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Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon chicken Romano is a crispy Italian-American cutlet with a shattering Pecorino Romano crust, pan-fried until deeply golden. Finish with a glossy lemon butter sauce with capers and fresh parsley for a bright weeknight chicken dinner.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken cutlets and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally into 8 thin cutlets
  • 0.25 salt and 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
Pan-fry 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
 

Set up breading station and coat cutlets
  1. Season the thin cutlets with salt and pepper, then set up three stations with flour, beaten egg, and the Romano plus panko mixture.
  2. Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip in egg, and press firmly into the Romano coating so it adheres well.
Pan-fry cutlets until crisp
  1. Heat olive oil with 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and pan-fry cutlets for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp; transfer to a plate.
Make lemon-caper butter sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then deglaze with the white wine and scrape up any browned bits.
  2. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer for 3 minutes, letting the liquid reduce slightly.
  3. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce turns glossy.
Serve
  1. Plate the cutlets and spoon the lemon-caper butter sauce over each one, then garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For the crispiest crust, press the cutlets firmly into the Romano mixture so it forms an even, thick layer before frying. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through (sauce may loosen). Freezing is not recommended because the breading can soften. For a lighter option, use a fine-grated Pecorino/Parmesan blend and a light spray of oil while keeping the frying time the same.