This Chicken Scallopini recipe has golden bites of chicken that are smothered in a tomato-based wine reduction sauce and served with spaghetti. This is an easy meal that only needs a few simple ingredients!
Don’t forget a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese!
Chicken Scallopini
People often ask me what my favorite recipe on the blog is. And while that answer tends to change every day, this Chicken Scallopini recipe always comes to mind!
Believe it or not, this recipe is from a restaurant in New York. (Which is very surprising when you look at the ingredients.) My mother in law was able to get her hands on it and it’s one of the first dinner recipes I ever learned how to cook!
When you make this for the first time, you’re going to probably question how it’ll taste. It’s just such a unique and interesting combination of simple ingredients but they come together in the best way. You’ll see!
What is Chicken Scallopini
“Scaloppine” refers to thin cutlets of meat (typically chicken, pork, or veal), that’s dredged in flour, fried, and smothered in a wine reduction sauce.
The most common scallopini recipes online have a lemon reduction sauce. This recipe is a tomato-based sauce with a white wine reduction.
How to Make it
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities and full instructions
Dice the chicken and season with salt/pepper. Dredge in flour and sear in olive oil. Set aside. Deglaze the skillet with a little wine, then add onion slices and cook until very softened, almost caramelized. Add the garlic and seasonings.
Add remaining wine, tomato sauce, and gravy/water mixture. Bring to a boil and let it thicken for 30-45 seconds or so, then reduce to simmer. Add the chicken back and toss to combine.
Add cooked spaghetti and toss to combine. Serve! This is great with Garlic Bread with Cheese.
Pro Tips
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine, but wine really elevates the other flavors in a scallopini sauce.
- Tomato Sauce: I use Hunt’s Tomato Sauce. Passata can be used as well.
- Gravy: This recipe uses 1 packet of gravy + 1 cup of water. You can also prepare my homemade brown gravy and use 1 cup of that for this recipe.
- Onions: Don’t be afraid to let the onion slices soften for 20 full minutes or so, until they almost start to caramelize. This releases natural sugars which offsets the acidity from the tomatoes and wine to create a great balance of flavors.
- Chicken: Cut the chicken into evenly sized cubes so that they cook at an even rate.
- Pasta: I use slightly less than 3/4 lb. spaghetti for this as I like extra saucy pasta. Other varieties of pasta may also be used, including penne, ziti, and rotini!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze well!
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 12-inch skillet– Same one pictured in this recipe.
- 1 quart measuring cup with a spout– This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. The spout makes it easy to add gradually.
- Pasta Strainer– I have this one and love it.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Kitchen Tongs– Makes it easy to handle the chicken and to toss the pasta in the sauce at the end.
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Chicken Scallopini
Ingredients
- 1 packet Brown Gravy Mix (.87 oz.), or make my easy homemade brown gravy!
- 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt/pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, salted
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth. See notes.
- 8 oz. tomato sauce, see notes
- 3/4 lb. thin spaghetti, or slightly less for saucier pasta.
Seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: Italian seasoning, parsley, mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup with a spout, mix the gravy packet with 1 cup of cold water until well-combined. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings and set aside.
- Cut the chicken into cubes of equal size and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Toss and cook on remaining sides until cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Turn heat off. Add 1/4 cup of the wine and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to "clean" the the bottom and the sides of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce.
- Add butter and the sliced onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until very softened (almost caramelized), about 20 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the remaining wine and bubble gently/reduce for 5 minutes.
- Add the gravy mixture (from step 1) to the skillet. Bring to a boil and let it thicken for 30 seconds or so, then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back.
- Cover partially while you boil pasta water for the spaghetti. Once a boil is reached, salt the water. (About 1/4 tbsp.) Cook the spaghetti to al dente and drain.
- Add the spaghetti to the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with parsley and serve with Garlic Bread with Cheese!
Notes
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine, but wine really elevates the other flavors in a scallopini sauce.
