Chicken Scallopini Recipe
Published August 18, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Make this classic Italian chicken Scallopini Recipe that is pan-fried in olive oil and served with a tasty buttery Mushroom sauce with Parmigiana Reggiano. I promise this will quickly go into your regular rotation once you try it.
We eat chicken several times a week in our house. It’s quick to prepare, it’s a great lean protein, and it doesn’t break the bank. If you are similar, then check out my Chicken Melt or Fried Chicken.
Chicken Scallopini
Chicken scallopini is a dish consisting of thinly sliced chicken that is then dredged in flour and pan-fried and can be served by itself or with a myriad of sauces such as marsala or piccata. The most common meats to use are veal, chicken, or pork. This process of making something “scallopine” is an incredibly classic procedure used daily across Italy.
You do not need to be limited by the sauce served in my recipe, and it can be topped off with any sauce of your liking. In addition, my family would do this. However, they would go a step further and run it through egg wash and then thoroughly coat it in breadcrumbs before frying. Feel free to get creative and have fun with this.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – I used boneless, skinless, chicken breasts for this.
- Flour – You will need some all-purpose flour for dredging the chicken.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking so that I control the sodium content.
- Oil – Olive or avocado oil are the best oils to use.
- Onions – I use some shallots and garlic to enhance the sauce’s flavor further. If you cannot access shallots, a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion will work in its place.
- Wine – Any dry white wine such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio will work.
- Lemon – A little lemon juice will brighten up the sauce significantly.
- Cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano will make the sauce incredibly creamy and rich.
- Mushrooms – I used a combination of button and baby bella mushrooms. The most common mushrooms used in Italy are button, portabella, chantarelle, and porcinis. However, you can use whatever mushrooms you have access to.
How to Make Chicken Scallopini
Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise. This is known as butterflying.
Place the sliced chicken breast one at a time into a plastic zip bag and gently pound it with a mallet or the bottom of a medium-sized pot.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and briefly set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and cheese, and set it to the side.
Next, in a shallow wide bowl or a cake or pie pan, add in the flour and season it lightly with salt and pepper, and mix until combined using a whisk or fork.
One at a time, gently dredge the pounded seasoned chicken breasts in some seasoned all-purpose flour. Set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper until they are all finished.
Add some olive oil to a large 12” frying pan over medium heat.
After about 90 seconds of the oil heating up, add in the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Set the cooked chicken breasts to the side and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan, turn the heat up to high, and sauté until well browned, which takes about 4 to 6 minutes.
Scrape the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side of the pan, add in the shallots, garlic, and butter and quickly stir and sauté for 1 minute. Then mix everything together.
Deglaze with white wine and cook over high heat until au sec, or almost gone.
Remove the pan from the heat, add in the juice of ½ lemon, and vigorously mix in the ice-cold butter until emulsified.
Next, stir in the cheese until combined and creamy. See the chef’s note below if the sauce breaks.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and then place the chicken back in to heat it back up.
Garnish with parsley, more cheese, and the zest of the remaining ½ lemon. Try serving it with my Italian Potatoes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This chicken scallopini is meant to be served right away, but you could leave the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce covered in a pan and over very low heat for up to 20 minutes ahead of time.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving. Feel free to store the sauce separately from the cooked chicken breast.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a medium size pan and heat over low heat until warmed. Feel free to add ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream or chicken stock to the sauce to help loosen it up more.
Chef Notes + Tips
- If the butter sauce separates from the cheese, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold whipping cream while vigorously mixing it to help re-emulsify it.
- You can also use chicken thighs or drums in this recipe.
- Feel free to use assorted wild mushrooms.
- You will most likely need to cook the chicken in batches.
- Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan after pan-frying the chicken before adding the mushrooms if the chicken has soaked it all up.
- If you do not drink wine, replace it with chicken stock.
More Chicken Recipes
Video
Chicken Scallopini Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 10- to-12-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
- ½ peeled and small-diced shallot
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 13 tablespoons ice cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” thick slices
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- Juice of ½ lemon, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
- ½ cup finely grated parmigiano Reggiano cheese + more for garnish
- finely minced parsley and lemon zest for garnish, optional
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise. This is known as butterflying.
- Place the sliced chicken breast one at a time into a plastic zip bag and gently pound it with a mallet or the bottom of a medium-sized pot.
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and briefly set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
- Next, in a shallow wide bowl or a cake or pie pan, add in the flour and season it lightly with salt and pepper, and mix until combined using a whisk or fork.
- One at a time, gently dredge the pounded seasoned chicken breasts in some seasoned all-purpose flour. Set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper until they are all finished.
- Add olive oil to a large 12” frying pan over medium heat.
- After about 90 seconds of the oil heating up, add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- Set the cooked chicken breasts to the side, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan, turn the heat up to high, and sauté until well browned, which takes about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Scrape the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side of the pan, add in the shallots, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of butter and quickly stir and sauté for 1 minute. Then mix everything together.
- Deglaze with white wine and cook over high heat until au sec or almost gone.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add in the juice of ½ lemon, and vigorously mix in the remaining 12 tablespoons of ice-cold butter until emulsified.
- Next, stir in the cheese until combined and creamy. See chef note below if the sauce breaks.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and then place the chicken back in to heat it back up.
- Garnish with parsley, more cheese, and the zest of the remaining ½ lemon. Try serving it with my Italian Potatoes.
Absolutely fantastic! We all loved it. Thank you 😊
Thank you!
I didn’t have wine on hand so I subbed better than chicken bouillon in hot water and oh my! Delicious! I always thought I didn’t like mushrooms but this transformed my taste and I like them alright, just cooked right. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for giving it a shot!
Easy and quick! I made it with thighs (chicken was extra moist) and added capers. Served with spaghetti and steamed broccoli. Next time I’ll add more lemon juice for a kick ( half a lemon wasn’t enough) and will try to cut the butter and substitute chicken broth. Great dish and easy to knock out after a busy day! Thanks!
Thank you for giving it a shot!
This was a hit with the hubby and MIL. I have never hears of this dish, let alone made it ever… but was craving Italian 3 nights ago badly. Found this perusing through Google search. It was so tasty that we had it 2 days later with shrimp!
Thank you for giving it a try!
I made this for my family and they ALL went for seconds!!
The best Birthday dinner yet! Even my pickiest eater, ate it ALL! The chicken was tender, the sauce was perfection and made it with some fingerings (also his recipe)!
Delicious!!
How could I make this for 12 people? I don’t have a pan big enough.
multiply it x 3
I have tons of asparagus. I sliced some small spears and added it with the mushrooms—tender-crisp and oh so good!
yum
Easy to follow & the that was mouth watering delicious with most tender juicy chicken.