Chicken Paillard with Fingerling Potato, Greens & Goat Cheese Salad

If you’re looking for an elegant meal that’s easy to make and that’s brimming with flavor, then this chicken paillard recipe is for you. With perfectly cooked juicy chicken and a vibrant fingerling potato, greens and goat cheese salad, It’s one of my favorite weeknight or date-night dinners. Best of all, you can adapt it to your own tastes. 

What is chicken paillard?

Paillard is a French term for a boneless piece of meat that has been pounded thin. This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can can pound the meat yourself using a meat mallet or rolling pin (check out the tips below!) or have your butcher do it for you. If you want to skip the pounding step, you can use chicken cutlets instead (plan on about 2-3 cutlets per person, depending on their size). Chicken paillard is traditionally topped with a salad on top (the combination of the warm chicken with the cool salad is perfection).

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Fingerling or baby potatoes
• Dandelion greens
• Red onion and garlic
• Kalamata olives
• Sherry vinegar
• Grainy mustard
• Honey
• Fresh herbs
• Goat cheese

How to make chicken paillard:

• Make the baby potato and dandelion greens salad.
• Season flattened chicken breasts with salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet then add the chicken in a single layer (you can do this in batches if needed). Cook the chicken until golden brown on each side.
• Pile the salad over the warm chicken, then sprinkle crumbled goat cheese over top. Devour!

Potato and dandelion greens salad

In this recipe, a bold potato, dandelion greens and goat cheese salad provides an irresistible counterpoint to the hot, juicy chicken. The salad is fabulous in its own right as a side dish, or try topping it with a fried or poached egg as a vegetarian main dish!

I love dandelion greens and encourage you to give them a try. They’re pleasantly bitter and incredibly nutritious. However,  you can swap them out for arugula or spinach, if you prefer.

Potato salad tip

One tip when making potato salad (of any kind) is to toss the hot potatoes with a bit of vinegar right after they’re cooked. This allows the potatoes to soak up the vinegar, making them much more flavorful. In this recipe they’re also tossed with thinly sliced red onion, softening the onion and mellowing it out in the salad. 

Easy sherry vinaigrette

A zippy sherry vinaigrette ties everything together. I love sherry vinegar, which is slightly sweeter and more complex than red wine vinegar, but you can use red wine vinegar if that’s what you have. The dressing gets body from grainy mustard (or you can use Dijon), and a touch of sweetness from honey. 

Variations to this chicken paillard recipe

• Swap out the boneless chicken breasts for chicken cutlets, turkey cutlets or pork cutlets.
• Use arugula or spinach in place of the dandelion greens. 
• Use 1 large shallot (thinly sliced) in place of the red onion.
• Any tender herbs will work in this recipe. I love tarragon, thyme and/or dill, but basil and parsley are also delicious.
• Swap out the goat cheese for crumbled feta or shaved parmesan.
• Use red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar in the dressing (also, you can use Dijon mustard, if that’s what you have!).

FAQs

Tips for making paillards:

• You can ask your butcher to pound the chicken breasts out for you, or you can do it yourself.  First, pull off the strip of tenderloin from the bottom of the chicken breast (if you don’t know what this is, don’t fear; it will naturally show itself when pounding, separating from the rest of the breast). You can freeze the tenderloins for chicken fingers down the line, or cook them right alongside the paillards.  I find that the easiest way to pound out chicken is to place it inside a large zip-top bag (don’t seal the bag).  Using the flat side of a meat mallet (or you can use the long side of a rolling pin) pound the chicken, starting in the middle and moving the mallet in an outward motion.  Keep working your way around the breast until you have an even thickness.  The breast might be an odd shape, but that’s okay!
• If you want to skip the pounding, you can use chicken cutlets instead (plan on about 2-3 cutlets per person, depending on their size). Turkey and pork cutlets are also delicious!
• You can pound out the chicken the day before to save on time (refrigerate the chicken until ready to use).  
• You can use the thin, upper stems of the dandelion greens, but remove and discard the lower, thicker stems (which are less tender).
• Use your largest skillet and cook the chicken in batches, if needed. You can use a stainless steel, cast iron or non-stick skillet. 
• You can swap out the red onion for 1 large shallot.
• Any tender herbs will work in this recipe. I love tarragon, thyme and/or dill, but basil and parsley are also delicious.
• Feel free to swap out the goat cheese for crumbled feta or shaved parmesan.
• You can use red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar in the dressing (also, you can use Dijon mustard, if that’s what you have!).

