For more than 20 years I’ve been in love,
not only with my husband but with Chicken Francaise.
I am the type of person that when I like a dish, I can’t get enough of it and want it all the time.
It was no different with Chicken Francaise, except I wanted to know how to make it. Not just order it at one of my favorite Italian restaurants. For months and months I would order it for lunch, there was the yummiest restaurant just a around the corner and they made Chicken Francaise so delicious. They knew me well. I would order it at least three times a week. I couldn’t help myself. I was very good friends with someone who told me she knew someone who would explain how I could make this and all the tips to have it come out just as delicious as the restaurant. I think it’s all in the sauce. Really, this type of dish is all about the sauce and once you master the sauce the chicken part is really no problem. Since this dish is based on a Roux and I’ve had it many, MANY times at Italian restaurants, it’s really a French-Italian dish. Since there are way more Italian restaurants where I’ve lived I have no idea if they serve this in French restaurants or not all I know is it should be served everywhere. Yes, even at the drive thru window, wouldn’t that be nice.
I did one thing different to this day than I had done before.
I used a NEW butter,
and I’m going to tell you… I LOVE this new butter.
It’s Land O Lakes Butter with Olive Oil and Sea Salt. Land O Lakes made butter even better if you ask me. I’ve been slathering it on everything and I just love the salty smooth taste that is great for cooking dishes like this as you don’t need to add oil to the butter so it won’t burn anymore. Yep, it saves me that step and well with a multi-step dish like this, it sure is wonderful.
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 cup+ 2 tablespoons Flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 eggs
- 4 tablespoons+ 2 tablespoons butter (Land O Lakes Olive Oil and butter with sea salt)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup white wine
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- Pound chicken thin, it will cook quicker and the sauce will coat the chicken nicely.
- Place flour salt and pepper in a shallow dish large enough to fit one piece of chicken at a time.
- Place eggs in another similar sized dish
- Coat each chicken breast with flour then egg then dip it into the flour again.
- Heat skillet add 2 tablespoons butter(the Land O Lakes butter with olive oil is perfect for this as no additional oil is needed-butter alone would burn)
- *If you use regular butter add one tablespoon oil to each tablespoon butter.
- Place chicken into heated skillet, cook chicken on medium, turning chicken to ensure even cooking.
- If you need additional butter/oil add at a tablespoon at a time
- Remove chicken from pan, if there are bit and pieces leave them in pan, they will add a great taste to sauce.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter (that same yummy butter with olive oil and sea salt)
- Add 2 tablespoons flour
- whisk until smooth and the flour has absorbed butter, cook for a minute so the flour doesn't have a raw taste.
- Add wine, lemon juice and chicken broth.
- Cook the sauce on medium low until it boils, continue to stir sauce.
- Place chicken in sauce then turn chicken over so it's all coated well coated.
- Serve chicken over pasta with additional sauce poured over chicken and top with grated Romano Cheese.
crispy chicken is the key to how wonderful this tastes when the sauce is added to the chicken.
Do you have trouble making sauces? Well this is all you need to know. Butter an flour, whisk and heat then add your liquid. Yep a Roux is the key to making great sauces and gravy.
Allowing the sauce to cook brings out a rich taste that just can’t compare to a sauce made with cornstarch and broth or flour and broth.
Really, think biscuits and gravy it all turns out delicious when it begins with bacon, sausage beef drippings or butter. Oh how I love butter! I think you’ d laugh some days if you peeked in my refrigerator and saw all the butter. You’d think I ran a commercial kitchen or bakery.
Placing the chicken back into the sauce allows the coating on the chicken to absorb all the lemon, wine and chicken flavorings so each bite is delicious.
mmm….I can almost smell the lemony yumminess.
Do you have a favorite dish you’ve ordered over and over? Have you made it at home? How did it compare? My mom has told me she thinks mine is even better, I think it’s the LOVE that I put into it, and this dish, in particular, is FULL of love.
If I make a LARGE batch of this. Which I have many times. I sometimes cut the chicken pieces smaller but this is about 3 times the amount. I turn my oven on 250 degrees and keep the chicken hot on a baking sheet until it’s all cooked, so it doesn’t get cold and it’s so great as it stays hot and gets crispier and is the perfect temperature when added back to the sauce to serve.
*I was compensated by LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, for recipe development. All opinions are my own.
I also made Lemon Risotto with Land O Lakes Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt and it was delicious!
Paula says
I love chicken and I eat a lot of it. Chicken Parmesan and Chicken Marsala are two of my favourite but I can see that this Chicken Francaise is going to be right up there with the other two.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Diane, I have a similar recipe I call Bistro Chicken and I’m in love as well. I’ll have to try yours next!
Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey says
This look delicious. I have the same love for Chicken Marsala. I even order it in my favorite Italian restaurant every time we eat there.
Natalie @ Cooking for My Kids says
It looks fantastic, Diane! I cannot wait to try it.
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
Looks like a great dish to serve dinner guests!
Jeanette says
Beautifully done Diane, better than eating out, that’s for sure!
alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
my kids will love this one!
JulieD says
This looks so good and I’m adding this to my list to make soon!!! Thanks, Diane!
maria @closetohome says
this looks amazing, like something at a restaurant. I meant to comment on the raspberry scones but glad I found these too. amazing
Diane says
Thanks so much Maria!
Rich Talbot says
Hi Diane,
I feel like I hit the internet lottery. I found your recipe for my favorite dish Chicken Francaise. I order it all the time but I have never attempted to make it. I used the Land Of Lakes with olive oil like you suggested. My wife and kids said it was the best Chicken Francaise they ever had! I have to agree! Thanks for the recipe and I look forward to cooking more of your recipe’s.
Rich Talbot, Massachusetts
Diane says
I’m so glad you and your family liked it so much! It has been a favorite of mine for years and I’m glad I can now make it any time I like. (We moved and it’s not available anywhere near us). The West Coast really doesn’t have a handle on the great foods from the East Coast. Sad but true.
Thanks again for letting me know you all liked it 🙂
Patsy H says
I would love to try this but would like to make it exactly like your tried and true recipe. Can you tell me the exact kind of wine you use in the sauce?
Diane says
I have been making this for years and I typically have white wine on hand, often chardonnay, but have used other white wines with equal deliciousness, when cooking with wine, I don’t necessarily think the variety matters all that much. I’ve used white table wine and Sauvignon blanc too. Since there are other ingredients in the sauce, even if it’s a sweeter or dryer wine, it always comes out very tasty and everyone enjoys it. If I’m running to the store to buy a bottle specifically I often choose Robert Mondavi Chardonnay. Hope that’s helpful 🙂
Steve says
This recipe is missing one main ingredient that I’m used to. I’m of Italian decent and live on Long Island NY. Here this dish always contains grated cheese. Either Parmesan or Romano. Usually it is added to the coating ingredients, but can be added to the sauce instead. The cheese and lemon are the predominant flavors here. The wine is subtle. I don’t think I would miss the wine if it were left out, but the lemon and cheese are very important. The absences of the cheese definitely left me noticing that something was missing.
Diane says
I typically top the dish with grated Romano Cheese, but feel free to add it to the coating or sauce as you wish.
Gretchen says
Made this recipe tonight for our daughter-law’s birthday dinner and it was awesome! Wonderful instructions and we’re not much for cooking with wine, I used College Inn wine, herbs & chicken broth and combined with the lemon juice made a great sauce.