Lunch Chicken Specials Recipe
Your Choice of: Crusted Chicken Romano (1100 cal), Chicken Piccata (1340 cal) or Orange Chicken (1330 cal)
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Ingredients
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Crusted Chicken Romano
Chicken Piccata
Orange Chicken
Method
Crusted Chicken Romano
- 1
Prepare chicken
Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or heavy pan to an even thickness of about 1/2". Pat dry with paper towels.
- 2
Season and set up dredging station
Season both sides of the pounded breasts with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. In three shallow bowls: place flour in the first, whisk eggs with milk in the second, and combine panko breadcrumbs, grated Romano cheese and Italian seasoning in the third.
- 3
Coat the chicken
Dredge each breast in flour, shaking off excess, dip in the egg wash, then press firmly into the breadcrumb-Romano mixture to coat evenly on all sides. Set coated breasts on a rack for 5 minutes to help coating adhere.
- 4
Pan-fry
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams and oil shimmers. Add the breasts (work in batches if needed) and cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Adjust heat as needed to avoid burning the crust.
- 5
Chicken Piccata
- 6
Prepare chicken
Butterfly or pound each breast to about 1/2" thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each piece in the 1/2 cup flour, shaking off excess.
- 7
Brown chicken
Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dredged chicken and cook 3–4 minutes per side until nicely browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a warm plate and tent with foil.
- 8
Make piccata sauce
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan, then add minced garlic and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Carefully pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Let the wine reduce by about half (2–3 minutes).
- 9
Finish sauce
Stir in chicken stock and lemon juice, bring to a gentle simmer and cook 2–3 minutes to concentrate flavors. Add the capers and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter until melted to slightly thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or pepper if desired.
- 10
Orange Chicken
- 11
Prep chicken and coating
Cut chicken into roughly 1" bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl beat the egg; in a separate shallow bowl place 1 cup cornstarch for coating.
- 12
Coat chicken
Working in batches, toss chicken pieces in the egg, then transfer to the cornstarch and press to coat thoroughly. Shake off excess cornstarch and set coated pieces on a tray. Keep them in a single layer to avoid the coating becoming soggy.
- 13
Fry the chicken
Pour vegetable oil into a medium Dutch oven or deep skillet to a depth of 1.5–2" and heat to 350°F (175°C) or until a small piece of bread sizzles and browns in ~30 seconds. Fry the chicken in batches (do not overcrowd) 3–4 minutes per batch until golden and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked pieces to a wire rack or paper towel–lined sheet to drain. Maintain oil temperature between batches.
- 14
Make the orange sauce
While frying, combine orange juice, orange zest, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, minced ginger and minced garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- 15
Thicken the sauce
Mix the 2 tablespoons cornstarch (for slurry) with 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Once the orange sauce is simmering, whisk in the slurry and continue to simmer 1–2 minutes until the sauce glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in sesame oil.
- 16
Toss chicken in sauce
Place the drained fried chicken in a large mixing bowl or back into the clean skillet on low heat. Pour the hot orange sauce over the chicken and toss gently until each piece is evenly coated and heated through, 1–2 minutes.
- 17
Finish and serve
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately (good with steamed rice or vegetables).
