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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 glossy lemon-caper butter sauce. This easy Italian chicken dinner delivers crispy golden texture with bright, savory pan sauce in about 35 minutes.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halve horizontally into 8 thin cutlets.
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper Use to taste.
All-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For dredging.
Eggs
  • 2 large eggs Beaten.
Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese Finely grated; mix with panko for coating.
Panko breadcrumbs
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs Mix with Pecorino Romano for coating.
Olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For pan-frying.
Butter
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided; 2 tbsp for frying and 2 tbsp for sauce.
Garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves Minced.
Dry white wine
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine For deglazing.
Fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Capers
  • 2 tbsp capers Drained.
Fresh parsley
  • 0.5 cup fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and bread the cutlets
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then set up a breading station with flour, beaten eggs, and a mixture of Pecorino Romano cheese with panko breadcrumbs.
  2. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip in egg, then press firmly into the Romano-panko coating so it adheres.
Pan-fry and make the lemon-caper butter sauce
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and pan-fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp; remove to a plate.
  2. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then deglaze with dry white wine.
  3. Add fresh lemon juice and drained capers, then simmer for 3 minutes to concentrate the sauce.
  4. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce turns glossy.
Serve
  1. Plate the crispy chicken cutlets and pour the lemon-caper butter sauce over each one.
  2. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately while the Romano crust is shatter-crisp.

Notes

For the most shatter-crisp crust, press the cutlets firmly into the Romano-panko coating and keep the oil at a steady medium-high sizzle while pan-frying. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet or oven to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. If you want a lighter option, swap half the butter in the sauce for olive oil and reduce the Pecorino slightly to control richness.