Homemade Chicken Piccata
Homemade chicken piccata is one of those dishes that looks really complicated to make but is actually very easy. This homemade chicken piccata recipe is so good, I can guarantee it becomes a family favorite in no time. Made from a few simple, healthy ingredients you can feel good serving this meal to your family. This chicken cutlet recipe really is the perfect weeknight dinner.
About this recipe
I’ve been making this homemade chicken piccata recipe for over ten years. I can honestly say that every time I make it, my family always come back for more. In my opinion, the key to a great piccata recipe is butterflied and pounded thin chicken and a delicious pan sauce. Not only does the pan sauce help make the chicken juicy, it is great for dipping too. Keep in mind, that if you butterfly two chicken breasts, you will end up with four thin cutlets. One cutlet per person is a light serving, but two cutlets per person is a very generous serving.
Storage
Store any leftover chicken piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Simply reheat in a microwave safe dish in the microwave until heat through. Looking for more delicious chicken dinner recipes? Try my chicken and broccoli stir fry. It’s quick, healthy and delicious. Perfect for those nights when you want a healthy meal, fast.
Another great chicken dish is my whole roasted herb chicken. Having a whole roasted chicken in the refrigerator is perfect for busy weeks. You can enjoy it in so many ways. Pulled chicken tacos, sliced chicken sandwiches or my buffalo chicken mac and cheese are just a few ideas.
Homemade Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
Chicken and pan sauce:
- 1 lb. chicken breasts- about 2 breasts, butterfly them if they are thick.
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
- 2.5 tablespoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Chicken breading:
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup 2% milk
- 1 cup AP flour – all purpose
- salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
- saute pan
- baking dish
- mallet
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare the chicken:
- Place one chicken breast inside of a Ziplock bag. Using a mallet you'll pound your chicken breast until it is thin. If the chicken is thick, you might want to consider cutting it in half before pounding. Repeat this process for the second breast. Set the pounded chicken aside.
- Grab a second large Ziplock bag, and two plates.
- Add the flour, salt and pepper to the Ziploc bag. Set aside.
- Whisk together your eggs and milk. Pour this mixture on one of your plates.
- Next, you will mix together the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and add this mixture onto the second plate. (I use store-bought breadcrumbs, but you can use homemade if you prefer.)
- Bread the pounded chicken. First, you'll toss the chicken in the bag with the flour mixture. Shake the bag until the chicken is well coated in the flour. Next, dredge the chicken through the egg / milk mixture, then the breadcrumb/ cheese mixture. Make sure the chicken is well coated during each step. Repeat until all of the chicken is breaded.
- Grab a large sauté pan and add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Heat over medium and add the breaded chicken breasts.
- Lightly pan fry the chicken on both sides until it is golden brown.
- From there, you are going to remove the chicken from the pan and add it to an oven-safe baking dish.
- Finish cooking the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes or until it is cooked through. You'll want the internal temperature to be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare the pan sauce:
- While the chicken is in the oven you are going to prepare the pan sauce. Add chicken stock, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of butter to the sauté pan that the chicken was browned in. Add 1 tablespoon of capers and 2-3 springs of fresh thyme.
- Stir the sauce well making sure to scrape up all of the pan drippings from the chicken. This will give your sauce a huge amount of flavor.
- Let the sauce reduce over medium heat in the saute pan.
- Once the chicken is full cooked, you can add the chicken back into the pan with the sauce.
- To finish, top the dish with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy.
2 Comments on “Homemade Chicken Piccata”
I love chicken piccata and this may be my favorite recipe for it! This was easy and I had most ingredients on hand which is always a plus for me! Will definitely make again!
This was one of the simplest piccata recipes I have ever made and it had the best flavor. I wish I had found it sooner! I can’t wait to make it again.