Chicken Piccata
Made with a flavorful lemon caper sauce and tender chicken breasts, Chicken Picatta is a classic Italian dish that is simple to make, yet delivers impressive flavor.
Servings: 6
Calories: 252kcal
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 6 thin chicken cutlets
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
- ¼ cup brined capers rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts in half cross-wise so you end up with 6 cutlets. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper. 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.
- In a shallow dish, mix together the 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 of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is sizzling, add 3 of the 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 to complete the 2nd batch of chicken.
- Add an additional 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of 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 the wine or stock into the skillet, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add in the lemon juice and 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 degrees F. Remove the chicken to a serving dish.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the cooking sauce and whisk vigorously. Turn off the heat immediately. Serve the sauce over chicken and garnish with 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.
Storing Leftovers: Allow the chicken and sauce to cool completely. Store the chicken and the sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat a nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and allow to heat for 1 minute per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the sauce and heat until simmering. Serve over the chicken.
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.
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