Chef John's Chicken French

4.5
(166)

Chicken French has everything I love in a recipe. It's delicious and easy, frugal, yet fancy, and everyone loves it. Better yet, it has a vague, confusing history and completely preposterous name. This not-French recipe hails from the Rochester area of New York State, where it's a staple on virtually every Italian-American restaurant menu.

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Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 4 eggs

  • 2 tablespoons milk

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

  • 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets, pounded flat

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • ½ cup dry sherry

  • 2 lemons, juiced

  • ¼ cup cold butter, cut into chunks

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Beat eggs and milk together in a shallow bowl. Whisk flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in another shallow bowl.

  2. Gently press chicken into flour mixture to coat; shake off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture and coat completely.

  3. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in hot oil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.

  4. Cook and stir vegetable broth, sherry, and lemon juice in the same skillet; bring to a boil and cook until sauce is reduced by half. Remove from heat and add cold butter chunks; stir until butter is melted and sauce is shiny and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir parsley into sauce and season with salt and pepper.

  5. Return chicken to the skillet over medium heat, spoon sauce over the top, and cook until chicken is heated through and no longer pink in the center, 1 to 3 minutes more.

    close up view of Chicken French garnished with fresh herbs on a round baking sheet
    Djchris Fonseca

Nutrition:

The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the breading ingredients. The actual amount of the breading consumed will vary.

341 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

627 Calories
32g Fat
32g Carbs
48g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 627
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 13g 66%
Cholesterol 329mg 110%
Sodium 2305mg 100%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 48g 97%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 74mg 6%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 462mg 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.