Lemon Chicken Romano (Printable Version)

Golden Romano-crusted chicken cutlets with a bright lemon-butter sauce and parsley, ready in 45 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Breading & Coating

03 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 2 tablespoons water
06 - 1 cup grated Romano cheese
07 - 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

→ Cooking

08 - 1/4 cup olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Lemon Sauce

10 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
11 - 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

# How-To:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Arrange three shallow dishes: the first with all-purpose flour, the second with beaten eggs whisked together with 2 tablespoons of water, and the third with Romano cheese thoroughly combined with breadcrumbs.
03 - Dredge each seasoned cutlet in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the egg wash, allowing the surplus to drip off, then press firmly into the Romano-cheese breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides evenly.
04 - Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches if needed, add the breaded cutlets and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a warmed plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
05 - Carefully pour off excess oil from the skillet. Add the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to deglaze the pan, scraping up any fond from the bottom. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce lightly thickens.
06 - Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet, spooning the lemon-butter sauce over each piece. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and additional lemon slices, then serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The Romano crust gets impossibly crispy while staying locked to the chicken, something that took me several attempts to finally nail down.
  • That lemon butter sauce comes together in the same pan with all those crispy browned bits, so every drop of flavor ends up on your plate.
02 -
  • If the oil is not hot enough when the chicken goes in, the cheese coating will slide right off into the pan instead of forming a crust, so wait until you see a shimmer.
  • Pressing the breadcrumb mixture firmly onto the chicken rather than just dipping it makes the difference between a coating that stays on and one that falls apart in the pan.
03 -
  • Let the breaded cutlets rest for five minutes on a wire rack before frying so the coating sets and adheres properly instead of sliding off in the pan.
  • Use a mix of olive oil and butter for frying because the butter adds flavor while the oil prevents the butter from burning at the temperature you need for a crispy crust.

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