Chicken Scallopini
The name Chicken Scallopini sounds fancy, but it’s actually one of the easiest Italian dishes to make. Thinly sliced chicken fillets are gently pounded, lightly coated in flour, then you pan-fry them until they transform into a beautiful golden brown colour.
As the chicken cooks, the butter melts into the meat, keeping it incredibly juicy and tender, while the lemon creates a silky, savoury pan sauce that coats every slice. The result is chicken that’s crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and so tender you barely need a knife.
This savoury, lemony chicken dinner comes together in less than 10 minutes, uses just a handful of ingredients, and looks impressive without any fuss.
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- Baking Paper
- Cutting board
- Meat mallet
- knife
- Mini strainer
- bowl
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 600 g / 1.32 lb chicken fillets
- 100 g / 3.5 oz butter
- Extra virgin olive oil EVOO
- 3 lemons
- A fresh bunch of thyme
- A bowl of flour for coating the fillets
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley optional for decoration
Instructions
- Place 2 chicken fillets between sheets of baking paper on a cutting board. Using the flat side of a meat mallet (not the spiky one), gently pound them until evenly thin. Don’t smash them, just flatten nicely. Set aside and repeat with the remaining fillets.
- Add flour to a bowl and lightly coat each fillet, making sure all sides and edges are coated. Shake off any excess flour and place them side by side, not stacked. This helps keep them crisp later.
- Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice, using a small strainer to catch the seeds (or use a lemon juicer for ease if you have one). Set the juice aside, you’ll use it later.
- Place a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and ¾ of the butter, reserving about 25 g for later.
- Add the thyme to the pan and if using lemon zest, add it now too. You can also add a few lemon slices at this stage for extra flavour. Let everything gently melt and infuse for about 2 minutes.
- Once the butter has melted and is gently bubbling, remove the thyme and lemon slices. Add the chicken fillets to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side. While cooking, drizzle a little lemon juice over the chicken, but be sure to keep some aside for the sauce.
- Once the chicken is cooked through and beautifully golden, remove it from the pan and set aside. Wipe the pan clean, then add the remaining butter. Once melted, turn the heat off, add the remaining lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth and silky.