How to cook ultra-tender lemon chicken breast with a creamy sauce
For a weeknight dinner, if you don’t know what to prepare and you’re tired of the same old chicken cutlet, choose Lemon Chicken Scaloppine, an easy recipe for a simple and wholesome main course that everyone will enjoy.
Preparing this main course is the perfect solution for those who have little time but don’t want to give up flavor.
It only takes a few minutes and very few ingredients to transform an ordinary dinner into a dish that tastes like it’s from a restaurant — one the whole family will love, children included. It’s the ultimate last-minute dinner recipe: light yet extremely satisfying, and it will make you rediscover how delicious a simple chicken breast can be when treated with the right care.
One of the most common problems when cooking chicken breast in a pan is that the meat becomes dry and tough right away, turning into what many call a “shoe sole.”
Often you end up with bland chicken swimming in an overly sour liquid or, on the contrary, with a coating that detaches and becomes soggy.
In this recipe we solve the problem with a very simple trick: a light dredging in flour followed by a quick sear over high heat to seal the juices inside. The finishing touch is an emulsion of lemon juice and the pan juices from the meat, which creates a velvety, aromatic cream that coats every bite without being overpowering.
You’ll see that once you try this technique, you won’t go back — the lemon cream will become your new go-to in the kitchen.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 7.42 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 0.79 (g) of which sugars 0.20 (g)
- Proteins 0.21 (g)
- Fat 0.44 (g) of which saturated 0.16 (g)of which unsaturated 0.09 (g)
- Fibers 0.20 (g)
- Sodium 449.92 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 160 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients — Lemon Chicken Breast
- 1 1/3 lb chicken breast
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (type 00) (for dredging)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (optional, ground)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- to taste capers (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Pan
How to cook ultra-tender lemon chicken breast with a creamy sauce
If you use a whole chicken breast, proceed as follows. First cut the breast in half and before slicing remove the wishbone at the top that joins the two halves. Once cut in two, also remove the central white cartilage. At this point slice into cutlets trying to get slices of the same thickness and reasonably thin.
On a cutting board, using a meat mallet, flatten the chicken slices to significantly reduce their thickness. Pound them gently, pushing the mallet outward to avoid tearing the flesh. Finely chop the parsley and set it aside.
Take the chicken slices and coat them in the flour, pressing well, then shake off the excess.
This step is essential to create the base for our creamy sauce.In a large pan, melt the butter with a drizzle of oil.
Lay the chicken slices in the pan and brown them 2–3 minutes per side over high heat until golden. Salt and pepper to taste.Meanwhile, squeeze a lemon for the juice and grate a little zest (only if the lemons are organic and untreated).
Deglaze with the lemon juice (and the wine if using).
Lower the heat and let the liquid thicken, binding with the flour on the chicken to create a silky emulsion. If needed, add a tablespoon of hot water.Turn off the heat, add the grated zest and fresh parsley. Serve immediately while hot.
NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
CHICKEN You can buy a whole chicken breast and prepare it at home, ask your butcher to prepare it for you, or buy pre-sliced cutlets. Cooking times vary slightly depending on the thickness of the slices. Remember that chicken must always be fully cooked for safety; if you have one, use a meat thermometer to check. The chicken is safely cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). You can also prepare this recipe with thin slices of veal.
FLOUR Coating the chicken slices in flour helps the meat seal in juices during cooking, keeping it moist inside while forming a delicious outer crust.
BUTTER and OIL: I used a mix of oil and butter because butter adds flavor and helps create a creamy sauce, while the oil prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan.
WINE I recommend a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay. You can omit the wine if you prefer and replace it with chicken broth.
LEMON JUICE Use only freshly squeezed lemon juice from organic lemons if possible.
CAPERS If you like, add capers in the last minutes of cooking to give the dish extra flavor and saltiness and balance the lemon’s acidity. Omit them if you don’t like capers or substitute with olives.
GARLIC Some recipes include garlic; I personally don’t use it. If you enjoy garlic, you can add it when preparing the sauce.
STORAGE
Lemon Chicken Scaloppine can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also freeze this dish; it will keep for up to 1 month. To eat, thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in the microwave or oven.
Variations
You can add rinsed capers for a saltier touch or replace the chicken with turkey cutlets.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I omit the butter?
Yes, you can use only extra virgin olive oil, but butter helps make the sauce glossier and more “restaurant-style.”
The sauce turned out too thin — what can I do?
Raise the heat slightly for a minute or add a pinch of sifted flour to the pan sauce, stirring quickly.
How do I prevent the lemon flavor from being too strong?
Add the juice gradually and taste as you go, or balance it with a pinch of sugar or a bit of grated zest instead of using all the juice.
