Chicken Francese, Chicken Française, Chicken Francois or Chicken French is an Italian-American dish of flour-dredged, egg-dipped, sauteed chicken cutlets with a lemon-butter and white wine sauce. The dishes origins trace back to the region surrounding Rochester, New York, where it is known as Chicken French, to the point that some have suggested the dish be called Chicken Rochester.
Despite being such a well-known dish in Italian-American culture, francese is not a classical dish or sauce. There are no written recipes that mark the origin of this dish. Veal Picatta seems to be the closest match among Italian dishes.
Many believe that the dish originated with first-generation Italian immigrants. Their recipe for veal francese (vitello francese) was altered by substituting chicken for the more expensive veal.
✅ Quick Tips: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.
Chicken Francese
Description
Chicken Francese is an Italian-American dish featuring flour-dredged chicken in a butter, lemon and white wine sauce. It differs from Chicken Piccata in the order in which the chicken is egg-dipped and dreged. Francese is dredged in flour first, then egg, and flour again, as where Picccata is egg-dipped first, then dredged in flour. Additionally, Piccata is traditionally served with capers.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) 🔥.
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Trim chicken breasts of any excess fat. Then, working one at a time, either cover each breast with plastic wrap or place in a food storage bag, and pound each breast to about 3/8" thickness.
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Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
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Combine the eggs and milk in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.
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Working one chicken breast at a time, dredge each breast in flour, shake off excess. Dip chicken in eggwash, then dredge chicken in flour again. Shake off excess flour again and set aside.
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Add 2 Tablespoons of butter to a frying pan over medium/high heat.
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Working in batches, being careful not to over-crowd the frying pan, place chicken breasts in skillet and cook on each side 3-4 minutes, or until a golden crust begins to form. Remove from skillet and move to a baking dish.
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After all the chicken is removed, pour the wine into the skillet to deglaze the skillet. Working with a spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits from the skillet while reducing the wine. Approx. 1 minute.
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In a separate small bowl, combine equal parts, (3-4 Tablespoons each), of cold tap water with cornstarch to form a slurry.
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Add the remaining butter and continue deglazing skillet until butter is nearly melted. Then add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Once heated thoroughly, add the cornstarch slurry to thicken. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes.
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Pour the sauce from the skillet over the chicken breasts and bake until internal temperature is 165°F, (74°C).
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Garnish with lemon slices or wedges and parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Equipment
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Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 530kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 29g45%
- Saturated Fat 8.3g42%
- Trans Fat 0.3g
- Cholesterol 305mg102%
- Sodium 738mg31%
- Total Carbohydrate 15g5%
- Dietary Fiber 0.09g1%
- Sugars 1.2g
- Protein 46g92%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
