Chicken Paillard

5 from 2 votes

Simple doesn't have to mean boring! This Chicken Paillard recipe only requires a handful of ingredients to make the chicken breast shine. Healthy, easy, and flavorful, this is going to be your new go-to dinner.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 782kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
3 tbsp olive oil divided
1 tsp lemon zest
salt & pepper to taste
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ small shallot diced
¾ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp thyme fresh or dried
juice from ½ lemon
4 cups arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

Cut chicken breasts in half length-wise and place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the chicken pieces.
Pound the chicken with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten to about ¼” thickness.
Remove plastic wrap and rub in a drizzle of olive oil on both sides of filet and season both sides with salt, pepper and lemon zest as well.
Add flour into a shallow dish and dredge each filet on both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place filets in pan and cook on both side until golden brown and fully cooked (approx. 3 minutes on each side). Set aside.
In same skillet, add in shallots and sauté for about 30 seconds then add in stock to deglaze. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Next, turn off heat and add in butter, thyme and lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste and stir.
Serve the paillard over top of a bed of arugula and cherry tomato with sauce poured on top.

Video

Notes

This recipe is great for meal prepping as well as it reheats wonderfully. Make extra to bring for lunch the next day. When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this lasts 3 to 4 days.
I highly recommend using the plastic wrap when you're pounding the chicken breasts as you don't want cross-contamination to happen, causing bacteria to spread from food to food or to other surfaces. Raw chicken does have salmonella and if you pound the meat without plastic, you won't be able to tell where any bacteria has splashed to.
Make this gluten-free by swapping the flour for a gluten-free flour.
If you're not a fan of arugula, feel free to use any leafy greens for the salad. Mixed greens or baby spinach swaps in seamlessly.
Be sure to let the olive oil heat up in the pan before adding the chicken paillard. Since there's flour on the chicken, you want the coating to sear when it hits the pan instead of absorbing the oil, making the crust not as crispy, as it waits for the pan to get hot.

Nutrition