Chicken Francese features tender chicken cutlets lightly coated and pan-fried until golden, then finished in a buttery lemon and white wine sauce. The bright lemon sauce makes every bite flavorful without feeling heavy.
This has been one of our favorite chicken dinners for years. I like making it with angel hair pasta because the pasta catches all that lemon butter sauce.
Why I Love Chicken Francese
About the Ingredients ⭐
- Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are sliced or pounded thin so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Flour & Garlic Powder: Create the light coating on the chicken and add flavor.
- Eggs: The floured chicken is dipped in beaten eggs before cooking.
- Olive Oil & Butter: Used to cook the chicken and add richness to the sauce.
- Chicken Broth & White Wine: Form the base of the pan sauce.
- Lemons: Add the bright lemon flavor that makes Chicken Francese so good.
- Salt & Pepper: Season the chicken and sauce.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Chicken Francese
Prepare the Chicken: Cut the chicken breasts into cutlets and pound to about ½-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Coat the Chicken: Combine the flour and garlic powder in one shallow bowl and whisk the eggs in another. Coat each piece of chicken in flour, then egg, then flour again.
Cook the Chicken: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Cook the chicken in a single layer for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken, then remove it from the skillet.
Make the Sauce: Pour the white wine into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits. Add the chicken broth and simmer until the sauce begins to reduce and thicken.
Finish: Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the lemon sauce over the top. Add lemon slices and cook until the chicken is heated through and reaches 165°F.
Tips I Found Helpful 💙
- Pound the chicken evenly: Keep the cutlets about ½-inch thick so they cook at the same rate.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet: Cook the chicken in batches if needed so it browns instead of steaming.
- Use fresh lemon: Fresh lemon juice gives the sauce the best bright flavor.
- Scrape up the browned bits: Those little pieces left in the skillet add lots of flavor to the sauce.
Questions Readers Ask Most
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Easy Skillet Chicken Francese
Chicken Francese features tender, golden chicken cutlets finished in a buttery lemon, white wine, and chicken broth sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 lemons
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into thin cutlets and pound to about ½-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs in a second shallow bowl.
- Dip each chicken cutlet into the flour mixture, then the eggs, and then back into the flour.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 3–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Work in batches if needed.
- Squeeze the juice from one lemon over the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the chicken broth and simmer until the sauce begins to reduce.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer in the sauce until heated through and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Slice the remaining lemon and add the slices to the skillet before serving.
Notes
For even cooking, pound the chicken cutlets to about ½-inch thick. If desired, serve over angel hair pasta and top with grated Romano cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 343Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 169mgSodium: 405mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 30g
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