Chicken Piccata
Lemon Chicken Piccata is made with perfectly seared chicken breasts in a bright pan sauce made with fresh lemon juice, rich butter, and briny capers. This five-star Italian dish is ready in under 30 minutes and tastes better than any restaurant version for a fraction of the cost!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons capers strained
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice from 1-2 lemons
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Carefully slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so that there are four pieces of chicken. If they are still fairly thick, you might want to place a piece of plastic wrap over each piece and use a flat meat mallet to pound them roughly 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick so they cook evenly and quickly. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of each total.2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Place the flour on a plate or in a shallow dish and dredge each piece of chicken in it on both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Set aside.1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until a nice golden brown crust forms on the bottom side. Flip the chicken over and cook on the second side until cooked through. You may need to work in batches. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F when tested with an instant digital meat thermometer. Remove the chicken from the pan and set on a plate while you make the sauce.4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Add the remaining oil to the same pan with the drippings from the chicken. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, capers, and lemon zest, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the liquid has reduced roughly by half.2 cloves garlic, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons capers, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Add the lemon juice and cook for another 1-2 minutes until slightly reduced. Add the butter and stir until melted, then return the chicken to the pan with the sauce. Spoon the capers and sauce over the chicken before serving.1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons salted butter, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Video
Notes
- Serve with thin spaghetti or mashed potatoes. Drizzle the lemon caper sauce over the pasta or potatoes with the chicken.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and are wonderful, so I highly recommend doubling the recipe!
- Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata: Saute 8 ounces of sliced baby portabello or crimini mushrooms for 2-3 minutes after cooking the chicken but before adding the garlic. Proceed with the recipe as directed, then add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream right at the end with the butter before returning the chicken to the pan.
- This recipe is on page 156 of my cookbook, House of Nash Eats Everyday!
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1155mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg
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