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Lemon Chicken Cutlets (Quick Pan Sauce)

Lemon Chicken Cutlets (Quick Pan Sauce)

Thin chicken cutlets pan-fried until golden in extra virgin olive oil, then simmered in a bright garlic-lemon pan sauce with fresh herbs. A grassy, peppery finishing drizzle keeps everything fresh and lively, and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published July 04, 2026

Jump to Recipe
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Total 25 min
Easy

Why We Love This Recipe

We love these cutlets because they are genuinely good for you. Lean chicken breast brings plenty of protein with very little fat, fresh lemon adds vitamin C, and the garlic and herbs season the dish without a drop of cream or butter. Pan-frying in olive oil rather than a neutral seed oil makes this a quietly Mediterranean plate, the kind of simple, whole-food dinner that fits an everyday Mediterranean-diet pattern.

The olive oil does double duty here, and it is worth using a good one. We cook the cutlets in High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a smooth, balanced oil rich in monounsaturated fats and in polyphenols, especially hydroxytyrosol, the most studied olive polyphenol. Olivea oils are USDA Certified Organic, single-origin from Messinia in Greece, early harvest, and cold-pressed within hours, with their polyphenol levels verified by qNMR at the University of Athens and the sourcing directed by Harvard-trained cardiologists. If you want the background, you can read how hydroxytyrosol is absorbed, and see more of the evidence on the science page.

Polyphenols are highest in a fresh, high-phenolic oil and fade with time, light, and heat, so the finishing drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the plated cutlets is the moment that brings the most of them to the table. That peppery catch at the back of your throat from a raw drizzle is the polyphenols you can actually taste, which is why the same oil that adds the brightness is the one carrying the health story.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Pound the cutlets to an even thickness.

If you are slicing breasts yourself, halve them horizontally, then pound each piece to a scant half inch between two sheets of parchment. Even thickness means they cook through in a few minutes without the thin edges drying out.

Dry the chicken before it hits the pan.

Pat each cutlet thoroughly with paper towels and season just before cooking. A dry surface is what gives you that golden, lightly crisp crust instead of a pale, steamed exterior.

Get the oil shimmering first.

Heat the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium-high until it shimmers and a drop of water flicks and sizzles. Add the cutlets to a properly hot pan so they sear and release cleanly rather than sticking.

Do not crowd the skillet.

Cook in two batches if you need to. Crowding drops the pan temperature and the cutlets steam instead of browning, which costs you both color and flavor.

Scrape up the browned bits for the sauce.

After the chicken comes out, those golden bits stuck to the pan are pure flavor. Add the garlic and lemon, then scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon as the liquid bubbles so all of it loosens into the sauce.

Finish with a fresh, peppery drizzle.

Reach for a fresh, high-phenolic oil and add the raw finishing drizzle right before serving. A grassy, peppery Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil lands a bright top note that a squeeze of lemon alone cannot, and its polyphenols and flavor reach the plate at their best when the oil stays raw.

Ingredients

4
servings
  • 3 tbsp High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved into cutlets and pounded thin
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging (optional)
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced, for the pan
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for finishing

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Meat Mallet
Large Skillet
Tongs
Wooden Spoon

How to Cook Lemon Chicken Cutlets (Quick Pan Sauce)

PREP

1
Halve each chicken breast horizontally to make cutlets, then pound between parchment to a scant half inch. Pat completely dry and season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
2
For a lightly crisp crust, dredge each cutlet in the flour and shake off the excess. To keep the dish gluten-free, skip the flour and cook the cutlets seasoned but bare.

COOK

3
Heat the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Its smooth, balanced flavor browns the cutlets cleanly without turning sharp under the heat. Working in batches if needed, cook the cutlets about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
4
Lower the heat to medium. Add the sliced garlic to the same pan and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and just turning pale gold, stirring so it does not brown. Pour in the white wine, if using, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
5
Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, thyme, and the lemon slices. Bring to a brisk simmer and let it bubble for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce reduces slightly and tastes bright and rounded.

