This Chicken Francese recipe is an absolute favorite of ours. It’s so flavorful and bursting with flavor.
Oh, it’s doesn’t get much better than this dish!
Delicious and beautiful, all at the same time!
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC CHICKEN FRANCESE AT HOME
Watch us show you how easy it is to make this incredibly delicious dish.
It’s so good and a lot of fun to make!
OTHER CLASSIC CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY
The ingredients in chicken francese are simple and work beautifully together.
The simplicity of this dish is really what makes it shine. White wine and lemon and egg…doesn’t get much better than that!
THE EGG IS ON THE OUTSIDE
Chicken Frances is similar to Chicken Picatta, but the real difference is that “the egg is on the outside.”
You dredge in seasoned flour first, and then egg with herbs.
This is going to be good.
Make sure the chicken cutlets are nice and thin. You can easily place them in a large freezer bag and pound them until they are about an 1/8″ thick.
Then cook them in the olive oil until beautifully browned. You can keep them warm in a low-temp oven. Resist the urge to put the breaded cutlets in the sauce, this often causes the egg ‘breading’ to fall away from the chicken cutlet.
CHICKEN FRANCESE IS MADE WITH A WINE AND BUTTER SAUCE
And then the sauce. Oh, that sauce.
White wine, chicken stock, garlic…and some butter.
Divine.
IS IT CHICKEN FRANCESE, OR CHICKEN FRANCAISE?
This dish has French and Italian origins, but it is most commonly seen in Italian eateries. Learn more about the history of this amazing dish here.
The presentation is just beautiful, too.
Finish it with a squeeze of fresh lemon, and your guests will be so impressed!
Yes!
FINISH THE CHICKEN FRANCAISE WITH A SQUEEZE OF LEMON
If you enjoy this amazing Chicken Francese, chances are you’d also love our Pork Milanese!
And this amazing dish can literally come together in 30 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight meal. But impressive enough to serve to guests on a special dinner party. Serve with salad and crusty Italian bread. Just amazing. 100% Loon Approved!
CHICKEN FRANCESE FAQ’S
- How far in advance can the cutlets and sauce be made in advance? Yes! Prepare the cutlets and sauce as written and then re-eat the cutlets in a low-temp oven and heat the sauce in a saucepan on the stove.
- Is it okay to simmer the prepared cutlets in the sauce? We don’t recommend this. Often, the sauce will cause the cooked egg ‘breading’ to pull away from the cutlet. We recommend serving the cutlet with the sauce poured over the top.
- Is cooking wine for the sauce? We feel pretty strongly about this…if you wouldn’t drink the wine by itself, you shouldn’t cook with it either. This is a pretty straight-forward dish without a lot of ingredients, that’s why quality is so important.
- Can the sauce be frozen? Yes! For up to 2 months!
Now, it’s time to make this incredible Chicken Francese Recipe!
And once you’ve made the dish, take a picture and post to Instagram! Be sure to tag @howotfeedaloon and #howtofeedaloon!
Chicken Francese
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, about 14 oz. to 16 oz. total
- 1 cup flour for dredging (you'll also need 2 tablespoon of the flour mixture later for the sauce...but we'll get to that later in the instructions).
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp Parmesan grated
- 4 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (divided...2 tablespoons for batter, 2 for garnish)
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided...2 tablespoons for sautéing the chicken, and then 2 more for the sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided...2 for sautéing the chicken, 2 for the sauce
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes more, to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine ie, Pino Grigio
- 1 ¼ cups chicken stock
- Juice of two fresh lemons about 4 tablespoons
Instructions
- Place the chicken (one at a time) in a large freezer bag, and using the side of a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken to 1/8" to 1/4" in thickness.
- Cut each pounded chicken piece into halves, or thirds. Set aside.
- Pour the flour onto a platter or plate. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and the 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Gently mix together with a fork. Remove 2 tablespoons to use later for the sauce.
- In a second small/medium-sized bowl, mix together the eggs, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture and then dip into egg mixture, fully coating.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. After the oil has heated, add 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Place the coated chicken into the hot skillet, 2 at a time.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom.
- Flip and cook the other side until completely cooked through and nicely browned, about another 3 - 4 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and repeat with remaining chicken. (Cooked cutlets can be made 1 to 2 hours ahead of time. Re-heat in (350 F) oven 15 minutes before serving, or keep warm in oven (220 F) until ready to use.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic and crushed red pepper, cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of seasoned flour, and mix completely. Add another tablespoon of flour if too wet, should resemble wet sand. Stir and let cook for about 1 to 2 minutes (don't let it get dark brown).
- Add white wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat.
- Add the lemon juice. Stir until slightly thickened.
- Season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
- Place cutlets on plates, or platter, and pour sauce over the top.
