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Chicken Francese (Chicken French)

5 from 55 votes

A delicious restaurant quality dish with a buttery, lemon pan sauce. This chicken is terrific served over hot pasta.

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Chicken Francese (or Chicken French) is a popular restaurant quality dish you can make at home with tender chicken cutlets nestled in a buttery, lemon pan sauce.

A skillet filled with golden brown chicken cutlets in a lemony butter sauce


 

Simple and Quick Chicken Francese

It’s about this time each year I start craving all things lemon. Lemon is a great way to brighten up the day with a little sunshine on a plate.

The dreary days of winter are here but that doesn’t mean our dinners have to be dreary too! Queue up this delicious, easy, wonderfully different chicken dish your whole family will love.

Chicken Francese - a skillet with tender, breaded chicken cutlets in a simple buttery, lemon sauce. Garnished with sliced lemons and fresh chopped parsley

Use skinless, boneless chicken breasts or store-bought chicken cutlets for this recipe.

Chicken cutlets are a great quick dinner tool. The cutlets cook through in about 10 minutes leaving a tender, moist, thin breast that soaks up plenty of flavor from the buttery, lemon wine sauce.

If you can’t find prepared cutlets in your local grocery store make your own by slicing boneless breasts in half. For easy preparation and slicing, freeze the chicken breasts for about 15 minutes before cutting in half.

Don’t worry if each cutlet is a little different size, there’s no need for them to be perfect.

Askillet with tender, breaded chicken cutlets in a simple buttery, lemon sauce. Garnished with sliced lemons and fresh chopped parsley

‘Francese’ means French in Italian, however this lemony chicken dish is an Italian-American creation.

The basis for this recipe was brought to America by Italian immigrants and may have been created as a less expensive alternative to Veal Francese. Recipes for Chicken Francese are similar to another popular dish, Chicken Piccata.

Chicken cutlets are dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in eggs, then back in the flour before pan frying until golden brown. The sauce is made in the same pan with a full quarter cup of fresh lemon juice, butter, dry white wine and chicken broth.

This dish requires the right amount of salt to bring out all the flavors however, so be sure to check the seasoning before serving.

A dinner plate with steamed broccoli, spaghetti and sliced Chicken Francese garnished with sliced lemons, a buttery lemon sauce and fresh parsley

Overview of ingredients for Chicken Francese

For the chicken:

  • boneless skinless chicken breasts or cutlets
  • eggs
  • milk
  • salt and pepper
  • all-purpose flour
  • unsalted butter
  • olive oil

For the sauce:

  • unsalted butter
  • onion
  • all-purpose flour
  • dry white wine
  • fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • low-sodium chicken broth or stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish
  • sliced lemon for serving

The buttery lemon pan sauce is great served over pasta.

Serve Chicken Francese with a simple steamed vegetable and plenty of hot spaghetti for a complete, satisfying meal. Garnish with sautéed thin sliced lemons, chopped parsley and fresh ground black pepper for picture perfect Chicken Francese!

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A closeup of a skillet filled with chicken cutlets in a buttery lemon sauce

Chicken Francese Recipe (Chicken French)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings
Course: Main
Author: Tricia
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5 from 55 votes
A delicious restaurant quality dish with a buttery, lemon pan sauce. This chicken is terrific served over hot pasta.

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6-8 chicken cutlets)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • ¼ cup minced sweet onion
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 juicy lemons)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or chicken stock)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish
  • sliced lemon for garnish

Instructions

To create chicken cutlets:

  • Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Remove the rib meat/tenderloin from the breasts. Reserve for another use or cook with the cutlets. Place the chicken breasts on the pan and freeze for 15 minutes. This step makes it easier to slice the breasts creating cutlets. Hold the breasts firmly against the cutting board with one hand. Using a sharp chef’s knife, carefully cut the breasts in half horizontally with the knife parallel to the cutting board. If you purchased chicken cutlets, skip this step.

To prepare the chicken:

  • While preparing the chicken, set a pot of water over medium high heat for the pasta.
  • In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Set aside. Combine the salt, pepper and flour in a separate shallow bowl and place next to the egg wash. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons butter and two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted and the foaming stops. Using tongs, dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture shaking off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture allowing the extra egg to drip back into the bowl. Transfer to the flour once again, turning to coat. Shake off the extra flour and place in the hot skillet. Cook 2 or 3 cutlets at a time, turning once, until the chicken is well browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the prepared paper-towel lined baking sheet. Repeat, adding more butter and olive oil if needed until all chicken is cooked. Set chicken aside. Discard the grease and wipe out the skillet with clean paper towels.

To prepare the lemon sauce:

  • Add 3 tablespoons butter to the now empty skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine, lemon juice and chicken broth. Increase the temperature to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it is reduced to about 1 ½ cups and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the onions if desired. Return the sauce to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce. Stir gently until melted. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. The lemon flavor will be intense.
  • Cook your pasta, if using.
  • Add the chicken cutlets to the sauce and heat gently for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, or until heated through. Top the chicken with sautéed lemon slices and garnish with minced parsley and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • There are a few moving parts to this recipe, but everything happens in the same skillet in a few easy steps. Read through the recipe a few times to understand the flow and have all ingredients pre-measured, chopped and ready. With just a little prep work, this recipe comes together in a flash.
  • Inspired by recipes on the New York Times and Cook’s Illustrated
Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 439mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 461IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Looking for a few more easy chicken recipes?

