Chicken Scallopini
Chicken Scallopini is an Italian-American meal that consists of thinly sliced chicken breasts in a tasty lemon-butter sauce. This recipe is great for a weekday meal because it just takes 30 minutes to make! Great for a meal with the family!
Chicken Scallopini is an Italian-American supper that contains thinly sliced chicken breasts in a wonderful lemon-butter sauce. This recipe is excellent for a weekday meal, because it all comes together in less than 30 minutes! Perfect for a family dinner!
This Italian-American meal called Chicken Scallopini is quite good. It has tiny slices of chicken breast cooked in a lemon butter sauce that is both acidic and very tasty. “Scallopini” means finely sliced meat, and even though veal is the traditional meat used, chicken is now the most popular choice. The chicken is breaded, which makes it a little crispy, and then it’s mixed in a tasty lemon butter sauce that’s a little sour and flavorful. It’s really good. This recipe is incredibly easy to make, but it tastes great. It goes great with spaghetti or veggies that have been sautéed.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts
- Flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Lemon (juice of 1)
- Butter (4 tablespoons)
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
- Garlic (minced)
- Chicken broth (1 cup)
- White wine (½ cup)
- Capers (1 tablespoon) (optional)
- Fresh parsley
Tools You’ll Need
- Big Skillet
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Meat Mallet or Rolling Pin
Preparation Steps
Get the chicken ready.
- Pound the chicken: Put the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken until it is approximately ¼ inch thick and even.
- Add salt and pepper to the chicken: Add salt and pepper to both sides of the chicken breasts. Dredge each piece lightly in flour and shake off the extra.
Make the Chicken
- Heat the skillet: Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a big skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Sauté the chicken: Put the chicken in the skillet and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until it is golden brown and cooked through. To keep the skillet from being too crowded, you might have to cook the chicken in batches. Take the chicken out of the skillet and put it aside.
Make the sauce with lemon and butter.
- Cook the garlic in a pan: Add one additional tablespoon of butter and some minced garlic to the same skillet. Sauté for about 30 seconds, or until the smell is strong.
- Deglaze the pan: Add ½ cup of white wine (or chicken broth) and use a whisk to scrape up any brown pieces from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook down for about 2 minutes, or until it is half gone.
- Add the broth and lemon: Mix in 1 cup of chicken broth and the juice of 1 lemon. Let the sauce cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it has thickened a little.
- To finish the sauce, stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and, if you choose, 1 tablespoon of capers. Add salt and pepper to the sauce to taste.
Put the dish together
- Put the chicken back in the skillet: Put the cooked chicken back in the skillet and pour the sauce over it. For 1 to 2 minutes, let the chicken simmer in the sauce so it can soak up the flavors.
- Add the garnish and serve: Before serving, sprinkle fresh parsley on top. You can serve Chicken Scallopini with rice, pasta, or veggies.
Expert Tips
- Pound the Chicken Evenly: To cook the chicken quickly and evenly, make sure it is of the same thickness.
- Don’t crowd the pan: If you need to, cook the chicken in batches so that it browns evenly and doesn’t steam.
- Don’t overlook the step of deglazing the pan using wine or broth to add flavor. This makes the sauce taste better by adding all the tasty bits from the chicken.
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice: The sauce will be much brighter if you use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Capers for Extra Flavor: Don’t leave out the capers if you like a salty, saline taste. They give the sauce a great extra flavor.
- Add a little cold butter at the end to help the sauce mix together and stay silky smooth.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Scallopini is wonderful with any side dish, so feel free to choose what you prefer. I enjoy it served with pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes, or even a simple green salad. You may also serve it with just bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.
For an Italian-inspired supper, match the dish with a light, crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio.
What is Chicken Scallopini?
Chicken Scallopini is a great Italian American meal. It’s created with thinly sliced chicken breasts that are cooked in a tart and very delicious lemon butter sauce.
“Scallopini” means finely sliced meat, and even while it’s originally cooked with veal, chicken is now the most popular choice. The chicken is breaded wich gives it a slight crispiness and than being tossed with a delightful somewhat sour and flavorful lemon butter sauce! It’s very delicious.
This dish is extremely easy yet it’s definitely full of flavor. It works wonderfully with spaghetti or sautéed vegetables.
Important Parts and Alternatives for Chicken Scallopini
- Chicken Breasts: For this recipe, thinly sliced chicken breasts work best. You can also use chicken cutlets or pound ordinary chicken breasts until they are thin.
