Let’s face it – we all love some Italian comfort food. With the spring season here and summer right around the corner, chowing down on some high caloric meal isn’t always the first choice.
This lightened up Chicken Francese allows for all the yummy goodness without that high calorie intake. You will not miss the extra oil and butter – I promise!
Substitutions
- Flour – I used regular all-purpose flour but you can totally use anything that works in your diet.
- Broth – I used chicken but you can certainly use vegetable stock.
- Oil – I used avocado oil and avocado oil spray. Feel free to use any you like. I prefer avocado oils for the high heat smoke point it allows for.
What to pair it with…
This dish creates a sauce that you will want to make sure to soak up with something while still being mindful of the keeping the dish lightened up. Here are some ideas…
- Vegetables – steamed broccoli or brussel sprouts
- Angel Hair Pasta – I personally love angel hair pasta because you tend to feel more satisfied with the portion size as opposed to other types of pasta. You can also add zucchini noodles to bulk up your pasta portion without compromising calorie intake.
- Zucchini Noodles
- Cauliflower Rice
- Hearts of Palm Pasta/Rice – Palmini has two of my absolute favorite products – Angel Hair and Rice made purely from hearts of palm. You can use them alone or add either to regular pasta or rice to bulk up your portion size.

Lightened Up Chicken Francese
Equipment
- 1 Large Non-Stick Skillet or Cast Iron Skillet
- 2 Bowls or Shallow Dishes for dredging
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1½ pounds chicken breast
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- avocado oil cooking spray
For the sauce
- 1½ cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 4 slices lemon
- avocado oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Set up two stations for the chicken in your shallow dish or bowls; A shallow dish with the beaten eggs, milk, salt and pepper. A second dish with flour with just a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken cutlet into the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, and finally dredge into the flour again. Repeat with all the chicken cutlets.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and a few sprays of avocado spray oil in the large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cutlets and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4-6 minutes per side. You might need to cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Place the chicken aside on a plate.
- To the same skillet add a few sprays of avocado oil spray. Add in onion and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and lemon juice, and whisk to combine, simmering over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens. Taste and season to taste.
- Stir in lemon slices and return the chicken back into the pan. Continue to simmer.
- Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
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