Chicken Piccata
Lemon and capers are the culprit behind the dish’s reputation for too much acidity and salt. That’s why we were determined to create a chicken piccata recipe that’s flavorful and savory without being overwhelmingly briny and sour.
We used two special tricks to make the magic happen. First, we cut way back on the lemon then added white wine to balance out the flavor. Second, because capers are packed in a brine solution, they’re salty and incredibly sour! By rinsing the capers before adding them to the dish, you eliminate the pungent first impression that causes your face to pucker.
Serve our chicken piccata recipe on top of a bed of fine pasta, like angel hair or even a thicker noodle, like pappardelle. If you want to stay away from the carbs, enjoy this dish with fresh steamed veggies like broccoli or carrots instead!
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Make chicken piccata using einkorn flour!
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2–3 breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, divided
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, or no-sodium
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup capers, brined, drained and rinsed
- 4 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- wedges lemon, for squeezing
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast into thirds by first cutting each breast in half lengthwise and setting the thinner half aside. Working with the thick part of the breast, slice in half horizontally to produce 2 more thin cutlets.
- Cover the chicken breast pieces with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small skillet until all of the pieces are about ¼" thick. Lightly season each cutlet on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 4 Tbsp of unsalted butter along with 4 Tbsp olive oil. When oil is hot and butter is melted, add as many cutlets as will fit comfortably into the skillet, but do not overcrowd the pan. Sauté for about 3–4 minutes per side until nicely browned and cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the skillet to a plate and cover lightly with foil. Repeat with remaining chicken cutlets. Once all chicken is cooked and removed from skillet, pour lemon juice, chicken stock, wine and rinsed capers in with the oil remaining in the pan.
- Bring liquid to a boil, making sure to scrape up the flavorful bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium and return chicken cutlets to skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes, turning chicken once to coat in sauce. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a platter.
- Add remaining 4 Tbsp butter to sauce and stir or swirl pan so the butter incorporates and emulsifies into sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over thin pasta such as angel hair. Enjoy!
Notes