Healthy Chicken Paillard (Flattened Chicken) Recipe - Eat Simple Food

Recipe: https://eatsimplefood.com/chicken-pai...

This healthy Chicken Paillard recipe uses chicken breast that is pounded flat with a mallet and quickly pan seared with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs. Paillard ("pie - yard") is a fancy French name for a flattened piece of boneless meat.

Quick side note - the American pronunciation is "pie yard". The French drop the d at the end of yard so it sounds like "pie yar".

Healthy Chicken Paillard Variations

Chicken Paillard is a versatile and healthy chicken breast recipe. Use any herb in place of the fresh parsley and thyme. I use chives a lot, but thyme is my favorite because it's got a subtle, light, and delicate taste.

Don't have fresh herbs? Cool - skip it or use a light dusting of dried herbs. Like spicy food? Add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or chili pepper flakes.

This is a basic recipe for Chicken Paillard. Try adding different spices or condiments to the chicken breast marinating mix - ground curry, paprika, chili powder, a splash of sriracha, or a dab of dijon mustard.

Pound Chicken Breast Flat For Chicken Paillard

Chicken paillard cooks in a matter of minutes but pounding the the chicken breast flat takes a little time, especially if you're not used to it.

Flattening the chicken creates a tender cut that cooks faster, has less moisture loss, and creates a beautiful caramelized sear. It's hard to overcook because it literally cooks in minutes because it's so thin.

Chicken paillard can be seared on the stovetop or grilled in just a couple minutes.

"Butterfly" your chicken breast by cutting it nearly in half in thickness, but stop at the edge so it's still held together like a book (see video). This will save time when trying to pound the chicken breast to flatten it.

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap to pound. This makes sure chicken juice doesn't splatter everywhere, while also making the thin flattened chicken easy to move to a plate and into the pan.

Add a Salad To The Top of Chicken Paillard

Make Chicken Paillard even healthier and add a quick salad to the top of the chicken, well, because it looks and tastes amazing (see pictures and video). Sometimes, dinner is about the presentation!

The bonus of adding the salad on the top of the thin chicken is that it marinates and flavors the Chicken Paillard even more.

In the summer, I love all the abundance of tomatoes, cucumbers or light greens like arugula. In the winter, I will top it with a heartier chopped kale salad.

Chicken paillard is a great recipe for a dinner party because you can prepare the raw chicken in advance, store it in the refrigerator, and cook it fast for dinner.

Optional - Make A Pan Sauce For Chicken Paillard

Want some gravy? Make a quick pan sauce, by adding 2 tablespoon butter to the pan drippings and whisk in 2 tablespoon flour.

Stir and cook for a couple minutes to make a light roux. Slowly whisk in 2 cups chicken broth (adding it slow avoids clumping).

Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (~ 7-10 minutes).

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 small (~ 2 lb) chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large lemon, zested first and then juiced
• ½ lemon, wedged for garnish
• 10 sprigs thyme leaves, leaves only - no stem
• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
• salt
• black pepper

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together the marinade: olive oil, lemon zest, 1 lemon juiced, thyme, and chopped parsley.

• Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Put a butterflied (see video) chicken breast on the plastic and top the breast with another piece of plastic.

• Start pounding chicken breast with a meat mallet until very thin, careful not to tear the meat (pound confidently but gently!).

• Season each side of the chicken with salt and pepper and herb mixture.
Set on a plate and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Repeat with each breast. The plastic wrap keeps the chicken breast from sticking to each other.

• Bring a large non stick skillet to medium high heat. Add a touch of olive oil and add the chicken. If the chicken starts to really smoke, turn burner down to medium.

• Cook ~ 2 minutes per side or until chicken breast is cooked through and has a nice golden color. If your pan starts to accumulate burned herbs, then you may need to wipe out between cooking each chicken breast.

• Top with your favorite salad and dressing. Pictured is an Arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, red onions, and a lemon vinaigrette.

• Add salt to taste and garnish with a lemon wedge. Happy eating! Beckie