Amazing Italian butter chicken in 6 steps

Name: Amazing Italian butter chicken in 6 steps
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup white grape juice or apple juice; Juice of 1 lemon; 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds); 2 large eggs; ¼ cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon white pepper; 1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs; ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), divided; Lemon slices for garnish; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

By anna Boncoeur On October 16, 2025

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

If you’re tired of boring dinners but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen, let me introduce you to Italian butter chicken. Seriously, this dish is a game-changer! I’m Anna, and I’m obsessed with finding recipes that pack maximum flavor without demanding your entire evening. I’ve spent years perfecting quick, satisfying meals, and this retro-style chicken is proof that simple ingredients can create something luxurious.

This recipe is all about that rich, nutty brown butter sauce hugging crispy, tender chicken cutlets. It comes together faster than you might think, making it my go-to when I need a wow-factor weeknight dinner. No heading needs to be written for the introduction. Get ready to fall in love with this surprisingly simple preparation!

Table Of content

Gather Your Ingredients for Italian Butter Chicken

We are making enough for four people here, so make sure your chicken breasts are trimmed and ready to go. The marinade is simple but crucial for tenderizing the meat just a bit before we coat it. Don’t skip that chilling time, even if you’re hungry!

Chicken and Marinade Components

You’ll need four boneless, skinless chicken breasts—try to get them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. For the marinade, grab 1 cup of white grape juice (or apple juice if you prefer) and the juice from one whole lemon. Whisk those together and let the chicken soak for an hour or two in the fridge. That’s the secret to a little flavor boost!

Breading and Seasoning for Italian Butter Chicken

Once the chicken is patted dry, we move to the breading station. We need two large eggs whisked with a splash of heavy cream. For seasoning, mix 1 teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of onion powder, and half a teaspoon of white pepper right into that egg mixture. Then, you’ll need 1 cup of plain dry breadcrumbs ready for dipping.

Cooking Fats and Finishing Touches

For the glorious brown butter sauce, you need half a cup of unsalted butter—that’s one full stick! We’ll use it in stages. When everything is plated up, have 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley and a few bright lemon slices ready for garnish. It really makes the final dish pop!

Essential Equipment for This Italian Butter Chicken Recipe

When you’re cooking fast, having the right tools ready makes all the difference. You don’t need fancy gadgets for this dish, just the essentials that help you move quickly between prep and the stovetop. Trust me, setting these out first saves so much scrambling later!

Tools for Preparation and Cooking

A large bowl for marinating the chicken.
Two shallow dishes for setting up your breading stations.
A sturdy skillet, big enough to hold the chicken in a single layer without crowding.
A meat thermometer—this is non-negotiable for safe, perfectly cooked chicken!
A meat mallet or rolling pin if you need to pound the cutlets thin.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Italian Butter Chicken

Okay, now we put it all together! Since the chicken is already tenderized from the marinade, the cooking moves really fast. We are looking for golden, crispy edges and a perfectly safe interior temperature. Pay attention to the heat so we don’t scorch that beautiful brown butter!

Marinating the Chicken Breasts

First things first, take those chicken breasts out of the fridge after they’ve rested in the white grape juice and lemon juice mixture for at least one hour—two hours is even better if you have time. Once they’re done marinating, pull them out, pat them really dry with paper towels—this is key for crispiness! Then, use a meat mallet to pound them down gently until they are about half an inch thick. Discard that marinade; we don’t need it anymore.

Preparing the Chicken Coating Stations

Set up your three dishes side-by-side. In the first, you’ll have your breadcrumbs. In the middle dish, you have your egg mixture—that’s the eggs, cream, salt, onion powder, and pepper whisked up nicely. Take each pounded chicken piece, dip it completely into the egg wash, letting the extra drip off. Then, press it firmly into the breadcrumbs, making sure you get full, even coverage on both sides. Set the coated cutlets aside on a clean plate.

Pan-Frying the Breaded Chicken

Grab your large skillet and melt half of your butter—about a quarter cup—over medium-high heat. Wait until that butter stops foaming; that’s your signal that it’s hot enough. Carefully lay the breaded chicken into the pan in a single layer; don’t overcrowd it, or it’ll steam instead of crisp! Cook for five to six minutes until deep golden brown on the bottom. Flip them over, then immediately toss in the remaining butter. Cook for another four to five minutes, basting the chicken by spooning that gorgeous foaming butter over the top as it cooks.

