Date Night Chicken Piccata (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken breasts cooked in lemon-butter sauce with capers, ideal for a cozy dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
03 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

→ For Sautéing

04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for finishing

→ Sauce

06 - 1/3 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, approximately 1 large lemon
09 - 2 tablespoons capers, drained
10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

→ Garnish Optional

11 - Lemon slices
12 - Extra fresh parsley

# How to Prepare:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness for uniform cooking.
02 - Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess to ensure light coating.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Heat until sizzling and foam subsides.
04 - Add chicken to the hot pan. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
05 - Pour white wine into the same skillet, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
06 - Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and flavors meld.
07 - Return chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over the top. Simmer 2 minutes until chicken is heated through.
08 - Remove from heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon cold butter until melted and emulsified. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon slices and additional parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The entire dish comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like it came from a cozy Italian bistro where the owner knows your name
  • That moment when you swirl in the final butter and the sauce transforms from separated and thin to glossy and velvety never gets old
02 -
  • The final butter must be cold and added off the heat, otherwise it will separate instead of emulsifying into that glossy sauce that makes this dish so special
  • Dont be tempted to skip the wine reduction step, those browned bits on the bottom of the pan contain all the deep flavor that makes this taste like it simmered for hours
03 -
  • Warm your plates in the oven for 5 minutes so the sauce stays luscious and velvety instead of congealing the second it hits cold ceramic
  • If your sauce looks too thin, let it simmer another minute without the chicken before adding the final butter

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