Chicken Paillard ("Pie Yard") - Pounded Chicken Breast

This Chicken Paillard recipe uses pounded chicken breast that is flattened with a mallet. The flattened chicken breast are quickly pan seared with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.

Paillard ("pie - yard") is a fancy French name for a recipe with flattened piece of boneless meat. Thus pounded chicken breast is called chicken paillard.

Chicken Paillard Recipe Variations

Chicken Paillard is a versatile flattened chicken breast recipe that starts with a piece of chicken breast pounded flat. Simple!

Try adding different spices or condiments to the pounded chicken breast recipe. Try ground curry, paprika, chili powder, a splash of sriracha, or a dab of dijon mustard.

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 over the flattened chicken breast.

Like spicy food? Add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or chili pepper flakes.

Chicken Paillard Cooks Fast

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

Pounding the chicken breast creates a tender flat chicken piece that cooks faster, has less moisture loss, and creates a beautiful caramelized sear.

It's hard to overcook chicken paillard, because it's so thin that it literally cooks in minutes.

How To Cut and Pound Chicken Breast Flat

"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). 

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it flat on a cutting board. This makes sure chicken juice doesn't splatter everywhere.

This also makes the thin flattened chicken easy to move to a plate and into the pan because it's surrounded by the plastic.

Cooking Chicken Paillard

Again, Chicken Paillard cooks extremely fast because it's so thin.

• Bring a large non-stick pan to medium high heat and add a very thin layer of olive oil or vegetable oil.
• Add one chicken breast at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan.
• Cook ~ 2 minutes on the first side or until there is a light sear on the chicken breast. Add a little oil if the pan is too dry and smoking. Also, turn down the heat if the chicken is burning and not browning.
• Flip the chicken and cook an additional 1-2 minutes on the second side. The second side always cooks faster.
• Wipe out the pan carefully between cooking each piece of chicken if needed so that there are no burned black bits (caramelized brown bits are fine). Cook the next piece of chicken.

Add a Salad To The Top of Healthy Chicken Paillard

Make this Chicken Paillard recipe even healthier and add a quick salad to the top of the flattened chicken breast, 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 for chicken paillard, 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).

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