Classic Italian Chicken Piccata Recipe
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This classic Italian chicken piccata recipe is pan-roasted and finished with a delicious white wine and caper butter sauce. You will love how easy this recipe comes together and how elegant it is to serve to family or friends.
If you love simple chicken recipes, then this is hands down for you. In addition, be sure to try my Chicken Cacciatore Recipe or perfectly cooked chicken boneless breasts,
Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata is a lightly floured pan-seared chicken breast served with a simple pan sauce with capers, and lemon juice. The classical version of this Italian dish would be used with thinly sliced and pounded veal scallopini.
Piccata is a cooking technique where you pan-fry thin slices of meat that is coated in a butter sauce. The sauce tends to be the most popular component of this dish and can certainly be served with pork or fish.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken — Boneless skinless chicken breasts are most common, but boneless skinless chicken thighs may also be used.
- Flour – All-purpose or bread flour may be used to light coat the chicken.
- Onion – Both shallots and garlic cloves are used. Substitute the shallot for a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion.
- Wine – Any dry white wine like chardonnay, Pinto Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc works well.
- Capers – Any size capers will work for this dish. A possible substitute could be pitless, small-diced green olives.
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the hero of the sauce.
- Butter — I always use unsalted butter when I cook or bake to control the sodium content.
- Herbs — The chicken piccata is finished with a classic garnish of minced fresh parsley. To elevate the dish, you could also add a teaspoon or two of minced fresh thyme.
- Seasonings – Only coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper were used.
How to Make Chicken Piccata
Slice the chicken breasts in half width-wise and gently pound them in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap so that they are about a ½” thick.
Coat the chicken breasts in salt and pepper seasoned flour until coated and pat off any excess flour.
Pan sear the chicken breasts in olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and set them aside.
Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and quickly sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and add in the capers.
Squeeze in lemon juice and cook until the liquid is almost gone or, “au sec.”
Remove the pan from the burner and stir in the butter, moving the pan in a circular motion to make a beurre blanc sauce.
Finish the sauce with parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can precook the chicken, but you will not be able to make the sauce ahead of time as it will break.
How to Store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and keep frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating.
How To Reheat: You can place the chicken in the sauce back into a pan and heat over low heat until hot.
chef notes + tips
- If your sauce breaks add some cold heavy cream to help emulsify it back together.
- You do not need to flour the chicken ahead of time if you want to keep this gluten-free.
- You can use a spoon or whisk to mix the butter to the sauce at the end.
- Try pounding out the chicken in a plastic zip bag 2 at a time if that is easier.
- Try serving this with pasta, mashed potatoes, over polenta, or risotto.
More Chicken Recipes
Video
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled small diced shallot
- 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup capers
- juice of 1 lemon, about 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pads
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- coarse salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise.
- Place them in between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap or in a large plastic zip bag and gently pound them with a mallet until they are about a ½” thick. Set aside.
- Add the flour to a bowl, season very well with salt and pepper, and mix.
- Coat the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour and pat off any excess flour. Set on a plate.
- Add the olive oil to a large frying pan over high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke very lightly, add in the chicken breasts and immediately turn the heat down to medium.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned and halfway cooked through and flip over.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 4-5 minutes or until cooked throughout.
- Remove the chicken breasts and set them aside.
- Add the shallots and garlic to the pan where the chicken was cooked and saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until very lightly browned over low to medium heat.
- Add in the wine, capers, and juice of ½ lemon and cook until the liquid is almost gone or about 1-2 tablespoons are left.
- Remove from the heat and add in the butter and swirl the pan in a circular motion until completely melted.
- Finish with parsley, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt, and pepper and pour over the cooked chicken breasts and serve.
My results using this recipe were absolutely delicous – better than anything I’ve had in restaurants. I can’t wait to make it for guests. Despite being my first attempt at a butter sauce, it didn’t break thanks to your clear instructions. A new tool in my cooking toolbox! Thanks Billy!
– Ted
Fantastic! Thank you!
Billy,
This recipe is wonderful. I want to make it for a buffet for 12-14 people, but I need to transport it to the destination, which would be about an hour away. Your make-ahead notes say the chicken can be cooked ahead, but the sauce can’t, because it will break. Yet, left overs can be reheated….
What is your advice for making this transportable and make-ahead? Would I need to make the sauce at the destination?
Thanks much!
-Mike
Yes I would make it at the destination. Reheat instructions can provide some guidance but it’s almost always impossible to ever get things back to their fresh state. You could try to whisk in a little slurry to thicken the sauce back up if it breaks.
Love this recipe! It’s my go to for chicken picata. So easy, so flavorful… I live it with “shook’em up potatoes” and seasonal veggies. Ready in no time. A sure crowd pleaser! I highly recommend! Give it a go! Thank you Billy!
my pleasure!