Chicken Piccata Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Pan-seared chicken tossed in a simple piccata sauce consisting of white wine, chicken broth, capers, fresh lemon juice, butter, and garlic.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts sliced lengthwise into equal halves (target 1/2 inch thick and 8 ounces)
½ cup dry white wine pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
½ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-3 cloves garlic minced
2 lemons juice from 1 lemon plus slices for garnish
2-3 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve over optional pasta of choice penne or thin spaghetti

Instructions

Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place flour on a plate and dredge chicken in the flour until completely coated.
Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a sizzle.
Arrange the chicken in the pan and sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden (thicker chicken will take longer). Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a clean plate.
Reduce heat to low and let the pan cool for a few minutes. Add fresh lemon juice and minced garlic. Sauté about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add capers and wine. Simmer for 3 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add chicken broth, remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and chopped parsley. Simmer until slightly thickened and butter emulsifies (If too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water).
Return chicken to pan, flipping to coat with piccata sauce. Let chicken warm up for 2-3 minutes. Serve with lemon slices over pasta tossed in olive oil or with vegetables. I like to drizzle chicken and pasta with additional piccata sauce for added flavor.

Notes

Dredging the chicken in flour beforehand is a must. The flour helps create a thin crust and a little extra texture. It also helps the chicken better soak up the sauce.

Picatta sauce should be slightly thick. The simmered/reduced chicken broth melted butter, and residual flour in the pan helps to thicken the sauce to be creamy and hazy. Without the added butter, you won't achieve the same viscosity. If the sauce is still runny, add a little more butter or a teaspoon of flour or corn starch and continue to simmer until thickened.

I use white wine and chicken broth as the sauce base. Most recipes call for water but wine adds more flavor and has beautiful citrusy notes. Look for dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. If you don't have chicken broth, just use the wine, it will still work out!

Add extra water to the pan if the sauce gets too thick. If the piccata sauce starts to dry out and gets too thick, a few tablespoons of water will help thin it out.

Use a skillet or nonstick pan for best results. A larger pan works best if cooking for larger crowds, or you can cook the chicken in batches since it should cook rather quickly if properly prepared.

The cook times in this recipe assume chicken is no thicker than 1/2 inch thick. Any thicker and the chicken may take longer to cook. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temp of chicken is 165°F.

Nutrition