You know those afternoons where you have been running around with the kids nonstop, or scrambling to get home from work and are just plain exhausted and done with the day… but you’re not REALLY done, are you?
This is my quick and easy “I forgot to marinate the chicken” recipe, that will fool anyone into thinking you planned way in advance! My kids absolutely LOVE this recipe and I’ve been making it for years, but never actually took the time to measure out my ingredients or write it down… until today!
I can’t wait for you to try this savory, flavor-packed, french-inspired chicken dinner… I’m eating it as I type, and am enjoying it alongside freshly picked, roasted carrots from the garden and our favorite summer pasta recipe. Perfect dinner after a super busy day of end-of-year school parties, grocery shopping, rushing kids back and forth to various age-group swim practice times and Girl Scout troop meetings.
I love how quick this Easy Chicken Provencal entree comes together, without coming off as lazy. The simple addition of herbes de Provence, takes a basic breaded chicken next-level, giving it a worthy spot at your family dinner table.
What are Herbes de Provence?
Easy Provencal Chicken takes its name from a unique combination of herbs commonly used in the South of France, herbes de Provence. Known as Provence, this region is famous for its gorgeous lavender fields. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme grow abundantly here and are used frequently in cooking. The famed Herbes de Provence blend includes savory, thyme, rosemary, lavender, basil and tarragon.
My mothers parents hail from Provence, and I grew up the beneficiary of insanely delicious provencal recipes. Rustic, fragrant and full of comforting and savory flavors, it’s no wonder that this magical region along the Mediterranean is a haven for foodies! While this is admittedly not a traditional “French” recipe, it is in fact my favorite, delicious short cut to enjoying the flavorful dishes I grew up with at grandmas house. *When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*
Tips for Making Chicken Crispy
When coating chicken in flour or breadcrumbs, you want to follow a few crucial steps to ensure the end result is a browned, crispy finish.
I only purchase sprouted flour for cooking and baking, due to the health benefits of sprouted foods. I prefer this large bag of sprouted flour, because I love to bake and tend to go through flour quick in this house!
Start with dry chicken.
Contrary to what some believe, chicken does not need to be rinsed before you cook with it. Simply remove the chicken from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. The process of rinsing chicken first, actually risks introducing bacteria you can’t see to kitchen surfaces. As the water runs over the chicken, it inadvertently splashes on nearby surfaces which may not get sanitized well.
Apply egg wash and crumb coat, and add chicken cutlet to the hot skillet, one at a time.
As tempting as it is to coat all of your cutlets first and then place them in the skillet, this actually allows time for the crumbs to get soggy. When the crumbs or breading get soggy, they will be too moist and won’t crisp up in the skillet. Dip one cutlet into the egg wash, then dredge it in the flour coating,and immediately place it into a preheated skillet with a tablespoon of oil.
Press the cutlets into the flour coating.
After dipping the chicken into the egg wash, press it into the flour mixture on all sides to ensure the coating sticks well. This technique helps prevent your coating from coming off in the pan as it cooks.
After cooking, keep the chicken uncovered and serve immediately.
Covering hot food captures steam. Steam is moisture, and will make your crispy coating mushy. A better idea is to place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and place each cooked cutlet onto the wire rack as you cook the remaining cutlets.
Easy Provencal Chicken
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
- tongs
- wire cooling rack
- rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- zest of one lemon
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 c flour I prefer sprouted flour
- 4 tsp herbes de Provence
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 chicken breasts cut into cutlets
- 4 tbsp avocado oil, divided
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Briefly whisk together the egg and lemon juice, in a shallow bowl or plate large enough to dip chicken cutlets into.
- In a separate shallow bowl or plate, combine the flour, zest, garlic and herbes de Provence.
- Using tongs, take one cutlet at a time and dip into the egg mixture. Dredge immediately in the flour mixture and swirl a tablespoon of oil into your preheated skillet. Add the coated chicken cutlet to the hot skillet, before coating the next.
- Cook each cutlet for 4-5 minutes per side, only flipping once golden brown on the first side. Careful not to let the oil smoke, and don't let the chicken blacken. Add a new tablespoon of oil before cooking more cutlets.
- After each cutlet is cooked, remove to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet or onto a platter. Leave uncovered to maintain crisp while cooking the remaining cutlets.
Yum! I pinned this recipe. Your recipes sound and look so delish. What beautiful presentations! I feel like that Couscous you recommended from trader joes could be good with this. Thanks for sharing!
Ooooh you’re right! That would go great together! Please let me know what you think when you make this 🙂
BEST CHICKEN EVER! My kiddos request this Provencal Chicken every week. It’s on our weekly rotation and it’s always GONE! I love making this recipe because it’s not only delicious, but it’s so quick and easy! This recipe will become a staple in your meal planning! Thanks for sharing! Keep cooking and keep sharing! Moms like me need this! 😉
Yay! Love that this has become a part of your rotation! The real food critics are the kids – when they love it, then I know I’ve done something right 😄 Thank you for sharing!