Chicken Piccata

Chef

Cookbook

Now Eat This!

Published by Ballantine Books

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Editor's Note: This easy chicken piccata recipe will help you bring the taste of an Italian restaurant into your own kitchen. To make Chicken Piccata, seasoned chicken is dredged in flour and egg before getting sauteed in butter. The residual butter and drippings are then transformed into a velvety sauce. Garlic, lemon juice, and flour are added to the sauce for additional flavor and thickness. Capers are stirred into the sauce right before it gets spooned over the tender, juicy chicken. This Italian-American recipe will become a staple in your recipe box once you taste the bright and tangy chicken.
This is one of those Italian-American classics--a dish that looks and tastes as though it was born in the Old Country but that was really born in the United States. Capers are used liberally in Sicilian cooking, and a lemon-caper sauce lives up to its name, picceata, which some say means “piquant.” Other translations say piccata means to add fat--which might be where all of the butter in the original sauce comes in. This recipe calls for just a dab of butter for flavor in the tangy, tart sauce.

Serves4

Cooking MethodSauteeing

CostModerate

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Recipe CourseMain Course

MealDinner

Taste and TextureButtery, Garlicky, Herby, Tangy, Tart

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 ounces each), pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 cup egg substitute
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons drained capers
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Heat 2 large nonstick saute pans over medium heat.
While pans are heating, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Put the ½ cup flour in one shallow dish and the egg substitute in another shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then in the egg substitute, to coat completely.
When pans are hot, add ½ tablespoon of the butter to each pan. Allow the butter to melt completely and brown slightly. Then add 2 coated chicken breasts to each pan. Saute the chicken until it is golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter, and tent it with foil to keep the chicken warm.
Raise the heat under one of the saute pans to high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Add garlic and sweat for one minute. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons flour into the butter. Whisk in the lemon juice and the water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low-and continue to cook the sauce, whisking constantly, until it has thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the capers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and serve.

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shelfconsciouskati e

Apr 22, 2016

I'm not a huge fan of chicken piccata, but this lighter version looks like it might be for me.

kara 2098528

Apr 28, 2014

Hi amarieigc, Thanks so much for reaching out and for using Cookstr! We know it's frustrating when there isn't a finished dish photo for a recipe. All of the recipes on Cookstr are from published cookbooks, and not all of the recipes in cookbooks are photographed -- and even when they are, sometimes the photographer maintains the digital rights to the images, so we can't use them. In those cases, we slot in a relevant ingredient or equipment stock photo. We're brainstorming solutions to this problem. Thanks so much for your feedback and let me know if there's anything else I can help with! All best, Kara Rota Director of Editorial & Partnerships, Cookstr

amarie304 8526093

Apr 27, 2014

I love all the capers!!! Why are there no pics of recipe progression and finished dishes?

lucindajeffs 13124 18

Dec 19, 2011

Egg substitute?!

HotPie 2909441

Jul 06, 2011

This recipe was simple and easy to follow and the food was tasty. Next time, I plan to also use fewer capers. They are such an aromatic flavor that a little goes a long way.

StaciCulberg 65197 24

Mar 15, 2011

I made this last night and it was GREAT! I'm not too good in the kitchen but I'm trying. This was super easy. Next time I make this I will use a little less lemon and capers. The taste was a bit strong for my family. But all in all I'd give it two thumbs up!