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Chicken Paillard with Fingerling Potato Salad & Goat Cheese

In this healthy chicken paillard recipe, pounded chicken breasts are topped with a buttery fingerling potato salad featuring fresh greens, kalamata olives and creamy goat cheese. It’s the ULTIMATE combination of flavors and textures! Dandelion greens work wonderfully in this recipe, but you can swap them out for arugula or spinach if you prefer (if using spinach or arugula, toss them with the potatoes right before serving to prevent the leaves from wilting). Be sure to mix the potatoes with the onion and vinegar while the potatoes are hot—the warm potatoes will absorb the vinegar, giving them more flavor, and they will soften the onion. Finally, if you prefer, you can grill the chicken breasts instead of cooking them in a skillet—brush the chicken with oil before grilling to prevent sticking. Don't miss my other tips (including ingredient swaps) in the Notes below!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken paillard, chicken paillard recipe

Servings: 4 people

Author: Nicki Sizemore

Equipment

• Large skillet

Ingredients

• 1 pound fingerling or new potatoes, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups coarsely chopped dandelion leaves (from 1 bunch)
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon, thyme and/or dill, divided
• 5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼- to ½–inch thickness
• 4 ounces goat cheese

Instructions

Cook the potatoes

• Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until they're tender but not falling apart, about 6-8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, rinse the red onion slices with cold water and place them in a large bowl. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and immediately add the hot potatoes to the bowl with the onions; toss well. Stir in the dandelion greens and olives.

Make the sherry vinaigrette

• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar with the grainy mustard, honey, 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon (or other herbs) and 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Pour the dressing over the fingerling potato and dandelion greens salad and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Cook the chicken

• Season each chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining chopped herbs evenly over each (on both sides) and pat to adhere.
• Heat your largest skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat. Working in batches, sauté each breast until golden brown on each side, about 2-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Serve

• Place a chicken breast on each plate. Mound the fingerling potato and dandelion greens salad over top. Crumble a nice amount of goat cheese over each, and serve!

Notes

Tips:

• You can ask your butcher to pound the chicken breasts out for you, or you can do it yourself.  First, pull off the strip of tenderloin from the bottom of the chicken breast (if you don’t know what this is, don’t fear; it will naturally show itself when pounding, separating from the rest of the breast). You can freeze the tenderloins for chicken fingers down the line, or cook them right alongside the paillards.  I find that the easiest way to pound out chicken is to place it inside a large zip-top bag (don’t seal the bag).  Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken, starting in the middle and moving the mallet in an outward motion.  Keep working your way around the breast until you have an even thickness.  The breast might be an odd shape, but that’s okay!
• If you want to skip the pounding, you can use chicken cutlets instead (plan on about 2-3 cutlets per person, depending on their size). Turkey and pork cutlets are also delicious!
• You can pound out the chicken the day before to save on time (refrigerate the chicken until ready to use).  
• You can use the thin, upper stems of the dandelion greens, but remove and discard the lower, thicker stems (which are less tender).
• Use your largest skillet and cook the chicken in batches, if needed. You can use a stainless steel, cast iron or non-stick skillet. 
• You can swap out the red onion for 1 large shallot.
• Any tender herbs will work in this recipe. I love tarragon, thyme and/or dill, but basil and parsley are also delicious.
• Feel free to swap out the goat cheese for crumbled feta or shaved parmesan.
• You can use red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar in the dressing (also, you can use Dijon mustard, if that’s what you have!).