Crispy chicken breasts bathed in a buttery lemony sauce, sprinkled with tangy capers and bursting with garlicky flavors. Chicken Piccata is a classic dish that can be whipped up on a Wednesday night or made for a special dinner – it really works for any occasion. This is the classic Chicken Piccata with all its beloved flavors, but with a fun little twist that takes it to the next level.
I love simple dishes that deliver big flavors. I think Chicken Piccata falls right into that category. Unlike other Italian classics where the sauce needs hours of simmering and creating complex flavors, here everything comes together pretty quickly. The lemon and butter sauce is packed with tangy capers, resulting in a bright dish that’s just the right balance of zesty and comforting.
There was a time when I was utterly confused by capers. I had conflicting feelings about the tangy little things, I couldn’t make up my mind. That was a long time ago. Time does wonderful things and apparently, evolving your tastebuds is one of them.
These days I’m a capers lover and I always find new ways to incorporate them into my dishes. And they really get to shine in this one. I like how you can quickly whip it up on a weeknight but it can also be served at a nice, special dinner. There’s a lot to love about Chicken Piccata and this version is one that I make all the time.
Chicken Piccata With a Twist
If you’ve read through any of my recipes before, you know I tend to take a rather loose approach to a lot of them. I believe (not always, but for the most part) you should take a recipe as a starting point and go from there.
When cooking, it’s imperative to always taste and assess your dish. Is it too bland? Too salty? Is the sauce too thin? Too thick? As long as you keep an eye on the details and make necessary adjustments, you’re sure to end up with a decent dish.
For that reason, so many recipes are easily customizable. And when it comes to weeknight dinners, you want to cook a recipe that’s reliable and flexible, but also delicious. That’s why I love this Chicken Piccata so much.
This version calls for all the usual suspects: capers, lemon, butter, olive oil, lots of garlic. But there’s one little thing (or two) that I love to add whenever I make dishes like this, where there’s lots of olive oil and garlic and particularly Mediterranean-inspired dishes: fresh oregano and lemon and lemon rind.
My advice when adding both ingredients is to measure with your heart. Use your nose as a guide and trust your tastebuds.
Take it Up a Notch
To me, Chicken Piccata is all about big, bold flavors. So I go all out: lots of garlic, lots of lemon, and lots of salty, tangy, briny flavors. If you like your chicken piccata to be intense like that, you’re going to love this recipe. We’re not messing up a classic, we’re just taking it up a notch.
This recipe calls for fresh oregano and if you only have dried, I advise skipping it. Fresh oregano has an assertive, peppery flavor and a fuzzy texture reminiscing of sage. When cooked, its flavor mellows and becomes more earthy.
Here, it’s pan fried along with the lemon rinds only for a few seconds, just until delightfully crisp. The tiny crispy leaves add a wonderful visual element to the final dish and fills your kitchen with its pungent aroma.
In keeping with the theme of bold flavors, we’re not just relying on lemon juice here. We’re using the entire fruit (minus the seeds, go ahead and discard those). We’re stripping the lemon and julienning the zest. It’ll crisp up and go on top of your crispy chicken right along with those crispy oregano leaves.
My last little trick is to add grated parmesan to my flour. When dredging chicken, make sure to season every step of the way. In order to add a more interesting salty element to my flour, I like adding grated parmesan (anywhere from half the amount of flour to a 1:1 ratio). This adds a nice but subtly cheese, salty touch to the dish. You want your coating to be light and thin, so make sure to shake off any excess.
I love serving this dish alongside some roasted potatoes and a simple salad. It’s such a manageable way to make an otherwise regular weeknight more special.
If you make this chicken piccata, please let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
¼ cup flour
3 tbsp grated parmesan
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 tbsp oregano leaves
1 lemon, zest and juice (peel and julienne half)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
3 tbsp capers, drained
Black pepper
Directions
Butterfly the chicken breasts: place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. Place one hand on the chicken breast, then using a sharp knife, carefully insert it into the middle of the thickest part of the breast and cut horizontally, cutting almost to the other side, but not completely through. The chicken breast will look like an open book and the whole piece will have an even thickness.
Place each breast inside a plastic bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Working from the center out, pound with the smooth side of a mallet until the meat is ¼-½ inch thick. Season all over with salt and pepper.
Place flour, parmesan, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning to coat, then shake off excess. Discard the leftover flour.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium high. Add half chicken breasts and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed. Transfer chicken to serving dish.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the oregano and julienned lemon rind and cook for about 30 seconds or until crisp. Remove and set aside.
Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine or stock and simmer until reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Reduce to low and stir in remaining butter. The sauce will turn glossy and thick. Stir in capers and lemon juice (add half a lemon then more if needed).
Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with crispy oregano and lemon rind and extra black pepper.
i had no imagination that capers could be used to create a derivative sub-flavor for chicken piccata, i’m just used to the rounded citrus kick (which is already very very good) – great job on this! i bet that dish was absolutely filling as a result! Mike
They add a nice punch of flavor to dishes and a subtle lemony undertone! It goes really well with citrus. Thank you! It was definitely filling lol
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Wow, who knew such big flavor could come from a small kitchen? Can’t wait to give this twisted Chicken Piccata a try!
oh, such a lovely comment! I hope you like it!!