Crispy Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce is the copycat dish served at The Cheesecake Factory called Chicken Costoletta. Chicken breasts get pounded thin, breaded and pan seared to a deep golden brown and doused in a lemon garlic cream sauce. Like the restaurant I serve the chicken with mashed potatoes. It’s an absolute crowd pleaser.
The recipe feeds up to 6 people utilizing 4 chicken breasts. Each breast can be cut into 3 pieces by first cutting the breast in half, then butterflying the thick half. If your chicken breasts aren’t particularly thick you can just cut in half and pound. Pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thick. Not only does this create a desirable thickness but it tenderizes the chicken. Season with salt and pepper then dredge in seasoned flour, followed by eggs and finally a panko parmesan mix. The coating adheres much better during and after cooking if you allow it to rest in the refrigerator. I like to place all the coated pieces on a sheet pan and pop in the fridge for at least an hour before cooking.
Preheat the pan just under medium heat. Never preheat a pan higher than the temperature you’ll cook the chicken at. Cook chicken in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pan. I cook 3 pieces at a time. Because you’re cooking in batches it’s best to keep the cooked pieces in a 200-degree oven to stay warm and crisp. I like to line another sheet pan with paper towels to absorb oil and place the cooked chicken on that.
The sauce is a delicious lemon garlic cream sauce that is perfectly savory with just the right amount of tang. If you’re worried about picky eaters not liking the lemon or Dijon mustard feel free to leave those ingredients out of the sauce.
Crispy Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 c flour heaping
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 c panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese heaping
- olive oil
Lemon Cream Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 c heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 c lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Trim fat and gristle off chicken breasts.
- Cut chicken breasts in half then butterfly the thick part of the breast (if it's thick enough). This will create up to 3 pieces of chicken per breast.
- Pound to 1/4 inch thick.
- Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow dish mix a heaping 1/4 c all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
- In another shallow dish mix 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of water.
- In a third shallow dish mix panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Dredge chicken first in the seasoned flour on both sides followed by the eggs, making sure to shake off excess and finally the panko mixture.
- Place coated chicken on a sheet pan and allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour. This ensures the coating won't slide off during or after cooking.
- Preheat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan just under medium heat.
- Cook chicken breasts in batches for 3 minutes per side, adding oil as needed. Wipe out excess breadcrumb coating left behind, so it doesn't burn onto the next batch of chicken.
- Place cooked chicken on a sheet pan lined with paper towels in a 200-degree oven to stay warm while the rest of the chicken cooks.
- In a separate pan preheat olive oil just under medium heat while you mince your garlic.
- Cook garlic 2 minutes in the oil before adding heavy whipping cream.
- Thicken the heavy whipping cream for 10 minutes before adding lemon juice, Dijon mustard, chicken stock, butter, salt and pepper.
- Cook sauce for 5 minutes.
- Ladle sauce over chicken and serve with mashed potatoes.