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Craving Italian-inspired comfort food? Dig in to this lighter twist on chicken scallopini served with a lemon-caper butter sauce!
If you’ve never heard of chicken scallopini, it refers to an Italian dish made by dredging thinly sliced chicken in flour, pan-frying it, then topping it with a lemon-caper butter sauce.
I mean, how delicious does that sound?
Traditional versions of this dish often use a thick coating of flour and tons of butter. Plus, the dish is served over high-carb refined pasta.
By using a lighter dusting of flour and cutting back on the butter, this scallopini is healthier than what you’d find in a restaurant.
So the next time you’re craving some Italian-inspired comfort food, try this recipe for a simple, fresh, and delicious meal.
How to make chicken scallopini
You can have this recipe prepped and ready to go in about 20 minutes!
Step 1: Place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and cut the chicken breast in half so you end up with very thin and wide pieces.
Step 2: Place each piece of chicken between two slices of wax paper and pound until it’s ¼-inch thick.
Step 3: Spread the flour out on a plate. Coat both sides of each piece of chicken with flour.
Step 4: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt over medium-high heat.
Step 5: Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides until it’s fully cooked (about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through). Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and keep it warm.
Step 6: Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil plus sea salt to the same skillet. Stir in the lemon juice and capers and heat until warmed through.
Step 7: To serve, garnish with parsley and lemon slices.
All that’s left to do is dig in!
What to serve with this chicken dish
The traditional side for chicken scallopini is pasta, but you don’t have to serve it that way.
Because of the dredging process used to make scallopini, this dish is quite filling. The vibrant flavor of the lemon-caper sauce helps to keep it light.
I usually just make a little steamed broccoli or other low-carb veggies to serve on the side. It adds some green to the plate without extra calories or carbs.
However, if you’re in the mood for an indulgent homemade meal, you could always serve it with whole wheat flax dinner rolls to soak up the sauce.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a lighter variation, you could always just serve it with a salad. Lemony romaine and avocado salad would be a great option.
Or you could stick with the classic pasta theme but make these zucchini noodles with lime pesto instead!
Storage
This recipe is for 4 servings of scallopini. It’s a great meal to serve your family, or you can enjoy some right away and save the rest for easy meals throughout the week!
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For best results, store the sauce separately and only add it to the chicken right before serving.
Other healthy Italian-inspired recipes
When it comes to comfort food, so many of my favorite recipes are dishes I used to order at Italian restaurants. Thankfully, I’ve been able to recreate lighter versions of most of them!
Here are a few of my favorite Italian-inspired recipes with a lighter twist:
- Italian Sub Salad
- Low-Carb Chicken Cacciatore
- Crustless Quiche with Italian Turkey Sausage and Peppers
When you’ve tried this dish, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Chicken Scallopini
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound)
- ⅓ cup white wheat or all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, (extra-virgin)
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, (chopped)
- lemon slices
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast on a cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and cut the chicken breast in half so you end up with very thin and wide pieces.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Place each piece of chicken between two slices of wax paper and pound until it’s ¼-inch thick.
- Spread the flour out on a plate. Coat both sides of each piece of chicken with flour.⅓ cup white wheat or all-purpose flour
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt over medium-high heat.3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil, pinch of salt
- Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides until it’s fully cooked (about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through). Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and keep it warm.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil plus sea salt to the same skillet. Stir in the lemon juice and capers and heat until warmed through.2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons capers
- To serve, garnish with parsley and lemon slices.1 tablespoon fresh parsley, lemon slices