Sometimes it amazes me how a simple combination of basic, on-hand ingredients can yield such delightful results.
Chicken piccata is nothing more than chicken breast cutlets, dredged in flour, browned, and served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers, and either stock or white wine.
It can be prepared in 20 minutes or less and is so easy and delicious it should be part of every home cook’s repertoire. It’s perfect for a quick midweek meal!
How to make Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata Recipe
PrintIngredients
- 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total), or 4-8 chicken cutlets
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine (such as a Sauvignon Blanc)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup brined capers
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Method
1 Prepare chicken cutlets, pound them thin: To make chicken cutlets, slice the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces.
If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness.
2 Dredge cutlets in seasoned flour with Parmesan: Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.
3 Brown cutlets in butter and oil: Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate.
Cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Place the breasts on a rack over a roasting pan and keep warm in a 225°F oven while you prepare the sauce.
4 Add stock or wine, lemon juice, capers, reduce by half, stir in butter: Add the chicken stock or white wine, lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half.
Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
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This is so easy that even I can make it. Top that with it tastes excellent.
I give this 5 attaboys.
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Excellent! Served it just the way it was presented.. Broiled asparagus with lemon pepper and olive oil…very good combination. Thank you!
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Excellent recipe! Simple and tasted delicious. I tripled the recipe for a dinner party and my guests loved it. I served roasted asparagus and penne pasta with basil marinara sauce (as side, or vegetarian option for main course) This recipe presents elegantly and creates the perfect, classic chicken piccata.
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Very good! Easy and quick. Only thing I would do is double the sauce if you are serving with pasta.
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I used half pinot grigio / half chicken stock and added a little garlic, lemon zest and a dab of anchovy paste.
This dish was a big hit.
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