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    Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Quick Chicken Piccata (Ready in 15 Min!)

    Published: Jul 26, 2019 · Modified: Jun 5, 2020 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe
    Chicken piccata in a large skillet with sauce, topped with lemon slices and thyme leaves. Image for pinterest

    Quick Chicken Piccata, an impressive yet simple Italian classic recipe, makes dinner sorted in just 15 minutes!


    Piccata is an Italian word that means "sharp/spicy in flavour", and comes from the French word piqué (sharp, as in “piquant”).

    The Italian piccata is made of sliced meat coated in flour, stir-fried and served with a sauce made from the pan drippings with added lemon, capers, wine, shallots and extra butter.

    Although in Italy the most famous version is veal piccata (or swordfish piccata in the south of Italy), in the US the most popular variation is made with chicken.

    What's The Difference Between Chicken Piccata and Chicken Francese

    Chicken piccata and chicken Francese (or French) are very similar dishes.

    The main difference between the two recipes is that the chicken Francese calls for eggs too.

    So, the chicken is first dipped into an egg mixture and then dipped into flour.

    How To Make Chicken Piccata

    This traditional chicken piccata recipe couldn't be easier, all you need is 15 minutes and a bunch of simple ingredients:

    • chicken breast 
    • flour
    • butter
    • extra-virgin olive oil
    • lemon
    • capers
    • wine
    • shallot
    • fresh parsley or thyme leaves

    Chicken piccata in a large cast iron skillet with sauce, topped with lemon slices and thyme leaves, grey napkin underneath the skillet

    You can use skinless, boneless chicken breasts or store-bought chicken cutlets.

    If you can't find cutlets at your grocery store, simply make your own by slicing the chicken breast in half, lengthwise.

    Don't worry if the slices are not perfectly sized, they will still cook evenly.

    Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper then dredge the meat through the flour.

    Pan-fry the chicken on both sides in butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, until perfectly golden.

    Once the chicken is almost cooked through, keep it aside in a warm place and get back to the skillet to prepare the sauce.

    Add lemon juice, shallots, white wine ( you can also use chicken broth) and capers, and remember to scrape well all those delicious brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. That's where all the flavour is!

    At this point, add the chicken back to the pan and gently simmer all ingredients for about 4 mins, then transfer the chicken to a serving plate. 

    Thicken the piccata sauce for one more minute and add a little butter to give it a shiny, silky texture.  

    Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley or thyme leaves and you're good to go!Chicken piccata in a large skillet with sauce, topped with lemon slices and thyme leaves

    Side Dishes and Vegetables

    This absolutely delicious main course is incredibly versatile and can be served with lots of different veggies.

    Some favourite side dishes to serve chicken piccata with include:

    • Classic Potato Mash
    • Potato & Green Bean Salad
    • French Ratatouille
    • Sicilian Caponata
    • Roasted Vegetables
    • Steamed Broccoli, Peas & Potatoes

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook! Looking at your pictures always makes me smile *and super hungry*!

    Print SaveSaved!
    4.75 from 4 votes

    Quick Chicken Piccata (Ready in 15 Min!)

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Chicken Piccata, an impressive yet simple Italian recipe, makes dinner sorted in just 15 min!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Serving: 4
    Author: Andrea Soranidis

    Ingredients

    • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, (or chicken cutlets)
    • 4 tablespoon all purpose flour, for dredging
    • 4 tablespoon butter
    • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 60 ml dry white wine or chicken stock
    • 1 tablespoon capers, well washed
    • 4 lemon slices
    • 1 shallot, finely minced
    • a handful of fresh parsley or thyme, chopped
    • sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • Pound the chicken breasts with a meat tenderiser, or use chicken cutlets.
    • Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off excess.
    • In a large skillet melt half of the butter with the extra-virgin olive oil, over medium heat.
    • Add the chicken slices to the skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 minute per side until golden. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside in a warm place.
    • Adjust the heat to very low. Add lemon juice, chicken stock or wine, capers, lemon slices and shallots, and scrape well up the brown bits from the pan.
    • Return the skillet to medium heat and bring to a boil. Season to taste, add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes.
    • Remove the chicken and place into a serving plate. Add the remaining butter to the sauce and whisk for about a minute until it has a nice, silky texture.
    • Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley or fresh thyme leaves. Season with freshly-cracked black pepper and serve.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    This post was originally published in February 2015 and updated with more info.

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    Comments

    1. Janet says

      October 03, 2021 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      Bursting with flavours, it’s going to be one of my favourite go to meals. Thank you 😊

      Reply
    2. RomeNYLondonWorld (@RomeNyLondWorld) says

      March 28, 2015 at 4:17 pm

      This looks delicious and I will try it out soon, especially since I hate how boring chicken is! Your recipe looks very tasty instead 🙂
      Valeria @ romenewyorklondonworld.com

      Reply
      • The Petite Cook says

        March 28, 2015 at 4:20 pm

        Thank you :)!! I agree, chicken can be boring, but it's also super versatile, so it's fun to come with new ways of cooking it every now and then. Creativity is the key for yummy food 😀

        Reply

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    About Andrea

    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


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