Classic Chicken Francese Recipe
Published February 16, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This incredibly easy-to-make Chicken Francese recipe is bursting with delicious lemon flavor and is the perfect weeknight meal. Your family and friends will beg for seconds of this.
Cooking and eating chicken can be so mundane sometimes because it all starts to taste the same. If you are looking to change some things up and give your taste buds a kick, then absolutely check out my Chicken Tinga or Souvlaki.
Chicken Francese is a classic American-Italian recipe that is said to be founded in Rochester, New York. It’s a dish consisting of lightly battered chicken in seasoned flour and eggs that are fried and simmered in a tasty lemon-filled sauce.
While this recipe in its natural form is nothing short of delicious, it is incredibly versatile and can absolutely be customized to your liking. For example, you can change the protein from chicken to pork or beef. The sauce can be enhanced with fresh herbs or vegetables.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – Breast meat sliced in half is best.
- Stock – I like to use chicken stock for this, but brodo would be even better if you have any.
- Wine – Use a good white wine like pinot grigio or chardonnay.
- Eggs – You will need large eggs for this.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works perfectly.
- Fat – You will need both butter and olive oil, or a favorite oil of yours.
- Shallots – Small diced shallots will help add flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic – Finely minced cloves will take your sauce to the next level.
- Lemon – Fresh squeezed lemon juice brightens up the flavor of this dish.
- Parsley – Finely chopped and used as a garnish
How to Make Chicken Francese from Scratch
Follow these step-by-step procedures and images to make this tasty Chicken Francese from scratch:
Start by slicing the chicken breasts in half widthwise.
Optionally lightly pound each sliced chicken breast with a mallet and set aside.
Whisk together flour with salt and pepper in a dish or shallow bowl.
Next, whisk together eggs with salt and pepper in a dish or shallow bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a large frying pan or rondeau pot over medium heat. It will be ready to use when you add some flour, and it fries but does not burn.
In batches dredge a chicken breast in the flour on both sides and pat off any excess.
Next, add it to the egg wash and coat on both sides. Drain any excess.
Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side or until browned and just cooked through. Repeat the process with the chicken and set it aside on a plate.
Stir in the garlic and shallots in the rendered cooking oil in the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and cook until there’s about a ½ cup of liquid left.
Next, stir in butter and flour until completely mixed.
Pour in chicken stock, or brodo, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix until combined, and turn the heat to medium-high to activate the roux and thicken.
Add back in the chicken and cook for 2-4 minutes to heat up.
Serve with lemon wheels and parsley.
Make-Ahead and Storage:
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Just keep warm in the sauce over low heat before serving.
How to Store: Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a saucepan along with a few tablespoons of water and cook over low heat until hot, which takes about 4-6 minutes.
chef notes + tips
- You can swap out chicken breasts for thigh or drum meat.
- I like to use Italian or Sicilian white wine like pinot grigio but feel free to use a sauvignon blanc or chardonnay.
- Feel free to serve this with risotto, potatoes, vegetables or a cheesy pasta like cacio e pepe.
- It’s ok if the chicken is layered on the plate while the sauce is cooking or even when you are reheating the chicken as the breading will not come off for either application.
More Chicken Recipes
Video
Classic Chicken Francese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 4 chicken breasts sliced in half widthwise
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 peeled and small diced shallot
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- ¾ cup white wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly pound each sliced chicken breast with a mallet between plastic wrap or in a plastic zip bag until slightly flattened and tenderized and set aside.
- Whisk together ¾ cup flour with salt and pepper in a dish, pie pan or shallow bowl.
- Next, whisk together eggs with salt and pepper in a dish, pie pan, or shallow bowl and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or rondeau pot over medium heat. It will be ready to use when you add some flour, and it fries but does not burn.
- In batches dredge the chicken breast in the flour on both sides and pat off any excess.
- Next, add it to the egg wash and coat on both sides. Drain any excess.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes per side or until browned and just cooked through. Repeat the process with the chicken and set aside on a plate. It’s ok if you layer the cooked chicken, the breading will not fall off.
- Next, stir in the garlic and shallots in the rendered cooking oil over medium heat in the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked.
- Deglaze with white wine and cook until there’s about a ½ cup of liquid left and then stir in the butter and ¼ cup of flour until completely mixed.
- Pour in chicken stock, or brodo, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix until combined and turn the heat to medium-high to activate the roux and thicken. It will only take 4-5 minutes, or less, for the sauce to thicken.
- Add back in the chicken and cook for 2-4 minutes to heat up, turning once to make sure they’re coated.
- Serve with lemon wheels and parsley.
Made this chicken dish for my husband for his 80th birthday! The flavors were lovely, gentle lemon, shallot and chicken stock permeated the gravy. I served each filet over mashed potatoes and the dinner was a hit with my brother in law who is a trained chef and had his own restaurant for many years! Forever grateful to you Chef Parisi for these dinners that can make us all look like a pro! Thank you for easy to follow step by step directions!
Excellent!
Love this recipe! Delicious!!
thank you
As good as our favorite restaurant makes it.
Love that!
Excellent
Thank you!
I made this super easy, super delicious and excellent weeknight meal.
so good!!
This is by far the best Chicken Francese recipe I’ve ever used. Perfect every time.
Love it!
I made this last night and it was amazing. So easy to make if you do the prep before you start cooking.
Made this recipe tonight for the family. It was delicious and even the kids loved it. It’s intriguing how simple the ingredients are and that technique is what brings them all together! I will definitley make this dish again!!
I made this today for dinner followed the recipe as written and took the tip in the video for noodles to go with it very easy to make the family loved it thank you for sharing your recipes
Amazing flavor and really simple to make! I have had this out at various restaurants over the years. Never been overly impressed but this made at home hit it out of the park! Thanks Billy!
P.S. The pasta with just pasta water and cheese was incredible!