Published August 18, 2023.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Make this classic Italian chicken Scallopini Recipe that is pan-fried in olive oil and served with a tasty buttery Mushroom sauce with Parmigiana Reggiano. I promise this will quickly go into your regular rotation once you try it.
We eat chicken several times a week in our house. It’s quick to prepare, it’s a great lean protein, and it doesn’t break the bank. If you are similar, then check out my Chicken Melt or Fried Chicken.
Chicken Scallopini
Chicken scallopini is a dish consisting of thinly sliced chicken that is then dredged in flour and pan-fried and can be served by itself or with a myriad of sauces such as marsala or piccata. The most common meats to use are veal, chicken, or pork. This process of making something “scallopine” is an incredibly classic procedure used daily across Italy.
You do not need to be limited by the sauce served in my recipe, and it can be topped off with any sauce of your liking. In addition, my family would do this. However, they would go a step further and run it through egg wash and then thoroughly coat it in breadcrumbs before frying. Feel free to get creative and have fun with this.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken – I used boneless, skinless, chicken breasts for this.
- Flour – You will need some all-purpose flour for dredging the chicken.
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking so that I control the sodium content.
- Oil – Olive or avocado oil are the best oils to use.
- Onions – I use some shallots and garlic to enhance the sauce’s flavor further. If you cannot access shallots, a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion will work in its place.
- Wine – Any dry white wine such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio will work.
- Lemon – A little lemon juice will brighten up the sauce significantly.
- Cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano will make the sauce incredibly creamy and rich.
- Mushrooms – I used a combination of button and baby bella mushrooms. The most common mushrooms used in Italy are button, portabella, chantarelle, and porcinis. However, you can use whatever mushrooms you have access to.
How to Make Chicken Scallopini
Slice the chicken breastsin half widthwise. This is known as butterflying.
Place the sliced chicken breast one at a time into a plastic zip bag and gently pound it with a mallet or the bottom of a medium-sized pot.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and briefly set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and cheese, and set it to the side.
Next, in a shallow wide bowl or a cake or pie pan, add in the flour and season it lightly with salt and pepper, and mix until combined using a whisk or fork.
One at a time, gently dredge the poundedseasoned chicken breasts in some seasoned all-purpose flour. Set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper until they are all finished.
Add some olive oil to a large 12” frying pan over medium heat.
After about 90 seconds of the oil heating up, add in the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Set the cooked chicken breasts to the side and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan, turn the heat up to high, and sauté until well browned, which takes about 4 to 6 minutes.
Scrape the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side of the pan, add in the shallots, garlic, and butter and quickly stir and sauté for 1 minute. Then mix everything together.
Deglaze with white wine and cook over high heat until au sec, or almost gone.
Remove the pan from the heat, add in the juice of ½ lemon, and vigorously mix in the ice-cold butter until emulsified.
Next, stir in the cheese until combined and creamy. See the chef’s note below if the sauce breaks.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and then place the chicken back in to heat it back up.
Garnish with parsley, more cheese, and the zest of the remaining ½ lemon. Try serving it with my Italian Potatoes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead:This chicken scallopini is meant to be served right away, but you could leave the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce covered in a pan and over very low heat for up to 20 minutes ahead of time.
How to Store:Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving.Feel free to store the sauce separately from the cooked chicken breast.
How to Reheat:Add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a medium size pan and heat over low heat until warmed.Feel free to add ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream or chicken stock to the sauce to help loosen it up more.
Chef Notes + Tips
- If the butter sauce separates from the cheese, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold whipping cream while vigorously mixing it to help re-emulsify it.
- You can also usechicken thighs or drums in this recipe.
- Feel free to useassorted wild mushrooms.
- You will most likelyneed to cook the chicken in batches.
- Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan after pan-frying the chicken before adding the mushrooms if the chicken has soaked it all up.
- If you do not drink wine, replace it with chicken stock.
