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Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon chicken Romano with thin, pan-fried cutlets coated in a shattering Pecorino Romano crust and finished in a bright lemon butter caper sauce. Golden, crisp chicken gets glossy sauce pooling on top for an easy Italian-American weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken cutlets
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally into 8 thin cutlets
  • 1 Salt and pepper To taste
Breading and frying
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs Beaten
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese Finely grated
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter Divided
Lemon butter caper sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp capers Drained
  • 2 tbsp butter Cold, for swirling
Garnish
  • 1 fresh parsley For garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and set up breading
  1. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper, then arrange a breading station with flour, beaten egg, and a mix of Pecorino Romano cheese and panko.
  2. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip it in egg, then press firmly into the Romano mixture to coat evenly.
Pan-fry until deeply golden
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then pan-fry cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp.
  2. Transfer the cutlets to a plate to rest while you make the sauce.
Make lemon-caper butter sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook minced garlic for 30 seconds, stirring so it becomes fragrant but not browned.
  2. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze, then add fresh lemon juice and capers and simmer for 3 minutes.
  3. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce is glossy.
Serve
  1. Plate the cutlets and spoon lemon-caper butter sauce over each one, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For maximum crunch, press the chicken firmly into the Romano-panko coating so it adheres, and keep the pan at medium-high so the crust browns quickly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet or oven until crisp (freezing not recommended due to breading texture). For a lighter option, use a 1:1 swap of olive oil and reduced-fat butter; the crust will still brown well but the sauce will be slightly less rich.