Lemon Chicken Romano literally spells out how it’s a comforting classic. Bright lemon zest and sharp Romano cheese come together to create a crispy crunchy breadcrumb coating you won’t soon forget. The coating blankets savory, juicy chicken cooked to perfection. Lemon Chicken Romano is perfect on its own or served atop pasta with lemon sauce or with fresh green vegetables. Just the thought of having this speedy dinner is wonderful!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, halved, and pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
- salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup Romano cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon oregano, plus 1 teaspoon for optional garnish, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, whole milk and shredded
- 1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded
- 4 lemon wedges, optional, for serving
- 2 teaspoons green onion, optional, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken cutlets on a cutting board and season all sides with the salt.
Step 2 –In a shallow dish or mixing bowl, mix the flour and egg until well combined.
Step 3 –In a separate mixing bowl or dish, combine the bread crumbs, Romano cheese, the 1 tablespoon of the oregano, the lemon zest, the garlic powder, and the 3/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
Step 4 –Submerge one chicken cutlet at a time in the egg mixture, then immediately coat both sides in the bread crumb mixture. Press the coating firmly to ensure that it sticks to the chicken.
Step 5 –Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
Step 6 –Pour the olive oil into a 10-inch non-stick skillet.
Step 7 –Heat the skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 8 –Once the oil is hot, fry two of the breaded cutlets at a time until the bottom is nice and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Step 9 –Flip the chicken over to fry the other side, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 –Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Step 11 –Add the fried chicken to the prepared baking dish.
Step 12 –Repeat until all of the cutlets have been fried.
Step 13 –Top the chicken with the mozzarella and provolone cheese.
Step 14 –Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F when tested with a meat thermometer, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 15 –Transfer the baking dish from the oven.
Step 16 –Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining oregano and the green onion, and serve.
