Our Chicken Francese sure to please. Thinly sliced chicken breasts battered and pan-fried, then finished with a savory lemon butter sauce.
Chicken Francese is a staple at weddings and family parties for us. It’s one of those dishes that can also be a hit or a miss. For me, it needs a buttery flavor and you cannot skimp on the lemon. If I don’t taste lemon, it’s not Chicken Francese.
This meal is so easy and the whole family will enjoy it whether you call it Chicken Francese or Chicken Francese.
Recipe ingredient and notes
- All-purpose flour – We use flour to create the breading for the chicken as well as to thicken the lemon butter sauce.
- Kosher salt, pepper and granulated garlic – In addition to the lemon, we use this to season the chicken and flour mixture.
- Eggs – If you cannot have eggs you could also use milk, we use eggs to coat the chicken before dipping into the flour.
- Chicken Breasts – Thinly sliced chicken breasts work best, but we also make this with chicken tenders or homemade chicken nuggets.
- Avocado Oil – This is our preferred high smoke point oil for frying.
- Butter – We use a plant based butter to keep this recipe dairy free.
- Lemon – When cooking whole lemon we always opt for organic.
- White wine – Can’t have white wine? Use chicken broth or even apple juice.
- Chicken Broth – This helps create the rich and creamy sauce.
- Lemon Juice – Use less or more depending on how lemony you like it. Cooking the lemon slices flavors the sauce as well.
- Parsley – We use this for garrrnish and flavor.
Step-by-step instructions
For the full ingredient amount and full instructions on how to make Chicken Francese see the recipe card below.
Prepare the chicken by coating it in a flour and egg mixture.
Pan fry the chicken until golden brown and the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
In the same pan with oil discarded you’ll make the sauce. Start off with the butter and sliced lemon cooking until it’s fragrant.
Then remove the lemon slices, whisk in flour. Add in the wine and lemon juice.
Add in the white wine and chicken broth, salt, and pepper to taste.
Return the chicken to the pan, top with lemon slices and parsley garnish.
Recipe tips and variations
- Use fresh lemon instead of the stuff in the bottle, it makes a huge difference.
- Skip the chicken prep and buy thinly sliced chicken breasts.
- Don’t like thin chicken? You can also pan fry thicker chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or even chicken bites, but make sure you cook the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees F.
- If you’re using wine make sure it’s a wine you would drink. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it.
- Making enough to have leftovers? Hold off on pouring the sauce over the chicken. Refrigerate the chicken and the sauce separately and wait until before you serve. Air frying the chicken is a great way to heat it up too!
- Our family loves the sauce over noodles so we’ll sometimes double the sauce batch.
Storage and reheating tips
- Refrigerate: Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: To freeze we recommend not adding the chicken to the sauce and keeping them separate. Place them into separate containers that are airtight freezer safe containers and freeze for 3 months.
- Reheat: If we know we’re having leftovers we will keep the sauce and chicken separate. We find it’s best to air fry the chicken or bake for about 5-10 minutes or until completely warm and then warm the sauce and top it over the chicken.
How to serve
Chicken Francese is the main course and is best served with spaghetti or pasta. We also serve it with garlic bread and a green vegetable.
what to serve with chicken Francese
Frequently asked questions
Yes! We suggest using more chicken broth or even apple juice instead of wine.
Yes, we suggest sticking with vegetables that go well with lemon and butter. Think broccoli, asparagus, string beans, or even peas.
If you don’t want your chicken to be soggy (we find it’s a perfect balance and not too soggy, but also not crispy) you can serve the chicken plain and then drizzle the sauce overtop at the dinner table.
yes! I highly recommend doubling if you like to serve it as a sauce for your pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. It’s so luscious and delicious. You could even do chunks of chicken instead and do chicken Francese pasta with a thick noodle.
Chicken Francaise
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Print Pin Recipe 🖤 SaveIngredients
Chicken Cutlets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk we use oat milk for dairy free
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced
- avocado oil for pan frying
Lemon Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter we use country crock plant butter for dairy free
- 1 lemon sliced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lemon juiced
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Chicken Cutlets
- In a large shallow bowl combine the flour, kosher salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and set aside.1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons milk
- Add avocado oil to the frying pan to just cover the bottom enough to pan fry. Set to medium high heat.avocado oil
- Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, then the egg. Once the oil is ready, add the chicken in an even layer without over crowding.1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and then keep in the air fryer or low degree oven to keep warm while you prepare/finish the sauce.
Lemon Butter Sauce
- In a large skillet, add the butter and lemon slices. Cook until butter is melted and lemon slices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.Remove the lemon slices and reserve for later. Add in the flour, whisk to combine.4 tablespoons butter, 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pour in the white wine, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has started to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.3/4 cup white wine, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 lemon
- Add the chicken to the pan and cover with the sauce, cooked lemon slices, and parsley for garnish.fresh parsley
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Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
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Hello there. I have a question on the chicken francese recipe. How much butter and how much lemon juice would I need? New to cooking so every step helps.
Thank you
Hi Lisa! For the recipe, you’ll need a total of 4 tablespoons of butter and the juice of 1 lemon for the Lemon Butter Sauce. The lemon slices are also used in the sauce for extra flavor. Let me know if you have any other questions and happy cooking! 🙂