Delicious Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is one of those meals that sounds a little fancy, but it is actually pretty simple. You lightly coat the chicken in seasoned flour, brown it in a skillet, and then make a lemony cream sauce right in the same pan. I love recipes like this because all the good flavor from the chicken gets worked right into the sauce.

I like to serve this over pasta with something green on the side. Asparagus, green beans, or a simple salad all work well. It’s bright, creamy, and still hearty enough for a Father’s Day meal.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs
Salt
Black pepper
Flour, for dredging
Butter
Olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth
Juice of 1–2 lemons
A splash of heavy cream
Capers, optional
Fresh parsley, chopped
Pasta, such as angel hair, spaghetti, or linguine

Instructions

If using chicken breasts, slice or pound them so they are not too thick. This helps them cook evenly and keeps the outside from getting too dark before the inside is done. If using boneless thighs, you can usually leave them as they are.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Add flour to a shallow dish and lightly dredge each piece of chicken. You want a thin coating, not a heavy breading.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add butter with a little olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Work in batches if needed so the chicken has room to brown instead of steam.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.

Lower the heat slightly and add chicken broth and lemon juice to the same skillet, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes so it reduces slightly.

Stir in a splash of heavy cream. Taste the sauce and adjust with more lemon, broth, salt, or pepper as needed. I like it lemony, but not so sharp that it takes over the whole dish.

Add capers if you like them, then stir in a little fresh parsley.

Return the chicken to the skillet and let it finish cooking in the sauce until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

While the sauce finishes, cook your pasta. Serve the chicken over the pasta with the sauce spooned over the top.

My Favorite Way to Serve It

For Father’s Day, I’d keep this meal simple and pretty: chicken piccata over pasta, something green on the side, and maybe good bread to soak up the extra sauce. It feels like a special dinner without being fussy, which is exactly the kind of recipe I like best.