How to Pronounce Chicken Française Like a Pro

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Chicken Francaise is an impressive dish that celebrates our American “Melting Pot” by bringing together two of my favorite cuisines – Italian and French. The bonus is its feasibility for a busy weeknight treat, allowing you to put together a complex and delicious dish with simple ingredients and limited time.

The recipe is a perfect example of the mingling of two distinctive European tastes that will transform your dining table into a magical bridge over any communication barrier – this dish does all the talking!.

This dish was created sometime around the mid-1900s after world-fairgoers were wowed by the simple, light dishes of traditional French cuisine. The French spelling Chicken Francaise pronunciation is “frahn-SAIZE;” the Italian spelling, Chicken Francese, is pronounced, “fran-CHAY-zay. ”.

French chicken dish called chicken française is loved all over the world. But, like many French words and foods, it can be hard for English speakers to say correctly. I will show you how to say “chicken Française” in this article so you can order and talk about this tasty dish with confidence.

Breaking Down the Pronunciation

Chicken Française is pronounced:

shee-ken frahn-SEZ

It’s important to get each syllable just right

  • SHEE-ken
  • frahn
  • SEZ

Let’s look at each of those sections more closely

SHEE-ken

The first syllable is “SHEE,” which rhymes with words like “see” and “fee.” Be sure to pronounce both the “sh” and “ee” sounds clearly and distinctly.

A common mistake is to slur these two sounds together into more of a “ch” sound, like “chee-ken.” Make sure to avoid this!

The second syllable is simple: “-ken” rhymes with ten, pen, men, etc.

frahn

Next comes “frahn. ” The most important thing here is pronouncing the “R. “A lot of English speakers want to get rid of the R sound or say it very little. But in French, you have to roll that R and stress it a lot.

Practice saying “frahn” until you can roll and hold that “r” sound confidently.

SEZ

Finally, we have the two syllable word “SEZ.” This rhymes with words like says, lays, and days. Be sure to clearly pronounce both the “S” and the “Z” sounds distinctly.

Putting It All Together

When you combine the syllables, it should sound like:

SHEE-ken frahn-SEZ

The emphasis is on the “frahn” and “SEZ” syllables. As you practice, listen to audio of native French speakers pronouncing chicken Française and try to match their rhythm and cadence.

Really hold and roll that “R!”

Helpful Tips and Reminders

Here are a few more pointers to help you master the pronunciation:

  • Avoid turning the ending into “AYZ” instead of “SEZ.” The Z sound should be crisp, not drawn out into a long AY diphthong.

  • Don’t forget to make the “SH” in “SHEE” nice and sharp. No “ch” substitution!

  • Roll and hold that “R” in “frahn.” This is the defining sound of the whole phrase.

  • Stress and elongate the second syllables: “frAHN-sez.”

  • Imagine you’re speaking with a smooth French accent to help link the syllables fluidly.

With a bit of practice, you’ll be pronouncing chicken Française flawlessly in no time. Impress your friends with your expertise on this French culinary classic!

how do you pronounce chicken francaise

Recipe Notes For Chicken Francaise

  • When it comes to chicken, have you ever pounded your chicken breasts until they were perfectly tender and thin, only to find that they were now too big to fit more than one or two in a pan? Trust me, buying chicken cutlets at the store will save you time and stress. You may see this thin-cut chicken at the market called “chicken scallopine.” It saves time and makes the dish so much easier to make.
  • Wine: I make this with a dry chardonnay. A dry white wine goes well with the lemon flavor in the sauce; I don’t like it as much when a sweeter one is used. Keep in mind that the wine you use will have a big effect on the taste of the sauce, so only use something that you would drink yourself.
  • Lemon Juice: Any recipe for Chicken Francaise will talk about how bright, tangy, and acidic the lemon juice is. It’s the star of this dish. To keep that taste, you must use fresh lemon juice from a fresh lemon in this recipe. NO WAY, MAN! DO NOT even think about using that fake yellow fruit juice!
  • Just once, I will tell you to clean the pan first or cook the sauce in a different pan for the pan sauce. Usually, I like to add the fond, which are the little brown bits that form at the bottom of the pan when the chicken is browned. But this sauce is white, and taking out the fond will keep the color of the sauce the right way. We’re trying to make a dish that looks like it came from a restaurant, so the sauce will be as good as any Italian-American restaurant’s. You can make the sauce either way, but if you don’t clean the pan, the sauce will taste better but be a little less authentic.
  • Low Fat: Let me be perfectly honest. Forget about counting calories and fat grams in this dish. If you cut back on those ingredients, especially good butter, the recipe won’t work because they are necessary for the right way to make, taste, and texture Chicken Francaise.

The Original Chicken Francaise

While the dish may have originally been prepared with veal, the method would have been the same – a sauteed affair of thin pieces of veal or chicken, pre-dredged in flour and egg wash, then served with a simple lemon sauce. (Note: When you think of lemon sauce, you may hearken to memories of Chicken Piccata, but the difference in this dish is the addition of an egg wash, yielding a slightly heavier crust on the chicken, and the omission of capers in the sauce. ).

Whether it’s actually a little more French or a little more Italian, it’s a whole lot of awesome!

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Oil
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • White Wine
  • Chicken Broth
  • Lemon Juice
  • Parsley

How to Pronounce Chicken Francaise

FAQ

How do you pronounce “francaise”?

The word “française” is pronounced “frahn-sez” in French. The “a” in “fran” is pronounced like the “a” in “father”, and the “ais” is pronounced like the “a” in “say” or “ay” in “day”.

How do you pronounce francese chicken?

The pronunciation of “Chicken Francese” is fran-CHAY-zee. While the dish is sometimes spelled “Francaise” (which is French for “French”), the more common pronunciation in the context of this dish, especially in an Italian-American context, is the Italian-influenced fran-CHAY-zee, according to Baking Mischief. A blog post from Baking Mischief says that some people might say it with a more French accent, more like frahn-SAIZE.

Is it chicken Francese or francaise?

The French spelling Chicken Francaise pronunciation is “frahn-SAIZE;” the Italian spelling, Chicken Francese, is pronounced, “fran-CHAY-zay. If you like this kind of food, try some of my other Italian-style chicken dishes, like chicken milanese, chicken scarpariello, chicken vesuvio’s, and the famous chicken murphy from New Jersey.

How do you pronounce Chicken Francaise?

The correct pronunciation of Chicken Francaise is “frahn-SAIZE”. The Italian spelling, Chicken Francese, is pronounced “fran-CHAY-zay”. Try some of my other Italian-style chicken dishes if you like this one: chicken milanese, chicken scarpariello, chicken vesuvio’s, and New Jersey’s famous chicken murphy.

What is Chicken Francaise?

Chicken Francaise is flour-dredged, egg mixture-dipped pan-fried chicken cutlets. It is then simmered in a lemon-butter and white wine sauce. The name “Francaise” (pronounced “frahn-says”) may suggest that it’s a French dish, but it’s actually Italian American.

Is Chicken Francese difficult to make?

Chicken Francese is hard to beat. The recipe, which features chicken cutlets in a light, Parm-infused batter, simmered in a lemony, chickeny cream sauce, is unabashedly old-school.

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