Fancy enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight, Chicken Piccata is one of those must-have recipes for your repertoire. In this version, the buttery white wine pan sauce gets a flavor boost from the traditional tangy capers and also from lightly caramelized lemon slices.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy-to-make recipe for Classic Chicken Piccata.
1. Info for Classic Chicken Piccata
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Servings: 4
- Calories: 503 kcal
2. Ingredients for Classic Chicken Piccata
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 lb. chicken cutlets (boneless skinless breast pieces)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (plus more if needed)
- 1/4 cup capers (drained)
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3. Directions:
3.1 Prep
Mince the garlic and slice the lemon crosswise about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.
Lay the chicken on a baking sheet and season with the salt and pepper. Put the flour in a pie pan and lightly dredge chicken on both sides, patting it gently to create the thinnest possible coating of flour.
3.2 Stove
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add a single layer of chicken and cook until golden brown on underside, 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and cook until lightly browned on the other side and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil if needed.
Using a wad of paper towels and tongs, carefully wipe any darker brown flour from frying pan (but don’t remove all the flour; it helps thicken the sauce). Add the lemon slices to hot pan and cook over medium heat until golden brown on each side, turning once, 3-4 minutes total. Add the garlic and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Add the capers, wine, and chicken broth and bring the liquid to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan.
Boil the sauce vigorously until reduced by half and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Return chicken to pan and gently warm through, turning to coat in sauce.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Turn off heat under the sauce and add the butter. Let it melt gently, swirling pan to combine.
3.3 Serve
Pour sauce over chicken. Serve cutlets with lemon slices on top to eat with the meat.