Chicken Francese
Chicken Francese is a restaurant staple that you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen! Golden brown chicken breasts are pan seared to perfection and served in a buttery, tangy white wine sauce. You’ll love how easy this freshly flavored chicken dinner is to make!
Chicken Francese
When I see Chicken Francese listed on the menu at a restaurant, I know exactly what I’ll be ordering for dinner! While I have yet to meet a serving of Chicken Francese I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed, my homemade version is certainly my most favorite. The chicken is just thin enough to still be juicy and tender and the sauce is simply to die for!
Let’s discuss that sauce a bit more, shall we? Dry white wine, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and chicken stock is mixed with the oil that the chicken was pan seared in to create the most mouthwatering concoction of flavors.
To really send the sauce over the top, a little floured butter is stirred in to thicken it to be perfect consistency. Trust me, you might just be licking the plate.
The chicken breasts in this recipe are pounded pretty thinly and dredged so they’re nice and crispy. However, they’re also still so juicy and tender if cooked just right! Just be sure not to over cook them so they don’t dry out.
When your Chicken Francese is cooked to perfection (which is truly so easy to do), it’s perfect for serving as your dinner party entree or for at-home date nights when you want to impress.
How to Make Chicken Francese
You don’t need to be a chef to make this classic chicken dinner! Just follow these quick and easy steps and you’ll have a restaurant quality meal on your dinner table in under an hour.
- Prepare your dredging stations. In a swallow bowl, mix the flour, salt and pepper together. In a separate shallow bowl, beat the eggs with water.
- Dredge the chicken. Dredge the chicken breast in the dry mixture until totally coated, then dip it in the egg wash to completely coat. Let some of the excess drip off before adding it to the skillet.
- Cook the dredged chicken. Cook each chicken breast for about 4 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate tented with foil to keep warm.
- Make the sauce. Add the wine, chicken stock, and lemon juice to the same pan that the chicken was cooked in. Simmer for about 5 minutes. In a small bowl add the flour, then add each piece of butter and coat it. Add the floured butter to the pan to help thicken the sauce.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to medium. Return the chicken to the pan and allow it to simmer in the sauce for about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy! Season with a little flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and vibrant green parsley, serve immediately, and enjoy!
How do I thin out the chicken?
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover them with plastic wrap. Lightly pound the meat with flat meat mallet until it’s about ¼ thick. If the chicken breasts are very thick, you can split each in half to make them thinner.
How long will Chicken Francese stay fresh?
Since it’s served in that signature sauce, Chicken Francese is BEST served FRESH! However, in an airtight container, it’ll stay fresh for about 2-3 days. I recommend reheating your leftovers right back in the skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
More easy Chicken Breast recipes for weeknight dinners
- The Best Chicken Parmesan
- Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- Chicken Milanese
- Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- The Best Oven Baked Chicken Breast
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Get the Recipe: Chicken Francese Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts, boneless skinless (about 2 pounds), flattened to ¼ inch thickness
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 eggs
- 3 TBSP water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 TBSP lemon juice, about ½ a lemon
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter, cut in four pieces
- 1 TBSP flour
- 3 TBSP parsley chopped
- Fresh sliced lemon, about 1-2 lemons
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Instructions
- Place chicken on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly with flat meat mallet until it’s about ¼ thick. If the chicken breast is very thick you can split each in ½ to make them thinner. Set aside on a plate.
- In a swallow bowl or platter mix the flour, salt and pepper together.
- In a separate shallow bowl, beat the eggs well with the water.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Dredge the chicken breast in the flour until well coated then dip in the egg wash to completely coat. Let some of the excess drip off then add to the hot oiled skillet.
- Cook for about 4 minutes per side and remove to a platter and wrap with foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan that chicken was cooked in add the wine, chicken stock and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- In a small bowl, add the 1 TBSP of flour, then add each pat of butter to coat.
- There will be some flour left over, which is fine as it isn’t needed for the sauce.
- Add each flour coated butter pat to the pan and incorporate it to help thicken the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium and return the chicken to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes to finish cooking the chicken.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh lemon slices and parsley and serve immediately.
2 Comments on “Chicken Francese”
what can I substitute for the white wine?
Hi Gaylyn,
You can substitute the wine with apple juice, grape juice or use chicken stock.