Chicken Piccata is an easy classic dish you can put on the table in less than 30 minutes. With vibrant flavors from lemon and capers, all you need is a little pasta and you have a wonderful meal that all will love.
Spring is here and you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when you could be enjoying the beautiful weather. Around here, we only get this perfect weather for a couple of weeks, so we try to be outside as much as possible. Chicken Piccata is one of those really simple dishes that takes minimal effort with amazing results. You can make this in about the amount of time it takes for the pasta to cook.
What is Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian dish where the chicken is dredged in flour and served with a lemon and caper sauce. Some recipes add flour to the sauce, but in this version, the sauce is slightly thickened from the flour that you dredge the chicken in. This keeps it a bit lighter. You don’t have to use capers to still have a wonderful dish, but adding capers combined with the lemon, adds a more flavorful punch.
How do you make Chicken Piccata
When searing chicken for this dish, it’s helpful to first pound it so that all the pieces are a similar thickness. Then the best tool for not overcooking the chicken, is a meat thermometer. My favorite is a Thermapen from ThermoWorks. It’s so easy to use and is very accurate. I use it for everything! Once you’ve turned the chicken breasts, just test one of them with the meat thermometer. They will cook a little after you remove them so I take them out once they have reached 160º.
How do you serve Chicken Piccata
Angel hair pasta is my pasta of choice for Chicken Piccata. You just want something to absorb some of the lemon caper sauce and a heavy pasta is better for a tomato or cream sauce. Of course, any will work, so use what’s in your pantry, but if purchasing just for this dish, I would pick angel hair. If you’re more of a potato person, then try it over mashed potatoes.
Not only is Chicken Piccata delicious, quick and easy to prepare, but it’s pretty healthy. Win win for everyone!
If you love lemon as much as we do, then you might also like Lemon Mustard Chicken with Potatoes, Salmon with Citrus and Olive Oil, Lemon and Blueberry Pancakes or Lemon Chess Pie.
Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is an easy classic dish you can put on the table in less than 30 minutes. With vibrant flavors from lemon and capers, all you need is a little pasta and you have a wonderful meal that all will love.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 288kcal
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 2 lemons
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons capers
Instructions
- Cut chicken breast in half crosswise, then cut the thick half in half again horizontally so that you have 3 equal pieces. Repeat for all four breasts. Place between plastic wrap and pound to 1/2 inch thickness. Place in a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Half lemon lengthwise. Trim off the ends of 1 half and cut it again lengthwise, then cut crosswise into thin 1/4 inch slices. Set aside and juice remaining lemons to yield 3 tablespoons juice.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place flour in a pie plate and dredge chicken in flour, shake off excess and place in hot skillet. Place 6 pieces in the skillet and turn down the heat to medium. Cook until brown, 2-3 minutes and flip and cook the other side. Remove to wire rack. Add 2 tablespoons oil and once heated, add the rest of the chicken. Remove to wire rack.
- If needed add 1 teaspoon of oil to the skillet and add shallots. Cook until softened and add garlic, cook an additional minute. Add broth, lemon juice and lemon slices and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add chicken to the pan and simmer for about 4 minutes, flipping half way through. Remove chicken to a platter.
- If sauce is not thickened, cook an additional minute. Then remove from heat and add butter and capers. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over chicken.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 23.2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.4mg
This recipe looks amazing! I love classic Chicken Piccata. I can’t wait to give it a try.
I love this version hope you do too.