It’s a delicious and lively chicken dish with a zesty lemon and buttery creamy sauce with salty capers. Quick and easy to prepare, tastes full of flavour and looks pretty when served on the dinner table. The piccata sauce is a combination of butter, lemon and capers.
How do I make chicken piccata?
The process to make this chicken piccata is both quick and easy. The chicken is first dredged in flour before it is pan-fried and seared in butter until golden. It is then simmered in a fresh and zesty lemon sauce before being served with fresh lemon slices and generous spoonful’s of salty capers. The extra sauce is drizzled over the chicken to make the most of the delicious flavours of this buttery, creamy, lemon and capers sauce.
Cooking this dish is quick due to the chicken being cut through the middle to make thin slices, making this chicken piccata is one of the quickest, easiest and more flavoursome chicken recipes you will make.
Chicken Piccata is a great option for serving chicken when you want a dish which is flavoursome but light from the freshness of the lemon, while still maintaining depth of flavour from the buttery sauce and the tanginess of the capers.
Chicken Piccata is easy to make as a one-pan recipe, making life easier with the kitchen clear-up!
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other chicken recipes; Sourdough Chicken Nuggets or Chicken, Spinach & Tarragon Filo Topped Pie
What ingredients do I need for Chicken Piccata?
To make chicken piccata, you will need the following ingredients;
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Cornflour for dredging
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Chicken stock
- White wine vinegar
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Capers
- Parsley
NOTES ON THE INGREDIENTS
- Chicken – use large, thick chicken breasts because this will make it easier to slice through the middle to make 2 thinner pieces per breast.
- The golden crust is created from the combination of the flour and parmesan cheese. You can use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese as a substitute for parmesan if needed. I have used cornflour in this recipe but you can use any flour.
- Chicken Piccata Sauce – the sauce is made from a combination of lemon juice, chicken stock, butter, garlic, cappers and finished with fresh parsley.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PICCATA
SLICING THE CHICKEN BREASTS
- You will need a sharp knife and the chicken breasts need to be laid flat on a clean cutting board or piece of parchment paper. Using clean hands, hold the chicken breast in place with one hand, while slicing from top to bottom through the centre of the chicken breast – essentially making 2 breast pieces of similar thickness.
- Always ensure you wash your hands before and after handling raw poultry.
- Next, prepare the dredging flour mixture by placing the flour, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in a wide, shallow bowl. Place each chicken piece into the flour mixture to coat on both sides.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet pan over a medium heat and once melted and starting to sizzle, place the chicken in the pan to sear on both sides for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate once it is cooked.
MAKING THE SAUCE
- Now make the sauce by adding the sliced red onions to the same pan used to cook the chicken and allow them to cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the butter, garlic, chicken stock and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
- Now, add the cooked chicken back to the pan and use a spoon to coat the chicken in the sauce and add the capers to the pan. Allow the chicken and sauce to cook through for a few minutes.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the fresh parsley on the chicken and add slices or wedges of lemon for visual effect.
HOW TO SERVE THIS CHICKEN PICCATA
This light and fresh chicken recipe is more common to serve during the Spring and Summer months with fresh, sautéed greens such as asparagus or broccoli with a small serving of wholegrain rice or quinoa. If serving during Winter, it goes well with shredded, pan-fried kale or Cavolo Nero cabbage leaves and roasted, balsamic sweet potatoes.
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STORAGE TIPS
This recipe is best served and eaten on making but it can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat the chicken and sauce – place it in a pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through
To freeze this recipe – place the cooked chicken and sauce in a suitable container and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost – place the container in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Chicken Piccata – Buttery Lemon and Caper Sauce
Equipment
- A large skillet pan
- A wide shallow bowl for dredging
- A sharp knife for cutting the chicken
- A cutting board or parchment paper for cutting the chicken
- A plate for resting the chicken
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 2 large chicken breasts - roughly 250g each
- 60 g cornflour or any other flour
- 60 g grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 TBSP olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE
- 4 shallots – peeled and diced
- 400 mls chicken stock
- 2 large cloves garlic – finely chopped
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 3 TBSP capers
- 50 g butter
- 1 handful fresh parsley – chopped
Instructions
- Slice the chicken in half horizontally from top to bottom.
- Dredge the chicken - Place the flour, parmesan, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or dish and dredge the chicken pieces to coat on both sides.
- Cook the chicken on both sides to sear until golden – 4-5 mins on each side. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate while you make the sauce.
- Make the sauce – add the diced shallots and butter to the pan used for the chicken and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the chopped garlic, chicken stock and lemon juice to the pan and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until it starts to reduce.
- Return the cooked chicken to the pan, spooning the sauce over the chicken until coated and adding the capers to the sauce. Simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes to heat through.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the fresh parsley and lemon wedges on top of and around the chicken.
Notes
By using a combination of olive oil and butter to fry the chicken – it prevents the butter from burning, as well as adding delicious flavour!
The use of cornflour in this recipe is used to thicken the sauce rather than to give the chicken a crispy coating so don’t be alarmed if the flour doesn’t seem to stick to the chicken because it will all end up in the sauce and do the required job of thickening the sauce. If you want to make this recipe gluten free – please omit the flour but expect that the sauce will not be as thick or creamy. Or you can use arrowroot as a gluten-free alternative.