Adam Liaw’s Italian lemon chicken

Name: Adam Liaw’s Italian lemon chicken
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2-4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 free-range chicken breasts; salt and pepper, to season; 1 tsp chicken stock powder; ½ cup plain flour; 2 tbsp olive oil; 150ml white wine; juice of 1½ lemons, plus ½ lemon, sliced; 50g cold butter, diced; 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Adam Liaw

August 19, 2025

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:2-4

This dish of pan-fried chicken breasts in a delicious sour and savoury lemon sauce is reminiscent of Chinese lemon chicken, but without the sweetness.

Ingredients

2 free-range chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to season
1 tsp chicken stock powder
½ cup plain flour
2 tbsp olive oil
150ml white wine
juice of 1½ lemons, plus ½ lemon, sliced
50g cold butter, diced
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Method

Step 1
Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally and pound to a thickness of ½cm between two sheets of baking paper. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Mix the stock powder through the flour and dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour.
Step 2
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the chicken in batches until browned, then remove from the pan. Add any remaining flour to the pan and fry in the oil for a minute, then add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice to the pan and about ½ to 1 cup of water and cook to a thin sauce.
Step 3
Whisk the butter into the sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return the chicken to the pan and heat, then add the lemon slices. Scatter with parsley to serve.

Adam’s tip: Many of the dishes we consider Italian – pizzas, bologneses and parmigianas – are Italian-American adaptations that became popular here in the 1960s and ’70s.