Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe (Plus VIDEO)

This easy Chicken Piccata recipe is crispy, buttery chicken breasts dredged in a well-seasoned flour mixture, pan-fried, and simmered in a tasty lemony white wine piccata sauce with capers. It’s so beautiful, it’s delicious, and it’s easy to make – what’s not to love?

Contents… What is Chicken Piccata? Chicken Piccata Ingredients Alternative Ingredients Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage FAQs What Goes with Easy Chicken Piccata More Easy Chicken Recipes How to Make Easy Chicken Piccata Watch How To Make It

If you’re finding yourself feeling a little bored with the stand-by chicken meals lately, then this is the perfect dish to add to your repertoire.

It’s super flavorful and, despite how easy it is to make, it looks and smells incredibly fancy when you plate it. It’s the perfect way to treat someone you love to a special homecooked meal.

What is Chicken Piccata?

Piccata is the Italian feminine word for piccato which means larded. In French, it translates the word pique, which refers to meat or fish that is sliced, dredged in flour, browned, and served in a lemony, buttery sauce that usually has capers.

Traditionally, Italian families are big fans of veal piccata. It’s more common here in the U.S. to see the chicken version on restaurant menus. It features thinly sliced, or butterflied chicken breasts later coated in a flour mixture and browned.

Chicken Piccata Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour – Once again, flour proves it isn’t just for baking, and this ingredient gives the chicken that crispy, golden-brown coating.
• Italian Seasoning – This ensemble of dried herbs brings out those classic Italian flavors.
• Onion Powder – This dried seasoning distributes a rich onion flavor over the chicken breasts.
• Garlic Powder – Aromatic and flavorful, dried garlic also coats and flavors the meat.
• Chicken Breast – This chicken cut is composed of white meat and is very low in fat content.
• Salt and Pepper – This classic duo heightens flavors and adds a warm and subtle hint of heat.
• Unsalted Butter – Moist and flavorful, this kind of butter comes sans salt, so you control the salt content in the dish.
• Oil – Regular, flavorless cooking oil will give your cooked chicken breast a crispy outer layer.
• Onion – The sharp tang of onions adds much in the way of flavor to this classic dish.
• Garlic – This ingredient is already potent, but when you mince a fresh clove of garlic, it releases an abundance of aroma and flavor.
• White Wine – White wine pairs perfectly with white meat. Most of the alcohol will evaporate during the cooking process, leaving a subtle layer of flavor behind.
• Chicken Stock – This flavorful liquid made from simmering chicken in water is packed with nutrition, creating a remarkable sauce base.
• Lemon Juice – This adds a much-needed bright and citrusy flavor, balancing the dish’s taste.
• Capers – These pickled flower buds come from Flinders rose, and they are briny and salty with a tangy flavor.
• Parsley – A beautiful herb that makes other flavors stand out and shine.

Alternative Ingredients

• White Wine – Replace white wine with the same amount of chicken stock for an alcohol-free chicken piccata.
• Chicken – As mentioned above, an Italian cook would recommend making this dish with veal, but fish would also work well.
• Chicken Stock – If you are out of chicken stock, use vegetable stock instead.

Tips and Tricks

1. Freezing the chicken breasts for about 10-15 minutes before slicing them firms them enough to make the process easier.

2. Be patient and avoid adding thickeners to your sauce. It will thicken with time. If, for some reason, it doesn’t, mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of water until you no longer see any lumps. Then slowly pour it into the center of the pan while the sauce is boiling and whisk it in until thoroughly blended. Only use this as a last resort, though.

3. Capers are optional in chicken piccata, but they are definitely a great addition. You can buy them in small jars in your local grocery store’s Italian or pickled foods section. Go easy on them if you’ve never tried them before; they pack an intense flavor punch.

4. Adding white wine to this recipe lends another subtle layer of flavor. I usually go with a good-quality white wine, like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can make chicken piccata one day ahead and reheat it in the oven when you’re ready to serve it. Keep in mind that reheating will somewhat affect the crispy outer layer of the chicken. This dish really is best served fresh.

You could also pan-fry the chicken ahead and store it in the fridge. On the day of serving, make the sauce and add the chicken back to the pan, giving it time to reheat and crisp up.

Serving and Storage

Chicken Piccata is best served immediately with loads of freshly grated parmesan on top. Serve it over pasta doused in the white wine sauce. Yum!

If you’ve got any leftover Chicken Piccata, you can store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Then reheat in the microwave or stovetop in a pan with a lid. To reheat on the stove, just keep your pan on low until the chicken is heated.

FAQs

What Goes with Easy Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata tastes best, in my opinion, served over a nice plate of pasta. It’s also pretty amazing with some roast garlic mashed potatoes or even steaming white rice. You’ll also want to serve it with some fresh bread, which you can use to mop up the sauce. 🤤 Try my homemade breadsticks, garlic bread, or focaccia to strengthen the Italian vibe.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Fricassee
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken (with video)
• Chicken Divan
• Southern Fried Chicken (with video)
• Chicken Marsala

How to Make Easy Chicken Piccata

Cook the Chicken

• Mix the Seasonings – Whisk together flour, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder in a medium shallow bowl.
• Prepare the Chicken – Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shake off any excess, and set aside.

• Heat the Pan – Heat a tablespoon of butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Pan-Fry the Chicken – When the butter has melted, add the chicken working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
• Flip the Chicken – Cook, flipping once, until golden and cooked through – about 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on the chicken’s thickness.
• Set Aside – Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat the process for the remaining pieces, adding more oil if needed.

Make the Sauce

• Heat the Butter – When you’ve finished with the chicken, melt another tablespoon of butter in the same pan.
• Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about a minute or two.
• Add the wine, chicken stock, and lemon juice and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.
• Thicken the Sauce – Cook until wine almost evaporates, occasionally stirring, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the capers.
• Home Stretch – Add the remaining butter, allow it to melt, and stir it into the sauce.
• Adust Seasonings – Do a taste test, then adjust salt and pepper as needed.
• Final Touches – Return the chicken to the pan, including its juice, and simmer about 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Garnish – If desired, garnish with parsley and serve immediately with pasta and parmesan cheese.

Watch How To Make It

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