- Tomato Sauce: I use Hunt's Tomato Sauce. Passata can be used as well.
- Gravy: This recipe uses 1 packet of gravy + 1 cup of water. You can also prepare my homemade brown gravy and use 1 cup of that for this recipe.
- Onions: Don't be afraid to let the onion slices soften for 20 full minutes or so, until they almost start to caramelize. This releases natural sugars which offsets the acidity from the tomatoes and wine to create a great balance of flavors.
- Chicken: Cut the chicken into evenly sized cubes so that they cook at an even rate.
- Pasta: I use slightly less than 3/4 lb. spaghetti for this as I like extra saucy pasta. Other varieties of pasta may also be used, including penne, ziti, and rotini!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze well!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
This was so delicious!! Even two thumbs up from my kids, so an extra bonus! It really came together quickly by prepping the ingredients before I started, which made it an easy weeknight dinner. Great flavors!
I’m sooo happy that you and your kids loved this Stephanie!! 🙂 That always makes me extra happy when the whole family agrees. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it so much! -Stephanie
I made this last night for my family. We have tons of gravy packets in our pantry so I was excited to be able to use one. We had all the ingredients for this recipe except the wine which I picked up on the way home from work. We used the recommended Sauvignon Blanc. My husband LOVED this recipe. He said I can make it ANY TIME and he’ll be happy! I will certainly put it in our rotation. The sauce is very unique but so delicious. Thank you!
I’m so happy it was such a success with the family Babs! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!🩷
Do you leave as chicken cutlets or cube? I’m guessing you do both since top has whole cutlets and lower recipe has cubes. Which do you prefer? Thanks! This one is on the meal plan for this week.
Hi Randi! We usually cube it actually! I’m going to be republishing new photos of this recipe where the chicken is cut into cubes throughout, that’ll lessen some confusion (sorry about that!)- But it can be done either way! 🙂
Excellent dish 👌 my family loved it! I’m a great cook but a better cook when I serve any of your recipes! Thank you Stephanie 😊
Hi Linda! I’m soooo happy that you gave this one a try and that it was a hit with the family! YAY!! Thank you so much for the review, you’re the best!! -Stephanie 🙂
Made for the first time tonight. Husband and bonus so. Gave it 2 thumbs up! Definitely a keeper. May try adding some mushrooms next time. Think they would go great in this sauce!!
Hi Kerri! I’m so happy that you loved it! Mushrooms would be a fantastic addition to this recipe!!
Great recipe. My red sauce hating husband even loved it. Thanks
That’s so great to hear Alta, nice work! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and leave a review!💗
This came out delicious!!!! I added mushrooms and it was perfection!!!!! Omg, I will definitely make this again in the near future! Everyone loved it!!! Yummmmm!!!!
I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe Dede, this is one of the first recipes that I ever started making, my mother in law gave me the recipe! 🙂 My husband LOVES it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! -Stephanie
Wow Husband approved!! The only thing I would change would be breading the chicken with breadcrumbs instead of flour👍
I’m so happy you’re husband enjoyed this one Doreen! This is my husband’s favorite!😍 He usually has leftovers for lunch. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This was delicious, everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned! What a great recipe!
Hey Crissy! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe- great news! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts! -Stephanie
Sauce was amazing! To add a little kick I added a little
bit of creole seasoning, a bit of sugar and two mini onion bouillons. This recipe will be a staple in my kitchen. So happy to have ran into this website. Cannot wait to try more recipes.
Thanks so much Johana!😃 What a great idea adding a bit of Creole Seasoning! I really like this one because it tastes like a fancy restaurant quality meal but it’s actually not that hard to make! Thanks so much for the review!😃
Hi! This looks delicious! Do you still add a cup of water when using the homemade gravey? Thanks! Can wait to try it!
Good question! I’ll clarify that in the recipe- you won’t add any water, you’ll just use 1 cup of my homemade brown gravy!! I can’t wait for you to try it!