Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
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- 2 each lemons – juiced (about 0.25 cup)
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts – sliced into 4 cutlets and pounded 0.25 inch thick (~4 n/a chicken breasts)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons capers – rinsed
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped
Instructions
1. Juice the lemons to yield about 0.25 cup and set the juice aside; discard seeds, 3–5 minutes.
2. Prepare the chicken breasts: cut into 4 even cutlets, pound to 0.25 inch thickness, pat dry, then season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper, 5–7 minutes.
3. Place the all-purpose flour in a shallow dish and dredge the cutlets, shaking off the excess so only a thin, even coating remains, 2–3 minutes.
4. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams, 1–2 minutes. Sear the cutlets until golden and just cooked through, 2–3 minutes per side; transfer to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil. Reserve the remaining 2 tablespoons butter for finishing.
5. Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up browned bits, and simmer to reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes. Add the low-sodium chicken broth and simmer until the sauce looks slightly syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, 3–4 minutes.
6. Stir in the reserved lemon juice and the capers; simmer to marry flavors, 1 minute. Return the cutlets and any juices to the pan and heat through, turning once, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat, swirl in the reserved butter and the flat-leaf parsley until glossy, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, spooning sauce over the cutlets.
Chicken piccata is a quick sauté of thin chicken cutlets finished in a bright, briny lemon-caper butter sauce. The flour-dusted meat sears to a delicate golden crust that stays tender while soaking up a glossy pan reduction. Each bite balances citrusy tang, gentle richness, and the pop of capers, making it equally at home with simple sides or a glass of crisp white wine.
Though piccata is an Italian technique traditionally applied to veal, the chicken version rose to fame in Italian-American kitchens and restaurants. The combination of lemon, butter, and capers evokes southern Italian flavors while adapting to the prevalence of chicken in American markets. Over time it became a beloved standard, often served as scaloppine-style cutlets, and now appears on menus and tables worldwide as a hallmark of Italian-American comfort with classic Italian sensibilities.