Translating literally to “French Chicken” in Italian, this pan-fried chicken dish hails from Italian-American communities in Upstate New York and it is a staple on menus throughout the US – and even abroad.
It’s similar to something like a chicken piccata, though it does have some differences. For one, the chicken cutlets are egg-battered before being pan-fried. The sauce, though lemon-forward, also doesn’t include capers.
Chicken Francese is usually made with white wine; however, I wanted to develop an alcohol-free version. And, as it turns out, you don’t need the wine to have a bright, complex sauce with mild acidity and bright citrus flavour.
How to Make Chicken Francese Without Using Wine
This is a relatively simple, one-pan recipe that takes less than an hour from start to finish. nd to start, you need to prep your chicken.
To make cutlets, I like to use a sharp chef’s knife to split the chicken breast in two. Then, cover the breast with plastic wrap and pound it with a rolling pin or meat mallet until it reaches an even 5mm thickness. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Go ahead and pat the cutlets dry and then season them generously with salt and pepper. Set them aside as you get the rest of your ingredients together.
Add some flour to a shallow dish and add in some garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. In another shallow dish, beat a couple of eggs until no streaks remain.
Pour some neutral oil into a large skillet (I like using stainless steel) and set it over medium heat. Allow the oil to heat up until shimmering.
While the oil is heating, dredge your chicken cutlets in the flour, ensuring they are fully coated, but shaking off any excess.
When you’re ready to cook, dip one cutlet at a time in the beaten eggs, ensuring that it is completely coated and allowing any excess to drip off for a few seconds. Place the cutlet directly into the pan and repeat with the remaining cutlets.
You will likely have to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Just be sure not to coat the chicken in egg until you add it to the pan.
Cook the cutlets until they’re golden before flipping, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove them from the pan to a plate when done.
Once the chicken is done, carefully pour out the excess oil from the pan and then wipe it out with paper towels – don’t wash it; you want to keep the browned bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan to build a flavourful sauce!
Return the pan to the heat and melt a pat of butter. Once melted, add a minced shallot and a bit of salt. Cook for a few minutes to soften the shallot and then add in some minced garlic. Cook this for another 30 seconds or so.
Then, add a bit of flour and cook until it’s toasted – only a couple of minutes. Then, whisk in some chicken stock. Add a couple of strips of lemon zest and bring to a simmer.
Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes, just to thicken up, reduce slightly and so the flavours begin to meld together.
Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and whisk in some cold butter one piece at a time. The sauce should now have a luscious, glossy look to it. Stir in some lemon juice and a splash of sherry vinegar along with some chopped fresh parsley.
The vinegar works to add complexity to the sauce that mimics what you would get if using wine. It adds something else rather than just the sharp acidity of the lemon juice.
Add the chicken back into the pan and cook just to coat the cutlets and ensure they’re warmed all the way through. After that, serve immediately.
Chicken Francese Without Wine
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even 5mm (¼in) thickness
- 120 ml (½ cup) neutral oil such as canola or sunflower
- 140 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour divided
- 3 g (½ tsp) salt divided (see note 1)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs beaten
- 50 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter divided, chilled
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock (see note 2)
- 4 strips lemon zest removed from lemon with a vegetable peeler
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) lemon juice
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a large skillet and set over medium heat. Add 125g (1 cup) of flour, ¼ tsp salt, black pepper and garlic powder to a wide, shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, ensuring they're evenly coated, and shake off any excess.
- Add the eggs to a separate shallow dish. Once the oil is shimmering, work one chicken breast at a time and coat the chicken in the beaten eggs, allow any excess to drip off, then gently place the chicken in the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook until the chicken is golden and crisp on one side, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Carefully pour any remaining oil from the pan and wipe out the pan with paper towels – there is no need to wash it. Add half of the butter to the pan and set it over medium heat. Once melted, add the shallot along with the remaining ¼ tsp of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining 15g (2 tbsp) of flour to the pan and stir into the shallot and garlic mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until it smells faintly toasted. Whisking constantly, stream in the chicken stock. Stir in the lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick and reduced.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cut the remaining butter into 4 pieces. Working one piece at a time, stir the butter into the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice, the sherry vinegar and the parsley. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Add the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, and cook just until the chicken is heated completely through. Remove from the heat and serve.
Notes
- For best results, measure salt by weight, as different salts vary in crystal size and density.
- For best results, use unsalted stock so you can control the seasoning of the final dish.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chicken Francese is a simple but delicious one-pan dinner that’s as perfect for company as it is for a weeknight dinner.
Are you after an alcohol-free recipe for chicken Francese? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
