Delicious and Lighter Chicken Piccata Recipe: Weeknight Elegance
Looking for a classic Italian dish that’s both flavorful and easy to prepare? This 5-star Chicken Piccata Recipe, adapted by Julianna Grimes, delivers all the bright, lemony goodness of traditional piccata with a smart twist – it uses half the oil without sacrificing any of the incredible taste. This makes it perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner yet elegant enough to impress your dinner guests.
Why This Chicken Piccata Recipe is a Winner
This Chicken Piccata Recipe stands out for its simplicity and its commitment to flavor without excessive richness. The tender, pan-seared chicken cutlets are bathed in a vibrant sauce made with dry white wine, tangy lemon juice, briny capers, and fresh parsley. The technique of pounding the chicken ensures even cooking, and the lighter use of olive oil makes this a slightly healthier take on a beloved classic. It’s a dish that truly balances ease of preparation with sophisticated flavor.
Making Your Own Flavorful and Lighter Chicken Piccata: Step-by-Step
Creating this delicious Chicken Piccata Recipe is a straightforward process that yields impressive results. Here’s a step-by-step guide to bring this Italian favorite to your table:
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts (6 oz skinless, boneless each)
- 2 oz all-purpose flour (divided, about ½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ½ tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- ¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup chicken broth (fat-free, lower-sodium, divided)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon capers, drained
- 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
Instructions:
- Prepare the Chicken: Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet (or even a wooden rolling pin), pound the chicken to an even ½-inch thickness. This ensures quick and even cooking.
- Season and Dredge: Place 1 teaspoon of flour in a small bowl and the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of the pounded chicken evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour in the shallow dish, shaking off any excess.
- Sauté the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the floured chicken to the hot pan and sauté for 4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and keep it warm on a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and swirl to coat. Add the finely chopped shallots to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become softened and translucent. Add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Deglaze the Pan: Pour the dry white wine into the skillet and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to loosen any browned bits (this adds extra flavor to the sauce). Cook until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, stirring occasionally.
- Create the Sauce: In the small bowl with the reserved 1 teaspoon of flour, add ¼ cup of the chicken broth and stir until you have a smooth slurry. Add the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth to the skillet and bring it to a boil. Cook until the broth has reduced by about half (this should take approximately 5 minutes). Stir in the flour mixture and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently, until the sauce slightly thickens.
- Finish the Sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, the fresh lemon juice, and the drained capers.
- Serve: Place one cooked chicken breast half on each of four plates. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the flavorful piccata sauce over each serving. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 teaspoons of coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
Serving Suggestions for Your Delicious Chicken Piccata
This versatile Chicken Piccata Recipe pairs wonderfully with a variety of sides:
- Classic Pairings: Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, light and fluffy couscous, or delicate angel hair pasta to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Vegetable Sides: Roasted seasonal root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes make a healthy and flavorful accompaniment. A simple side salad also works well.
- Grain Options: Quinoa or polenta are other excellent choices to serve alongside this dish.
Enjoy this elegant yet easy Chicken Piccata Recipe for a satisfying weeknight meal or a special occasion!
Chicken Piccata
DESCRIPTION
This 5-star recipe by Julianna Grimes uses half the oil than the classic without sacrificing any of the flavor. If you don’t have a meat mallet or small heavy skillet, try using a wooden rolling pin, making sure all the chicken’s pounded into an even thinness so it cooks evenly. Try serving the chicken with mashed potatoes, couscous, angel hair pasta, or roasted seasonal root vegetables for a meal that’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough to serve guests.
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts (6 oz skinless, boneless)
- 2 oz all-purpose flour (divided (about 1/2 cup))
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 1/2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped )
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken broth (fat-free, lower-sodium, divided)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp capers (drained)
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley (coarsely chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Place 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl, and place remaining flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour in shallow dish; shake off excess.
- Add 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup broth to reserved 1 teaspoon flour; stir until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Stir in flour mixture; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, juice, and capers. Place 1 chicken breast half on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 teaspoons parsley.
Notes
In order to keep the recipe kosher, olive oil has replaced the 2-1/2 tbsp butter in the original recipe.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag me @gokoshercowboy and hashtag it #gokoshercowboy
