Tag Archives: Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

Pan fried chicken in a sauce which is a combination of butter, fresh lemon juice, oil and capers and a little chicken broth and the perfect amount of lemon and lemon zest! This chicken dish is super easy and super fast to make for dinner I don’t add cream because I find it rich enough with the little butter and oil in it. If no broth use a dry white wine like pinot grigio. Always use fresh lemon though and the zest for that extra brightness and zing. Capers add the briny salty deliciousness which balances it all out. If you’re in with all these ingredients then here you go.

One more thing– of course you can buy chicken breasts in supermarket and slice in 1/2 and pound, I feel it’s worth the extra $$ to go to butcher and have them slice and pound . A lot of supermarkets have butchers which will be happy to do this so you can ask. I know Whole Foods will.

I served alongside brown basmati rice but any rice or pasta will do or mashed potatoes or a simple parmesan arugula salad, you get it. I had fresh asparagus on hand so used that but any green will do.

Enjoy! and your welcome

Ingredients:

1 – 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets –this was actually 4 cutlets perfect for the two of us with a little left over.

Kosher Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Garlic powder

Flour–enough to dredge 4 pieces of chicken –I use a flat plate to dredge

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter -divided

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/4 -1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine

1 Lemon juiced and zest of 1 lemon –I used an average size lemon a little bigger won’t hurt but not smaller

1 Tablespoon brined capers – drained

Directions:

I take chicken and pat dry and generously sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder

Heat 2 Tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large enough skillet over medium high heat — I only did 4 cutlets otherwise you’ll have to do in batches — and add more butter /olive oil/broth/lemon juice etc. basically just do the sauce again for more cutlets

Once the pan is hot, cook the chicken pieces for about 4-5 minutes per side until golden and set aside on a separate plate

Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken broth or wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining butter and capers to the skillet , you’ll de glaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits

I then return pan to medium high heat and add a very little bit of flour to thicken and once it’s bubbling again add chicken back into the pan –you may want to add a little broth as well depends on how reduced sauce is — I added a little bit more — if sauce thickens too much add wine or broth

Add the chicken to sauce and cook for another 4-5 minutes and that’s it

*this was good for the two of us with one cutlet left over

serve hot with whatever sides you like and Enjoy!

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Chicken Piccata – simply done

If you’re looking for something to make for dinner this is a great choice. Pretty easy , not a lot of exotic ingredients and the final product is well worth the effort.  I happen to have 1 package (a little less than 1 lb. of thin chicken cutlets) , lemons, flour, chicken stock, capers, and I even had fresh parsley! ( which if you don’t have is no biggie) I had mushrooms in the fridge, so decided to cook them up as well, added some rice pilaf to serve alongside and we were good to go. What I couldn’t believe was how quickly this meal assembled and how beautiful and delicious it was. In about 45 minutes we were sitting and eating, the kitchen was a disaster but the meal was great! Originally inspired from Giada de Laurentis, thanks Giada.

Cooking Notes for Doubling Recipe:

This recipe served the 2 of us generously, I made this with about 1 lb. of thin sliced chicken cutlets, you’ll have to play with amounts if you double.When you do double don’t double capers, I would increase chicken broth , lemon juice, olive oil, and I would increase butter and olive oil but just as I needed, you’ll be able to tell when you cook up the first batch of chicken,  you’ll add butter and olive oil probably for the third batch of chicken . Add as needed, a little at a time.

Ingredients:

1 package of thin sliced chicken cutlets (as close to a pound as you can get)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

All purpose flour, for dredging ( just put flour on a plate ,there is no set amount , if you need more add as you go) to dredge just place cutlet in flour on both sides, and shake off any excess

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup brined capers, drained and rinsed off (most capers are sold in brine or salt, buy the brined ones) and just put in a small strainer and rinse off before adding.

a sprinkling of fresh parsley , chopped

Directions:

Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off any excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle up, add chicken (as much as you can in pan with plenty of room around each piece) you can do it in as many batches as necessary. It took 2 batches for me. Make sure the chicken browns up nicely, so let it sit for at least 4 minutes on each side. If pan is hot enough this should be good, be careful not to burn oil. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate when it is finished.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and rinsed off capers, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.  Lower heat to a simmer and place chicken back in the pan, mine all fit because it was just 1 lb. If you need to you can do this in 2 steps for more chicken, you will do this for a few minutes on each side, just to get sauce on both sides and make sure chicken is cooked through.  I then plated chicken, gave the sauce in the pan a good whisk, and poured a little sauce over chicken and I garnished with very thin slices of lemon and fresh parsley. I served with rice and mushrooms, and would have been perfect with asparagus, but no time and didn’t have in house.

Chicken Piccata – simply done

We went to the movies the other day in the late afternoon. We saw “Darling Companion” , cast was great and I’ll go see anything with Kevin Kline and Diane Keaton, directed by Lawrence Kasdan.  Didn’t feel like going back out to eat dinner, so looked what I had in the house. I happen to have 1 package (a little less than 1 lb. of thin chicken cutlets) , lemons, flour, chicken stock, capers, and I even had fresh parsley! ( which if you don’t have is no biggie) I had mushrooms in the fridge, so decided to cook them up as well, with rice pilaf we were good to go. What I couldn’t believe was how quickly this meal assembled and how beautiful and delicious it was. In about 45 minutes we were sitting and eating, the kitchen was a disaster but the meal was great! Originally inspired from Giada de Laurentis, thanks Giada.

Cooking Notes for Doubling Recipe:

This recipe served the 2 of us generously, I made this with about 1 lb. of thin sliced chicken cutlets, you’ll have to play with amounts if you double.When you do double don’t double capers, I would increase chicken broth , lemon juice, olive oil, and I would increase butter and olive oil but just as I needed, you’ll be able to tell when you cook up the first batch of chicken,  you’ll add butter and olive oil probably for the third batch of chicken . Add as needed, a little at a time.

Ingredients:

1 package of thin sliced chicken cutlets (as close to a pound as you can get)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

All purpose flour, for dredging ( just put flour on a plate ,there is no set amount , if you need more add as you go) to dredge just place cutlet in flour on both sides, and shake off any excess

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup brined capers, drained and rinsed off (most capers are sold in brine or salt, buy the brined ones) and just put in a small strainer and rinse off before adding.

a sprinkling of fresh parsley , chopped

Directions:

Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off any excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle up, add chicken (as much as you can in pan with plenty of room around each piece) you can do it in as many batches as necessary. It took 2 batches for me. Make sure the chicken browns up nicely, so let it sit for at least 4 minutes on each side. If pan is hot enough this should be good, be careful not to burn oil. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate when it is finished.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and rinsed off capers, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.  Lower heat to a simmer and place chicken back in the pan, mine all fit because it was just 1 lb. If you need to you can do this in 2 steps for more chicken, you will do this for a few minutes on each side, just to get sauce on both sides and make sure chicken is cooked through.  I then plated chicken, gave the sauce in the pan a good whisk, and poured a little sauce over chicken and I garnished with very thin slices of lemon and fresh parsley. I served with rice and mushrooms, and would have been perfect with asparagus, but no time and didn’t have in house.