This classic chicken paillard recipe is the perfect pick-me-up after a long day. Crispy chicken is served with a beautiful salad, making it a healthy dinner that is ridiculously easy to prepare!
Paillard Chicken
Chicken Paillard is a simple dish that’s easy to serve. This recipe is delicious and pretty healthy too!
“Paillard” is a French term that refers to a piece of meat that has been pounded thinly, which makes for tender, perfectly cooked chicken.
Chicken breasts are seasoned with wine, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, shallots, olive oil, and garlic, then served on a bed of arugula!
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Paillard Recipe:
- Quick & Easy: This yummy chicken paillard can be cooked in 30 minutes! It’s a great dish for busy weeknights when you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
- One-Pan Meal: If you despise washing dishes, then this recipe is your best friend! Everything in this recipe is cooked in one large skillet for your convenience.
- Healthy & Delicious: Not only does this light and zesty chicken taste good, but it’s healthy too! This low-calorie meal will leave you fully satisfied.
How to Make Chicken Paillard
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Butterfly the chicken breast, and pound them out with a meat tenderizer (it’s important to make them thin and even).
- Combine marinade ingredients in a resealable bag, then add the chicken in and let it marinate in the fridge.
- Heat oil in a skillet, then cook the chicken.
- Toss the salad together, and serve up the chicken while it’s hot.
“Paillard” (pronounced pai-aar) is French for a boneless piece of meat that has been pounded thin. Chicken paillard simply refers to thinly pounded chicken, which can be prepared virtually any way you like. In this recipe, we marinate it in a zesty sauce, pan fry it, and serve it with a tasty arugula salad.
Pounding the chicken breasts flat helps them cook in a shorter span of time, leading to juicier chicken breasts!
A dry white wine is any white wine that is not sweet. I like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, or Pinot Grigio. You can also use white cooking wine, which can be found in the oil and vinegar aisle of the grocery store.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
The best way to butterfly your chicken breast is to cut into it horizontally with a sharp knife, opening it like a book. This allows you to easily pound the meat for even thickness.
Make Ahead Instructions
The chicken breasts need at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, to marinate, so you should prep the chicken in advance.
The salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chicken paillard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend storing the chicken and salad separately. Reheat the chicken in 30-second increments in the microwave until warmed through.
Freezing Instructions
While the chicken breasts freeze well, I do not recommend freezing the salad. Freeze the chicken breasts in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Substitutions
- You can paillard virtually any meat, including pork, veal, or beef!
- In place of the white wine, you can use an equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth!
- In place of fresh garlic, use ½ teaspoon granulated.
- You can use any mustard you like in the dressing!
- You can use balsamic, white wine, or sherry vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar.
- Feel free to use your favorite salad greens, and add any vegetables you love!
Serving Suggestions
Chicken paillard is a great meal all on its own, or you can serve it with a variety of sides, such as:
- White or brown rice
- Roasted potatoes
- Fondant potatoes
- Mashed cauliflower
- Parker House rolls
- Focaccia bread
Tips for the Best Chicken Paillard
- If your chicken breasts are exceptionally large (12 ounces or larger each), you can use 2 chicken breasts and split them in half horizontally.
- I recommend placing the chicken breasts in a Ziplock bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap before pounding to minimize the mess.
- Be sure the chicken breasts are all of equal thickness; this will ensure they cook evenly.
- Let the pan heat up thoroughly before adding the chicken to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan.
- Wait to flip the chicken breasts until they naturally release from the pan; otherwise, they may break into pieces.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature; once the chicken is 165°F, it is finished cooking.
Whether you are strapped for time and don’t know what to cook, or you want to impress your guests at a dinner party, this chicken paillard is the ultimate restaurant-style meal that is easy to delight.
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Chicken Paillard Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon juiced, zested, and divided
- 1 shallot chopped
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 cloves
- 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 cups trimmed arugula or salad greens
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 handful basil or parsley chopped (optional)
- Lemon wedges optional, for serving
Instructions
- Butterfly each chicken breast, then pound each to ¼-inch thickness using a meat tenderizer or heavy pan. Season them with a bit of salt and pepper and set them aside.4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- In a plastic Ziplock bag or large bowl, combine the wine (or broth), 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon zest, shallot, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and garlic. Add the chicken and massage the marinade around the meat, sealing the bag (or covering the bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.⅓ cup dry white wine, 1 lemon, 1 shallot, 5 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade and add them to the hot oil in the skillet in a single layer.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook another 2-4 minutes on the other side until fully cooked to 165°F internally. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and repeat with any other pieces.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk the remaining lemon juice and zest, remaining olive oil, mustard, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl until emulsified. Place the salad greens, tomatoes, and basil (if using) in a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over, tossing to combine. Serve with the cooked chicken2 tablespoons grainy mustard, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 4 cups trimmed arugula or salad greens, 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, 1 handful basil or parsley, Lemon wedges
Notes
- You can paillard virtually any meat, including pork, veal, or beef!
- In place of the white wine, you can use an equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth!
- In place of fresh garlic, use ½ teaspoon granulated.
- You can use any mustard you like in the dressing!
- You can use balsamic, white wine, or sherry vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar.
- Feel free to use your favorite salad greens, and add any vegetables you love!
- If your chicken breasts are exceptionally large (12 ounces or larger each), you can use 2 chicken breasts and split them in half horizontally.
- I recommend placing the chicken breasts in a Ziplock bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap before pounding to minimize the mess.
- Be sure the chicken breasts are all of equal thickness; this will ensure they cook evenly.
- Let the pan heat up thoroughly before adding the chicken to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan.
- Wait to flip the chicken breasts until they naturally release from the pan; otherwise, they may break into pieces.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature; once the chicken is 165°F, it is finished cooking.
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