lemon – The Salty Nerve

Lemon Chicken Piccata

carinakyriacos — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 02:39:07 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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.

Shrimp + Scallop Scampi

Breakfast Carbonara

Lemon Chicken Piccata

Try this savory Lemon Chicken Piccata. It's quick + easy to whip up and the light, zesty flavors pair great with a glass of Chardonnay.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chicken, Pasta

Keyword: 25 min, 25 min or less, 30 min, 30 min or less, capers, chicken piccata, easy, lemon, pasta, quick

Servings: servings

Calories: 529kcal

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

Notes

*If your breading has parmesan mixed in, do not add more, but if it does not, add 2 tbsp grated parmesan and mix it with the bread crumbs.

**If using pasta, add the pasta noodles to the sauce and toss to coat fully.

Nutrition

Calories: 529kcal

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Ginger Garlic Salmon

carinakyriacos — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:44:06 +0000

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

You won’t be able to resist the bright zesty flavors of this incredibly juicy Ginger Garlic Salmon. It’s super Quick + Easy to make and ready in under 15 minutes! You will definitely need to make extra as you won’t be able to eat just one fillet. It’s my GO-TO dish for weeknights when I’m too busy to spend tons of time in the kitchen cooking after my boys get home from school.

Grab your ingredients and let’s begin!

■ Salmon Fillets – Wild Caught is best, but I get it’s hard to get sometimes and Farm-Raised Salmon fillets work just fine in this dish.

■ Olive Oil – I always use good quality extra virgin olive oil for the flavors and aromas it brings rather than just that plain oily taste like low quality olive oil has.

■ Ginger Paste – I love using Ginger Paste that is ready to go so it saves my hands. You can use fresh ginger, but I found the paste works just as good in my opinion.

■ Dark Brown Sugar – Using dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content than light brown sugar and brings a richer flavor to the sauce. You can always substitute this for light brown sugar, but granulated sugar (the white sugar) just won’t cut it in this recipe.

■ Fresh Thyme + Parsley – Using fresh herbs is key for this recipe. The short time cooking the salmon fillets allows the herbs to release their natural oils and flavors.

■ Garlic – Fresh garlic is always best, but I get that sometimes it’s just easier to use the already minced garlic in that lovely little jar.

■ Lemon Zest– You will need the zest of the lemon. It cuts down on the acidity level while still providing that lovely citrusy taste. If you prefer to use lemon juice then use 2 tbsp of juice for each 1 tsp of lemon zest.

■ Dijon Mustard – My hands-down all-time favorite is Maille Dijon Mustard. It has that perfect Dijon taste you want and works perfectly in all of my dishes.

■ Soy Sauce – Use regular (light) soy sauce or even low sodium soy sauce to cut down on the sodium level. You can also use a dark soy sauce (it’s more viscus compared to regular (light) soy sauce) if you want a slightly sweeter deeper flavor and thicker sauce

■ Salt + Pepper – Need I say more on the importance of adding salt and pepper to a dish? If you must know, the salt is used to enhance the flavors os the dish while the pepper adds a little extra flavor that brings more depth to the flavors of the dish.

*** Salty Tip: For any dish that takes longer than 10-15 minutes to cook, I always try to add the fresh herbs near the end, so the flavor doesn’t break down too much. If it’s going to be cooking for a while that’s when I break out the dried herbs as they need more time to infuse the flavor into the dish.

If you have a whole salmon fillet, trim and then cut the salmon into 2.5 – 3 inch portion fillets. You can save the rest for another recipe or cook it all at once. When I make this dish I use the WHOLE fillet (minus the trimmed portions) since I always eat more than just 1 fillets cause it’s just THAT good!

** I save my trimmed pieces and cook them with nothing on it and feed to my pets for those amazing omega-3s to help with their immune system and give them that ultra shiny coat! Don’t have a pet, save those trimmings for a dish that you want that salmon flavor, but without a whole fillet. I will make a post about those recipe ideas in the future.

Making the marinade!

Grab a large shallow dish or even a gallon Ziploc bag and add in 4-5 tbsp olive oil, 2 packed tbsp brown sugar, 2-1/2 tsp ginger paste, 1-1/2 tsp lemon zest, 3 tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley and thyme, 2-1/2 tsp (or 1 tbsp if you’re a garlic lover like me) minced garlic, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and 3 tbsp soy sauce. Mix together and pour half the marinade over the salmon fillets to coat them fully. Chill for 30 minutes, but up to 1-hour max.

Use all the remaining marinade for this sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Microwave in a microwave-safe container for 30 sec to warm the sauce or in a small pot over low heat while you cook the salmon. It will give the sauce that extra thickness you want when you spoon it over the salmon.

In a cast iron skillet pan over medium heat, add 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Once it begins to shimmer, place 3-4 fillets and let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked halfway up the fillet (you will see as it rises up the salmon fillet – there will be a line where it’s still raw). Then flip and cook the remaining 4-5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through.

Once your salmon is fully cooked, transfer to a plate and spoon warmed sauce over each fillet, and top with some fresh parsley for garnish. These Ginger Garlic Salmon fillets pair perfectly with some Coconut Rice (from the Hawaiian Style Coconut Fried Rice recipe).

Let me know what you pair your Ginger Garlic Salmon with below in the comments!

• STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight food container for up to 2-3 days and reheat in the microwave until warm throughout.

Ginger Garlic Salmon

You won't be able to resist the bright zesty flavors of this incredibly juicy Ginger Garlic Salmon. It's super Quick + Easy to make and ready in under 15 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Seafood

Keyword 15 min, 15 min or less, brown sugar, dijon mustard, dinner, easy, garlic, ginger, lemon, olive oil, parsley, quick, quick dinner, quick lunch, salmon, soy sauce, thyme, Under 15 min

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Chill + Marinade 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Equipment

1 Cast Iron Skillet or large saute pan

Ingredients

4-6 Salmon fillets deboned + skin removed; 2.5-3 inch wide
2 tbsp olive oil for cooking

For the Marinade + Sauce

5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dark brown sugar tightly packed
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 ½ tsp ginger paste
1½ tsp lemon zest or 2½ tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped + more to garnish
4 tsp fresh thyme
2½ tsp garlic minced
3 tbsp soy sauce
pinch salt + pepper Plus more to taste when cooking

Instructions

Trim and cut the salmon into 2.5 - 3 inch portion fillets
For the marinade: In a large shallow dish or gallon ziploc bag, add 4-5 tbsp olive oil, brown sugar, ginger paste, lemon zest, chopped fresh parsley and thyme, minced garlic, dijon mustard, and soy sauce. Mix to combine.
Pour half the marinade over the salmon fillets to fully coat them. Chill for 30 minutes, but up to 1 hour max. Save the rest of the marinade for your sauce later.
For the sauce: In a small pot warm the sauce over low heat for 10-15 minutes or Microwave in a microwave-safe container for 30 sec to warm the sauce.
In a cast iron skillet pan over medium heat, add 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Once it begins to shimmer, place 3-4 fillets and let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked halfway up the fillet (you will see as it rises up the salmon fillet - there will be a line where it's still raw). Then flip and cook the remaining 4-5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through.
When the fillets are cooked through, transfer to a plate and spoon on the warmed sauce over each salmon fillet then garnish with some fresh parsley.

Notes

STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight food container for up to 2-3 days and reheat in the microwave until warm throughout.