Chicken Piccata - Small Town Woman

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Easy Chicken Piccata is lightly breaded golden brown chicken breasts in a light lemon sauce with shallots, garlic, capers, and parsley. It is one of my favorite dishes, and I love to serve it over angel hair pasta with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. This chicken is elegant enough for company yet easy enough for a weeknight.

How to make Chicken Piccata

First, generously salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Then dredge them through the flour, shaking off any excess. Melt a little butter and heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and plate.

Melt a little more butter and heat a little more olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the minced shallot and cook for several minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring continuously. Add the wine and cook until almost entirely reduced. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken stock, capers, and a couple of tablespoons of butter and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve over angel hair pasta and roasted asparagus.

Helpful recipe tips

• Buy chicken cutlets or slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Another option is to pound them thin with a meat mallet.
• Cook the chicken breasts in the skillet until golden brown and cooked through. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If there are blackened chicken bits in the pan, after removing the chicken, let the pan cool and carefully wipe it clean with a paper towel.
• Use a dry wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. If you don't cook with wine, skip it and add a couple more tablespoons of chicken broth.
• Capers are the immature flower buds from the caper plant, which grows wild in the Mediterranean. They grow in viny brambles similar to blackberries. They are briny, tart, and salty, but they are the perfect accompaniment to chicken with a lemon wine sauce.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
• To freeze first, cool completely. Then store in an airtight freezer container or freezer zipper bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power.

What to serve with Chicken Piccata

More chicken recipes to try!

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Chicken Piccata Recipe

A quick and easy Chicken Piccata Recipe that combines golden brown chicken breasts with the flavors of shallots, garlic, capers, and Italian parsley in a refreshing lemon-caper sauce.

• Author: Beth Pierce
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: main meal chicken
• Method: stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian American

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 4 thinner pieces
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper 
• ¼  cup flour for dredging
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 lemon juiced
• ½ cup chicken stock or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoon brined capers, drained
• Chopped fresh Italian parsley (garnish)

Instructions

1. Generously salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Add the flour to a shallow bowl. Dredge them through the flour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Cook the chicken breasts until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and plate.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook for several minutes or until softened. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring continuously.
4. Add the wine and cook until almost entirely reduced. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken stock, capers, and remaining butter simmering for 3-5 minutes. 
5. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and warm it by spooning the sauce over the chicken. Warm for several minutes. 

Notes

• Buy chicken cutlets or split the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Another option is to pound them thin with a meat mallet.
• Cook the chicken breasts in the skillet until golden brown and cooked through. Chicken is cooked through when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If there are blackened chicken bits in the pan after removing the chicken, let the pan cool and carefully wipe it clean with a paper towel.
• Use a dry wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. If you don't cook with wine, skip it and add a couple more tablespoons of chicken broth.
• Capers are the immature flower buds from the caper plant, which grows wild in the Mediterranean. They grow in viny brambles similar to blackberries. They are briny, tart, and salty, but they are the perfect accompaniment to chicken with a lemon wine sauce.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
• To freeze first, cool completely. Then store in an airtight freezer container or freezer zipper bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power. 

Keywords: chicken piccata recipe, how to make chicken piccata, what to serve with chicken piccata

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Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on this site should be used as a general guideline.