Easy Lemon Bliss: Ina Garten Chicken Francese Recipe

Chicken francese dances on the culinary stage with its vibrant, zesty personality that transforms ordinary poultry into an extraordinary meal.

Mediterranean-inspired techniques infuse this dish with elegant simplicity and remarkable flavor profiles.

Delicate protein gets dressed in a light, crispy coating that whispers of culinary sophistication.

Bright, tangy notes elevate the entire experience, creating a symphony of taste that delights the palate.

Light and luxurious, this classic preparation demonstrates how a few quality ingredients can create magic in the kitchen.

Professional chefs have long appreciated the artful balance of textures and flavors inherent in this beloved recipe.

Each bite promises a harmonious blend of crisp exterior and tender, succulent interior: prepare to be amazed.

Why Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe is an Elegant Dinner Choice

• Unlock Gourmet Simplicity: Transform ordinary chicken into a restaurant-worthy dish with professional cooking techniques that are surprisingly easy to master.
• Burst of Bright Flavors: Experience a delightful combination of tangy lemon, rich white wine, and caramelized citrus notes that dance across your palate with every single bite.
• Texture Perfection Technique: Achieve incredibly tender chicken with a golden crispy exterior through precise pounding, strategic coating, and precise pan-frying that guarantees a mouthwatering contrast in every mouthful.
• Quick Weeknight Elegance: Prepare a sophisticated meal in just 40 minutes that looks and tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen, making it ideal for impressing family or unexpected dinner guests.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe

• Chicken Breasts: Tender protein that becomes the star of the dish, choose fresh and evenly sized pieces for consistent cooking.

• All-Purpose Flour: Creates a crispy exterior for the chicken, helps the egg mixture adhere better.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Adds essential seasoning and enhances overall flavor profile.
• Eggs, Water: Provides a light, golden coating that helps seal in moisture.

• Olive Oil: Provides cooking fat with a mild flavor, helps achieve golden brown chicken.
• White Wine: Adds depth and complexity to the sauce, brings acidity and brightness.
• Chicken Broth: Creates a rich liquid base for the sauce, adds savory undertones.
• Lemon Juice, Lemon Slices: Brings fresh, zesty flavor and helps tenderize the chicken, adds visual and taste complexity.
• Butter: Helps thicken the sauce and adds richness, creates a smooth, silky texture.
• Parsley: Fresh herb for garnish, adds color and light herbal notes.

How to Prepare Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Gently pound each breast to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet for uniform cooking.

Step 2: Create Coating Stations

Prepare 2 shallow dishes:

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Black pepper

• 2-3 large eggs
• Water

Mix each dish thoroughly.

Step 3: Warm the Cooking Pan

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and looks slightly rippled.

Step 4: Dredge and Sizzle the Chicken

• First, dip in flour mixture
• Then, dip in egg mixture, letting excess drip off

Carefully place chicken in hot skillet. Cook 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate.

Step 5: Caramelize Lemon Slices

Add lemon slices to the same skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally until edges turn golden and juices start releasing.

Step 6: Build the Sauce Foundation

• White wine
• Chicken broth
• Fresh lemon juice

Stir and scrape browned bits from pan bottom. Simmer 5 minutes to concentrate flavors.

Step 7: Create Silky Sauce Thickener

• Flour
• Butter

Whisk into skillet sauce, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.

Step 8: Final Flavor Fusion

Reduce heat to low. Return chicken to skillet, topping with caramelized lemon slices. Simmer 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Pro Tips for Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe

• Zest Up the Flavor: Grate fresh lemon zest into the sauce for an extra burst of citrusy brightness that elevates the entire dish.
• Master the Coating Technique: Dredge chicken in flour mixture precisely, shaking off excess to create a light, crispy exterior that won't become soggy.
• Optimize Butter Usage: Use a combination of butter and olive oil for frying to achieve a rich golden color and prevent burning.
• Choose Quality Ingredients: Select organic, free-range chicken breasts and high-quality European-style butter for the most authentic and delicious results.
• Time Your Sauce Perfectly: Whisk the pan sauce quickly after removing chicken, allowing it to reduce and concentrate flavors while maintaining a silky smooth consistency.

How to Store Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe

• Vacuum Seal Method: Extract excess air using a vacuum sealer for maximum freshness. Lock in flavors and prevent freezer burn by placing chicken and sauce in separate vacuum-sealed bags. This technique preserves texture and taste more effectively than traditional storage approaches.
• Individual Portion Freezing: Wrap each chicken piece separately in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container. Divide sauce into small portioned bags for easy, convenient reheating. Enables quick meal prep and reduces waste by thawing only what you need.
• Glass Container Storage: Transfer chicken and sauce to high-quality glass containers with tight-sealing lids. Eliminate potential plastic chemical leaching and maintain food quality. Glass containers provide better temperature control and prevent flavor absorption from other refrigerated items.

