Description
Chicken piccata brings zesty Italian flavors to your dinner table with tender chicken bathed in a bright, tangy lemon sauce. Simple ingredients and quick preparation make this classic dish a perfect weeknight meal you’ll absolutely love.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken:
- 1 pound (454 grams) chicken breasts, halved horizontally and pounded thin
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning or lemon zest
- 0.25 teaspoon (1.25 milliliters) salt
- 0.25 cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
Cooking Fats and Aromatics:
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Sauce and Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) chicken stock
- 0.25 cup (60 milliliters) dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons capers, brined and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken cutlets by sprinkling with lemon pepper and salt, then delicately dredge in flour until evenly coated.
- Warm a skillet with butter and oil over medium-high heat. Carefully place two chicken pieces and cook until a rich golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer cooked pieces to a waiting plate.
- Repeat the cooking process with additional butter and oil for the remaining chicken cutlets, ensuring each piece achieves a crispy, uniform color.
- Reduce heat and melt butter in the same skillet. Quickly sauté minced garlic for about 30 seconds, creating a fragrant base. Sprinkle flour and whisk to create a smooth roux.
- Pour white wine into the skillet, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Add chicken stock, fresh lemon juice, and briny capers. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce for 5 minutes, developing deep, complex flavors.
- Introduce the final tablespoon of butter to enrich the sauce’s texture and shine. Gently return chicken pieces to the skillet, letting them warm through and absorb the sauce’s flavors for an additional 5 minutes.
- Finish the dish by garnishing with freshly chopped parsley, adding a bright, herbaceous note to the rich, tangy sauce.
Notes
- Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust chicken evenly, preventing clumpy flour layers and ensuring a light, crispy exterior.
- Select fresh lemons and adjust acidity by tasting sauce before final simmer, preventing overly tart or bland flavors.
- Maintain medium-high heat for golden-brown chicken without burning, using a heavy-bottomed skillet for consistent cooking.
- Swap wheat flour with cornstarch or almond flour to create a celiac-friendly version with equally delicious results.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg