Go Back

Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon chicken Romano delivers thin, golden cutlets with a crispy Pecorino-style Romano cheese crust that pan-fries to a shattering crunch. Finished with a bright lemon butter sauce with capers and parsley, it’s an easy Italian-American weeknight chicken dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 710
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally into 8 thin cutlets
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste
flour
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
eggs
  • 2 large eggs beaten
romano cheese
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated
breadcrumbs
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
butter
  • 4 tbsp butter divided
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
dry white wine
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
capers
  • 2 tbsp capers drained
fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Set up and bread the cutlets
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste, then arrange a breading station with flour, beaten egg, and the Romano cheese mixed with panko.
  2. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip into egg, and press firmly into the Romano coating so it adheres.
Pan-fry until deeply golden
  1. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then pan-fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden.
  2. Transfer the cutlets to a plate while you make the sauce in the same pan.
Make the lemon-caper butter sauce and serve
  1. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds, then deglaze with the dry white wine.
  2. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and capers, then simmer for 3 minutes.
  3. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce is glossy.
  4. Plate the cutlets and pour the lemon-caper butter sauce over each one, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For the crispiest Romano crust, press the cheese-panko coating firmly onto the egg so it forms an even layer before frying. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet or oven to help the crust crisp again. Freezing is not recommended because the coating can soften. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat Pecorino Romano and reduce the butter by 1 tablespoon while keeping the sauce glossy with a short simmer.