It’s hot outside, it’s been a long day, you’ve just got in from work and you still have to get food on the table. Exhausting right? It’s always useful to have some quick and easy dinner recipes up your sleeve that are super quick to prepare, but taste and look like they come from a fancy restaurant. Allow me to introduce Lemon and Caper Chicken Piccata, your new secret weapon.
What is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken Piccata is a one-pan dish made from golden, tender chicken breasts coated in a tangy, lemony, buttery, garlicky sauce. This is the stuff food dreams are made of. Piccata is a traditional Italian dish usually made with veal, but this sauce works wonderfully with chicken too.
How do I keep chicken breasts juicy and tender?
The trick here is to cut the chicken breasts in half before you cook them. That way they stay beautifully juicy and cook extra fast. Some chicken breasts these days are absolutely gigantic, which means by the time the centre is cooked, the outside is dry and rubbery. Simply place the chicken breasts onto a chopping board, place your hand firmly on top, and use a sharp knife to divide the chicken horizontally.
What to serve with Chicken Piccata?
Chicken Piccata comes with plenty of sauce, so you need lots of carbs to mop it all up. Serve Chicken Piccata with:
- Roasted Potatoes (follow the instructions in this recipe)
- Good quality white bread like a baguette or some homemade focaccia.
- A crisp green salad, my classic Greek Salad is ah-maazing as a side for Chicken Piccata.
- or that delicious mixture of bread and salad: Panzanella!
Tell me more about this delicious sauce
Speaking of sauce, this pan sauce is plate-lickingly good. I thicken it here with just a touch of cornflour/cornstarch so that it coats the chicken breasts, holding all the flavours in a truly mouthwatering suspension. Bring the pan to the table because everybody will be wanting more sauce, I promise.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I make Chicken Piccata without cornstarch?
Yes! Actually chicken piccata is traditionally made without cornstarch. I just like a lovely thick sauce to coat the chicken. If it is cornstarch itself that you are trying to avoid, you can substitute potato flour or tapioca flour for cornstarch in this recipe
Help! My sauce is too thick! How do I thin pan sauce?
Don’t worry, if your sauce is too thick! Remove the chicken breasts from the pan, then simply add a splash or two of wine or water, stirring until you have the consistency that you like.
What sort of capers should I use in chicken Piccata?
While the purists prefer capers packed in salt, I find them too salty. Use the capers than come in a brine. If you like you can throw a few caper berries in the mix too!
Can I double or triple this recipe to feed more people?
Yes! You’ll need to brown the chicken in batches as otherwise it will steam rather than go lovely and golden.
Looking for more easy Italian dinner recipes?
Cooking vegetarian tonight? You have to try my Eggplant Involtini recipe! Fancy some fresh seafood? You can’t beat my Prawn and Lemon Linguine!
All made in one pan, this easy chicken piccata recipe is a great meal when you need dinner in a hurry (And don’t want to do too much washing up!)
Bring the pan to the table so everyone can get plenty of the delicious sauce.
Lemon and Caper Chicken Piccata
Quick and easy, bursting with flavour, this Lemon and Caper Chicken Piccata recipe is restaurant-quality food at home. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner as it is ready in minutes and is full of bright, bold flavours that everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
- 400g chicken breasts (2 large, just less than 1 lb.)
- 3 Tbsp plain flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely diced
- 300ml (1 ¼ cups) chicken stock, from the cube, is fine
- 50ml (a good splash) white wine
- 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- pinch of sugar
- 40-50ml (3-4 Tbsp) lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp capers
- small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
to serve:
- roast potatoes or pasta
- lemon wedges
Instructions
- PREPARE THE CHICKEN: Cut the chicken in half horizontally so you have 4 even, flat pieces of chicken. Stir the flour, salt and a few grinds of black pepper together in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken through the flour and set aside.
- BROWN THE CHICKEN: Gently heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan. When the butter has melted and foamed, add the chicken to the pan and cook without turning or moving it for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, turn the chicken and cook a further 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with tin foil and keep warm.
- SAUTÉ THE GARLIC: Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until aromatic. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and use a wooden spatula to scrape up all the brown flavour on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes.
- MAKE THE SAUCE: Stir the white wine, cornflour and sugar together, making sure there are no lumps, then pour into the pan, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir through the lemon juice, taste the sauce and add a splash more lemon juice if necessary. Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat in the sauce, then scatter with capers and parsley. Season with black pepper.
- SERVE: Serve immediately with roast potatoes, pasta or some good quality bread to mop up the delicious sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1059Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 205mgSodium: 1842mgCarbohydrates: 111gFiber: 11gSugar: 21gProtein: 78g
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and isn’t always accurate.
