Chicken Scallopini

Meggan Hill

5 from 120 votes

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Chicken Scallopini, a 15-minute dinner idea, is a weekly menu staple in my home (and will soon be in yours, too!). The easy one-skillet recipe features pan-fried chicken in a punchy lemon-butter sauce.

Chicken scallopini on a white plate.


 

Let’s take a trip to Italy, where “scallopine” is just an elegant way to say “chicken breast.” My 15-minute skillet dinner puts this versatile, Midwest-favorite protein pick to delicious use in a piccata-esque feast.

The results are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and swirled in a luscious lemon butter sauce that’s begging to be sopped up with warm bread. Or spoon it all over cooked pasta.

Either and all the ways, Chicken Scallopini is a weeknight dinner winner.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step by step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Recipe FAQs
  6. Chicken Scallopini Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for chicken scallopini.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken breast cutlets: Most grocery stores stock chicken cutlets, but if you can’t find them, set the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your palm on top of the breast and slice it in half horizontally, cutting all the way through. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  • Olive oil or clarified butter: Pan-fry in either fat. Discover how to clarify butter at home, which is a simple process that removes the water and milk solids from whole butter. For a store-bought swap, look for ghee (another type of clarified butter) at the supermarket or online. 
  • Dry white wine: Choose your favorite; Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc all work well. You only need 4 ounces, so put the other 21.4 ounces to use as a beverage pairing alongside this chicken dinner. For an alcohol-free substitute, use ½ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth instead.

Step by step instructions

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake lightly to remove excess.
Chicken scallopini coated in flour on a wooden cutting board.
  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
Chicken scallopini in a silver skillet.
  1. Add wine and lemon juice to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. Stir in capers.
Chicken scallopini sauce being made in a silver skillet.
  1. Add chicken and any accumulated juices back to pan. Swirl to coat the chicken with sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Chicken scallopini in a silver skillet.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes 4 adult servings, each with two 3-ounce pieces of chicken, plus the spoon drink-worthy sauce, of course.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: The chicken can be coated with flour and stored in the refrigerator (covered or wrapped in plastic) a day in advance.
Two plates of chicken scallopini.

Recipe FAQs

What starches should I serve with this Chicken Scallopini?

Any kind of cooked pasta is terrific; spoon the chicken and sauce on top so it can soak up all the goodness. Try the same strategy with mashed potatoes (garlic mashed potatoes, Boursin mashed potatoes, 3-ingredient mashed potatoes, or make-ahead mashed potatoes; you can’t go wrong). Or simply set out a basket of crusty bread, such as wedges of toasted No-Knead Bread, to soak up the lemony sauce.

Why do you cook the sauce in the same skillet as the chicken?

In addition to cutting down on clean-up time, deglazing the pan with white wine welcomes the flavorful chicken drippings to the sauce. The little bits left in the pan after cooking protein are a free and fast way to amp up the flavor of your sauce.

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Delicious serving suggestions

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A plate of chicken scallopini.

Chicken Scallopini

By Meggan Hill
Chicken Scallopini, a 15-minute dinner idea, is a weekly menu staple in my home (and will soon be in yours, too!). The easy one-skillet recipe features pan-fried chicken in a punchy lemon-butter sauce.
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Calories 393
5 from 120 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake lightly to remove excess.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
  • Add wine and lemon juice to skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. Stir in capers.
  • Add chicken and any accumulated juices back to pan. Swirl to coat the chicken with sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Chicken breast cutlets: Most grocery stores stock chicken cutlets, but if you can’t find them, set the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Working with one breast at a time, place your palm on top of the breast and slice it in half horizontally, cutting all the way through. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  2. Olive oil or clarified butter: Pan-fry in either fat. Discover how to clarify butter at home, which is a simple process that removes the water and milk solids from whole butter. For a store-bought swap, look for ghee (another type of clarified butter) at the supermarket or online. 
  3. Dry white wine: Choose your favorite; Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc all work well. You only need 4 ounces, so put the other 21.4 ounces to use as a beverage pairing alongside this chicken dinner. For an alcohol-free substitute, use ½ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth instead.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 4 adult servings, each with two 3-ounce pieces of chicken, plus the spoon drink-worthy sauce, of course.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: The chicken can be coated with flour and stored in the refrigerator (covered or wrapped in plastic) a day in advance.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 38gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 547mgPotassium: 689mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 242IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

5 from 120 votes (102 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  2. I made this last night. It was FABULOUS! It was easy to make and quick. The ONLY difference is I used Rice Flour instead of AP flour. My husband raved all night.
    It’s so good, we’re having it tomorrow night. I’m doubling the sauce as I’m including broccoli & egg noodles.
    Fast. Easy. Delicious. It’s a Win Win!5 stars

    Reply

    1. So happy you both enjoyed it! ๐Ÿ˜Š Thanks for sharing your tip about rice flour, I’m glad it worked out well! – Meggan

  3. Several years ago Olive Garden had a limited time Lemoncello Chicken Scallopini. It was delicious and served with grilled Myer lemon halves. Could this recipe be adapted to be made with the Lemoncello?

    Reply

    1. Hi Dana, I don’t see why not! I would substitute some of the dry white wine for limoncello, making sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t burn. I haven’t tried it myself, but plan to in the future. It sounds great! If you happen to try it, would you please write back? – Meggan

    1. Hi Connie! Thank you so much for writing. It is not. I checked the program used to estimate the nutrition facts, and it was not calculating the amount of chicken properly. It’s an estimated 38 grams of protein. I’ve updated the recipe with the revised information. So sorry about that again. (If you are looking for more accurate nutrition information, please use a food scale, measure each ingredient, and use an online program to determine the nutrition facts of each serving.) Hope this helps and thanks again! – Meggan

  5. Simple, quick and oh so flavorful! I added some sliced mushrooms when cooking the butter and wine sauce. This is a keeper!5 stars

    Reply

    1. I’m delighted you love it, Marco! Thank you so much for your comment! – Meggan

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