FINISH

6
Return the cutlets and any resting juices to the pan, spoon the sauce over the top, and simmer for 1 minute to warm through. Scatter with the chopped parsley.
7
Just before serving, finish each plate with a drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a fresh, grassy, peppery lift that wakes up the lemon and the herbs.

Recipe Notes

Spoon the cutlets and pan sauce over creamy polenta, orzo, or rice to catch every drop, or keep it low-carb alongside a simple green salad. For a brighter side, our Greek lemon rice echoes the citrus, and roasted asparagus with lemon rounds out the plate.
For a richer, caper-studded version of this dish, try our lemon chicken piccata, which dredges the cutlets and adds briny capers to the sauce. If you would rather build the sauce on its own to keep on hand, our easy lemon sauce for chicken works over almost any quick-cooked protein. You can also swap the thyme for oregano or add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
Cook the cutlets in the smooth, balanced High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is suited to everyday cooking heat, then finish the plated dish with a raw drizzle of the bolder, peppery Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a fresh top note. If you prefer a gentler finish, a little more of the High Phenolic works too.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of broth or water so the chicken stays tender, then add a fresh drizzle of olive oil before serving. Keep your oil tightly capped away from heat and light to protect its fresh, peppery flavor.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 cutlet with sauce
Calories 340
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 2.5g13%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 14g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 110mg37%
Sodium 560mg24%
Total Carbohydrate 7g3%
Dietary Fiber 0.6g2%
Total Sugars 1g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 40g80%
Vitamin A 20mcg2%
Vitamin C 12mg13%
Vitamin D 0.1mcg1%
Calcium 28mg2%
Iron 1.4mg8%
Potassium 620mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

Cutlets like these are an easy way to bring olive oil polyphenols to dinner, especially with that fresh raw finishing drizzle. For an easy daily polyphenol habit on the days you are not cooking with olive oil, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement delivers a convenient no-cook dose.

Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
$40.00
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Frequently Asked Questions

Chicken cutlets are simply boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced horizontally into thinner pieces, usually then pounded to an even thickness. Because they are thin, they cook through in just a few minutes, which makes them ideal for a fast weeknight dinner like these lemon chicken cutlets.
Pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly, sear them quickly over medium-high heat for just 3 to 4 minutes a side, and pull them as soon as they are cooked through. Finishing them briefly in the lemon pan sauce also keeps them moist and juicy.
No. The flour gives a lightly crisp crust and helps thicken the sauce slightly, but you can skip it entirely to keep these lemon chicken cutlets gluten-free. Seasoned, bare cutlets brown beautifully in a hot skillet.
They are close cousins. Piccata is dredged in flour and built around a buttery lemon sauce with capers, while these lemon chicken cutlets keep it simpler with a clean garlic-lemon pan sauce and no capers required. Both start from the same thin, quick-cooking cutlet.
Yes. They keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat well in a covered skillet with a splash of broth. Add a fresh drizzle of olive oil just before serving to brighten them back up.
They pair well with anything that catches the sauce, such as orzo, rice, polenta, or crusty bread, plus a green vegetable like asparagus or a simple salad. For a lighter, low-carb plate, serve them over sauteed greens.
You can. Boneless thighs pounded thin work well and stay especially juicy, though they take a couple of extra minutes to cook through. The lemon pan sauce suits both cuts.
A smooth, balanced extra virgin olive oil suited to everyday cooking heat is ideal for pan-frying, since it browns the cutlets cleanly without turning sharp. We use a High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the cooking and a bolder, peppery Ultra High Phenolic oil raw at the end for a fresh finishing drizzle.
It is a lean, high-protein main with no cream or butter, built on chicken, lemon, garlic, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil, which makes it a natural fit for a Mediterranean-diet pattern. Using a fresh, high-phenolic olive oil, especially for the raw finishing drizzle, brings olive oil polyphenols to the plate.
Yes. The white wine adds depth, but you can leave it out and use a little extra chicken broth with a touch more lemon. The sauce will still taste bright and savory.

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