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Golden chicken, a light egg coating, and a lemon sauce that somehow manages to be both bright and indulgent at the same time. If you’ve ever asked “what is Chicken Francese”, this is the version that answers it properly. Classic at heart, upgraded where it matters, and absolutely not shy about the cream.
This Chicken Francese keeps everything people love about the traditional dish, then leans into a richer, silkier sauce that actually clings to the chicken instead of sliding off into sadness. It is fast, restaurant-worthy, and exactly the kind of dinner that makes people think you tried harder than you did.
What Makes This Chicken Francese Work
This Chicken Francese recipe works because it respects the original while quietly fixing the bits that usually fall flat.
- The egg and flour coating creates a delicate crust that stays intact even after hitting the sauce.
- Lemon juice is balanced with cream and broth so the flavour stays bright without crossing into sour territory.
- The sauce reduces properly, giving you a glossy, spoon-worthy finish instead of something thin and forgettable.
- Everything cooks in one pan, which means maximum flavour with minimal cleanup.
If you’re after Creamy Chicken Francese that feels indulgent but still fresh, this is the sweet spot.
What Goes Into This Chicken Francese
This Creamy Chicken Francese uses simple, pantry-friendly ingredients to create a rich and flavorful dish. Here are a few key components that bring it all together:
- Chicken Breasts: Sliced into thin fillets, they cook quickly and stay tender with a light dredge and pan-fry.
- Parmesan Cheese: Mixed into the egg coating, it adds a salty, savory kick and helps create that golden crust.
- Garlic: Crushed cloves simmer in the sauce, infusing it with bold, aromatic flavor.
- Half and Half (or Cream): The secret to the velvety sauce—just the right amount of richness without feeling too heavy.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
Add-Ins And Substitutions
Want to tweak things without breaking the dish? These options slide in naturally.
- Capers: Add a small handful for a briny pop that leans closer to piccata territory.
- Spinach: Wilt a few handfuls into the sauce right at the end for colour and balance.
- Shallots Instead of Garlic: Softer, slightly sweeter flavour that works beautifully with lemon and cream.
- Half Cream, Half Milk: Lightens the sauce while still keeping it creamy.
How To Make Chicken Francese
- Prepare the Chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create four fillets. If needed, pound them to an even 1/2-inch thickness for quicker, more even cooking.
- Make the Egg Coating: In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper until well combined.
- Season the Flour: In a separate shallow bowl, add the flour and season it with salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands to combine.
- Dredge and Coat: Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge each fillet in the flour, then coat in the egg mixture, letting excess drip off.
- Pan-Fry Chicken: Fry the coated fillets in batches (two at a time if needed) for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Build the Sauce: In the same pan, sauté the crushed garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the wine, broth, and chopped parsley; cook on high for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add the Cream: Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cream, and let it simmer until the sauce thickens a bit. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Finish: Stir in the juice of half a lemon and return chicken to the pan for 2 minutes to warm. Serve with rice, pasta, or vegetables, and garnish with extra parsley.
Creamy Chicken Francese pairs beautifully with light, flavorful sides that soak up that rich lemon-garlic sauce. For a satisfying meal, try it with a fluffy bed of mashed potatoes or a simple pasta tossed in olive oil and herbs.
If you’re looking for something green, go for Sheet Pan Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli & Green Beans to balance the richness. Want a cozy option? Buttery Mashed Cauliflower is a lower-carb favorite that still feels indulgent.
Pro Tips From My Kitchen
- Keep the heat moderate when frying the chicken so the egg coating doesn’t brown too fast.
- Always taste the sauce before adding the chicken back in. Lemon levels vary and balance matters here.
- Let the sauce reduce slightly before adding cream so it thickens naturally instead of relying on extra fat.
- Serve immediately. This dish shines when the sauce is fresh and silky.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe. Just make sure to pound them to an even thickness for even cooking.
You can substitute the wine with more chicken broth or a splash of lemon juice for acidity. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.
The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C). You can also slice into the thickest part to check for doneness—there should be no pink.
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Creamy Lemon Chicken Francese
An ORIGINAL Cafe Delites adaption on a traditional Chicken Francese (Francaise)!
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts large, cut in half horizontally to make 4 fillets
- 2 eggs large
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6-8 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine optional
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream or thickened cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more to suit your tastes)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 a lemon juiced
- 2 teaspoons parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Pound each fillet to 1/2-inch thick, if needed.
- Beat eggs, parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of salt and some black pepper in a shallow bowl.
- To another shallow bowl, add the flour and season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands.
- Heat the oil and butter in a skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. When the oil/butter is hot enough for frying, dredge the fillets in the flour first, coating completely, then coat in the egg wash. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off, then fry fillets in batches of two if you need to for about 4 minutes each side until nice and golden brown. Place each cooked fillet on a paper towel lined plate.
- To the same frying pan, add the crushed garlic, and cook for one minute until fragrant. Add in the white wine, chicken broth and parsley. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes on high heat to reduce down, while swirling the pan occasionally. Reduce heat and add the cream. Simmer on low until slightly thickened. Taste test and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
- Stir in the juice of half a lemon, and return the chicken to the sauce to heat through on low heat for two minutes.
