Chicken Paillard
This dish features juicy, pan-seared chicken, laced with a buttery, garlic-lemon sauce. Just like the restaurant version, the chicken is pounded thin to ensure it cooks evenly and quickly. This simple step also produces chicken that’s undeniably tender.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
What is chicken paillard?
The culinary term paillard (pie-yard) refers to a boneless cut of meat, such as veal, chicken, turkey, or pork that has been butterflied and/or pounded very thin (about ¼-inch) and cooked quickly. Pounding the meat tenderizes the flesh and creates an even, flat cooking surface. The cutlets are then quickly pan-fried until golden brown and braised in bright sauce of lemon and butter. There are variations on that theme, but the traditional sauce is lemony, and the cutlets are served with crisp greens piled on top, or arranged on the side.
Elegant, delicious and fast. Chicken paillard seems elegant when plated, but the process couldn’t be simpler. Just like the bistro dish of the same name, chicken paillard is chic, light, and ready in minutes. You need very few ingredients to create chicken paillard at home.
Here’s what you need for this recipe
- Chicken. This recipe calls for four 4-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts. You may purchase either thin-sliced chicken breasts or regular chicken breasts. When using regular chicken breasts, choose those that are about 8 ounces each and halve/butterfly them to create two 4-ounce chicken breast pieces.
- Seasoning. This seasoning for this chicken is simple, but the flavors soar. The chicken is seasoned with garlic powder, sweet paprika, salt, and pepper before searing. Fresh garlic is used to add complexity to the lemon-butter sauce.
- Olive oil. Olive oil is used for searing the chicken before making the sauce. Choose an oil with good flavor since the oil will also flavor the sauce. If desired, you may swap in avocado oil.
- Butter. Butter is used to create a satiny, nutty braising liquid for the chicken. You may use salted or unsalted butter, but I prefer unsalted butter because it browns better.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon juice and zest enliven the sweet, browned butter sauce. I also like to serve the finished dish with lemon slices on the side.
- Arugula. I chose to partner my chicken paillard with fresh arugula because the greens are crisp and peppery and make a great presentation. Feel free to substitute your favorite mixed greens.
Some tips for this chicken paillard
- Pounding the chicken. Even if you choose thin-sliced chicken, it’s often necessary to pound the chicken to create an even, ¼-inch cooking surface. The chicken may be pounded between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, or in a gallon freezer bag and you may use a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pro tip: To prevent mushy chicken, be careful not to pound too hard. Instead, focus on the thicker, uneven areas and gently tap until you have an even thickness overall.
- Cooking the chicken. The chicken is cooked in two steps in this recipe. First, the chicken is pan-seared in olive oil. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point. Next, the chicken is braised in a lemon-butter sauce that’s been created with olive oil and chicken bits from the pan. The chicken finishes cooking in the sauce and is ready when it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Browning the butter. Keep a close watch on the butter when transforming it from a golden color to a light brown one. I prefer using stainless steel or lighter color pans as darker pans (like cast iron) can mask the color of the browned butter. Pro tip: Don’t worry if the butter splatters a bit when first added to the oil in the pan. This is normal.
- Adjusting the lemon flavor. If you want just a hint of lemon juice, reduce the amount in the sauce to 1 tablespoon. You may also eliminate the lemon zest. Serving lemon slices at the table gives everyone a chance to adjust the amount of lemon flavor in the dish.
How to store leftover chicken paillard
Transfer leftover chicken paillard to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat chicken paillard in a skillet over medium heat, adding a little chicken broth if needed to thin the sauce. You may also reheat the chicken in the microwave, checking often to prevent the chicken from become rubbery.
Chicken Paillard
Ingredients
- 4 4-ounce thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts halved through the middle to make 4 cutlets
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, not smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided, plus ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 5 ounces baby arugula, or mixed greens of choice
Instructions
- Place the chicken cutlets between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or in a gallon freezer bag, in a single layer.
- Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken to an even thickness, about ¼-inch thick, being careful not to smash the chicken.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown on both sides.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Return the pan to the heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the butter to the pan.
- If the butter starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat until the smoke disappears.
- Cook the butter over medium-low heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon lemon zest.
- Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the butter sauce (sauce will be thin).
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, transfer the arugula to a large bowl, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and tablespoon of lemon juice and toss to coat.
- Season the arugula with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and spoon the lemon butter sauce over top.
- Arrange the arugula alongside the chicken (or on top of the cutlets) and serve.