More Chicken Recipes
- Arroz con Pollo
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Kiev
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Grilled BBQ Chicken
Video
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Chicken Scallopini Recipe
5 from 56 votes
Make this Italian classic Chicken Scallopini Recipe that is pan-fried in olive oil and served with a buttery Mushroom sauce with Parmigiana.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 4 10- to-12-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
- ½ peeled and small-diced shallot
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 13 tablespoons ice cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” thick slices
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- Juice of ½ lemon, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
- ½ cup finely grated parmigiano Reggiano cheese + more for garnish
- finely minced parsley and lemon zest for garnish, optional
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise. This is known as butterflying.
Place the sliced chicken breast one at a time into a plastic zip bag and gently pound it with a mallet or the bottom of a medium-sized pot.
Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and briefly set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
Next, in a shallow wide bowl or a cake or pie pan, add in the flour and season it lightly with salt and pepper, and mix until combined using a whisk or fork.
One at a time, gently dredge the pounded seasoned chicken breasts in some seasoned all-purpose flour. Set them to the side on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper until they are all finished.
Add olive oil to a large 12” frying pan over medium heat.
After about 90 seconds of the oil heating up, add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
Set the cooked chicken breasts to the side, add the sliced mushrooms to the pan, turn the heat up to high, and sauté until well browned, which takes about 4 to 6 minutes.
Scrape the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side of the pan, add in the shallots, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of butter and quickly stir and sauté for 1 minute. Then mix everything together.
Deglaze with white wine and cook over high heat until au sec or almost gone.
Remove the pan from the heat, add in the juice of ½ lemon, and vigorously mix in the remaining 12 tablespoons of ice-cold butter until emulsified.
Next, stir in the cheese until combined and creamy. See chef note below if the sauce breaks.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and then place the chicken back in to heat it back up.
Garnish with parsley, more cheese, and the zest of the remaining ½ lemon. Try serving it with my Italian Potatoes.
Notes
Make-Ahead:This chicken scallopini is meant to be served right away, but you could leave the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce covered in a pan and over very low heat for up to 20 minutes ahead of time.
How to Store:Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving.Feel free to store the sauce separately from the cooked chicken breast.
How to Reheat:Add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a medium size pan and heat over low heat until warmed.Feel free to add ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream or chicken stock to the sauce to help loosen it up more.
If the butter sauce separates from the cheese, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold whipping cream while vigorously mixing it to help re-emulsify it.
You can also use chicken thighs or drums in this recipe.
Feel free to use assorted wild mushrooms.
You will most likely need to cook the chicken in batches.
Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan after pan-frying the chicken before adding the mushrooms if the chicken has soaked it all up.
If you do not drink wine, replace it with chicken stock.
Nutrition
Calories: 728kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 34gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 28gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 345mgPotassium: 861mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1269IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 178mgIron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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105 comments
- Robert
This is absolutely one of our favourites. So easy to make.
Delicious!- Reply
- Linda Hannah
I made this recipe tonight. Again, it was delicious . Thank you again for your wonderful recipes.
- Reply
- Donna Pullman
Made this recipe its easy and delicious
Thanks- Reply
- Timothy Luschen
Used scallop recipe fantastic result
- Reply
- Tuck
Fantastic recipe Chef! Have yet to find one of your recipes that’s not amazing.
- Reply
- Gary Frank
Second time making this. Just wonderful and so easy it is a keeper.
- Reply
- Melinda White
I’ve made this SEVERAL times! It’s delicious, aromatic, and presents beautifully. Chef Billy makes it simple and traditional at the same time.
- Reply
fantastic!
- Reply
- Bonnie Osborne
Absolutely delish!!!!! Thank you
- Reply
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Debbie Driscoll
This was excellent!!! I took a chance and made it for the first time for my husband and a few friends. To a person… RAVE reviews!!!! Kudos, Chef!!! PS… I served it with my crowd pleasing mashed potatoes thoroughly mixed with smashed garlic confit and melted Brie.
- Reply
- Ingrid Henderson
This was delicious., I have made this the second time and it was better than I remembered! Chef Billy has awesome simple delicious recipes he is my first choice for inspiration.
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- Rosa Lee Neaves
yes It was delicious as are all your recipes.
