Lemon Chicken Romano (Printable)

Romano-crusted chicken cutlets pan-fried to golden, finished with a zesty lemon-butter sauce and parsley.

# What You'll 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

→ Pan Frying

08 - ¼ cup olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

10 - ¼ 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 Steps:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to ½-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Arrange three shallow bowls: the first with all-purpose flour, the second with eggs beaten together with 2 tablespoons of water, and the third with Romano cheese thoroughly combined with breadcrumbs.
03 - Dredge each chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the egg wash, allowing extra to drip off. Press firmly into the Romano-cheese and breadcrumb mixture, ensuring an even, adherent coating on all sides.
04 - Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully add the breaded chicken cutlets, working in batches if needed. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
05 - Pour off excess oil from the skillet. Add the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to deglaze, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce lightly thickens and becomes glossy.
06 - Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet and spoon the lemon butter sauce over each piece. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with extra lemon slices alongside.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The Romano crust gets impossibly crispy while the chicken stays incredibly juicy inside, which feels like a magic trick every single time.
  • That lemon butter sauce comes together in the same pan with all those crispy cheese bits, so you get maximum flavor with almost zero extra effort.
02 -
  • If the oil is not hot enough when the chicken goes in, the cheese coating will slide right off and you will end up with naked chicken swimming in melted cheese bits.
  • Letting the breaded cutlets rest for five minutes on a sheet pan before frying helps the coating adhere firmly and prevents messy detachment in the pan.
03 -
  • Use a meat mallet starting from the center and working outward rather than smashing randomly, because even thickness means no dry edges and no raw middles.
  • Press the breading on with the heel of your palm instead of just tossing it, since firm pressure embeds the cheese into every crevice and creates that restaurant quality crust.

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