Chicken francese topped with sliced lemons next to angel hair pasta on a round white plate with stainless steel silverware in the back on a grey placemat all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Easy Chicken Francese over Angel Hair Pasta Recipe

Make a classic Italian-American dish at home in about 30 minutes. Chicken Francese brings the restaurant feel to your kitchen.

Jump to Recipe

Delicious meals that require only one or two pans and not much time are my favorite! Our dishwasher just went out (again) so I try to use as few dishes as possible right now. But, we still have to eat!

Over the years, I’ve learned that my family seems to enjoy meals with lemon and white wine sauce. We’ve made a few meals such as Pasta with Lemon Butter SauceShrimp Orzo with Lemon, and Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce

This time, I wanted something with chicken since I know we all will eat almost any chicken meal. I had Chicken Francese at our favorite local Italian restaurant called Italiano’s. If you’re in the Houston area, you should give them a try! Big portions for a great price. 

As we often do, I decided we could try to make this at home and started researching exactly what goes into a typical chicken francese recipe and started cooking. 

Suggested Side Dishes

  • Simple salad with lemon dressing
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Jasmine rice
  • Green beans
  • Roasted asparagus

Chicken Francese Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 8 oz angel hair pasta
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • 2 lemons, 1 sliced, 1 juiced
  • 4 tbsp butter, salted
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup white cooking wine, or dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, or chicken stock
  • 2 oz spinach and arugula
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Ingredients for chicken francese in stainless steel bowls on a wooden surface

Preparation

Cook the pasta as directed to al dente. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten it to about 1/4″ thick. You could also purchase thin cutlets and avoid this step. 

Raw chicken in plastic wrap on a wooden surface

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Prepare your dredging station by placing the flour in a shallow dish. Beat the egg with the milk in a separate shallow bowl.

White bowls with flour in one and egg in another with a wire whisk on a wooden surface

Dredge chicken in the flour then egg mixture until thoroughly covered. Place the chicken in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown and done in the middle, about 6-10 minutes per side.

Breaded chicken cooking in a skillet on a wooden surface

Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover to keep warm. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the sliced lemon to the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute on each side then remove and place on top of the cooked chicken.

Sliced lemons in a skillet on a wooden surface

Add the butter to the skillet. Once it foams, add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute.

Melted butter with garlic in a skillet on a wooden surface

Add the fresh lemon juice and white cooking wine and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for extra flavor. 

Chicken francese sauce in a skillet on a wooden surface

Increase the heat to high and pour in the chicken broth or chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

Finished chicken francese sauce in a skillet on a wooden surface

Plate the chicken topped with lemon slices and spoon about 2 tbsp of sauce on top of each piece of chicken. Add the cooked pasta and the spinach and arugula to the remaining sauce and toss to coat.

Cooked angel hair pasta and wilted spinach and arugula leaves in a skillet on a wooden surface

Serve the pasta with the chicken and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Chicken francese topped with sliced lemons next to angel hair pasta on a round white plate with stainless steel silverware in the back on a grey placemat all on a wooden surface (vertical)

Chicken Francese Leftovers

Storage: Store leftover Chicken Francese in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2-3 days.

Reheating: To reheat, cook either in a skillet or microwave until warm. I suggest storing the pasta in a separate container.

Recipe

Originally Published On: March 10, 2021

Last Updated On: August 16, 2023

Chicken francese topped with sliced lemons next to angel hair pasta on a round white plate with stainless steel silverware in the back on a grey placemat all on a wooden surface

Chicken Francese with Angel Hair Pasta

Make a classic Italian-American dish at home in about 30 minutes. Chicken Francese brings the restaurant feel to your kitchen.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
|
Italian
Keyword:
chicken
|
lemon
|
pasta
|
white wine
Dietary Needs:
Nut-Free
Meat:
Chicken/Turkey
Servings: 4
5 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz angel hair pasta
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • 2 lemons (1 sliced, 1 juiced)
  • 4 tbsp butter (salted)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup white cooking wine (or dry white wine)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or chicken stock)
  • 2 oz spinach and arugula
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta as directed to al dente
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat
  • Place the chicken between plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten to about 1/4″ thick
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper
  • Place the flour in a shallow bowl
  • Beat the egg with the milk in a second shallow bowl
  • Dredge the chicken in the flour then egg mixture until thoroughly covered
  • Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until done, about 6-10 minutes per side
  • Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover to keep warm
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the sliced lemon to the skillet
  • Cook for about 1 minute on each side then remove and place on top of the cooked chicken
  • Add the butter to the skillet
  • Once it foams, add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute
  • Add the lemon juice and white cooking wine and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes
  • Increase the heat to high and pour in the chicken broth
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes
  • Plate the chicken topped with lemon slices and spoon about 2 tbsp of sauce on top of each piece of chicken
  • Add the cooked pasta and the spinach and arugula to the remaining sauce and toss to coat
  • Serve the pasta with the chicken and garnish with parmesan cheese
Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Francese with Angel Hair Pasta
Amount Per Serving (1 each)
Calories 799 Calories from Fat 423
% Daily Value*
Fat 47g72%
Saturated Fat 14g70%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 190mg63%
Sodium 852mg36%
Potassium 850mg24%
Carbohydrates 56g19%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 39g78%
Vitamin A 1908IU38%
Vitamin C 41mg50%
Calcium 158mg16%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Chicken Francese FAQs

Is Chicken Francese Keto?

As this recipe is written, the pasta disqualifies the meal from being keto. But, if you were to forgo the pasta and serve the chicken with the sauce, it would likely still be a keto meal.

What makes this Chicken Francese?

To be considered Chicken Francese, the dish must contain chicken that has been dredged in flour and eggs before being cooked. It’s then served with a sauce made of lemons and white wine.

Where does it come from?

It is believed that Italian immigrants brought the recipe over when they landed in New York. It’s a popular dish in the Rochester area.

Other Copycat Recipes

19 thoughts on “Easy Chicken Francese over Angel Hair Pasta Recipe”

  1. MELANIE EDJOURIAN

    5 stars
    Oh wow, this certainly looks delicious. I would really enjoy a dish like this and I’m sure my husband would too.

  2. I think Angel Hair Pasta is the perfect accompaniment for this chicken dish. It adds just the right amount of neutrality to fabulous flavors. I’d love to make this for my family too.

  3. 5 stars
    This is a super yummy looking pasta dish that my entire family will love 😉 Thanks for sharing and pinning next!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating