Description
A bright, citrus-infused Italian crispy chicken dish featuring zesty lemon, sharp Pecorino Romano, and a luscious creamy sauce—easy enough for weeknights yet impressive enough for entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 chicken tenderloins (or 2 chicken breasts sliced horizontally)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter (to finish sauce)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon capers
Instructions
- Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness and prepare three bowls for dredging: flour, beaten eggs, and a mixture of panko, lemon zest, and Pecorino.
- Coat chicken and let rest 5 minutes for better crispiness.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat and fry chicken 3–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
- Drain on paper towels.
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Whisk in flour to make a roux.
- Slowly add milk, heavy cream, and chicken broth while whisking.
- Simmer 3–5 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter.
- Serve chicken with the lemon-cream sauce.
Notes
Avoid burning the garlic, don’t overcrowd the pan, and always add lemon juice off-heat to prevent curdling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tenderloin with sauce
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 180mg
Keywords: lemon chicken, pecorino, crispy chicken, Italian chicken, citrus chicken