as necessary. The chicken doesn't have to be cooked all the way through, because you will finish it in the sauce.
Step 5: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Once the shallots are soft, add the garlic and saute for another minute.
Step 6: Squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Then add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Step 7: Return the chicken to the pan and finish cooking them through to 165℉. Remove the chicken.
Step 8: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoon butter, basil, and parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with lemon.
Serve this Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese over white jasmine rice or a Classic Creamy Polenta with Roasted Carrots and Fennel or Garlic Parmesan Green Beans.
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Pro-Tips
- It is important not to dredge the chicken in advance. The flour will soak right into the chicken, and it will look like it is no longer even battered. You will get the crispiest results from frying if you dredge and then fry immediately.
- The best way to fry the cutlets is to not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches, or the chicken will steam and become rubbery.
- Always make sure there is enough olive oil in the pan so that the chicken will cook evenly. When you raise the heat to medium, the olive oil should be shimmering before you place the cutlets in.
Serving Suggestions
- Vegetables- Serve it with Brussels sprouts, Braised Lacinato Kale, and Sauteed Rapini with Garlic are also great options!
- Starch- You can serve it over Zucchini Risotto or Lemon Spinach Orzo!
- Pasta- I love to serve chicken francese with Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil, Lemon Pasta with Spinach, or Artichoke Pesto Pasta.
- Drinks- Definitely serve it with a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc you used to cook with or a simple St. Germain Basil Cucumber Spritz!
- Dessert- Leave room for dessert and serve some Rainbow Cookie Cake or Pistachio Cream Tiramisu.
Chicken Francese for a Party
Want to scale this recipe up to party size. Every chicken breast should serve about 2 people.
- Follow the directions up to Step 4 above with the amount of chicken breast you need.
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Move on to Steps 5 & 6, but after you make the sauce, pour it into an aluminum tray. Lay out all the chicken in the tray and place in the oven for about 15 minutes until the chicken reaches 165℉.
FAQs about Chicken Francese
It is a dish that originated from Italians who immigrated to America. So, it's Italian in the sense that it was made by Italians, but also, it was not invented in Italy. It was originally created in upstate New York.
Chicken Francese is like Batman. It goes by a ton of different codenames. I've heard it referred to as wedding chicken, Rochester chicken, chicken French, and then spelled like chicken française. Regardless of its history, chicken francese is a recipe that my whole family enjoys.
The best way to reheat chicken francese is by reheating it in the lemon-wine sauce. Take some leftover sauce or chicken broth, add chicken broth, and heat it in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken to the pan and warm it up in the simmering sauce. Microwaving chicken francese is fine when necessary, but it could become slightly rubbery.
Yes, just replace the wine with more chicken broth.
I recommend only using stainless steel because non-stick can't stay hot enough to fry the chicken well, and the sauce will reduce better in a heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan.
More Classic Italian Recipes
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Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 2 lemons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoon salt
- handful of basil
- 3 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Start by combining flour and garlic powder on a large plate. Then combine eggs, parmesan, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour and then dip the chicken into the egg. Don't dip your chicken in the egg until you're ready to put it right into the pan.
- In a large saucepan add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and raise the heat to medium. Then place the cutlets in the pan, careful not to overcrowd. Work in batches. Fry the chicken for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Add more olive oil as necessary.
- If oil remains in the pan, add the shallots and saute for 4 minutes or until soft. If there isn't enough oil remaining, add another tbsp. Once the shallots are soft, add the garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and add the wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, or until there is a trail left behind when you drag a spoon through.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan and finish cooking them through to 165℉. Remove the chicken. Then stir in 3 tablespoon butter, basil, and parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with lemon.
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Notes
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- It is important not to dredge the chicken in advance. The flour will soak right into the chicken and it will look like it is no longer even battered. You will get the crispiest results from frying if you dredge and then fry immediately.
- The best way to fry the cutlets is to not overcrowd. Work in batches or you'll have steamed chicken.
Vinny says
This recipe is so delicious and one of our family's go to lemon chicken recipes and we hope you enjoy!
Donna says
Dip in egg then flour?
Vinny and Marisa says
that is how I do it in this recipe