Spicy Chicken Francese is a high-protein Italian-American dish featuring thin, golden-fried chicken cutlets finished with a bright lemon-butter sauce spiked with red pepper flakes. It comes together in under 30 minutes and pairs perfectly with broccolini and jasmine rice.
Delivery in as fast as one hour.*
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
In a shallow dish, combine flour, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, ensuring it's fully coated. Set aside.
In a separate pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the broccolini. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the dredged chicken cutlets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the cooked broccolini.
In the same skillet used for the chicken, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it cook for about a minute to allow the alcohol to burn off.
Pour in the chicken broth, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and the juice from the other half of the lemon.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter to the pan and swirl until the sauce is creamy and emulsified.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over each piece.
Serve the spicy chicken francese immediately with jasmine rice and the lemon broccolini.
Store cooked chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat chicken gently in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes to restore crispness; warm sauce over low heat and plate together.
Pound cutlets thin and even, dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, and fry at medium-high heat in hot olive oil for 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Don't overcrowd the pan.
Bread and refrigerate cutlets up to 4 hours before frying, or freeze for up to 3 months. Fry straight from the fridge or freezer, adding 1–2 minutes per side. Make the sauce fresh just before serving for best flavor.
Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or spinach work well. Adjust cooking time based on vegetable thickness.
Yes. Pound whole breasts to ¼-inch thickness before dredging, or buy pre-sliced cutlets. Cooking time remains the same.
The 1 tsp red pepper flakes in the coating plus more in the sauce deliver moderate heat. Reduce flakes for mild, or add up to 1½ tsp for extra spice.
Lemon Dill Chicken Soup
40 min · Maddy
Classic Alfredo Sauce
15 min
Marry Me Meatballs and Gnocchi
205 min
Spicy Italian Sub
25 min
Cajun Spaghetti With Creole Meat Sauce
55 min
BBQ Pork Sandwich
35 min
Marry Me Chicken
35 min
Italian Shrimp Salad
200 min
One
30 min
