You’re going to love the amazing flavors in this simple chicken francese recipe. Flour-dredged chicken cutlets are dredged in flour and then dipped in eggs. Next, they are fried until golden brown and crispy. The white wine and lemon sauce is really beautiful and suits the chicken wonderfully.
Despite its name suggesting it’s French, chicken francese is actually an American-Italian hybrid. You can serve it with spaghetti or angel hair pasta, and pair it with green beans, roasted broccoli or peas. You can even pair some delicious crusty baguette bread with it.
A chilled glass of white wine is an elegant accompaniment to this delicious chicken dish. As the recipe already has white wine in it, you can just use a wine you like to drink. Don’t use anything labeled as cooking wine because it never tastes good. Instead, choose something dry such as a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
Why You’ll Love the Recipe:
This easy recipe makes the most delicious chicken. Although you might be curious about dipping the chicken in the flour before the egg, it really does work best this way around to make a delicious crispy golden brown coating.
How to Serve It:
Serve this with angel hair pasta, spaghetti, linguine, rice, or mashed potatoes, along with your favorite green vegetable.
Can You Make It Ahead?
No, it’s best served fresh so it’s nice and crisp.
Variations and Substitutions
Use olive oil in place of the canola oil if you want (although the chicken does brown better in canola or vegetable oil). You can add ¼ cup of heavy cream to the sauce to make it creamier and thicker.
Ingredients needed:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Eggs
- Garlic powder
- Canola or vegetable oil
- Chopped fresh parsley and parmesan cheese, to serve
FOR THE LEMON SAUCE:
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Chicken broth
- Dry white wine
- Lemon
- Lemon juice
How to make Chicken Francese Recipe:
Step 1. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise to make 4 thinner breast pieces.
Step 2. Whisk the flour with the salt, pepper and garlic powder in one bowl and beat the eggs in another.
Step 3. Heat the oil in a skillet.
Step 4. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour first and then the eggs, letting the excess drip off.
Step 5. Now add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden on the bottom.
Step 6. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown too.
Step 7. Transfer the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined plate and discard most of the oil from the skillet.
Step 8. Turn the heat down and add the butter to the pan, stirring until dissolved.
Step 9. Whisk in the flour, cooking for 2 minutes, scraping any stuck-on bits up from the pan bottom using a wooden spoon.
Step 10. Next you can whisk in the wine and cook for a couple of minutes.
Step 11. Add the lemon juice and broth, and whisk to combine.
Step 12. Let the mixture thicken for about a minute.
Then put the chicken back in the pan to warm back through.
Step 13. Serve garnished with lemon slices, parsley and parmesan cheese.
You’re going to love this chicken francese recipe. The soft, succulent chicken is coated in a crispy crust and served in a lemon and white wine sauce. This delicious dish is simple enough for a midweek meal but also elegant enough for a fancy dinner party.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The breading won’t stay crisp but the flavors will be the same. Freezing this isn’t recommended, as the breading will get really soft and soggy upon thawing.
Chicken Francese Recipe
This easy recipe makes the most delicious chicken. Although you might be curious about dipping the chicken in the flour before the egg, it really does work best this way around to make a delicious crispy golden brown coating.
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 beaten large eggs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- Chopped fresh parsley and parmesan cheese, to serve
FOR THE LEMON SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 1 thinly sliced lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise to make 4 thinner breast pieces.
- Whisk the flour with the salt, pepper and garlic powder in one bowl and beat the eggs in another.
- Heat the oil in a skillet.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour first and then the eggs, letting the excess drip off.
- Now add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden on the bottom.
- Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown too.
- Transfer the cooked chicken onto a paper towel lined plate and discard most of the oil from the skillet.
- Turn the heat down and add the butter to the pan, stirring until dissolved.
- Whisk in the flour, cooking for 2 minutes, scraping any stuck-on bits up from the pan bottom using a wooden spoon.
- Next you can whisk in the wine and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and broth, and whisk to combine.
- Let the mixture thicken for about a minute, then put the chicken back in the pan to warm back through.
- Serve garnished with lemon slices, parsley and parmesan cheese.
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Marie Rayner is a retired Chef, freelance writer, recipe developer, food blogger, and Cookbook author. She makes her home in Chester, UK, where she lives with her husband, Todd, and their much beloved English Cocker, Mitzie. Her motto is “Life is far too short to eat bad food,” and her goal is to share delicious and easy recipes which anyone can enjoy and cook in the comfort of their own home.