- A thin coating of flour helps the chicken get a lovely golden crust.
- Lemon: The sauce gets its tangy flavor from fresh lemon juice. For the best flavor, I wouldn’t suggest using bottled lemon juice.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to keep the sauce from getting too salty. If you want the most authentic taste, I don’t advocate changing the butter in this recipe.
- Olive oil: This helps the chicken obtain a crispy, golden outside while it cooks.
- Garlic: A little bit of garlic gives the sauce more flavor.
- Chicken broth: Makes the sauce richer and helps it come together. If you want, you can use vegetable broth or even beef broth instead.
- White wine: It’s not necessary, but it gives the sauce a great flavor. You can also add more chicken broth if you want.
- Capers are optional, but they give the sauce a pleasant salty taste.
- At the end, fresh parsley gives a splash of color and freshness.
What You’ll Need
- Big Skillet: To cook the chicken and make the sauce.
- Tongs: To effortlessly turn the chicken over.
- Whisk: To mix the sauce and make sure it is smooth.
- If you need to, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken breasts thin.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions for Chicken Scallopini
- Chicken Breasts: Thinly sliced chicken breasts are the best for this recipe. But you may also use chicken cutlets or pound ordinary chicken breasts thin.
- Flour: A small sprinkling of flour helps give the chicken a lovely golden crust.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice gives the sauce its signature tang. I wouldn’t advocate using bottled lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter to manage the salt level in the sauce. For this recipe i do not advocate substituting the butter, if you are aiming to attain the most authentic taste.
- Olive Oil: This helps the chicken achieve a crispy golden exterior when cooking.
- Garlic: A little of garlic gives depth to the sauce.
- Chicken Broth: Adds richness and helps produce the sauce. You can swap with veggie broth or even with beef broth if you wish.
- White Wine: It’s optional but provides a great touch of flavor to the sauce. You can even use more chicken broth if you like.
- Capers: These are optional, but they lend a lovely briny flavor to the sauce.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley gives a splash of color and freshness at the end.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large Skillet: For sautéing the chicken and creating the sauce.
- Tongs: To simply flip the chicken.
- Whisk: For stirring the sauce and making sure it’s smooth.
- Meat Mallet or Rolling Pin: To pound the chicken breasts thin if needed.
How to Make Chicken Scallopini in Steps
Get the chicken ready.
- Pound the chicken: Put the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken until it is about ¼ inch thick all throughout.
- Flour and season the chicken: Add salt and pepper to both sides of the chicken breasts. Lightly dredge each piece in flour, shaking off any excess.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat the skillet: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.
- Sauté the chicken: Add the chicken to the skillet and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. You may need to cook the chicken in stages to avoid overloading the pan. Remove the chicken from the skillet and put aside.
Make the Lemon Butter Sauce
- Sauté the garlic: In the same skillet, add 1 additional tablespoon of butter and minced garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds, until aromatic.
- Deglaze the pan: Pour in ½ cup of white wine (or chicken broth) and use a whisk to scrape up any browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine diminish by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add the broth and lemon: Stir in 1 cup of chicken stock and the juice of 1 lemon. Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes until somewhat reduced.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and, if using, add 1 tablespoon of capers. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the Dish
- Return the chicken to the skillet: Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and ladle the sauce over the top. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for 1-2 minutes to absorb up the flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle fresh parsley over the top before serving. Serve the Chicken Scallopini with pasta, rice, or veggies.
Expert Tips for Perfect Chicken Scallopini
- Pound the Chicken Evenly: For speedy and even cooking, be sure you pound the chicken to an even thickness.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook the chicken in batches if necessary to ensure it browns evenly and doesn’t steam.
- Deglaze for Flavor: Don’t overlook the step of deglazing the pan using wine or broth. This adds depth to the sauce by integrating all the tasty bits from the chicken.
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a tremendous difference in the brightness of the sauce.
- Capers for Extra Flavor: If you appreciate a saline, salty bite, don’t skip the capers—they provide a lovely layer to the sauce.
- Keep the Sauce Silky: Adding a dab of cold butter at the end helps to emulsify the sauce and keep it silky smooth.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Scallopini is wonderful with any side dish, so feel free to choose what you prefer. I enjoy it served with pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes, or even a simple green salad. You may also serve it with just bread to soak up all the delicious sauce.
For an Italian-inspired supper, match the dish with a light, crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio.