What is piccata? Piccata is a way of preparing meat. Meat is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a delicious sauce. Piccata originated in Italy using veal. Since I can’t bring myself to eat veal, chicken is the way I roll. It’s a super easy, week-night, one pan dinner (this makes me very happy during clean up time).
Pan fried chicken with a fresh lemon, butter and caper sauce, what’s not to love? It’s a comforting, company-worthy meal that reheats wonderfully. The chicken is so moist. You get a nice nutty luxurious flavor you’ve come to know from the butter and a fresh tartness from the lemon and capers. I could eat a whole jar of capers. I could also eat a whole jar of green olives, but I am in no way normal, so please don’t try this at home. Instead, try something totally normal, like making this delicious Chicken Piccata recipe.
Start off by butterflying two chicken breasts and cutting in half so you have 4 pieces. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour into a shallow bowl, and dredge the chicken in the flour.
Shake off the excess.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter starts to bubble, add in 2 chicken breast pieces and cook on one side for 3-5 minutes until they start to brown. Adding olive oil to butter increases the smoke point of the butter so you can cook at higher heats without setting off the smoke alarms.
Flip and repeat on the other side. Once the chicken is browned and cooked through, set aside on a plate. Add a little more butter and oil and repeat the process with the other 2 chicken breast pieces.
Into the skillet, add in lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Bring to a boil. Be sure to scrape all the little brown bits off the bottom of the pan. There’s a lot of flavor here!
Once boiling, add all the chicken breast pieces back into the skillet, turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Turn off heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter.
Whisk like you mean it!
Look at that gorgeous chicken!
Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle on some fresh parsley. Buon Appetito!
Hope you all have a fabulous week. Here’s your handy printable!
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup capers, rinsed
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Put the flour into a shallow bowl, and dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Once the butter starts to bubble, add in 2 chicken breast pieces and cook on one side for 3-5 minutes until they start to brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Once the chicken is browned and cooked through, set aside on a plate. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and repeat the process with the other 2 chicken breast pieces.
- Into the skillet, add in lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Bring to a boil. Be sure to scrape all the little brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Once boiling, add all the chicken breast pieces back into the skillet, turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter.
- Turn off heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Whisk in vigorously.
- Pour sauce over the chicken and sprinkle fresh parsley over the top.
I love everything from cake to kale. Life is all about balance. I like to live, laugh and love to the fullest! Our time is too short not to enjoy ourselves.
Yum
Thank you 🙂
Hahaha! :)))) As I read your post, I was once again finishing the jar of green olives (my favorite ones)… just a light and delicious snack before dinner. 🙂 Have fabulous week too! Xoxo
Ha! Great minds think alike 😉
This looks great! I love capers!! I never knew that picata could be done with veal since you see it with chicken so much. I wish veal was easier to get fresh, but chicken will definitely do! 🙂
Thanks Debbie!
How did you know I had chicken breast thawing out today? lol. I was thinking of just grilling them but now that I see this recipe, I think all of that is about to change. This looks delicious.
Good timing! Thank you 🙂
So pretty!! My hubs does the same! I seriously can never keep enough olives on hand for his snacking tendencies 🙂
Thanks! Ha, good to know I’m not alone here 🙂