Try our classic Chicken Piccata recipe. With a light lemon sauce and plenty of briny capers, this tasty chicken will be a family favorite.

Our most popular chicken recipe is for this company-worthy, restaurant quality Skillet Chicken with Mushroom Wine Sauce. Just check all the 5-star reviews! This recipe is a must-make for chicken and mushroom lovers. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For a unique and delicious change of pace enjoy our delicious Chicken Fricassee with Apples. This recipe is made with gently stewed chicken breasts in a creamy white sauce with apple cider and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Onions and apples give this dish a light fresh sweetness and a surprisingly complex flavor.

And finally you’ll love this super fast and easy Spicy Honey Lime Chicken Thigh Recipe. Made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs it cooks quickly and is finished in a delicious garlic infused sauce that’s sticky, sweet and spicy. We’ve got so much flavor going on here… nothing boring about this chicken dinner!

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4.97 from 55 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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112 Comments

  1. AJ

    5 stars
    My wife tried this recipe today and the results were spectacular, probably my favorite chicken dish she has ever cooked (I am not a big fan of chicken). She said it was simple. As always, we adjusted to what we had in hand and it turned out great. Thank you

    Reply

  2. Anne craver

    Was excellent. Had to add teasp crushed garlic, 2 tbsp sugar and substituted onion powder for minced onion

    Reply

  3. Grace J Mock

    5 stars
    I had left a really detailed comment earlier about making this dish and had a few questions, but I have not seen it published. It took me a great deal of time to write. Did you possibly overlook it? I saw that a reply I left on someone else’s comment is showing but my big huge review is missing. 🙁

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Hi Grace. Your comment response posted and is further down in this feed. I don’t see any other comments from you (other than this one.) I double checked my spam folder too. Not sure why it’s missing but these other comments posted successfully. Maybe there was a glitch when you were submitting. Sorry. We appreciate you taking the time to comment.

      Reply

  4. Debbie

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness this was amazing! I tend to doctor all recipes to my taste. I added some Marsala wine and Dijon mustard to the sauce as well as carmelized onions. Served with garlic skillet green beans and steamed baby potatoes both tossed in a mustard vinaigrette. Loved the flour,egg,flour dredge

    Reply

  5. Karol Legutko

    5 stars
    Made this recipe and it is absolutely delicious.. tweaked it a little to make it my own but I used this as the base..

    Reply

  7. Gerlinde @Sunnycovechef

    5 stars
    I have lots of lemons on my tree and are always looking for new recipes. Your chicken Francese looks like something my husband and I would enjoy. Pinned!

    Reply

  8. Cindy

    5 stars
    The Chicken Francese was a big hit! I served it to my friend for lunch and we both loved it. Adding linguine to the mix was a yummy decision. I served the leftovers with a caprese salad to my son and his girlfriend tonight. They gobbled it up:)

    Reply

    • Tricia Buice

      Outstanding! Thanks so much for giving it a try and thanks for taking the time to let us know how it turned out for you. Hope you and your family are doing great Cindy – thanks again!

      Reply

  9. Tess

    5 stars
    It is very easy and simple to make. We do not have dry white wine, sub with white cooking wine instead. It is still delicious.

    Reply

  11. Robert

    Last night was my 1st time ever making this dish. It won’t be the last, that’s for sure. Everyone loved it. Serving it over angel hair pasta was the right call. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with everyone.

    Reply

      • Juli

        Hi! I would like to make this recipe for dinner tonight. I am wondering if the breading on the chicken becomes soggy when it is put in the sauce and heated gently for 4-5 minutes? Thanks.

      • Tricia Buice

        Hi Juli – yes the breading gets softer – but I wouldn’t call it soggy. It’s a little soft before it goes in the sauce. Hope you enjoy anyway!

      • Grace J Mock

        5 stars
        The breading will be softer, but that is because it absorbs all the flavor. If the breading pulls away a little it will still add dimension to the sauce and still be awesome, I kind of like when some of it pulls away, even better when you use bread at the end to get every last bit of that sauce off your plate!!!!

      • jac

        5 stars
        Made this tonight and it came out fabulous! Such a tasty dish – I served over a bed of linguini. The recipe was very easy to follow – I very much appreciate the tip about pre-measuring ingredients as that was super helpful throughout the process and made things flow easily. Yum!!

  15. Foodiewife

    Darn, why didn’t I see the recipe yesterday, when I had thawed out some boneless chicken?! This looks so good, and I have fresh lemons from our tree. Beautiful recipe!

    Reply

  16. Liz

    Chicken piccata is one of those go-to recipes when I can think of nothing else for dinner. I know the family will love your chicken francese!! Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply