Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (2024)

Jump to RecipeRate Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.

The bright flavor of lemon juice and the brininess of capers come together in the best way in this Chicken Piccata recipe. It is easy to make for a weeknight dinner but special enough to serve to company!

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (1)

About 2 weeks ago, I spoke the following words into the universe: “Wow, we made it through winter without being sick.”

Big mistake.

Less than 2 days later, Elle had a raging fever for almost 5 days which was accompanied by a hacking cough, bloodshot eyes and a literal snot-fest.

Then it hit me. Hard.

I’m not talking about a little cold, Mama can handle that.

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (2)

I’m talking ramen-noodle-eating-in-bed, binge-watching-Golden-Girls, sleeping-18-hours-a-day sick.

My teeth hurt and it was painful to even wash my face because my sinuses were so inflamed.

I pretty much sustained life on Cup O’Noodles, orange popsicles and Sprite for 3 days.

I don’t think I’ve had ramen noodles since college, but you guys, that stuff is legit. I’m kind of obsessed with it now and even contemplated buying a case of it from Amazon, but I refrained.

Needless to say, I wasn’t cooking or baking much the past couple of weeks, but I’m back at it and sharing one of favorite weeknight meals with you.

I’ve been making Chicken Piccata for years and this recipe was actually on my blog from way back in 2010 and let’s just say it needed a little refresh!

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (3)

WHAT IS CHICKEN PICCATA

I have to be honest that the first time I made Chicken Piccata, I had never even tried Chicken Piccata before but knew I would love it.

Why? Lemons and capers are my jam, ok?

Chicken Piccata is made from thin, butterflied chicken breasts that are lightly dredged in flour and pan fried. You then make a delicious pan sauce using lemon juice and capers.

Oh, and butter. You can’t forget the butter!

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (4)

CHICKEN PICCATA RECIPE

This Chicken Piccata recipe has all of these traditional elements, but I also add two flavorful ingredients: minced garlic and white wine.

Honestly, I don’t really drink much but even I knew that wine was a no-brainer here. It adds great depth of flavor to the sauce and marries perfectly with the lemon.

And do I really need to justify adding a clove of garlic?

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (5)

One of the things we like best about this recipes is that it uses butterflied chicken breasts. We definitely prefer thin cuts of chicken in our house, so this recipe is perfect for us.

I know that adding herbs to the top of a dish can feel like a waste of time or simply a fancy garnish. But I promise that adding a sprinkle of chopped parsley over the top of this Chicken Piccata really brightens up the whole dish. It’s a flavor you don’t want to skip.

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (6)

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN PICCATA

We really like to serve Chicken Piccata with pasta. Angel hair noodles tossed with butter and some extra chopped parsley is hard to beat.

If you don’t want to serve pasta with yours, potatoes would be great here, too. Mashed or roasted potatoes would soak up the extra sauce and compliment the chicken nicely.

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (7)

And don’t forget your veggies! We like green beans since they go so well with lemon and capers, but peas, asparagus, broccoli, or even a gorgeous green salad (like tomato and mozzarella salad or strawberry salad)are great options, too.

No matter how you serve Chicken Piccata, I can promise this recipe will be a new family favorite! Serve it for a weeknight dinner or dress it up for company. It’ll be a recipe you’ll come back to time and again.

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (8)

Chicken Piccata

By: Jamie

4.36 from 14 votes

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (9)

SavePinPrint

The bright flavor of lemon juice and the brininess of capers come together in the best way in this Chicken Piccata recipe. It is easy to make for a weeknight dinner but special enough to serve to company

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts butterflied and then cut in half
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • All-purpose flour for dredging
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 2 tablespoons brined capers rinsed
  • cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper. 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. 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.

  • Immediately add minced garlic to the pan and mix until fragrant. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock, wine and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra 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.

  • Serve on top of angel hair pasta if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 559kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 271mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

You may also like

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

The Best Garlic Knots

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Chicken Piccata: Easy Dinner Recipe | My Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between chicken francese and chicken picatta? ›

You may be wondering what the difference is between this recipe and Chicken Francese. While they are somewhat similar, in Chicken Francese, the cutlets are dipped into flour and then eggs. Chicken Piccata cutlets are dipped in flour only and the recipe calls for capers and cream. They are both easy and good!

What do Italians eat with chicken piccata? ›

What to Serve With Chicken Piccata? Top Side Dishes You Shouldn't Miss
  1. Roasted Asparagus. For a side dish that's as elegant as it is easy, consider roasted asparagus. ...
  2. Sauteed Cauliflower and Mushrooms.
  3. Sauteed Spinach. ...
  4. Mashed Potatoes. ...
  5. Dinner Rolls. ...
  6. Roasted Brussels Sprouts. ...
  7. Lemon Garlic Herb Rice. ...
  8. Garlic Butter Bread.

