My favorite chicken dinner is this unbelievably delicious chicken piccata. It's a twist on the traditional recipe which takes it up a notch. It's savory, satisfying and the best make-ahead meal!
This recipe comes straight from my mama's kitchen.
This chicken piccata is my absolute favorite. If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life, THIS would it— not exaggerating one bit either. It's a twist on the traditional but that's what makes it SO good.
The recipe was made often growing up, whether it was for a holiday or dinner during the week. I can't remember a time without this meal. I asked my mama for the recipe a few weeks ago and we decided to make it together that weekend.
If it's not the tender juicy chicken, it's the herb lemon sauce with capers for sure. Now that I gave you that history lesson, let's talk about why you'll love this recipe.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Piccata Recipe
- Incredible flavor
- Made in 1 pan
- Comforting & satisfying
- Can feed an army
- Perfect for leftovers
- Twist on a classic— making it even better!
Ingredients For Chicken Piccata
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a twist on the traditional chicken piccata so you'll see some different ingredients.
- Chicken: It's best to use chicken breast that is sliced very thinly. Don't worry, I'll walk you through how to do this.
- Mushrooms: Use your favorite type of mushrooms. I love baby bella mushrooms so that's what I use.
- Artichokes: You want quartered artichokes in water. These are normally in a can. If you can't find quartered, just buy whole or halved and cut them.
- Wine: It's best to use a dry white wine for the best flavor. There's no need to get an expensive wine— an $8 bottle is fine.
- Capers: The capers add flavor to the sauce.
- Flour: The flour plays two roles in this recipe. It's the breading for the chicken and it helps thicken the sauce. The recipe calls for all-purpose flour but you can also use whole wheat if you prefer.
- Olive Oil & Butter: These are both for flavor.
- Chicken Broth: The chicken broth is the base of the sauce.
- Lemon: Adding the lemon gives it brightness.
- Garlic: Flavor.
- Parsley: Using fresh parsley is key. It not only adds flavor but also freshness to the dish.
- Salt & Pepper: Flavor.
5 Steps To Make Chicken Piccata
By looking at it, it might seem like making chicken piccata is complicated, but it's not. Here's quick overview with more detailed steps in the recipe below. I highly recommend reading the recipe entirely before starting.
- Thinly Slice the Chicken: You want to make sure that the chicken is sliced thin. Start by butterflying the chicken and then shaving off pieces of the chicken. You want to make sure the chicken pieces are even in thickness. This is shown in the photos above.
- Coat the Chicken: You'll coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture. Make sure you shake off the excess flour.
- Cook the Chicken: In a large skillet, you will cook the chicken in batches. Don't crowd the pan— for a 12-inch skillet, I add about 5-6 pieces of chicken. You want to lightly brown each side of the chicken. Because the chicken is thinly sliced it only takes 4-6 minutes total. As the chicken is cooked, place it onto a dish while you cook the rest.
- Make the Sauce: Once all the chicken is cooked, add the butter, garlic and capers to the skillet. Let them cook for a few minutes . Then, add in the wine, chicken broth and lemon juice. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
- Combine Everything Together: Add the chicken, mushrooms and artichokes to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. The flour from the chicken will thicken the sauce.
5 Success Tips
After making this recipe nearly 100 times— honestly probably more— mama has success tips for you.
- Use Cold Chicken: It's much easier to slice the chicken thin when it's very cold. Take it out from the refrigerator right before you're ready.
- Thinly Sliced Chicken: Using thinly sliced chicken breast not only decreases the cook time but it also provides a very tender, juicy chicken.
- Shake Off the Excess Flour: When coating the chicken, be sure to shake off the excess flour before adding it to the pan/
- Lightly Brown Chicken: You don't want to brown the chicken too much. The chicken shouldn't be crispy.
- Press Down Capers: The capers have a ton of flavor. When adding them to the pan, press down on them with the back of a spatula to release more of their juices.
What To Serve With Chicken Piccata
- Pasta: Growing up it was often served over pasta tossed in garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs. You can also serve it over buttered pasta.
- Rice or Quinoa: It's delicious over a bed of brown rice, white rice or quinoa with fresh herbs.
- Vegetables: Serve it with your favorite vegetables like broccoli, string beans, etc.
- Garlic Bread: You can never go wrong with garlic bread. Plus, you can soak up that sauce with it!
I hope this recipe brings as much comfort to your home as it does to ours!
Unbelievable Chicken Piccata
Description
My favorite chicken dinner is this unbelievably delicious chicken piccata. It's a twist on the traditional recipe which takes it up a notch. It's savory, satisfying and the best make-ahead meal!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced and halved
- 1 15-ounce can quartered artichokes
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Instructions
- Before starting I highly recommend reading the recipe through entirely and looking at the photos in the post to see how to make this.
- Slice the Chicken: You want flip the chicken over and butterfly the chicken. Then, start shaving off pieces of the chicken. This is shown in the post above. You want the chicken pieces to be roughly even thickness, while the length can be varied. Pound the chicken gently (this helps tenderize it) with a meat pounder or a heavy pan.
- Add the 1 Tablespoon of butter and the olive oil to a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the pan to get hot while you bread the chicken.
- Bread the Chicken: In a shallow bowl or dish, like a pie dish, add the flour and 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Stir together. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour, by gently pressing the chicken into the flour and then shaking off the excess flour. Set the chicken on a plate while you finish the rest.
- Cook the Chicken in Batches: To the hot pan, add the chicken breast. Don't over overcrowd the pan. For a 12-inch skillet I place 4-6 pieces of chicken. Cook the chicken until it's lightly browned on both sides, total time is about 4-6 minutes. Because the chicken is thinly sliced, it's quick. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place onto a plate. If needed for additional batches, add 2 Tablespoon of butter. Repeat until all chicken is cooked. Set aside.
- Make the Sauce: To the skillet, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter, garlic and capers. Slightly press down on the capers to release their juices. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, stir in the wine, chicken broth, lemon juice, remaining salt and pepper, and parsley. Add the chicken, mushrooms and artichokes. Place a lid on the skillet and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately with fresh parsley, if desired. Leftovers stay fresh for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The chicken piccata can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the chicken to cool completely before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then heat as desired.
- Chicken: I've only used chicken breast for this recipe, though you could use chicken thighs (without thinly slicing) and just pound the chicken to even thickness. You won't get as many servings this way.
- Chicken Broth: I prefer to use low-sodium chicken broth. If using regular chicken broth, add less salt and taste at the end.
- Wine: Any type of white wine works. If you prefer to not use wine, use additional chicken broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1005mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 488IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
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