I love making things for my family that I haven’t made before. So much that if my kids don’t recognize what is on the plate in front of them, they will ask me if it is an “experimental” meal. Most of the time the answer is yes. Good thing they’re good sports!
I wanted to try to make Chicken Francese for a while now but trying to find a recipe without too many steps or ingredients that I don’t keep in the house proved to be a little more difficult than I had anticipated. I finally came across one in Taste of Home magazine where the contributor was a home cook, not a professional chef, and the recipe was pretty down to earth. Lightly breaded tender chicken in a bright, but not overpowering lemon sauce. I made a few changes as I always do, but oh my goodness, this one is a keeper!
I am not an expert at pounding chicken. It may have taken me a while to get the knack of it where I didn’t overdo it so that it all fell apart. My advice to you is to put a layer of plastic wrap between the meat mallet and the chicken and then only hit it half as hard and half as much as you think that you need to. It gets to 1/4 inch thickness pretty fast. Once it’s pounded thin, cut it into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide and set aside.
Place two eggs in a shallow bowl and whisk them until frothy. Set this bowl aside for now.
In a second shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the pounded chicken strips into the beaten egg and then coat in the bread crumb mixture. Once coated, place into the preheated skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.
Cook the chicken in batches, adding oil as needed. Remove cooked chicken to a foil covered plate. You can place the chicken strips on paper towels once they have been cooked (as I did here) but I really didn’t find it necessary for the recipe so I left it out of the instructions.
Returning to the deep skillet, add water, lemon juice and chicken bouillon. Stir, scraping up the brown bits from the pan. Turn the heat to high and allow to boil for about 10 minutes until the liquid has been reduced by half.
Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce. The sauce will soak right into the chicken. I swear, this step is where the magic happens. Heat for 2-3 minutes and then serve immediately. Enjoy!
Chicken Francese
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups dried bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tsp chicken boullion powder
Instructions
- Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Slice into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide and set aside.
- Place eggs into a shallow bowl and beat with a whisk until frothy. Set aside.
- In a second shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Dip the pounded chicken strips into the beaten egg and then coat in the bread crumb mixture. Once coated, place into the preheated skillet. Cook the chicken in batches, adding oil as needed, until the chicken is golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove cooked chicken to a foil covered plate.
- Returning to the deep skillet, add water, lemon juice and chicken bouillon. Stir, scraping up the brown bits from the pan. Turn heat to high and allow to boil for about 10 minutes until the liquid has been reduced by half.
- Return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce. Heat for 2-3 minutes and then serve immediately. Enjoy!
john says
This recipe has been a really special recipe for me. Those who haven’t tried the recipe should try it now.