Chicken Piccata
Made with a flavorful lemon caper sauce and tender chicken breasts, Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian dish that is simple to make, yet delivers impressive flavor.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 6 thin chicken cutlets
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter for searing first batch of chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for searing first batch of chicken
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for searing 2nd batch of chicken
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for searing 2nd batch of chicken
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup brined capers rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for the sauce
Instructions
- Cut 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise to end up with chicken cutlets. If your chicken cutlets are still thicker than ½-inch thick, place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until they are no thicker than ½-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow dish, mix together ½ cup all-purpose flour with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place the coated chicken on a plate to prepare for searing.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is sizzling, add half of the prepared chicken cutlets to the pan, being careful not overcrowd the skillet. Saute the chicken until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.. Set the chicken aside onto a CLEAN plate. Add an additional 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the skillet and saute the remaining chicken. Once browned, remove the chicken and place them on the plate with the first batch of seared chicken.
- Add ½ cup dry white wine (or stock) into the skillet, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice and ¼ cup brined capers and a dash of salt and pepper (omit salt if using stock instead of wine) and bring to a simmer, this should only take a minute or two.
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and cooked to an internal temperature or 165℉/74℃. Remove the chicken to a serving dish.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter into the cooking sauce and whisk vigorously. Turn off the heat immediately.
- Serve the sauce over chicken and garnish with ⅓ cup fresh parsley and fresh slices of lemon if desired.
Video
Notes
Chicken: You can purchase thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets, or you can cut regular chicken breasts lengthwise to form chicken cutlets.
Wine: If using wine, select a dry white wine such as chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. If you do not care for wine, use chicken stock in its place and OMIT the additional salt added to the pan sauce.
Gluten-Free Modification: Skip dredging the chicken in flour and pan-sear the chicken in just olive oil and butter. Prepare the sauce as directed and coat the chicken in sauce. Remove the chicken from the skillet and thicken the sauce by whisking together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Add to the sauce and simmer until slightly thickened. Add in the butter and serve with the chicken.
Dairy-Free Modification: Sear the chicken in olive oil, instead of a combination of oil and butter. And to finish the sauce, add 1 tablespoon of dairy-free butter to give the dish a rich finish.
Storing Leftovers: Allow the chicken to cool and then transfer the chicken piccata to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the leftover chicken piccata in a dry skillet over low heat or reheat on a heat-safe plate covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave in 60-seond intervals until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 534IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
