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Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon chicken Romano features thin cutlets with a shattering, pan-fried Romano cheese crust, then finished with a bright lemon butter sauce with capers. Crisp golden chicken is pan-fried and rested briefly while the sauce turns glossy 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: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken cutlets
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 salt and pepper Use to taste.
Breading station
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs Beaten.
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese Finely grated.
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
Pan-frying and sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 0.25 fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Set up breading and season cutlets
  1. Halve chicken breasts horizontally into 8 thin cutlets, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Set up a breading station with flour, beaten eggs, and a mix of Pecorino Romano cheese with panko breadcrumbs.
  3. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip into egg, then press firmly into the Romano-panko coating so it adheres.
Pan-fry to crisp
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then pan-fry cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden.
  2. Remove cutlets to a sheet pan and let them rest while you make the sauce.
Make lemon-caper butter sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then deglaze with the dry white wine.
  2. Add fresh lemon juice and capers, then simmer for 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
  3. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce looks glossy.
Serve
  1. Plate the cutlets and pour lemon-caper butter sauce over each one so it pools around the crispy crust, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For the crispiest Romano crust, press the coating firmly onto the egg so it doesn’t shed during frying, and keep the pan hot for a deep golden color. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet to help crisp the crust again. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. If you need a lighter option, use part-skim mozzarella instead of some Pecorino for a milder, lower-fat crust.