- Serve the chicken and sauce together over rice or pasta and vegetables, if desired. Garnish with extra parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
would like to know your thoughts on adding capers
Yes! Do it.
Do it! It’s great with capers too!
Love Chicken Francaise, this was awesome! Next time need to definitely double the sauce, i used half n half because that was the only thing i didn’t have but it lightened it up a little and was so delicious! Thank you!
Just made this tonight and it came out perfectly! Some of the best I’ve ever had! Thank you!!
I am wondering if you could make this recipe with small boneless skinless breasts that are not cut into fillets. You could always increase the amount of sauce….
Hi, Karen:
I’m not the creator of this recipe/website, but I’m sure you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts. I don’t like dark meat, and this is the only type of chicken I buy and use. I made a delicious chicken dinner similar to this one, but without a recipe, where I browned the chicken, Le took them out and cut them into pieces, then returned to the pan and sautéed a bit more, then added about a cup of water, and about a half to three fourths cup of heavy cream (horizon makes the best heavy cream!). Then I added about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and some black pepper. I made some steamed rice, separately, and served it over steamed rice. It was heaven!
In response to the person asking if you could leave out the 1/2 and 1/2, you could, and it would prob taste ok, but to me, the answer would be ‘no’. Really the 1/2 and 1/2 or heavy cream makes this dish. Personally, I would use heavy cream, not 1.2 and 1/2, as the sauce will be very creamy, comforting, and taste amazing. Also, the more fat you have in a milk product, the less you will risk getting your milk to curdle. Heavy cream does not curdle; 1/2 and 1/2 can curdle, and that can ruin the whole dish. Also, if you have any leftovers, reheat by adding a bit of water to the leftovers container and stir to thin out the sauce (the sauce will get very thick upon refrigerating). and then either heat the leftovers in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove, stirring every minute or so until hot. It tastes just like when it was freshly made.
If you love Parmesan, you can even add a bit more when you are initially cooking the dish, and/or add more on top, as you are serving, or on each serving. It’s great!
Thanks to this website for this awesome recipe! I’m trying it tonight!
I’ve tried this twice. What am I doing wrong?? My oil/butter mixture in my pan turns brown. I can’t imagine using this base or adding garlic or wine to it. What am I doing wrong? I’ve even lowered the heat upon adding the chicken. Help!! Love this recipe and want to make it correctly!!
it’s supposed to darken, and then you use the darkened bits in the parts of chicken that’s stuck to make the sauce. That’s how the sauce ends up a little darker and not white when you add the cream.
Hi, Sully:
Oil and butter, most esp butter, will ‘burn’ or turn darker if heated in a frying pan. I personally love the look and the flavor of anything pan fried in a browned butter, but if you do not, try using clarified butter (butter that has had the whey/milk product removed). Clarified butter can be made at home by heating slowly, and then skimming off the whey product from the top, leaving behind a clear butter which can then be poured into a container, cooled and saved for later use, or if you don’t want the hassle of doing it, you can now buy clarified butter at most grocery stores. It’s also available at East Indian markets or international grocery stores as well.
Even clarified butter will brown a bit. The best way to slow the browning or prevent it is to mix the butter with oil, as this recipe states here, and/or to lower the temp slightly when heating, or add the meat to the pan as soon as the oil is hot/butter has just melted. You didn’t do anything wrong; browning is just what happens when the oil gets too hot or heats for a longer time. It won’t hurt the dish you are preparing, unless it’s black/way overheated. I think it tastes better that way, but if you don’t like the flavor of browned butter, you can either leave the butter out and increase the other oil slightly to compensate, or you can put the meat into the pan immediately upon the butter’s melting and also turn down the heat slightly.
Hope this helps!
I had never heard of chicken Frances before. I made this last night and it was absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to make it for friends. I am going to show my 12 year old grandson how to make it as he likes to cook. For someone who cannot eat cheese, what would you recommend instead of the parmesan – herbed breadcrumbs? Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Karren
OH! The herbed breadcrumbs sounds so good! Let me know how it tastes!
I made this for dinner last night. I had to double the recipe thinking I may have leftovers. Absolutely not! The sauce, which everyone loved, was to die for! If they could of licked the pan, they would have. My 2 year old who usually just eats vegetables had 2 pieces of chicken. So, needless to say it was a success! This is my 2nd comment. It truly was that good! Thanks for the recipe!
Oh wow! That is unbelievable! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad it is a favorite! XO
Delicious, I added mushrooms! Would definitely recommend ?
Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
Do you think I could double the recipe, make this ahead of time and just reheat it in the oven in a casserole dish?
I made this tonight. It did take awhile for me to prepare this. I used milk instead of the cream since that is what I had handy. The sauce was too thin for me, so I took 2 T of flour and added it to the sauce. It became a bit grainy because I was simply tired. It came out very good. The taste was very good. It was a big job. I served it with Hungarian potatoes.