This Lemon Chicken Cutlets Recipe features perfectly cooked golden brown breaded chicken topped off with a delicious herb lemon butter sauce. You will love how flavorful this dish is and how easy it is to make.

We eat chicken several times a week in our house. It’s quick to prepare, a great lean protein, and doesn’t break the bank. If you’re similar, check out my Spatchcock Chicken or Chicken Paprikash.

Lemon Chicken Cutlets

Lemon butter chicken cutlets are a simple dish of breaded and pan-fried thinly sliced chicken served with a rich buttery herb sauce. This dish has enough flavor to impress guests and is quick enough to make as a weeknight meal for the family.

There are some variations with this dish, including what herbs you would like to use, onions, and wine. If you are in a family that really enjoys sauce, I recommend doubling the amount.  

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken – You will need chicken cutlets coated in regular or Italian breadcrumbs.
• Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens the sauce and gives it a lemony flavor.
• Herbs – I used fresh sage leaves, but fresh thyme or rosemary may also be used.
• Onion — The sauce uses Shallots and whole garlic cloves. You can substitute the shallot with a white, yellow, red, or sweet onion.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content.
• Wine – Any dry white wine like chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc is great.
• Oil – Olive or avocado oil is best. However, any neutral-flavored oil will also work.
• Seasoning – Only coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper are used.

How to Make Lemon Chicken Cutlets

Prepare the chicken cutlets and keep them warm.

Add the oil to a large frying pan and heat over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or just until hot.

Stir in the shallots and garlic and cook for 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until lightly browned but cooked.

Deglaze with the white wine and add in the fresh sage leaves.

Cook the wine until au sec or almost gone, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and place it on a cool burner that has not been turned on.

Stir in the cold butter, vigorously swirl the pan in a circle, or whisk it in to emulsify the sauce, making it thick.

Finish the sauce with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix it in.

Drizzle the sauce over the chicken cutlets and serve.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: These chicken cutlets and sauce are meant to be eaten as soon as they cook. Keep them warm over a rack on a sheet tray and in the oven at low temperatures (<200°) for 30 minutes before making the sauce.

How to Store: If possible, store it in the refrigerator, covered in plastic, and separate from the sauce for up to 3 days. It freezes well, covered individually, for up to 3 months. 

How to Reheat: Add the desired number of chicken cutlets to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot. In the meantime, add the sauce to a small pot with ¼ to 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream and heat over low heat while constantly whisking until re-emulsified.

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Marinade
• Pipian Verde Chicken
• Chicken Chili
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Smoked Chicken Wings