Description
Creamy Chicken Francese is a classic Italian-American dish featuring tender chicken cutlets lightly coated in seasoned flour and eggs, fried until golden, and then simmered in a luscious lemon, white wine, and cream sauce. This rich and flavorful entrée is perfect for an elegant weeknight dinner or special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts
- ½ cup flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 eggs (beaten)
- ¼ cup oil (for frying)
Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 lemon (sliced)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup cream
Garnish
- salt and pepper (to serve)
- parsley (to serve)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and carefully slice each breast horizontally to make two thin cutlets. This ensures quick and even cooking.
- Mix dry and wet coatings: In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly.
- Coat the chicken: Dip each chicken cutlet first into the flour mixture, ensuring it is fully coated, then dip it into the beaten eggs for a complete coating.
- Fry the chicken: Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the coated chicken cutlets in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the lemon: In the same pan, melt the butter and fry the lemon slices until golden on both sides. Remove and set aside for garnish.
- Make the sauce base: Pour the white wine into the pan and let it reduce for a few minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom for flavor.
- Add liquids: Add the chicken stock and lemon juice to the reduced wine, bring it to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes to concentrate the sauce.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the cream, then return the chicken cutlets to the pan. Let them simmer in the sauce for another 5 minutes, until the sauce is velvety and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Serve: Scatter chopped parsley over the dish, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot, optionally garnished with the fried lemon slices.
Notes
- For extra tenderness, pound chicken breasts to an even thickness before slicing.
- Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying, such as canola or vegetable oil.
- You can substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth for a lighter sauce.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice and cream to your taste for more tanginess or richness.
- Serve with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: Chicken Francese, Creamy Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Italian-American Dish, Chicken Cutlets, White Wine Sauce, Cream Sauce
