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Chicken Piccata is an Italian dish of pounded chicken breast in a lemon-wine-butter sauce with capers and parsley. Make it in the skillet or air fryer!
Chicken Piccata
If you’re looking for more ways to make chicken breast exciting, you’ll love this easy Chicken Piccata recipe. Rather than using a ton of butter and oil, my dish uses much less oil and just a touch of butter. The flavor is so good that you won’t miss it! My daughter, who loves anything with lemon, really loves this dish. If you want to try this chicken piccata recipe with fish, try Flounder Picatta. And for more chicken breast recipes, you may also like this Baked Chicken Breast, which you can top with lemon and capers or this air fryer chicken breast.
What is chicken piccata?
Chicken Piccata is an Italian dish made with capers in a lemon butter sauce. Although it’s not always breaded, we love this version inspired by Ina Garten’s Lemon Chicken Piccata.
Chicken Piccata Ingredients
- Chicken Cutlets: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Salt and Black Pepper to season the chicken
- Egg Whites: Beat two egg whites with a teaspoon of water. You can also use a whole egg instead of egg whites.
- Breadcrumbs: I like seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs.
- Olive Oil Spray to spray both sides of the chicken
- Butter: If you don’t have whipped butter, regular is fine.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Use the juice from one lemon and keep the squeezed lemon halves for the sauce.
- White Wine: Any dry white wine will work, like Pinot Grigio or chardonnay.
- Broth: You’ll need a half cup of reduced-sodium chicken broth.
- Capers for a tangy, briny flavor
- Sliced Lemons and Fresh Parsley for serving
- Although many people use flour when they bread their chicken, I never do.
How to Make Chicken Piccata
- Prep the Chicken: Cut the chicken lengthwise into four long, thin cutlets. Place them between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound to a quarter-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Dredging Stations: Beat the egg whites and water in a shallow bowl, and put the breadcrumbs in another. Dip the chicken in the eggs and then the breadcrumbs.
- Cook Chicken: Spray the chicken on both sides with olive oil. If you’re using the air fryer, preheat it to 370°F, and air fry for about five minutes, turning halfway in batches if needed. On the stove, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken for a few minutes on each side.
How To Make Chicken Piccata Sauce
- Melt butter in a sauté pan set to medium heat. Add the lemon juice, wine, broth, reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes over high heat until the sauce reduces by half.
- Discard the lemon halves and add the capers. Stir and serve over the chicken. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
What is chicken piccata served with?
- Pair it with rice, roasted asparagus or broccoli, or a simple salad.
- If you serve this chicken piccata over pasta, you may want to double the sauce so there’s extra to coat the noodles.
How to Reheat
Leftovers will last in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. The air fryer is fantastic for reheating breaded chicken. Preheat the machine to 360°F and heat for a couple of minutes on each side until heated. If you don’t have an air fryer, reheat the chicken on the stove or in the microwave. Microwave the sauce until warm.
Variations:
- Protein: Swap the chicken for boneless pork chops or white fish.
- Breadcrumbs: Switch out whole wheat breadcrumbs for panko or regular breadcrumbs. If you can’t find seasoned, you can season plain breadcrumbs with Italian herbs and spices, like onion and garlic powder and dried basil, oregano, and thyme.
- Wine: If you don’t like to cook with wine, swap it for chicken broth, or buy a single-serving bottle of wine. You can also freeze leftover wine in ice cube trays to have on hand for future recipes.
- Butter: If you’re allergic to butter, swap it with ghee, vegan butter, or oil.
- Eggs: If you can’t eat eggs, coat the chicken in dijon mustard before covering it with breadcrumbs.
More Italian Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Air Fryer Chicken Milanese with Arugula
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini and Mozzarella
- Pollo in Potacchio (Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Rosemary)
Chicken Piccata Recipe
This Chicken Piccata recipe is a delicious Italian chicken dish served in a lemon, wine, butter sauce with capers and parsley.
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 piece of chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 16 oz total
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large egg whites, or whole eggs
- 2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat dry bread crumbs, or gluten-free bread crumbs
- olive oil spray, about 1 tbsp worth
- 1 tbsp whipped butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp capers
- Sliced lemon, for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together.
- Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs. Shake of any excess crumbs.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat.
- Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down.
- Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce.
- For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium-high heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then simmer until it's reduced in half, about 2 minutes.
- Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate.
- Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Air Fryer Method:
- To cook the chicken in the air fryer, pre-heat the air fryer 370F. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway until crisp and golden and cooked through.
Last Step:
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Notes
Variations:
- Protein: Swap the chicken for boneless pork chops or white fish.
- Breadcrumbs: Switch out whole wheat breadcrumbs for panko or regular breadcrumbs. If you can’t find seasoned, you can season plain breadcrumbs with Italian herbs and spices, like onion and garlic powder and dried basil, oregano, and thyme.
- Wine: If you don’t like to cook with wine, swap it for chicken broth, or buy a single-serving bottle of wine. You can also freeze leftover wine in ice cube trays to have on hand for future recipes.
- Butter: If you’re allergic to butter, swap it with ghee, vegan butter, or oil.
- Eggs: If you can’t eat eggs, coat the chicken in dijon mustard before covering it with breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 piece of chicken, Calories: 262 kcal, Carbohydrates: 11.5 g, Protein: 30 g, Fat: 9.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Cholesterol: 88 mg, Sodium: 233.5 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g, Sugar: 0.5 g
