Whenever I want a meal that's easy to put together and full of flavor, I make this delicious chicken piccata recipe. It only requires a handful of ingredients, which means it's seriously easy, but once you taste it you won't know! It's totally restaurant quality and elegant enough to impress a date or your in-laws—if I do say so myself!! When garlic and lemon briny capers, creamy butter and fresh parsley come together, you can't lose. Trust me; If you have some chicken in your fridge and don't know what to do with it, my Homemade Chicken Piccata is your answer.
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“This is one of my favorites! I've made it twice now – both times hands down the best chicken I've ever cooked. This will definitely be added to my monthly rotation!”
Cassil
What is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken Piccata is an Italian dish made with thinly sliced chicken that is lightly dredged in flour, cooked in a skillet until golden brown, then drizzled with a delicious buttery lemon caper sauce. You could also make piccata with veal, but we're budget bites, so I think we'll stick with chicken. 😉 Either way, this dish is a simple classic that's sure to impress.
Here's what you'll need to make this easy chicken piccata recipe:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: The sauce in this recipe makes enough for 2-3 chicken breasts (2 pounds total), which have been pounded and then cut in half. This makes 4-6 thin cutlets that cook quickly and evenly.
- Garlic: You will need 3 fresh cloves of garlic, finely chopped. I just love the smell of garlic and butter simmering together in a pan. is Therefore Good and you already know the sauce will taste even better than it smells!
- Flour: For dredging chicken before cooking to help create a nice, brown crust.
- Olive Oil: I fry flour-coated chicken pieces in olive oil until golden brown. This not only colors the chicken but also creates delicious sticky bits on the bottom of the pan, which adds even more flavor to the sauce.
- butter: To make the lemon caper sauce. Don't forget to turn the heat to medium-low after browning the chicken so you don't burn the butter and garlic!
- Fresh Lemon: I squeeze in the juice of a fresh lemon to give the sauce a bright, tangy flavor.
- Chicken Broth: The sauce in Chicken Piccata is traditionally made with white wine, but I decided to use chicken broth instead. The sauce was still so good that I wanted to drink it straight from the pan, so I didn't feel like I was missing out. But if you have wine around, use chicken broth in this dish!
- fresh Italian parsley Adds flavor and color!
- Capers: I love the salty, salty punch that capers add to this dish. But if you're not a fan, feel free to skip them altogether.
- Salt and pepper: Sprinkle some salt and pepper on your chicken before pan frying for extra flavor.
Budget Saving Tips!
- Chicken thighs are often cheaper than chicken breasts at the store, so feel free to use them in this recipe instead! I'd go for skinless, boneless chicken thighs so you can make them even thinner and get the same result. And because chicken thighs are fatter than chicken breasts, they're harder to overcook, making them a great choice even for novice cooks.
- I don't use any wine for the chicken piccata in this recipe, which is a serious money saver. You can almost always (give or take!) sub chicken broth in a recipe for white wine. But if you want to make this recipe with wine, buy a small bottle or choose a white wine you'll actually drink. That way, you're not wasting money on an entire bottle of wine you won't use!
- Buying chicken in bulk is also a great budget-friendly option. Look for family packs or large packages at the store and freeze extra chicken for later.
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
The serving size may seem small (each piece is about the size of a deck of cards), so I suggest serving the chicken piccata over plain buttered pasta to enhance your meal, or if you want something fancy, try this. Lemon Parsley Pasta. I think the flavors in this dish are lovely with asparagus, green beans or broccoli. But whenever I want something quick and easy, I serve it with a green side salad and some Garlic bread For a classic meal.
Delicious Homemade Chicken Piccata
This rich chicken piccata in a buttery lemon caper sauce is a quick, easy and elegant answer to your weeknight dinner with just a few simple ingredients!
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- 1 Fresh lemon ($0.79)
- 1/4 A bunch of Italian parsley ($0.25)
- 3 cloves Garlic ($0.24)
- 2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs) ($6.25)
- in a pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1/2 Cup flour ($0.03)
- 2 tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 2 tbsp butter ($0.28)
- 1/2 Cup chicken broth* ($0.07)
- 1 tbsp Capers ($0.40)
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Prepare the lemon, parsley, and garlic so they're ready to go when you need them. Finely chop the parsley leaves, squeeze the lemon juice and mince the garlic. Keep these ingredients aside.
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Trim chicken breasts of excess fat. Cover them with plastic wrap and pound them with a mallet or rolling pin until they are a uniform thickness (about 1/2-3/4 inch thick). Cut each chicken breast in half so that you have four to six palm-sized pieces. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
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Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, place the batter in a bowl and lightly coat each piece of chicken on both sides. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook until golden brown on each side (about 3-5 minutes per side). If necessary, cook the chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Transfer the browned chicken to a clean plate.
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After removing the chicken from the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter and minced garlic. Sauté garlic in butter for about a minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan and whisk to dissolve (or “deglaze”) the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
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Add the capers and half of the chopped parsley to the pan. Increase the heat to medium, add the chicken back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half. The batter on the chicken will help thicken the sauce while it simmers. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley before serving.
Let's see how Calculate the cost of the recipe here.
*I use Better Than Bouillon to mix in exactly how much broth is needed.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 448.63kcalCarbohydrates: 14.45gProtein: 53.08gFat: 18.28gSodium: 436.05mgFiber: 1.23g
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How to make Chicken Piccata – step by step photo
Start by preparing the sauce ingredients. Remove the leaves from about 1/4 bunch of parsley and then coarsely chop them. Juice the lemon (you'll need between 1/3 cup and 1/2 cup, it's flexible). Chop three cloves of garlic.
This recipe will make enough sauce for about 2 pounds of chicken breasts or 2-3 boneless skinless breasts, depending on their size. I had two breasts left in my freezer, one of which was large. Place the chicken on a cutting board and cover with a large piece of plastic wrap. Use a mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the chicken, focusing on the thick end, until the piece is of uniform thickness from end to end (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick).
Next, cut each pounded chicken piece into 2 (or three if they are extra large). Season both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup of flour in a wide shallow bowl and dip each piece of chicken in the flour until each side is lightly coated.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown on each side (about 3-5 minutes per side). If your skillet is on the small side, cook the chicken in two batches to avoid overcrowding, which will cause juices to accumulate. There should be some flour in the bottom of the pan and the chicken should be browning.
Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a clean plate and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and minced garlic to the pan. Sauté for about a minute or until the garlic softens slightly.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet. Stir or stir until all the brown bits dissolve from the bottom.
Add half the chopped parsley and 1 tsp capers to the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Allow the pan to boil again. Simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half. While the chicken is simmering, spread the sauce over it a few times.
Garnish with remaining chopped parsley before serving. I also had an extra lemon, so I added lemon wedges for visual effect, but you don't need to taste them. The sauce itself is very tasty.
Oh that sauce. Make sure to serve it over pasta, rice or a slice of bread to amp up the goodness!!