Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata has become a classic Italian-American favorite made with chicken breasts in a buttery briny lemon sauce with capers and garlic.
Chicken Piccata is something that I have always loved to have when we are eating out at an Italian restaurant. I first had it when eating out with my mom. I first had Chicken Piccata years ago when you could order it at Olive Garden. As I recall it wasn’t on the menu, but you could request it. Now there are a couple of restaurants here in Fort Worth where I like to order chicken piccata, I have had it at Primas and at Giovanni’s. I love the roasted vegetables that come with Giovanni’s Chicken Piccata. So it is Giovanni’s Chicken Piccata with a side of vegetables that inspired my homemade version of chicken piccata.
Chicken Piccata originated in Italy, and has become a classic Italian-American dish found in many Italian restaurants. Chicken Piccata is made with thin chicken breasts lightly coated in flour and sauteed in a buttery lemony garlic sauce with capers. This is a restaurant dish that is easily recreated at home. As with other chicken recipes, to help keep this recipe budget friendly, buy your chicken when it is on sale. Salad ingredients or vegetables to serve with this dish can also be found on sale at your local grocery store. And pasta is always a budget friendly addition to a meal.
For my homemade version of chicken Piccata, I make a very traditional interpretation of this dish. I love being able to make one of my favorite dishes at home. I also make a side dish of seasoned and roasted squash, zucchini, and carrots similar to what I get at the restaurant. I also serve angel hair pasta on the side with the same sauce as the Chicken Piccata.
If you’re ready, let's get cooking!
Tips:
Make sure that when making Chicken Piccata that your chicken breasts are thin. They can be cut thin by fileting the chicken breasts into medallions or by pounding the chicken out thin.
For this recipe, the chicken pieces are cooked to just a very light golden brown which is why they need to be thin in order to get fully cooked.
Make sure not to over bread your chicken. The chicken breast pieces should just be lightly coated in flour and shake off any extra.
Ingredients:
Chicken: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into medallions
Flour: Flour is used to dredge the chicken lightly
Salt and Pepper: Salt and pepper is added to the flour and used to season the chicken
Lemons: Large lemons work best for the juice
Garlic: Fresh garlic works best for this recipe and not jarred
Butter: Butter or a butter substitute can be used like a dairy-free butter
Olive Oil: Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken Broth: I prefer to use reduced sodium chicken broth.
Capers: Jarred in a briny liquid. Drain for this recipe
Italian Parsley: Chopped and used as a garnish, but is optional.
Instructions:
Prep ingredients: Mince the garlic and put in a small dish, set up a dredging station for the chicken, and cut lemons in half.
Filet chicken breasts in half lengthwise and filet each half with a filet knife at a 45 degree angle creating medallions. (It is sometimes possible to find chicken already cut into thin pieces or medallions at the store)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper
Lightly dredge each chicken piece in the flour and shake off any access and place on a plate or platter
In large skillet, add 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat and allow to heat up (but not too hot because the butter will burn)
Add half the chicken to the pan and cook on each side for about 2 mins until lightly golden brown (but not like fried chicken), remove chicken from skillet and put on a plate and set aside.
Add another 1 or 2 tbsp butter and 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and cook the other half of the chicken pieces and place on the plate with the other chicken after cooking 2 minutes on each side
Add the final 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and the minced garlic and stir with a whisk briefly, then add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers, and whisk. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 5 mins.
Remove chicken from pan and place on a serving platter, taste sauce and adjust. Add additional lemon juice or salt if needed. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional).
10. Serve with your chosen side dishes. If serving pasta with your Chicken Piccata, additional sauce can be made for the
pasta.
Serving Suggestions:
With Chicken Piccata, I like to serve pasta and a salad or roasted vegetables.
Recipe
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, thinly fileted into medallions
½ c flour
Salt
Pepper
2 large or 3 small cloves of garlic, minced
6 tbsp butter (Used 2 tbsp at a time, add more or less as needed)
6 tbsp olive oil (Used 2 tbsp at a time, add more or less as needed)
I cup chicken broth (Add more as needed)
2 large lemons
1 or 2 tbsp capers, drained (your preference on amount)
Chopped parsley (Optional)
Directions:
Season the chicken medallions with salt and pepper
Lightly dredge each chicken piece in the flour and shake off any access and place on a plate or platter
In large skillet, add 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat and allow to heat up (but not too hot because the butter will burn)
Add half the chicken to the pan and cook on each side for about 2 mins until lightly golden brown (but not like fried chicken), remove chicken from skillet and put on a plate and set aside.
Add another 1 or 2 tbsp butter and 1 or 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and cook the other half of the chicken pieces and place on the plate with the other chicken after cooking 2 minutes on each side
Add another 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and the minced garlic and stir with a whisk briefly, then add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers, and whisk. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for 5 mins.
Remove chicken from pan and place on a serving platter, taste sauce and add additional lemon juice or salt if needed.
pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional).
Serve with your chosen sides dishes.
Notes:
If you have any leftovers, they can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The leftovers can be used to make a lemon chicken casserole with any leftover pasta and roasted vegetables sprinkled with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
Conclusion:
Hopefully you like chicken piccata as much as I do, and when you make it no one will ever say, “Chicken again?!”. They will say, “Chicken? Yay!”. This recipe is brought to you by Lisa Ward born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas where I live today with my kids.
