Chicken piccata is a classic Italian American dish known for it’s signature lemon butter and caper sauce. It is a quick, restaurant quality dinner made from the comfort of your own home even on a busy weeknight. This is one of the first recipes my dad taught me to make so it holds a special meaning for me. I make this recipe pretty regularly and sadly there are never any leftovers – my family absolutely loves it.
Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, paprika and adobo (red top) for seasoning – to taste
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Half a lemon – sliced thin then halved
1 cup chicken stock
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup Madeira wine
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Season chicken with salt and pepper, paprika and adobo. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. The oil keeps the butter from burning and gives it a nice flavor. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
Into the pan add the lemon juice, madeira wine, chicken stock, minced garlic, lemon slices and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. If I am making a veggie (I usually make broccoli or asparagus) – I let it cook right in the sauce during this step. It gives the veggies an amazing flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.
Chicken Piccata can be served over rice or pasta or with a side veggie for a low-carb option. This dish is easy, delicious & packed with flavor. For more recipes – follow me on Pinterest! Let me know in the comments if you try it out! Happy cooking!!
This looks fabulous. Will try it this week! Yum
Awesome! Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how you like it!
Chicken Picatta is new to me. But from the list of ingredients, it would be interesting to savor the different flavors. Capers are salty and acidic so I think they would add an interesting flavor to the sauce. Thanks for sharing.
It’s really good! Hope you try it! Thanks for stopping by!
Is there something I could substitute for capers? I can’t wait to try this recipe with my family!
You can leave the capers off if you wish or you can substitute with olives. Thanks for stopping by!