- Reply
- Jayne Rossi-Elliott
We made your Chicken Scallopini recipe last night; we both loved it. The entire recipe was perfect, from the chicken to the sauce! Definitely a keeper – delizioso!
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- Jonell Ward
I loved this recipe! The most moist chicken ever. Will make this often!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
So glad you enjoyed it!
See Also36 Keto Sauce Recipes To Kick Your Meals Up To The Next Level | Food For NetVegan Bolognese Sauce Recipe (With Lentils) - ElaveganVegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe50 Italian Recipes To Add To The Menu- Reply
- Mare
This is so delicious! Every one of your recipes are winners! Thanks piasan!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Appreciate you trying this!
- Reply
- Kathryn Short
Chef Billy, just wanted to say you are the best teacher! I love your videos, they are easy to understand and so informative. I made Chicken Scallopini and with your suggestion I paired it with Italian Roasted Potatoes. I also made Roasted Asparagus! My husband stated that the meal was restaurant quality! I concur! Absolutely delicious and that Buttery Mushroom Sauce!!!! Simply divine! Again thank you!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Elle
I made this for supper tonight and my husband absolutely loved it! It’s crazy how easy AND tasty this recipe is!
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
appreciate you trying this!
- Reply
- Patty Plumb
I made this tonight with pork cube steak. Yum!! I have enough left over that I may make pork sandwiches with the pork and grilled onions. Lettuce and home grown tomato slices, some Mayo mixed with mustard all on a grilled bun.
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Good idea with the leftovers, thanks for trying this!
- Reply
- sue
Thankyou ChefBilly fabulous tasty 😁😋👋🤩
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
appreciate you trying this delicious dish!
- Reply
- Michael Shocik
This is my favorite chicken meal, so easy and delicious.
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
my pleasure
- Reply
- Doug Doty
Another great chicken recipe. I make extra sauce and have it over rigatoni!
Awesome! Thank you Chef Parisi!- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
Thank you for trying this!
- Reply
- Regina
I absolutely love your recipes. What can I use in place of mushrooms?
Thanks- Reply
Just skip it, way to unique to look for a substitute.
- Reply
- Camille
Fabulous! Everything you make is excellent! Before I started following you I usually would shy away from trying new recipes, but not anymore. If it’s one of yours I make it because I KNOW it will come out delicious! Every. Single. Time. Thank you <3
- Reply
- Chef Billy Parisi
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Lynn
Very good
- Reply
many thanks!
- Reply
- Mark Thomet
Fabulous meal
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Ray Valdez
We made this savory dish and the whole family loved it!
- Reply
- Chris
Love this recipe! Easy to make and delicious. Thank you!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Amanda
My family 👪 loved this meal.
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Cheryl Lasater
My husband loved this and so did I. It will be a staple dish in my house.
- Reply
- Heather Ijames
Love it!
- Reply
- Sheila
Easy to make and so very good flavors~~
- Reply
- steve
My family loved this meal. They are constantly asking me to make it again. Thank you so much for this, and many other fabulous recipes.
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Sally F
So delicious. Family is not a fan of mushrooms so I left those out. Still yummy.
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Julie Ms. Graves
this is delicious! The chicken is cooked perfectly and the sauce! So delicious and would be good on anything! My family loved this, and my husband is asking for more Billy recipes because they are SO good.
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Craig Murphy
Love this recipe!
- Reply
many thanks!
- Reply
- Ana Naria Cuneo
We love chef Parisi. His recipes are easy to follow and even a beginner can make a great dish. Thank you!!
- Reply
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Sheila
We made this and LOVED it!
Delicious!!!- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Jane Wamsley
I made this dish for the family of 5 and they all loved it!
After following you for the past month I have enjoyed cooking many good receipts. At the age of 76, I have prepared many meals, but Billy has taught me to be a much better cook.
My family and I look forward to Billy’s next receipt everyday.- Reply
perfect!!
- Reply
- Sue Reese
Delicious! Reminds me of my mom’s veal scallopini, but I don’t buy a lot of deal veal.
Thanks for helping keep her memory alive. You rock!- Reply
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Julie
oh man… this is easy to make and so delicious. My family LOVED this meal and the mushroom sauce would be good on anything, it is delicious!
