Lemon chicken romano is what happens when you bread chicken cutlets, pan-fry them until golden and crispy, then smother them in a tangy lemon-butter sauce with Romano cheese and end up with something that tastes like you paid $20 for it at an Italian restaurant. I made lemon chicken romano after ordering it one too many times at Olive Garden and realizing I could make it better at home for half the price. Turns out crispy chicken plus lemon butter sauce isn’t complicated – it’s just delicious.
Lemon chicken romano features thin chicken cutlets breaded with Romano cheese and Italian seasonings, pan-fried until the coating is crunchy, then finished with a bright lemon-butter sauce that’s both rich and tangy. The Romano cheese in the breading adds a salty, nutty flavor that regular breadcrumbs can’t match. It’s the kind of dish that looks fancy but is secretly just good technique and bold flavors.
Why Lemon Chicken Romano Beats Restaurant Versions
Restaurant lemon chicken romano costs $18-22 per plate and you can’t control the lemon intensity, cheese amount, or how crispy the coating is. Lemon chicken romano at home costs maybe $12 for four servings and you make it exactly how you like – extra lemon, more cheese, crispier breading, whatever. Plus no waiting for a table or tipping.
I made lemon chicken romano for my sister who’s obsessed with the Olive Garden version. She took one bite and said “okay this is actually better” which felt like winning something. When your home cooking beats chain restaurants that people specifically crave, you’ve achieved peak home cook status.
Here’s why you need lemon chicken romano:
- Restaurant quality at home in 30 minutes
- The Romano cheese breading is genuinely special
- Lemon butter sauce is bright and rich at the same time
- Crispy coating stays crunchy even under sauce
- Way cheaper than ordering out
- Perfect for impressing people without much effort
Plus lemon chicken romano works for people who claim breaded chicken is “too complicated.” If you can set up three bowls and dip chicken in them, you can make this. The technique is straightforward – the flavor is what makes it impressive :/
What You Need for Lemon Chicken Romano
For the Chicken
Protein: Chicken breasts (2 large – pounded to ½ inch thickness, then cut in half to make 4 cutlets) Seasoning: Salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (½ teaspoon), garlic powder (½ teaspoon)
For the Breading Station
Bowl 1 – Flour: All-purpose flour (½ cup), salt (½ teaspoon), pepper (¼ teaspoon) Bowl 2 – Egg Wash: Eggs (2 large beaten), milk (2 tablespoons) Bowl 3 – Breading: Italian breadcrumbs (1 cup), Romano cheese (¾ cup grated), parsley (2 tablespoons dried), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon)
For Frying: Olive oil (½ cup for pan-frying), butter (2 tablespoons)
For the Lemon Butter Sauce
Base: Butter (4 tablespoons), garlic (3 cloves minced), shallot (1 small minced) Liquid: White wine (¼ cup – or chicken broth), chicken broth (½ cup), lemon juice (¼ cup – from 2 lemons), lemon zest (from 1 lemon) Finish: Heavy cream (¼ cup – optional for creamier sauce), Romano cheese (¼ cup grated), fresh parsley (2 tablespoons chopped), capers (1 tablespoon – optional)
For Serving
Pasta (fettuccine or angel hair), roasted asparagus, garlic bread, lemon wedges
How to Make Lemon Chicken Romano
Step 1: Prep the Chicken
Pound chicken breasts to ½ inch thickness between plastic wrap using meat mallet. Cut each breast in half to create 4 cutlets. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let sit 10 minutes at room temperature.
Step 2: Set Up Breading Station
Bowl 1: Mix flour with salt and pepper. Bowl 2: Beat eggs with milk. Bowl 3: Mix breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Line them up in order: flour, egg, breadcrumb mixture. Set up plate at end for breaded chicken.
Step 3: Bread the Chicken
Take one chicken cutlet. Coat in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg wash, letting excess drip off. Press into breadcrumb mixture on both sides, pressing firmly so coating sticks. Place on clean plate. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Let breaded chicken rest 5 minutes – this helps coating adhere better during frying.
