Restaurant-style Chicken Piccata | Recipe

Chicken piccata over fresh pasta

One of my favorite Italian dishes to eat when I go out is chicken piccata. One of the ways I judge a restaurant is by the quality and taste of their piccata dish, as it is a simple dish that can easily go wrong. With crispy, golden-seared chicken breasts smothered in a silky, buttery lemon sauce, chicken piccata is a well-known dish that can be served with veggies over either creamy mashed potatoes or perfectly cooked al dente pasta.

Piccata is an Italian dish that focuses more on the method of preparing the food rather than the food itself. Originally, the dish was served in Italy using veal, but has evolved over time to chicken and fish dishes. It can be found at most Italian restaurants, but cooking it at home can be done just as easily! My favorite restaurant version of it can actually be found at California Pizza Kitchen. It is a beautiful dish that can be light and refreshing for a weeknight meal. Check out the recipe below!

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DIFFICULTY: Medium

COST: Low

CATEGORIES: #italian, #pasta, #easyweeknightdinner

Servings: 4

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-2 LBS. thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast

• thin spaghetti (optional, but highly recommended)

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/4 cup capers, drained

• 3/4 cup chicken broth

• 3 TBSP. fresh parsley, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 shallots, minced

• juice of 1 large lemon

• all purpose flour, for dredging

• extra virgin olive oil

How to make it:

1. Salt and pepper chicken breasts (about 3-4 of them), and if thick, pound to about 1/2 inch thickness. Dredge them evenly in all purpose flour. Pour oil into a pan on medium heat and cook chicken breasts about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and fully cooked. You want a nice golden crust to form!

2. Remove chicken from pan and set aside, keeping warm. In the same pan, throw in minced garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes), then pour in your wine. Once the wine is almost evaporating, pour in half of your chicken broth. On the side, mix the remaining half of your chicken broth with 1 teaspoon flour. Mix until smooth, then add to pan.

3. Simmer your sauce until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. You don't want your sauce to be too thick or lumpy, but if it's too runny, add in pinches of flour until it reaches your desired consistency. Remember, a little goes a long way, so don't add in too much too quickly!

4. Remove pan from heat, squeeze in juice of 1 lemon, and pour in your capers. Place your chicken back into the pan and spoon the sauce over until coated.

5. Serve over pasta, over mashed potatoes, or just with a side of roasted broccoli! Or eat it by itself, because it's just that good.

Recipe Tips

If you aren't a fan of lemon, you won't like this dish. The lemon is a key component in the sauce, and it can't be removed. You also usually want to double up on your sauce in order to have enough for your pasta or mashed potatoes! Do NOT use a cooking wine for this dish. Cooking wines won't have the good flavors you will get from a good dry white wine.

Happy eating!