This dish was inspired by The Cheesecake Factory since this is what I get every single time I go there. It's my favorite thing on their menu. Immediately after eating this dish (several times I might add), I knew I needed to recreate this in my kitchen. This lemon chicken is coated in a parmesan cheese bread crumb mixture, topped with lemon zest, and served with a melt-in-your-mouth lemon and heavy cream sauce taking the chicken to a new level.
You can enjoy this meal with any of your favorite side dishes. Some of our favorites include pasta, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and caesar salad! If I serve it with pasta, I typically make a little more sauce than normal so I can have a lemon sauce with the pasta as well. This is a staple in our house - we have this dish at least every other week because we love it that much. I hope you enjoy it just as much as we do!
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Three bowls
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Grater (for lemon zest)
Ingredients
Chicken Costoletta:
- Chicken breasts
- All-purpose flour
- Pepper
- Salt
- Eggs
- Italian breadcrumbs
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of one lemon
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Butter Sauce:
- Butter
- Minced garlic
- Lemon juice
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken Costoletta:
Cut the Chicken:
Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to create thin chicken cutlets. Optionally, pound them to ensure even thickness.
Create the Bowl Mixtures:
In the first bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, and salt. For the second bowl, whisk the two eggs together. In the third bowl, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, shredded and grated parmesan cheeses, and the lemon zest.
Coat the Chicken:
Take each chicken cutlet and coat with flour, then into the egg bowl, then into the breadcrumbs mixture. Coat generously.
Fry Chicken:
Heat a skillet with EVOO and once ready, add the chicken cutlets and cook until golden on each side and fully cooked through.
Lemon Butter Sauce:
Melt Butter & Garlic Reduction:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the minced garlic and let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Incorporate the remaining ingredients:
Pour in the lemon juice, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Stir continuously. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, or until it very slightly thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over your prepared chicken.
Variations & Substitutions
You can substitute the Italian breadcrumbs for regular if you don't have Italian ones on hand. Just add Italian seasoning to the breadcrumb mixture along with some garlic salt and you'll be set.
If you have everything on hand except for a lemon for the lemon zest, don't worry, you don't need to make this with lemon zest. You can easily remove that from the list if you don't have it. I have made this several times without the lemon zest and it's fabulous. However, I do enjoy it better with the lemon zest to add a pop of flavor.
This Chicken Costoletta is loaded with flavors to elevate your culinary experience. From the crispy outer edge of the chicken, to the perfectly soft and tenderly juicy chicken centers to the lemony cream sauce, this chicken dish is sure to be a new staple in your home! Happy cooking, and eating of course!
Chicken Costoletta (Lemon Butter Chicken)
Ingredients
Chicken Costoletta:
- 3 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of one lemon
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Butter Sauce:
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken Costoletta:
- Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make them chicken cutlets. If needed, pound on a cutting board to make the chicken cutlets very thin so they cook through.
- Grab three medium-sized bowls. In the first bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper and salt until well blended.
- In the second bowl, whisk the two eggs together and set aside.
- In the third bowl, stir together the Italian breadcrumbs, shredded and grated parmesan cheeses, and lemon zest and set aside.
- Grab one chicken cutlet and first coat with flour, then the eggs, and then the breadcrumb mixture. Complete until all chicken cutlets are coated evenly.
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat with extra virgin olive oil. Once ready, add the chicken and fry on both sides until cooked through and golden.
Lemon Butter Sauce:
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
- Stir in the minced garlic and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the lemon juice, chicken broth and heavy cream and continue stirring.
- Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes until it slightly thickens while stirring continuously (sometimes it takes 5-7 minutes). Add the desired amount of salt & pepper (I don’t always add salt & pepper).
- Plate each chicken dish and pour lemon butter sauce over the top and serve. Enjoy!
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