How to Prepare Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is a delicious Italian recipe. It's chicken breasts cooked in a sauce with lemon, capers, broth, and butter. Learn how to prepare it here!

Written and verified by the nutritionist Florencia Villafañe.

Last update: 25 September, 2022

Chicken piccata is an excellent dish to enjoy at an important lunch or dinner. This recipe, with a delicious flavor and a touch of acid, is made with chicken in a creamy lemon and caper sauce.

In general, this Italian dish is accompanied by salads, simple kinds of pasta, or basic vegetables, since this is the one that gets all the attention. Now, if you want to learn how to prepare chicken piccata, keep reading the article below!

Chicken piccata recipe

In general, to make chicken piccata, a chicken breast is used. Since this is a relatively dry part of chicken meat, it’s perfect in texture and taste after absorbing the flavors of the sauce.

On the other hand, it’s important to mention that this recipe is not the same as Piccata, another Italian dish. Although its name is practically the same, the latter is made with veal or fish.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe and the step-by-step on how to make it. With the following quantities, it will be enough for four people. Bear in mind that the approximate time it will take you to prepare chicken piccata will be 50 minutes.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken breast fillets
• 2 lemons (you are going to use the juice and zest)
• 4 tablespoons of wheat flour
• 150 milliliters of white wine
• 1 jar of capers
• 1 pinch of salt and black pepper
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 sprig of parsley leaves
• 400 milliliters of chicken stock

Step by step instructions 

1. Season the chicken fillets with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Then, place the flour in a deep dish and dredge each fillet on both sides. Set this aside on a plate.
3. Next, add the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter to a frying pan. Bring to low heat.
4. When the fat is hot, place the chicken in it. Be sure to use a wide platter so they don’t get crowded. Then, brown the fillets on both sides. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Now it’s time to brown the garlic cloves. To do so, chop them and add them to the same pan you were using. Add the rest of the butter. Keep the heat at a minimum and wait until the garlic begins to take color.
6. When this happens, add the white wine and let it cook for about 4 minutes. This will be enough time for the alcohol to evaporate.
7. While waiting, zest the lemons and squeeze the juice. Add this liquid to the pan and add, also, a glass of broth. Remember that the latter can be homemade or made with a chicken stock cube.
8. Let this cook for 10 minutes with the fire at the minimum.
9. After this time, stir and taste test. If necessary, add more seasoning, salt, lemon juice, or water.
10. When the sauce has the flavor you want, put the chicken fillets back to finish their cooking and soak up the flavor of the sauce.
11. After 5 minutes, add the capers. If the sauce doesn’t cover the chicken, then add another glass of broth or water.
12. Add the chopped parsley.
13. Stir to prevent sticking.
14. Finally, turn off the heat and serve the chicken piccata you’ve just prepared on a plate or platter.

Why make this recipe?

Chicken piccata is that this dish can be made as a healthy meal option. Although this recipe contains butter, you can reduce the amount of butter and, thus, obtain a nutritious and low-fat dish.

It’s known that chicken is a food that has a remarkable contribution of protein, phosphorus, and certain B vitamins. In fact, the Spanish Nutrition Foundation details that the nutritional contribution contained in 100 grams of food is as follows:

• 20 grams of protein
• 128 milligrams of phosphorus
• 10.4 milligrams of niacin
• 0.3 micrograms of vitamin B6

On the other hand, nutrition professionals recommend to people who have an omnivorous diet that in their diets predominate the intake of meats low in saturated fats, such as chicken. Therefore, this dish is an option that’s very compatible with a healthy diet.

What to serve with chicken piccata

Fortunately, the side dishes that go well with chicken piccata are varied. In general, it’s often served with a pasta dish, whether it is stuffed pasta, tagliatelle, or spaghetti. It also combines perfectly with vegetables, rice, quinoa, and even polenta. If you want detailed options to prepare this dish, consider the following:

• A salad with olives, arugula, cherry tomatoes, and olive oil
• Rice with string cheese, corn, and sweet potatoes
• Quinoa, tomatoes, and sautéed red onions
• Cucumber and grated carrot salad with vinegar
• Baked vegetables like eggplant, squash, bell pepper, and onion
• Asparagus and brussels sprouts with balsamic oil

Tips for varying the texture of chicken piccata

There are those who prefer the chicken sauce to be thick. If this is your case, you can achieve it by adding other ingredients. The most advisable thing to do is to add a spoonful of corn starch, previously dissolved in two spoonfuls of natural water so that it doesn’t form lumps. Another option is to add wheat flour, also dissolved in water, or even cream.

Prepare this recipe at home

Chicken is a healthy and extremely versatile ingredient. As you have been able to see, this recipe doesn’t require any special gastronomic knowledge. Therefore, we encourage you to give it a try.

Please note, however, that the inclusion of meats with butter or cream-based sauces isn’t usually recommended as a regular part of a healthy diet due to their high carbohydrate content. However, it’s definitely not a problem to enjoy it as as a treat every now and then!