- Garnish with remaining parsley.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Boyfriend absolutely loved it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Woo hoo!! Mission accomplished! So glad you had such success with the dish, and thanks so much for letting us know and for the GREAT review!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Oh wow! This was incredible! My husband and I licked our plates! I doubled the recioe because of the size of the chicken breasts and am so glad because we can eat it again tomorrow! I served it with a simple side salad and a lemony couscous
Best news we’ve heard all day! So glad you hit it out of the park with this dish! Side salad and lemony couscous sound like a perfect addition to the dish! Yum!! Thank you for letting us know!!!! And for the wonderful review!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Oh wow! This was incredible! My husband and I licked our plates! I doubled the recioe because of the size of the chicken breasts and am so glad because we can eat it again tomorrow! I served it with a simple side salad and a lemony couscous
Making this tonight and can’t wait to try it! It looks amazing! Question…..I have 4 chicken breasts (2.5lbs) so about 40oz of chicken! I’m assuming I will need to double the recipe then??
This has got to be the best Chicken Francese I have ever had!!!!! I am an everynight gourmet cook and will tell you that nothing compares to this recipe for Francese. I’ve tried numerous other recipes and this takes the gold star. The chicken holds on to its breading beautifully, while frying, and has a fantastic flavor even without the sauce. The sauce is the frosting on the cake. It has the most perfect flavor and consistency and coats the chicken magnificently. My family cannot get enough of this recipe. Fantastic job!!!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Fran!! You have no idea how happy it makes us to hear you had such huge success with our chicken Francese recipe! And so glad you and the family enjoyed it so much. And thank you so so much for letting us know and for the GREAT review. That means the world to us!! Please stay in touch! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
Made this last night! Got recipe off Pinterest, oh my was delicious! Easy to make! Will make again! Now I am just over here looking around what else I can make from you guys!
Hi Ellen! That is so awesome to hear that you had such great success with the chicken Francese recipe! That’s one of our all-time favorite dishes! We are so glad you found us! Please stay in touch! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for the great review. We appreciate that SO MUCH!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This was aMaZing! Thank you for the best Easter Dinner ever! I kept saying to myself “Take a photo” but when I got it plated, with mashed potato, the smell was so seductive we all dove right in with no photos.
Happy Easter! Making this lovely recipe again. Stay healthy. Lynn
I made this last weekend and it was absolutely fabulous. The only thing I did different was I used a local garlic and lemon infused olive oil. Used both and it really added flavor. WarwickValleyOliveOil.com
This is a keeper and I can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Hi Teri!! All sounds AMAZING!! We are so so so glad you had such success with our chicken francese. And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know!!! Stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Excellent- easy to follow recipe, first time I tried it I received rave reviews from my family! Trying it with Pork cutleys today! Thanks.
Hi Michael!! That is so awesome to hear!! We are so happy you had such great success with the chicken francese. And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and the GREAT review!! We appreciate that so so much! Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Omg! First time making this dish and it was DELICIOUS! And you guys are so much fun to watch! Thank you!
Hi Kendra!! Woo hoo!!! So glad you hit it out of the park with the chicken francese!! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us know and they awesome review!! You have no idea how much that means to us. Please stay in touch!! Best, Kris & Wesley
I watched your video while recuperating from surgery and couldn’t wait to get back in the kitchen to make this Chicken Francese. (It was all I thought about). This recipe did not disappoint and was easy to make. The chicken was moist and the sauce is delicious! Loved your video and the Loon kept me entertained. Thanks so much. Keep the recipes coming!
Hi Cindy! That’s the best news we’ve heard all day! AND…we truly hope you are fully recovered and feeling great since your surgery. It fills our hearts with joy to think we could have helped recovery a little easier (or less of a pain) with our recipes and videos! And thank you for letting us know. That truly means the world to us. Stay tuned, stay in touch…and stay in good health! Lots more on the way! All the best, Kris & Wesley
do you think you could freeze the cutlets prior to cooking? thaw then fry?
Thanks
This recipe is a favorite of mine, but your recipe is better, and I love the flavor of the chicken with and without the sauce. Thank you for sharing.
This is such a nice recipe. Making it again tonight. Happy New Year!
Thank you so much!! We are so happy you enjoy the recipe. It is definitely one of our favorites, too! Thank you for letting us know, and Happy New Year to you, too! Stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
U definitely make a great dish. However chill out u guys are a bit all over the place an at times hard to follow what ur saying. Its great to have fun but ur both over the top.
Making this tonight for mom it’s her Favorite!!!
Love All the How to Feed a Loon recipes!!! Xoxoxox
So sorry for just now replying! We REALLY hope you and your mom tonight enjoyed it! Please give your mom our love and we think of you guys constantly!!! Love you so much! xoxoxo