What Is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a dish made from thinly-pounded cuts of chicken. The chicken is floured and then fried in either butter or olive oil. The chicken is removed, then a sauce is made from lemon juice, broth or wine, and capers. The sauce is often finished with butter.
Why I Made It
I’ve wanted to try it for a while since the flavor profile seemed appealing. However, I’ve never gotten a chance to order it from a restaurant.
I’m not sure how it compares to a restaurant, but I thought this was quite good.
Ingredients You Need to Make It
You’ll need chicken, lemon juice, chicken stock/broth, and capers. You’ll also need a few pantry staples (like flour) that you’re very likely to have already.
Best Chicken for Chicken Piccata
Most people seem to use boneless skinless chicken breast. However, I find thighs much easier to work with, and just as tasty – if not more so.
They require less pounding, which is the most difficult part of the whole recipe. They also don’t need to be cut before being flattened, which is nice.
Lemon Juice: Fresh or Bottled?
I recommend using a fresh lemon and juicing it yourself. Not only will it have better flavor, but the recipe calls for 1 lemon’s worth of juice.
Since I’m not sure how much juice that would be, I can’t give an ingredient amount for the bottled stuff.
Do I Really Need to Use Capers?
I don’t want to say “yes,” but I’m not sure how this would be without them. Olives can have a similar brine-y flavor, but I’ve never made this with olives.
If you must, you can try making this with olives. However, don’t try leaving the capers/olives out completely; they’re integral to the dish’s overall flavor.
Why You Should Make It
If you’ve never had it before, I think it’s worth experiencing this unique flavor profile. It’s also fairly quick to make and is quite easy, aside from flattening the chicken.
Of course, it’s also very tasty.
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
A small side salad would be a great pairing. You could even cut up the chicken and have it in the salad!
This would also be great on noodles, or next to a small bowl of pasta or pasta salad.
Conclusion and Recipe
Below I’ve listed the ingredients, ingredient amounts, and steps for making this chicken piccata. If you like this recipe, consider following me on WordPress or Pinterest.
For another great chicken recipe, check out my chicken fried chicken.
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, flattened*
2 Tbsps olive oil, 28 grams
1/2 cup flour, 63 grams
1 tsp kosher salt, divided, 6 grams total
1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 grams
1 cup chicken stock or broth, 240 grams
1 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed, 15 grams
The juice from 1 fresh lemon
2 Tbsps unsalted butter, 28 grams
Preparation
Preheat a large pan over medium heat. In the meantime, coat your chicken in the seasoned flour**.
Add the oil and floured chicken to the pan; cook for 4-6 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add your capers, lemon juice and broth to the pan and stir. Add your chicken and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half***.
Remove chicken, turn off the heat, then stir in your butter. To serve, pour sauce over chicken.
Notes
* You can do this with either a meat tenderizer or something like a heavy skillet. I don’t have an exact thickness to aim for, but about half the original thickness should be about right.
** This would be the flour, pepper, and half the salt. Put the remaining salt directly on the chicken, before flouring.
*** You’ll also want to be sure your chicken is cooked through by the end. It probably is, but I recommend double checking it with an instant-read thermometer.
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