Chicken Scallopini

Chicken scallopini is a flavor-packed dish that requires minimal effort for an easy weeknight dinner. Baked with garlic and mushrooms in a white wine sauce, the chicken comes out of the oven fork-tender.

Chicken Scallopini

Our dinners usually consist of meals that can be ready in less than an hour. At the end of most weekdays, I have no desire to spend much time standing in the kitchen.

One of our favorite meals is this chicken scallopini, and I’ve made it several times over the past few months. For a few more, easy-as-can-be dinners, check out Zuppa Toscana, Tomato Bacon Capellini, Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, and this Ground Beef Stir Fry.

What is Chicken Scallopini?

Chicken Scallopini (or Chicken Scallopine) is a classic Italian dish featuring skillet browned chicken cooked with mushrooms in a light and savory sauce. This version has a garlicky white wine sauce with a hint of lemon.

The Scallopini moniker translates to “little scallops,” but there are no scallops in this recipe! (I always find that amusing.) The word is now used to refer to any meat that’s sliced thinly and pan-seared.

Restaurants like Olive Garden have made Chicken Scallopini even more popular in the United States. And my family thinks that this recipe is even tastier than the restaurant version!

After browning the chicken on the stove, it gets smothered with the white wine sauce and baked. The chicken absorbs all the flavors from that sauce while in the oven.

Chicken Scallopini Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and with the edge of a knife parallel to the board, begin slicing down the length of the breasts. This will create two thinner breasts. Gently pound the breasts evenly to about a ½-inch thickness. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and stir the garlic through the oils.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl and lightly press each side of the chicken into the flour. Brown half of the chicken until golden, about 3 minutes. Repeat the butter, oil, garlic, and chicken step with the remaining chicken.

Place the browned chicken in an oven-proof casserole dish. Warm the last 2 tablespoons of butter in the empty skillet and cook the mushrooms until tender. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and white wine and bring to a simmer.

Pour the mushrooms and all liquid over the chicken in the casserole dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

What to Serve with Chicken Scallopini

We love Chicken Scallopini served with cooked pasta or rice. It’s also delicious served over mashed potatoes.

You can never go wrong with a basket of garlic bread or Buttery Dinner Rolls on the table when you serve Chicken Scallopini either. You’ll end up with some sauce leftover on your plate, begging to be soaked up with some bread.

Don’t forget the vegetables too! Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Asparagus, or this Pear Salad with Pecans and Bleu Cheese will all work nicely with this chicken.

This recipe is the perfect intersection of great taste and convenience. A restaurant-quality meal made quick and easy at home!

Looking for more easy chicken recipes? These Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs earned thumbs up around the table from my boys – and they’re already on our meal plan again.

{originally published 5/4/2019 – recipe notes and photos updated 7/18/24}