This healthy Chicken Paillard recipe uses chicken breast that are pounded flat with a mallet. The flattened chicken breast are then 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. Thus pounded chicken is called chicken paillard.
Healthy Chicken Paillard Recipe Variations
Chicken Paillard is a versatile and healthy chicken breast recipe that starts with a piece of chicken breast pounded flat.
Try adding different spices or condiments to the pounded chicken breast marinating mix - 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.
Flattening 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.
Chicken paillard can be seared on the stovetop or grilled in just a couple minutes.
So not only is it a healthy chicken breast recipe, but it is also a very fast recipe.
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).
Serving Suggestion
Serve this Healthy Chicken Paillard recipe with a complementary dish like a (cold) soup or a salad as an appetizer, or make it more substantial by adding a gravy to it.
You May Also Like
If you like this Chicken Paillard dish, you may also like these additional healthy recipes:
Things In My Kitchen:
- Meat Mallot - For pounding meat real thin.
- 12" non stick skillet - Oven safe to 400F, has a lid, and PFOA free.
- Microplane Zester - for the perfect thin strands of lemon zest.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Healthy Chicken Paillard ("Pie Yard")
EatSimpleFood.com
Paillard ("pie - yard") is a fancy French name for a flattened piece of meat. This recipe uses chicken that is pounded flat with a mallet and quickly cooked with lemon, olive oil, and herbs.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
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 chicken paillard 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
Notes
- "Butterfly" chicken breast by nearly cutting it in half in thickness, but stop at the edge so it's still held together like a book. This will save you time when you start flattening the chicken.
- Use any herb you like in place of the parsley and thyme. I use chives a lot (that's what's pictured).
- 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).
Leave a Comment