Step 4: Pan-Fry Until Golden
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken cutlets (work in batches if needed – don’t overcrowd). Fry 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (165°F internal temp). Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm.
Step 5: Make the Lemon Butter Sauce
Pour out most of the oil from skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Reduce heat to medium. Add 4 tablespoons butter. When melted, add minced garlic and shallot. Cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add white wine. Let simmer 2 minutes to reduce by half, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest. Simmer 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced. Stir in heavy cream if using. Add Romano cheese and stir until melted. Add fresh parsley and capers if using. Taste and adjust – more lemon for brightness, more butter for richness, salt and pepper as needed.
Step 6: Finish and Serve
Return chicken cutlets to pan with sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken. Let simmer 1 minute to coat and warm through. Transfer to serving platter. Pour remaining sauce over top. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately while crispy and hot.
Lemon chicken romano is best eaten fresh. Serve with pasta tossed in some of the sauce, or with roasted vegetables and bread. The crispy coating and tangy sauce combination is addictive.
Creative Variations Worth Trying
Creamy Lemon Chicken Romano
Increase heavy cream to ½ cup for richer, creamier sauce. More indulgent, less tangy.
Spicy Lemon Chicken Romano
Add red pepper flakes to breading and sauce. Drizzle with hot honey after plating. Sweet heat with lemon brightness.
Piccata-Style Chicken Romano
Skip breading. Just flour and pan-fry. Make traditional piccata sauce with extra capers and lemon. Lighter but still flavorful.
Mushroom Lemon Chicken Romano
Sauté sliced mushrooms with garlic before making sauce. Earthy mushrooms complement lemon beautifully.
Lemon Chicken Romano
Equipment
- Meat mallet for pounding chicken
- three shallow bowls for flour, egg, and breadcrumb coating
- Large skillet for pan-frying and sauce
- Tongs or spatula for flipping chicken
- Paper towel-lined plate to drain fried chicken
- Whisk for sauce emulsification
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (pounded & halved into 4 cutlets)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 tsp salt (for flour bowl)
- 0.25 tsp pepper (for flour bowl)
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 0.75 cup Romano cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder (for breadcrumb bowl)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 0.5 cup olive oil (for frying)
- 2 tbsp butter (for frying)
- 4 tbsp butter (for sauce)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small shallot (minced)
- 0.25 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
- 0.5 cup chicken broth
- 0.25 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 0.25 cup heavy cream (optional)
- 0.25 cup Romano cheese (grated, for sauce)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 tbsp capers (optional)
Instructions
- Pound chicken to ½ inch thick and cut into 4 pieces. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let rest 10 minutes at room temp.
- Set up 3 bowls: flour + seasoning; eggs + milk; breadcrumbs + Romano + herbs. Line them up in order.
- Dredge chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mix. Press firmly to coat. Let rest 5 minutes.
- Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium-high. Pan-fry cutlets 4–5 mins per side until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
- In same skillet, melt butter. Sauté garlic and shallot 1 min. Add wine, simmer 2 mins. Add broth, lemon juice, zest. Simmer 3–4 mins. Stir in cream (optional), Romano cheese, parsley, capers. Season to taste.
- Return chicken to pan. Spoon sauce over. Simmer 1 min to coat. Serve with lemon wedges and parsley. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
My breading falls off – what happened? Didn’t press coating firmly enough, or didn’t let breaded chicken rest before frying. Press breadcrumbs in hard and let sit 5 minutes.
The chicken is dry – why? Overcooked or pounded too thin. Pull at 165°F exactly. Thighs work better if you struggle with dry breasts.
Can I bake instead of frying? Yes. Bake breaded cutlets at 400°F on wire rack for 20-25 minutes. Won’t be quite as crispy but still good.
The sauce broke and looks oily – help? Heat too high or not enough emulsification. Keep heat medium and whisk vigorously when adding butter and cheese.
