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Chicken Piccata

4.6

(78)

Lightly breaded chicken cutlets on a dinerstyle oval plate scattered with capers chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou

Slices of chicken get dredged in seasoned flour, sautéed in butter, and smothered in an addictively tangy lemon-butter pan sauce studded with salty capers. Lightly flouring the cutlets lets them brown quickly without overcooking and helps thicken the sauce.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. drained capers, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Chopped parsley and lemon wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Slice chicken breasts in half crosswise into 4 cutlets and lightly pound each piece between sheets of plastic wrap until an even thickness (about ½" thick or less). Season lightly with salt. Place flour in a medium shallow bowl. Working one at a time, place cutlets in bowl and toss to coat in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a plate.

    Step 2

    Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan, cook cutlets, without moving them, until deeply browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side just until chicken is nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean plate.

    Step 3

    Add garlic and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the skillet and cook, stirring often and reducing heat if needed to keep garlic from scorching, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine and capers and cook, swirling pan and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of skillet, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup water, followed by the butter. Swirl pan vigorously while butter melts to help it form an emulsion with water, about 1 minute.

    Step 4

    Return chicken to skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir lemon juice into sauce; season with salt. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter and top with parsley; serve with lemon wedges.

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