Description
A delightful and elegant dish, Chicken Paillard features thinly pounded chicken breasts seared to golden perfection, complemented by a zesty lemon sauce and fresh chives. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or entertaining guests, it’s quick, flavorful, and pairs beautifully with a simple green salad.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large chicken breasts, halved horizontally to form 4 fillets (paillards)
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large shallot, minced or thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- ¼ cup chives, chopped
- Simple green salad, for serving
Instructions
- Pound chicken: Place chicken fillets between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to ¼-inch thickness using a rolling pin or meat mallet. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken: Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add two chicken paillards and cook until golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Sauté shallots and garlic: Add shallots to the skillet and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Make sauce: Add lemon juice and chicken stock to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and deglaze the pan. Simmer until sauce reduces by 1/2 and thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in remaining butter and adjust seasoning.
- Finish and serve: Add lemon zest and chives, stir to combine. Place chicken back in the pan and heat until warmed through. Serve with a simple green salad.
Notes
- For added flavor, consider marinating the chicken in lemon juice and herbs for 30 minutes before pounding.
- Pair with a light white wine for a complete meal experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 115mg