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Lisa H
Delicious. This time I made it a bit more heart healthy with only 4 Tbsp butter, chicken broth instead of wine, no parmigiana cheese, and added capers. What I love about Chef Billy’s recipes is that they are easily modifiable.
- Reply
great job on making it work for you!
- Reply
- Julie Ms. Graves
made this tonight and it is delicious! My husband asked for it to be a regular meal and also asked to have pasta with it in the future since the sauce is so good! Chef Billy’s video explains it perfect and it turned out amazing!
- Reply
awesome
- Reply
- Jackie
Chicken scalloppini was a success with my family , will surely become a go to meal ,big thank you so much Chef for all your tricks and know how , I love to watch your videos.
- Reply
amazing!
- Reply
- Balfour J Rast
The recipe was great, but my sauce broke and I couldn’t get it back. Still tasted pretty good. Should I have removed the mushrooms to make the sauce or to try and re-emulsify it. Also my chicken got cold while building the sauce. Should I have put the chicken into the sauce to rewarm before serving.
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appreciate you trying it. Sauce breaks if too hot. Yes chicken in sauce before serving as I did in the video 🙂
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- John G
Made it this evening. Turned out great and delicious! The video is very helpful in understanding the steps, especially the sauce. We will definitely do this again!
- Reply
awesome
- Reply
- Karen
I cook with my grandsons on Tuesdays. We try recipes of food we have never experienced. Billy’s recipes are a great inspiration and help all of us learn and fine tune our techniques.
- Reply
many thanks!
- Reply
- DJ Posner
Made the Scallopini last night. It was so easy and so delicious. Thanks Chef, you have taken my cooking skills to snother level❤️
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Pamela
Thank you Chef Billy! I made this last night for my family and they loved it! It took a bit longer for me to make, but I always take my time the first time I make a recipe, so it didn’t surprise me. Your instructions were spot on and my SIL who worked in a restaurant making this himself loved it as well and scraped up any remaining sauce and mushrooms! 🙂
- Reply
appreciate you trying it
- Reply
- Teresa Hixson
From the first time I made this dish using your recipe, Chef Billy, it became a family favorite. Even my picky husband who does not like chicken, loves this dish. ❤️
- Reply
thank you so kindly!!
- Reply
- Helen Thompson
Easy to make and delicious 😋 l love ❤️ the mushroom sauce 😋
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- Helen Thompson
Easy and detailed 👌 I love the mushroom 🍄 sauce 😋
- Reply
appreciate you trying it
- Reply
- Marie DIFELICE
Loved it and easy
- Reply
perfect!!
- Reply
- Lynette
Wow this chicken is delicious! If your out to impress, this one will do it! Rave reviews from all family members including 2 picky 8 yr olds!
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many thanks!
- Reply
- Ellen Gibson
Delicious meal with company; everyone really liked it!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Donna R
This rivals the best chicken scallopini I’ve ever had — my dear departed mother in law’s straight out of Italia
- Reply
perfect!!
- Reply
- Sara Stewart Wainwright
Billy, what an elegant recipe that can be made on a weeknight! My family loved it and so did I, such delicious flavors that compliment each other. Thank you!
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my pleasure!
- Reply
- Nancy
I made this last night, and it was delicious! I thought half the amount of chicken would serve four for a more modest serving size, and the recipe as is would serve closer to 8 people. My sauce did break, and without whipping cream to emulsify, I sprinkled in a bit of flour to bring it together. Fabulous! Thank you!
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- Ginger
Delicious and oh, so easy!
- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Gary Frank
Wonderful recipe, my wife and I loved it. Paired with sautéed green bean rom our garden.
- Reply
thanks for giving it a shot!!
- Reply
- Donna A Pollock
I have made this one a couple of times but it’s been a while for me. This looks lovely and very delicious too. I Can’t want to try your version of this recipe. I just picked up some nice mushrooms from Whole Foods and now I can put them to good use…
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excellent!
- Reply
- sue
Looking forward to theses recipes thank you 😊 😁👋
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