In my most recent trip to Italy I spent a ton of time in Florence. Florence is mostly known for their beef and Florentine steak, so one can easily get sick of beef. I made it a point to make a reservation at Trattoria Sostanza because they are known for their famous butter chicken (not the Indian kind). It wasn’t high on my priority list because it looked like simple chicken breast, but once we had our first bite we were blown away! It was the best chicken I have ever had, so moist, flavorful, and cooked to perfection, that I had to recreate it.

Florentine butter chicken is skin on chicken breast that is cooked in butter and finished in lemon. Yes it is that simple, but so good. The chicken basically poaches in the butter that slowly browns, turning sweet and nutty. Finishing it with acid from the lemon cuts through the fat and brings the whole dish together.

This recipe took me a few tries to recreate. This chicken was so special that I knew I wanted to perfect it. Here are a few tips and tricks that I discovered along the way to make it more authentic to what Florentine butter chicken really is:

  • Use skin on chicken breast and pound thin! This will help it cook faster so the timing is better and the butter won’t burn before the chicken is done cooking.
  • Lightly coat in flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill GF 1-1 flour, this helps the browning and the sauce.
  • Use both oil and butter in the beginning. Using half oil in the beginning will raise the smoke point and prevent some burning.
  • Once you flip the chicken, add a few more tablespoons of butter to finish cooking, this way the butter won’t burn before the chicken is finished.
  • Pull the chicken once the internal temperature reaches 155*F.
@kellyscleankitchen

Florentine butter chicken has to be the best way to prepare chicken breast #chicken #butterchicken #italianfood #cooking

♬ Dolce Nonna – Wayne Jones & Amy Hayashi-Jones
  • SERVINGS:  2
  • PREP TIME: 5 Mins
  • ACTIVE TIME: 15 Mins
  • TOTAL TIME: 20 Min

Ingredients:

  • 2 skin on chicken breasts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup GF flour
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 tbsp butter plus 2 tbsp at the end
  • 1/2 lemon, juices

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Salt the chicken breast on the skin side and salt and pepper it on the flesh side. Pound thin until it is 1/2 inch thickness. Coat in flour and set aside.

STEP 2.

In a stainless steel pan over medium high heat, add avocado oil to the pan and 3 tbsp of butter. Once the butter is bubbling, add the chicken, skin side down. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes, moving it around as the butter begins to bubble and brown. If the butter is getting too dark, turn down the heat and add more butter to the pan, we don’t want it to burn, we just want it brown! Once the chicken is golden brown, flip it over.

STEP 3.

Turn the heat to medium and add two tablespoons of butter. Baste the chicken with the butter and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through or reads 155*F on a meat thermometer.

STEP 4.

Turn off the heat, add juice from half a lemon, and serve still bubbling!

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