Restaurant-style chicken francese is always done a little extra. I know that most people associate the capers with piccata and that's because, well, francese doesn't usually have capers.
This is my version of chicken francese which is how I would serve it in my restaurant. It's a piccata/francese combo. Having some crusty Italian bread is a must for this chicken francese.
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 garlicky cauliflower pasta, but chicken francese is worth a little bit of a wait.
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.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 2 lemons
- 1 tbsp capers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp salt
- handful of basil
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Capers. Again, these are typically for piccata, but I like them. And you have a million francese recipes on the internet to choose from that don't have capers.
Olive Oil. Always go high-quality in a dish like this. You are going to taste the olive oil in the chicken. You want it to taste really good. I always recommend Partanna.
White wine. Sauvignon Blanc is my go-to for cooking. I've recently been turned onto 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.
How to make it Restaurant-Style!
I called this restaurant-style chicken francese, mainly because it is a meal that is always offered at restaurants, weddings, and events. It sometimes goes by different aliases such as lemon chicken or wedding chicken.
Battering and Dredging the Chicken Breast
Start by combining flour and garlic powder on a large plate to dredge the chicken. In a large bowl, combine eggs, parmesan, and salt to act as the batter. Dip the sliced chicken in the batter and then dredge in the flour. Use your dry hand to pat the flour on the chicken. Flip the chicken over and repeat to completely cover it with flour.
PRO TIP: 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.
Frying the Chicken
In a large saucepan fill the bottom of the pan with olive oil, about a ¼ cup, maybe more. Heat the oil to medium heat. The best way to fry the cutlets is to not overcrowd. Work in batches or you'll have steamed chicken.
Fry the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Add more olive oil after each batch as necessary. You want to always make sure there is enough olive oil in the pan so that the chicken will cook evenly.
If you double the batch, you may need to replace the olive oil completely if it starts to have lots of burnt bits on the bottom of the pan.
Creating a Lemon Wine Sauce
I use the same pan that I fried the chicken in as long as I didn't fry a TON of chicken. We don't want to use burnt oil but if you do 2-3 batches, you should be okay.
If some oil still 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 capers and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
Squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and allow it to simmer off. Then 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. It should look like the parting of the red sea and then collapse back together when the wooden spoon is dragged through.
Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken broth and simmer low for 10 minutes. Then add 2 tablespoon of butter and stir. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley, basil, and sliced lemon.
Serving
Restaurant-style chicken francese is usually served with rice and asparagus or rice and broccoli rabe. I love the lemon wine sauce over white jasmine rice. The lemony garlic sauce is the perfect complement to the rice. Crispy asparagus served right over the chicken looks beautiful when being served to a guest.
Best way to reheat
The best way to reheat chicken francese is by reheating it in the lemon-wine sauce. Take some of the leftover sauce and add chicken broth and heat it in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken to the pan and warm up in the simmering sauce. Microwaving chicken francese is fine when necessary, but it could become slightly rubbery.
What are some of the different names for Chicken Francese?
Chicken Francese is like the 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.
What should you serve it with?
- I love to serve chicken francese with spaghetti with garlic and oil and a loaf of bread.
- Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli rabe are also great options!
- You can serve it over jasmine rice, risotto, or mashed potatoes!
- Definitely serve it with a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc you used to cook with!
It is a dish that originated from Italians but in 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.
If you're looking for more recipes like restaurant-style chicken francese check out some of our other Italian favorites!
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📖 Recipe
Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced thin
- 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoon salt
- handful of basil
- 2 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. Dip the sliced chicken in the batter and then dredge in the flour.
- In a large saucepan fill the bottom of the pan with olive oil, about a ¼ cup, maybe more. Heat the oil to medium heat. Then place the cutlets in the pan, careful not to overcrowd. Work in batches. Fry the chicken for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Add more olive oil as necessary.
- If oil still 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 capers 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 simmer low for 10 minutes. Then stir in 2 tablespoon butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley, basil, and slice lemon.
Donna
Dip in egg then flour?
Vinny and Marisa
that is how I do it in this recipe
Alanna
I usually flour then egg my francese like the traditional way but out of curiosity I tried this recipe and it was really good!