No matter how many times a week you eat it, Italian food pretty much always sounds good. Whether you go pasta (try any of these healthy pasta recipes), pizza (preferably using Whole Wheat Pizza Dough), or simple protein (like Baked Chicken Parmesan), there’s an Italian answer to any dinner situation. When you’re looking for something fast (aren’t we all?), chicken piccata is it. As is the way with many Italian recipes, chicken piccata will also make your dinner feel a little extra special, something we all could use more often, even if we don’t realize it until we are taking a bite. Chicken piccata tastes bright with lemon, lightly buttery, and the capers give it saltiness and a subtle tang.
Like this Lemon Butter Chicken, chicken piccata’s flavor profile is mild and appealing, making it a great meal for the family or for company.Like Pan-Fried Chicken Breast, it’s quick-cooking and gives moist, juicy results.
How to Make the Best Chicken Piccata
Start to finish, this easy chicken piccata recipe cooks in about 25 minutes, fewer if you are speedy. The chicken piccata sauce is made of lemon, butter, capers, and white wine. It made with the chicken’s pan drippings, brown bits, then spooned over the top. Other spellings include: picatta; pichotta. Similar to Chicken Francaise, the chicken piccata sauce is especially scrumptious. Spoon it generously over the browned chicken, and keep a loaf of bread (like No Knead Focaccia) handy for dipping.
The Ingredients
Chicken Breast. Lean, tender pan-fry chicken breasts stay perfectly juicy in this chicken piccata recipe. Plus, they’re rich in protein and vitamins.
Flour. To give the chicken a light crust on its exterior, thicken the sauce, and help lock in moisture. Butter. A chicken piccata necessity. Cooking the chicken in butter and adding it to the sauce makes this simple recipe irresistible. To make this a more healthy chicken piccata recipe, I found I could use less than many traditional piccata recipes and still have excellent results.Shallot. Once cooked, the shallot becomes helps build flavor for the sauce. You also could use a finely chopped sweet onion.Broth + White Wine. The chicken broth and white wine simmer with the shallot to create a luscious, flavorful sauce. Make sure to use a dry white wine. Lemon. Both the zest and fresh lemon juice add brightness and acidity to the dish. Capers. The final ingredient that makes the piccata sauce pop. They’re delightfully salty and briny!Parsley. Fresh parsley is the perfect finishing touch.
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Refrigerate chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave. To Freeze. Freeze chicken in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
Pasta. Chicken piccata with pasta is classic (and delish!). Try it with this Pasta al Limone for a fun twist. Any type of pasta works from angel hair pasta to fettuccine.Bread. Rosemary Olive Oil Bread is perfect for dunking in the sauce. Rice. A side of Lemon Rice would pair nicely with this chicken recipe. Vegetables. Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, or Grilled Eggplant would all be tasty with this dish.Salad. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad and Arugula Salad are perfect for a light and healthy side.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Large Skillet. This large, heavy-bottomed skillet would be ideal for making this recipe. Instant Read Thermometer. My go-to trick for ensuring meat is cooked through. Citrus Juicer. This tool makes it easy to thoroughly juice lemons and limes.
Italian food, forever and ever amen. Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
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