What does chicken piccata mean in Italian? ›

Piccata, though, is an Italian word meaning larded. It seems to be a translation of the French word pique (sharp, as in piquant). When used in a reference to a way of preparing food (particularly meat or fish) it means sliced and sauteed in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices.

What is chicken piccata sauce made of? ›

What Is Chicken Piccata? Chicken piccata is nothing more than chicken breast cutlets, dredged in flour, browned, and served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers, and either stock or white wine.

What is the French version of piccata? ›

“Francese and piccata are very similar. The difference between the two is for Francese, the chicken breast is first dipped in flour, then into a beaten egg mixture, before being cooked. For piccata, the chicken is first dipped in egg and then in flour.

What does piccata mean in Italian? ›

Word History

Etymology. Italian, slice of sautéed veal flavored with lemon and parsley, from piccata, feminine of piccato, past participle of piccare to lard (meat), probably from French piquer, literally, to prick.

What is the difference between chicken Milanese and piccata? ›

yes, breaded… fried then finished with sautéed mushrooms, wine, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Look…if you add capers…it's piccata…if you bread the chicken…it's Milanese (or Milanesa).

Why is my chicken piccata bitter? ›

I also found the whole lemon slices included in many traditional recipes left my sauce with a bitter aftertaste from the lemon's pith. To avoid this, but maintain the acidic brightness this dish depends on, I added a bit of white wine to the sauce instead of lemon slices.

What ethnicity is chicken piccata? ›

Chicken piccata is a traditional Italian dish that hails from the region of Sicily. The word "piccata" refers to the cooking method, which involves thinly sliced meat, typically veal or chicken, that is dredged in flour, sautéed, and served with a sauce made with lemon juice, butter, and capers.

Is chicken scallopini the same as chicken piccata? ›

Piccata refers to a sauce (made with lemon, capers, broth, and butter) that's often partnered with chicken, while scallopini refers to the method for preparing the chicken. Chicken scallopini can be finished with piccata sauce, or another sauce.

What does the word broccoli mean in Italian? ›

The word “broccoli” comes from the Italian plural of. broccolo, which means “the flowering crest of a. cabbage”, and is the diminutive form of brocco, meaning “small nail” or “sprout.”

What can you use in chicken piccata instead of capers? ›

What's the Best Substitute for Capers? Try These 9 Ideas
  • Green olives. They're salty, they're acidic, they're savory, they're buried somewhere in your fridge—what more can you ask for? ...
  • Lemon. What a difference a squeeze of fresh lemon makes. ...
  • Pickles. ...
  • Green peppercorns. ...
  • Thyme. ...
  • Caper berries. ...
  • Artichoke hearts. ...
  • Anchovies.
Apr 15, 2020

How do you thicken chicken piccata sauce? ›

How to thicken piccata sauce without flour
  1. Make a slurry with 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch and 1/2 cup COLD chicken stock.
  2. Add this after adding the 2 cups chicken stock.
  3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce to a simmer.
  4. Add chicken, lemon juice, and capers to sauce.
Nov 15, 2021

What can I use in chicken piccata instead of white wine? ›

Broth. Chicken or vegetable broth can be a flavorful replacement for white wine. You can even swap it in equal amounts (go for low-sodium broth so your dish doesn't end up too salty). Just keep in mind that broth won't add any acidity, so you might want to add a touch of white vinegar to achieve a similar tang.

Which is healthier chicken francese or chicken piccata? ›

Chicken Piccata has the least saturated fat per 100 grams. Chicken Francese has the least sodium per 100 grams. Chicken Francese has the least cholesterol per 100 grams.

What is another name for chicken piccata? ›

Scaloppine dishes are some of the most quintessential everyday secondi piatti in the Italian repertoire. Thin slices of meat are lightly floured then quickly sautéed in a skillet, which is deglazed with wine to form a quick and tasty sauce.

Is Chicken French the same as chicken francese? ›

Chicken Francese, Chicken Française, Chicken Francois or Chicken French is an Italian-American dish of flour-dredged, egg-dipped, sautéed chicken cutlets with a lemon-butter and white wine sauce.

Does chicken piccata contain wine? ›

Most chicken piccata dishes are made with chicken breasts or cutlets, though they can be prepared with any cut of chicken. The piccata sauce always contains lemon juice and often also contains white wine and sauteed garlic or shallots. Topping the dish with lemon slices, capers, and fresh parsley is customary.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Horacio Brakus JD

Last Updated:

Views: 6297

Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Horacio Brakus JD

Birthday: 1999-08-21

Address: Apt. 524 43384 Minnie Prairie, South Edda, MA 62804

Phone: +5931039998219

Job: Sales Strategist

Hobby: Sculling, Kitesurfing, Orienteering, Painting, Computer programming, Creative writing, Scuba diving

Introduction: My name is Horacio Brakus JD, I am a lively, splendid, jolly, vivacious, vast, cheerful, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.