Go Back

Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon Chicken Romano features thin, golden cutlets pan-fried with a shattering Pecorino/Ρomano crunch and finished with a bright lemon butter caper sauce. The method keeps the crust crisp while the sauce pools around each cutlet for an easy Italian-American weeknight dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halve horizontally into 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.5 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.5 tsp pepper To taste.
Breading
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs Beaten.
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese Finely grated.
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
Pan-fry and sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided; 2 tbsp for frying and 2 tbsp for finishing.
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 1 fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Set up breading stations
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then arrange three stations with flour, beaten egg, and a mixture of Pecorino Romano cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Press the coating firmly so it adheres to the thin cutlets.
Coat and pan-fry
  1. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip in egg, then press firmly into the Romano-coated breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated cutlets on a tray as you work.
  2. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then pan-fry the cutlets 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Remove to a plate when the crust turns crisp and golden.
Make lemon-caper butter sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds over medium heat, stirring until fragrant and lightly golden. Avoid browning the garlic.
  2. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Simmer until reduced, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the fresh lemon juice and capers to the simmering sauce, then whisk and simmer 30 seconds to meld flavors. Turn off the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until glossy.
Serve
  1. Plate the cutlets and pour the lemon-caper butter sauce over each one. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve right away.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the cutlets thin and coat them firmly so the Romano crust sticks and shatters when bitten. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet or oven to re-crisp. Freezing isn’t recommended because the crust can soften. For a lighter option, swap panko for whole-wheat panko and use 2–3 tbsp total olive oil instead of most of the butter.