Lemon Garlic Chicken Paillard with Rosemary Potatoes and Arugula Walnut Salad

This lemon garlic chicken paillard is a fresh, satisfying dinner built around quick-cooking butterflied chicken breasts, golden rosemary potatoes and a lively parsley-lemon topping.

On the side, peppery arugula gets tossed with walnuts and dried cranberries in a simple lemon and olive oil dressing for a plate that feels hearty but bright.

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Ingredients

12 ounce Chicken BreastsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Yukon Gold PotatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce RosemaryView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce ArugulaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce ParsleyView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 clove GarlicView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LemonView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce WalnutsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce Dried CranberriesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

8 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

unit SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

unit PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry all produce. Cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes. Place them in a medium pot and add enough salted water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, then drain.
2. While the potatoes cook, zest and halve the lemon. Mince the garlic. Halve, peel and mince the shallot. Strip the rosemary leaves from the stems and chop enough leaves to measure about 1 teaspoon. Finely chop the parsley.
3. Butterfly the chicken breasts: place one hand flat on top of each breast and slice horizontally about three-quarters of the way through, stopping before cutting all the way through. Place the chicken in a medium bowl with the juice from one lemon half, half the minced garlic and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, toss to coat and set aside to marinate.
4. Make the parsley-lemon gremolata in a small bowl by stirring together the chopped parsley, lemon zest and a pinch of the remaining garlic. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off and add it to the pan. Cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if you want to keep it warm.
6. While the chicken rests, add the drained potatoes to the same pan with the chopped rosemary, minced shallot, remaining garlic and another drizzle of olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and beginning to brown at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Add the arugula, dried cranberries and walnuts, then toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Divide the arugula salad, rosemary potatoes and chicken between plates. Spoon the parsley-lemon gremolata over the chicken and serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

What is chicken paillard?

In this recipe, the chicken breasts are butterflied so they cook quickly in a hot pan and stay tender.

How long does the chicken take to cook?

Once butterflied, the chicken cooks for 3 to 4 minutes per side over medium-high heat, until browned and no longer pink in the center.

What is the green topping on the chicken?

It is a simple parsley-lemon gremolata made with chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Can I make this recipe without walnuts?

Walnuts are part of the salad in the recipe and are a tree nut allergen. If you need to avoid tree nuts, leave them out.

How do the potatoes get browned?

The potatoes are boiled first until tender, then tossed in the same pan used for the chicken with rosemary, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper until the edges start to brown.