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You NEED to try this delicious Lemon Chicken Piccata that’s the perfect meal for your next date night kid FREE night. It’s quick + easy to whip up and the light, zesty flavors pair great with a glass of Chardonnay.
This lemon chicken piccata is my favorite go-to pasta dish. I enjoy cooking it, and the flavors are perfect and hit the spot every time you make it.
It’s quick + easy to make and makes an excellent weeknight dinner as well.
Side Note: My kids devour this meal every time! It’s an easy family weeknight dinner meal as well!
I first tried this dish many years ago when my mother-in-law made it, and I fell in love with the delicious savory flavors. I just had to learn her secret to making the sauce. I’ve worked on tweaking the recipe to make it my own ever since.
Ok, so here’s what you will need to make this Lemon Chicken Piccata.
Chicken – Thinly sliced chicken breast or chicken breast cutlets for best
Bread Crumbs – A mixture of bread crumbs and flour with Italian seasoning and romano
White Wine – A high acidity wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay will pair well with the acidity from the lemon sauce
Bone Broth – It adds a certain level of richness to the sauce and has more nutritional benefits compared to a regular chicken broth
Crushed Red Peppers – Kick it up a notch and add a touch of spice to the dish
Olive Oil – Nothing compares to the taste good quality olive oil brings to a dish, not to mention the anti-inflammatory properties it has
Lemon – The zesty flavor of the lemons makes this dish stand out
Capers – Salty, oily, and has a lemony flavor, which makes it perfect for the sauce in this dish
Butter – I use a good quality Irish or European butter in all my dishes as it brings more flavor and also has a higher amount of Omega-3s
Ok, so I’ve tried many different brands of bread crumbs, and Vigo Italian Style is hands down my FAVORITE bread crumb mix. I will never use any other brand. It works so well in any Italian-based dish like this Lemon Chicken Piccata. I use it for breading things from chicken to seafood and even vegetables.
You’ve got to try Pacific Bone Broth – Chamomile + Lavender. It adds subtle flavors of chamomile and lavender and adds so much depth to the sauce. Plus, the 8oz bottles are the perfect size to use for just one or two recipes so you don’t have to waste a whole carton.
Let’s get started!
You want to use thin pieces of chicken for this. If they are too thick of a piece, you can use a meat tenderizer to thin them out. Using a thin fillet of chicken works best for lemon chicken piccata.
Tip: Put parchment paper on the cutting board and cover the chicken with plastic wrap before beating them. It makes for easy cleanup with one less dish to deal with at the end.
Bread the chicken by dredging the fillet in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess, then set aside until the oil is hot enough to cook.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and cook 2 or 3 pieces at a time to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Cook for about 3-4 min until golden brown on each side and set aside to finish cooking later. You want to prevent overcooking and the chicken from drying out when you add it back to the pan.
Now for the good part. Add the wine to the pan. Listen for the sizzling sound as it lifts all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This critical step brings SOOO much flavor to this dish.
Once your wine and broth have reduced and thickened up a bit, add the chicken back in, flip to coat both sides, and let cook for 3-4 min.
NOW is the time to add the pasta noodles. All you need to do is add the pasta to the pan and toss it in the sauce once you remove the chicken. Make sure to use cooked al dente pasta and let those noodles soak in all the flavor.
The flavors vary based on how it’s cooked rather than the ingredients being used. Make sure you follow the steps for the best flavor packed dish.
This dish goes excellent with a Caesar salad as the creamy dressing and fruity yet nutty taste of the parmesan compliment all the flavors from the lemon chicken piccata.
Le Petit Francais-French Bread is my secret weapon for serving bread as a side dish with pasta.
I am a HUGE bread fan, especially when eating any type of saucy dish. So, it comes frozen, but once you pop it in the oven for 8-10 min, it comes out perfectly golden and crispy on the outside and ever so soft and fluffy on the inside and makes for the perfect side soaking up all the leftover juices from this dish.
Once your pasta has soaked up the liquid from the sauce, it’s time to put it all together. Go ahead, top it off with some aged shaved parmesan, and don’t forget to garnish with some chopped fresh parsley.
Enjoyed this Lemon Chicken Piccata? Try these other tasty pasta dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally to make 4, or chicken cutlets (4)
- ½ cup Italian bread crumbs with parmesan (or add 2 tbsp grated parmesan)*
- ½ tsp kosher salt more to taste
- ¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken bone broth
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup brined capers rinsed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese for topping
- pasta noodles al dente
Instructions
- Lightly pound chicken flat with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, and season chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese if not already added.
- Dredge the chicken in the breading mixture; shake off any excess and set aside.
- In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry 2-3 pieces of chicken (do not overcrowd the pan) until golden on each side (about 3-4 minutes each side).
- Continue with the remaining chicken, and add additional 1 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp butter if needed. Transfer to a warm plate.
- In the same pan, melt one tablespoon of butter. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan for some extra flavor. Cook for 3-4 min.
- Add in the lemon juice, capers, and red pepper flakes and allow to boil until reduced slightly (about 5-6 minutes). Add salt and pepper if needed.
- Add remaining butter to the pan, allow to melt, then add chicken back into the pan along with all of the juices from the plate and simmer for 2-3 minutes to heat through**.
- Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with shaved parmesan cheese, if desired
