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We make this Easy Chicken Piccata almost weekly. It comes together with a few ingredients that we keep on hand – lemons, pasta, capers, and chicken broth – so all we need to grab at the store are chicken breasts. Butterfly the chicken breasts, which is a fancy way of saying to cut them in half lengthwise. We season with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Brown them in then pan first, and then finish cooking them in the sauce of chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers.
We love keeping a four-pack of Pacific Foods Low-Sodium Chicken Broth in the pantry. Each carton is one cup, which is exactly what you need for this recipe. We also keep the 32 oz jar of Paesana Organic Capers in the fridge, which seems like a crazy amount of capers, but we use them so frequently that it’s totally worth it. The Joseph Joseph Scoop & Pick Jar Spoon & Fork Set is perfect for scooping and draining the capers from the jar right into the pan. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must. We use the Dual Citrus Squeezer to get all the lemon juice out with none of the seeds.
Easy Chicken Piccata
Easy Chicken Piccata is one of our weeknight favorites. A classic Italian dish that cooks up in about 30 minutes with just a few ingredients – lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, and butter. We serve ours over pasta, but it would be great over veggies, too.
ingredients
2 chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
salt
pepper
flour to dredge the chicken
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 heaping Tbsp capers
8 oz capellini or your favorite pasta
method
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with 2 Tbsp butter.
Step 2
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge with flour and shake to remove excess.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 Tbsp butter with olive oil. Add chicken to pan and cook for 3 mins per side. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.
Step 4
Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Stir and scrape browned bits from the pan with a spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken and juices back to the pan. Cook for 5 mins until chicken is cooked through.
Step 5
Place a serving of pasta into a wide bowl and top with the chicken. Repeat with the remaining pasta and chicken.
Step 6
Remove the pan from heat and add 2 Tbsp of butter. Stir to melt the butter into the sauce. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper as needed. Spoon sauce over the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.
Adapted from The Food Network.
serving tips
We serve ours over pasta, but you can also serve over vegetables. We like to plate individually, but this could be served family style on a large platter.
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Easy Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts butterflied and cut in half
- salt
- pepper
- flour to dredge the chicken
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 heaping Tbsp capers
- 8 oz capellini or your favorite pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with 2 Tbsp butter.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge with flour and shake to remove excess.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 Tbsp butter with olive oil. Add chicken to pan and cook for 3 mins per side. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Stir and scrape browned bits from the pan with a spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken and juices back to the pan. Cook for 5 mins until chicken is cooked through.
- Place a serving of pasta into a wide bowl and top with the chicken. Repeat with the remaining pasta and chicken.
- Remove the pan from heat and add 2 Tbsp of butter. Stir to melt the butter into the sauce. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper as needed. Spoon sauce over the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.
