Description
Mediterranean Style Chicken Piccata is a delightful dish featuring tender chicken breasts coated in a Parmesan-flour mixture, seared to golden perfection, and served with a tangy lemon, caper, and white wine sauce. This recipe combines vibrant Mediterranean flavors in a quick and satisfying skillet-cooked meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 450g / 16oz chicken breast (2 large pieces), skinless, boneless
- ½ tbsp olive oil (for drizzling)
Coating
- 4 tbsp flour (substitute cornstarch for gluten-free)
- 2 ½ tbsp Parmesan, finely grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Cooking Fat
- 2 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for sauce)
Sauce
- ⅔ cup dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp capers in brine, drained
- 1 ½ tsp parsley, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut each chicken breast into 3 pieces. Place them between pieces of cling wrap and pound them flat to about ½ cm thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Oil the chicken: Drizzle the chicken pieces with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and rub it in so each piece is evenly coated, which helps the coating stick better.
- Make the coating and dredge chicken: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, finely grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken in this mixture, pressing gently to ensure an even coating on all sides.
- Heat the fats: In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 ½ tablespoons of olive oil together with 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter until the butter melts and the mixture is hot but not smoking.
- Sear the chicken: Place half of the coated chicken pieces in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until they develop a golden-brown crust. Remove and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Remove excess fat: After cooking all chicken pieces, discard any excess fat from the pan, leaving the browned bits stuck to the bottom to add flavor to the sauce.
- Deglaze with wine: Add the dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken broth) to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits to incorporate their flavor into the sauce.
- Add lemon: Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and simmer for an additional minute to meld flavors.
- Finish the sauce: Reduce the heat to low and add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Swirl the pan gently until the butter melts and the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened.
- Add capers and parsley: Stir in the drained capers and finely chopped parsley. Spoon the luscious sauce over the cooked chicken pieces and garnish with extra parsley before serving.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the flour with cornstarch for dredging.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth instead of white wine for a non-alcoholic option.
- Be sure to pound the chicken evenly to ensure even cooking and tenderness.
- Serve with a side of steamed vegetables or over cooked pasta or rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper to taste after cooking the sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Chicken Piccata,Lemon Chicken,Capers,Parmesan Chicken,Mediterranean Chicken,Skillet Chicken Recipe
