Easy Chicken Piccata
This is a one-pan recipe that comes together in under an hour with minimal ingredients, including chicken, lemon and capers. Delivering on bright and zesty flavour, this dish is great for weeknights or entertaining.
Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- meat mallet
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 450 g chicken cutlets
- ¾ tsp + pinch kosher salt divided
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 shallot or ½ small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ tbsp drained capers
- pinch kosher salt
- ½ lemon thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on cutting board and, using chef’s knife, cut each horizontally into 3 thin cutlets. Place any thicker pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or the bottom of small saucepan. Season chicken on both sides with ¾ tsp of the salt and pepper.
- Place flour in shallow bowl and dredge chicken, shaking off excess.
- In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the butter and 2 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, flipping as needed, until golden brown. About 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp butter and the remaining 2 tbsp oil for the second batch. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. In same pan, add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken broth and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, stir in remaining 3 tbsp butter, lemon juice, capers and salt and cook until thick and velvety. Return the chicken to pan to warm through. Stir in lemon slices and sprinkle with parsley (if using).
Notes
Using plastic wrap when pounding meat prevents it from sticking to the cutting board and contains splatters for an easier clean up.
No mallet? No problem. Using a relatively heavy bottomed saucepan will achieve the same results without needing a trip to your local kitchen supply store.