The Best Chicken Piccata
This Chicken Piccata is simply delicious and couldn't be easier to make!
Servings: 4
Cost: £2 / $2.50
Equipment
- Large Pan & Tongs
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Shallow Dish (for dredging chicken)
- Spatula (optional, for stirring butter)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2x 9oz/250g Chicken Breasts, brought close to room temp
- 1/4 cup / 40g Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp EACH: Olive Oil, Unsalted Butter
Sauce
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter (keep in the fridge until needed)
- 2 tbsp Capers in brine, drained
- 1.5 tbsp Lemon Juice, or to taste (see notes)
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve
- 1 Shallot, very finely diced
- Salt & Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts.
- In a large shallow dish combine 1/4 cup flour with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 garlic powder & black pepper. One by one dredge each breast through the flour to fully coat, shake off excess then place to one side.
- Heat up 1 tbsp oil and butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and fry both sides for a few mins, or until golden on the outside and just about cooked through the centre. Remove and place chicken to one side.
- Lower heat slightly to medium and add the shallot. Fry for a couple of mins until soft & golden, then add in capers and fry for 1 min. Pour in chicken stock & lemon juice and simmer for a few mins until it reduces by nearly half.
- Turn heat to low and add in 3 tbsp cold butter. Swiftly stir until the butter melts (I find this easiest with a spatula). Continue stirring until it turns a cloudy lemon colour and thickens slightly to a glossy texture. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.
- Stir in any resting juices from the chicken, then add in the chicken in. Flip the chicken to coat, then pour over some of the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve up the chicken with more sauce spooned over the top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
a) Butter - I prefer using unsalted butter because it gives you more control over the seasoning. If you've only got salted, that's fine, just go easy when adjusting the salt at the end. In all cases, I recommend using butter straight from the fridge, as it thickens the sauce a little easier.
b) Lemon - Some recipes use as much as 1/3 cup of lemon juice, but I find this way too much. This is a lemon-based sauce, so it should be prominent, and I find around 1.5 tbsp hits the sweet spot (half a large lemon or most of a small/regular lemon). You can of course add more lemon juice in if you'd prefer. I recommend doing this when you check for seasoning.
c) Capers - These are a key ingredient in chicken piccata, so definitely do not skip them. They add a classic briny flavour that is difficult to replicate with different ingredients. I always use capers in brine, the dry/salted ones are way too salty for this recipe.
d) Serving - Great with any form of Potato (Roasted Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Dauphinoise Potatoes etc). You could also serve it with rice or pasta. Here I've served with seasoned rice and asparagus.
e) Calories - Assuming half of the flour/seasoning attaches to the chicken. Based on whole recipe divided by 4 with no sides.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.41g | Protein: 29.04g | Fat: 18.27g | Saturated Fat: 8.485g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.354g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.317g | Trans Fat: 0.476g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.58g | Vitamin A: 393IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.87mg