Creative Twists on Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe

• Mediterranean Magic: Swap chicken with tender sea bass or halibut, adding oregano and feta cheese to create a Greek-inspired seafood version with bright Mediterranean flavors.
• Herb Garden Remix: Incorporate fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage into the flour mixture, enhancing the chicken's aromatic profile and creating a rustic herb-infused variation.
• Spicy Southern Style: Mix cayenne pepper and smoked paprika into the flour coating, then serve the chicken over creamy stone-ground grits for a bold, Southern-inspired interpretation with a gentle heat kick.
• Mushroom Luxe Edition: Sauté wild mushrooms like shiitake and cremini in the same skillet after cooking the chicken, deglazing with marsala wine instead of white wine to add earthy, rich undertones to the classic recipe.

Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese Recipe: Simple Yet Sophisticated

Ina Garten’s Chicken Francese emerges as culinary poetry, blending Mediterranean zest with classic French technique.

Lemon-kissed chicken becomes an elegant dance of flavors, transforming simple ingredients into restaurant-quality magic.

Delicate golden crusts whisper promises of crisp textures and bright, tangy notes.

Home chefs can confidently recreate this restaurant-style masterpiece with straightforward techniques.

Wine-infused sauces and caramelized lemon slices elevate this dish from ordinary to extraordinary.

Passionate cooks: share this recipe, spark conversations in comment sections, and spread culinary inspiration across social networks!

Ina Garten Chicken Francese Recipe

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4.7 from 11 reviews

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s chicken francese elevates classic Italian-American cuisine with its lemony, buttery sauce and perfectly crisp chicken cutlets. Succulent chicken breasts draped in a silky white wine reduction create a restaurant-worthy meal you’ll crave again and again.

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Ingredients

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Main Protein:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds / 680 grams)

Wet Ingredients and Liquids:

• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup dry white wine (e.g., Pinot Grigio)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Dry Ingredients and Seasonings:

• All-purpose flour (for dredging)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ lemon, with rind, cut in thin rounds
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

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Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken breasts by placing them on a sturdy cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap and gently pound to approximately 1/4-inch (0.6 centimeters) thickness using a meat mallet, ensuring uniform thickness for consistent cooking.
2. Create the dry coating mixture by combining 1/2 cup (60 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a shallow dish. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of water until thoroughly blended.
3. Select a large skillet and heat 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of olive oil over medium-high heat. Wait until the oil shimmers and appears slightly rippled, indicating it’s ready for cooking.
4. Dredge each chicken breast first in the seasoned flour mixture, ensuring complete and even coverage. Immediately transfer to the egg wash, allowing excess liquid to drip off before gently placing in the hot skillet.
5. Cook the chicken for approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side, achieving a golden-brown exterior. Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
6. In the same skillet, add lemon slices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Allow them to caramelize and release their natural juices, developing a rich, slightly charred flavor profile.
7. Deglaze the pan by pouring in 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) of white wine, 1 cup (240 milliliters) of chicken broth, and 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of fresh lemon juice. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the skillet bottom.
8. Reduce the liquid by simmering for 4 to 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to concentrate and develop deeper flavors. Create a smooth thickening agent by combining 1 tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
9. Whisk the butter-flour mixture into the simmering sauce, stirring continuously to prevent lumps and achieve a silky, smooth consistency. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
10. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Arrange the caramelized lemon slices on top and allow everything to warm through for 2 minutes.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley just before serving to add a bright, herbaceous finish.

Notes

• Discover a restaurant-worthy chicken dish that elevates weeknight cooking with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
• Carefully pounding chicken breasts creates uniform thickness, guaranteeing perfectly tender and evenly cooked meat.
• Crispy golden coating comes from a strategic egg wash and flour dredging technique that seals in juiciness.
• Hot olive oil delivers that professional sear, developing complex caramelized notes and achieving restaurant-quality color.
• Vibrant lemon slices transform the pan sauce, releasing natural sugars and creating a bright, sophisticated flavor profile.
• White wine adds elegant depth, cutting through richness and bringing subtle complexity to every delicious bite.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Method: Sautéing
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 480 kcal
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 500 mg
• Fat: 30 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 20 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 36 g
• Cholesterol: 220 mg