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Crispy Lemon Chicken with Butter Sauce
Try this light, fresh-tasting twist on breaded baked chicken breasts. It is sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (sub: all purpose flour or gluten-free flour)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 1/2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine (sub: unsalted chicken broth)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving
- Sliced lemon, for serving
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Set Up Breading Stations: Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water together. Pour out the bread crumbs onto a third plate.
- Pound Chicken: Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Dredge Chicken: Dip each chicken breast in the flour, then shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Saute Chicken: Coat the bottom of a large saute pan with a thin layer of oil (about 2 tablespoons) and heat over medium to medium-high heat until shimmery. Add two of the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan. Wipe out the pan and add more olive oil to coat the bottom. Saute the remaining two chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side. Place on the sheet pan with the others.
- Bake Chicken: Bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce. Chicken is done when it registers 165°F internally or there’s no pink in the middle.
- Make Sauce: For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a paper towel. Over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter until bubbly and hot. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the lemon juice, wine, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine.
- Serve: Place a chicken breast on each plate. Spoon some sauce over it, top with a little fresh parsley, and serve with a lemon slice on the side.
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 2-4. Place breaded chicken in a flat freezer bag in single layers divided by parchment paper. Prepare sauce in Step 7, cool, and place in freezer safe container. Freeze chicken and sauce together as a meal kit.
Prepare From Frozen: Let chicken and sauce thaw in refrigerator. Follow Steps 5-7.
Notes/Tips
Recipe update on 3/20/23: I added garlic, reduced white wine by 1/4 cup, and removed the instruction to include the lemon halves while cooking the sauce to knock back some of the lemon flavor.
Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/healthy-chicken-piccata/