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Chicken Scallopini with Lemon Butter Sauce

Chicken Scallopini with Lemon Butter Sauce
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Chicken Scallopini with Lemon Butter Sauce is a quick and easy dish featuring tender, thinly sliced chicken breasts sautéed to golden perfection and finished with a bright, tangy lemon butter sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights or elegant dinners, this recipe combines rich butter, fresh lemon juice, and aromatic garlic to create a vibrant and flavorful meal that pairs wonderfully with pastas, salads, or roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

  • 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts or pounded cutlets (about 1/4 inch thick)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free option), for dredging

Cooking Fat

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (additional, for finishing sauce)
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Seasonings

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken Cutlets: Slice chicken breasts into thin cutlets or pound evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness. Pat them dry with paper towels to help flour adhere better.
  2. Dredge the Chicken: Lightly coat each chicken piece in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper, creating a thin layer for a delicate crust and sauce thickening.
  3. Sauté the Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter together in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken cutlets for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm.
  4. Make the Lemon Butter Sauce: In the same pan, add extra butter if needed and sauté minced garlic until fragrant without browning. Pour in chicken broth or white wine, scraping up browned bits. Simmer to reduce slightly, then stir in fresh lemon juice and remaining butter until sauce is smooth and glossy.
  5. Finish and Serve: Return chicken to the pan briefly to rewarm and coat it in the lemon butter sauce. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top before plating.

Notes

  • Use evenly pounded thin cutlets for quick, even cooking and tender texture.
  • Avoid overcrowding the pan by cooking chicken in batches to ensure a nice sear.
  • Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest, freshest sauce flavor.
  • Keep the sauce warm and avoid boiling after adding butter to prevent separation.
  • Deglaze the pan with chicken broth or dry white wine to build complex flavors.
  • Gluten-free option: substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour or almond flour for dredging.
  • For a dairy-free version, replace butter with olive oil.
  • Optional additions: capers, turkey cutlets, sautéed mushrooms, or grapefruit juice instead of lemon juice.

Nutrition

Keywords: Chicken Scallopini, Lemon Butter Sauce, Quick Dinner, Italian, Gluten Free, Chicken Cutlets, Easy Sauce

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