Chicken Paillard
Chicken Paillard is the perfect quick, tasty weeknight meal your family will love! The chicken turns out perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I finish it off with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a sprinkle of fleur de sel to add brightness to the dish. Pile on some fresh greens and you’ve got yourself a delicious dinner!
Chicken Paillard is similar to a schnitzel, if you look online, you will find similar recipes for both. This recipe was inspired by Tyler Florence, I switched up a few things to put my own twist on it. Our kids eat salad, so it’s a great way to get veggies into them and keep it low carb. That being said, the chicken breasts are still battered and shallow fried, but it is a nice diversion from the ordinary. Still need to have a little bit of fun at the party, right?
Paillard by definition is the preparation of a piece of meat that is pounded thin and sautéed quickly, most often veal or chicken. It can either be sautéed quickly at high heat or breaded for a crispy crust. In this case, I opted for the crispy coating. If you cut the chicken breasts right through the middle horizontally, you will start out with 2 thinner cuts. Then you can place each one in a plastic ziplock and pound it a little thinner, but you won’t need to do too much. Continue with the 3-station breading process and a quick 3 minute shallow fry on each side. Place them onto a rack on a baking sheet into a 300F oven to keep warm while you finish the rest…Voila! My family loved it and that’s always a win in my book! I hope yours does too.
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
French
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
Baby Arugula
Cherry tomatoes
Micro Greens
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs Butter
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
4 Chicken Breasts Sliced in half horizontally through the center
1 cup AP Flour Seasoned with salt and pepper
3 large Eggs Beaten
1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Lemon
Fleur de sel to finish
Grated Parmesan
Instructions
Prepare the salad, wash the arugula, halve the cherry tomatoes and any other ingredients you desire for your salad. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Prepare the homemade dressing listed below in recipe notes, or if short on time, you can use a store-bought brand of your choice. Set aside.
Slice the chicken breasts horizontally though the middle, holding them steady with the heel of the palm of your hand so you have 2 thinner cuts. Place them one at a time in a ziplock and pound a few times to thin evenly, they won't need much after slicing them in half. You can even skip this step if you want. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides.
Prepare a 3-station breading station in 3 shallow bowls. The first one with seasoned flour (salt/pepper), second with 3 beaten eggs and the third with Panko breadcrumbs.
Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add a few Tbs. of EVOO and butter to the pan. Let it heat, but not brown, you don't want it too hot or the chicken will burn before it cooks through. Have a baking sheet lined with a baking rack ready beside you and preheat your oven to 300F.
Working in batches, dip the chicken breasts into the flour, egg and panko. You can press panko onto the chicken with your hands for an even coating. Place them into the skillet a few at a time. Cook for about 3 minutes per side. This is a low and slow for that nice golden color. As you finish, place them on the rack of the baking sheet and into the low temp oven on the middle rack. (Top rack will burn).
When all pieces are done, squeeze half a lemon over the top and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Toss the salad with the dressing. Place a piece of chicken on the plate and top with some greens, sprinkle with a little grated parm if you wish.
Notes
For a quick weeknight meal, you can use whatever salad dressing you prefer. I always make a batch of our favorite vinaigrette and store it in a mason jar in the fridge. It always consists of 1 Tbs. dijon, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 part vinegar (red wine, champagne, apple cider, white balsamic) to 3 parts good quality EVOO, dried Italian herbs, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper. Shake in the jar to emulsify.