How to Make Chicken Francese: Easy Chicken Francese Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 12, 2024 • 2 min read
Like its caper-crowned cousin, chicken piccata, Chicken Francese (also known as Chicken Française despite its Italian roots) is a quintessential stand-by of the stateside Italian bistro menu.
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What Is Chicken Francese?
Chicken Francese is an Italian-American dish with origins in Rochester, New York. The dish features chicken cutlets coated in a light batter of flour and egg and cooked in an aromatic white wine-butter sauce. This method and recipe are also used to make veal cutlets and artichokes.
What to Serve With Chicken Francese
Chicken Francese is commonly served with seared lemon slices and garnished with fresh parsley. However, the star of this dish is its bright, zippy sauce, which pairs with a number of possible side dishes and additional components.
- Pasta. Toss cooked pasta noodles in any remaining pan sauce, and serve with chicken cutlets on top for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- Rice and cooked grains. Chicken Francese’s light silky sauce pairs perfectly with steamed jasmine rice, wild rice blends, or whole grains like farro.
- Steamed or roasted vegetables. Flavorful vegetables, like carrots and beets, or alliums, like leeks or shallots, all provide a deep, earthy, savory-sweet counterpoint to the brighter notes of this chicken dish.
- Garlic bread. Garlic is a natural companion of lemon and butter, and toasty, crusty bread is the perfect vehicle for soaking up all that extra buttery sauce.
Easy Chicken Francese Recipe
makes
1-2prep time
10 mintotal time
30 mincook time
20 minIngredients
- 1
Season flour with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
- 2
Transfer egg wash and flour mixture to separate plates or wide, shallow bowls. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 3
Season both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets in the flour, pressing to adhere, then follow with the egg mixture. Allow any excess to drip off, and transfer to the skillet.
- 4
Sauté cutlets until golden brown and crisp, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove, and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- 5
Lower heat to medium, and lay lemon slices in the skillet in an even layer. Cook until beginning to brown, 1–2 minutes, before adding the broth, wine, and lemon juice. Combine the butter with the remaining tablespoons of flour until it forms a light paste, and add to the skillet. Stir to incorporate, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until reduced slightly and thickened to preference.
- 6
Return chicken cutlets to the pan, and cook for an additional 3–5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and tender.
- 7
Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon slices.
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