Basting and Serving the Italian Butter Chicken

Keep basting that chicken until your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part. That’s our safety check! As soon as they hit temperature, take them out of the pan and put them straight onto your serving plates. Garnish immediately with those fresh lemon slices and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve this piping hot!

Tips for Success with Your Breaded Chicken

Getting that perfect, crunchy crust that doesn’t fall off into the sauce is the main event here. It’s all about technique, even with simple breadcrumbs. Don’t rush the prep work, and you’ll be rewarded with cutlets that hold their shape beautifully from the pan to the plate.

Achieving Even Browning

The most important physical step is pounding the chicken thin—half an inch is perfect. If you have thick spots, those parts will take longer to cook, and the thinner parts might burn waiting for them. Also, when you put the chicken in the skillet, make sure there’s space between every piece. If they are touching, they steam, and you lose all that wonderful crispness we worked so hard to build!

Butter Management

Brown butter is heavenly, but it burns fast if you let it go too long! That’s why this recipe calls for adding half the butter right at the start and the second half halfway through cooking. Adding that fresh butter midway keeps the pan temperature stable and gives you that rich, nutty flavor coating the chicken without turning the whole batch bitter or black. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference in flavor!

Frequently Asked Questions About Italian Butter Chicken

I know you might have a few questions, especially if you’re trying to adapt this retro dinner for your modern kitchen. It’s super flexible, but a few key things make this breaded chicken recipe shine. Here are the questions I get asked most often when people try this Petti di Pollo al Burro!

Adjusting Marinade Flavor

What if I don’t have white grape juice handy? No problem at all! The marinade is designed to add a tiny bit of sweetness and acid to tenderize the meat. If you don’t have white grape juice, you can easily use apple juice instead. Another great option I’ve played around with is using half grape juice and half lemon juice—that gives you a bit more zing, which I love!

Best Way to Serve This Dish

This dish is rich because of that brown butter sauce, so you need something simple underneath to catch all the goodness. While it’s fantastic served on its own, I often put the crispy chicken right over a bed of plain cooked pasta—spaghetti works beautifully. If you are looking for something lighter, it’s equally amazing served alongside a simple, crisp green salad. For more chicken inspiration, check out my ideas for spinach artichoke stuffed chicken.

Chicken Safety Confirmation

Since we are cooking this relatively quickly in butter, checking the internal temperature is the most important thing you can do. You absolutely must use a meat thermometer. For safety, the chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest spot. That ensures it’s cooked through perfectly without drying out the thinner edges!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Italian Butter Chicken

I know it’s hard to have leftovers because this dish disappears so fast, but if you do manage to save some, you want to treat that crispy coating kindly! We need to preserve that crunch as much as possible when bringing it back to life.

Storage Guidelines

Let any leftover chicken cool down completely before you even think about putting it away. Then, place the pieces in an airtight container. You can keep them in the refrigerator for about three days. Make sure the container is sealed tightly so the chicken doesn’t absorb any weird fridge smells! If you prefer baked chicken, see my tips for baked chicken tenders.

Reheating for Best Results

Please, please, please skip the microwave if you want that crust to survive! The microwave is the enemy of crispiness here. The best method is reheating in a regular oven or even a toaster oven set to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet—this lets air circulate underneath—and heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until warmed through. It works wonders!

Understanding the Nutrition of Italian Butter Chicken

Now, I want to be super clear: this is a rich, satisfying meal made with butter and breading, so it’s not exactly a diet food! But since it cooks so fast, it’s a great way to get a homemade dinner on the table. The numbers below are just estimates based on the ingredients we used for four servings, so take them with a grain of salt!

Estimated Nutritional Breakdown

Here is a quick look at what you can expect per serving. Remember, these are just my best guesses based on standard ingredient measurements! If you are looking for lighter options, check out this loaded chicken salad recipe.

Nutrient	Amount (Estimate)
Calories	590
Total Fat	33g
Carbohydrates	22g
Protein	48g

Share Your Italian Butter Chicken Experience

I truly hope this recipe brings some joyful, flavorful speed to your weeknight routine! I’m dying to know what you think of that crispy chicken and brown butter combo. Did you serve it over pasta, or did you try it on a salad? Drop a comment below and let me know your thoughts, or even give this recipe a rating so other busy cooks know it’s a winner! You can also see more of my recipe ideas on Pinterest.