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Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon chicken Romano is a crispy Romano cheese chicken cutlet pan-fried until deeply golden, then finished with a bright lemon butter sauce. Thin, crunchy cutlets get coated in a Pecorino Romano crust and topped with capers and fresh parsley for an Italian-American weeknight chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken cutlets
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.5 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper To taste.
Breading
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs Beaten.
  • 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese Finely grated.
  • 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
For pan-frying and sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 1 fresh parsley For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and set up breading stations
  1. Season the thin cutlets with salt and pepper, then set out a breading station with flour, beaten egg, and the combined Romano cheese with panko.
Bread the cutlets
  1. Dredge each cutlet in flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and press firmly into the Romano-panko coating so it sticks.
Pan-fry until deeply golden
  1. Heat olive oil with 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then pan-fry the cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp.
  2. Remove the cutlets to a plate while you make the sauce, keeping the coating intact and visibly shattering-crisp.
Make the lemon-caper butter sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the garlic for 30 seconds, watching for fragrant light browning without burning.
  2. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up browned bits from the pan, then stir in the lemon juice and capers.
  3. Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes until slightly reduced, then swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until glossy.
Serve
  1. Plate the cutlets and pour the lemon-caper butter sauce over each one, then garnish with fresh parsley for a fresh green finish.

Notes

Pro tip: press the Romano-panko coating firmly onto the cutlets so it forms a crisp, shatter-ready crust in the pan. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; for best texture, rewarm in a skillet rather than microwaving. Freezing is not recommended because the crispy crust softens. For a lighter option, swap half the butter in the sauce for extra-virgin olive oil while still swirling in a small amount of butter for gloss.