Twisted Chicken Piccata

Crisp and juicy pan-fried chicken, topped with a tangy sauce and then stacked over creamy polenta? This is a Chicken Piccata recipe I can get behind.

I’m sitting here searching for words to describe this absolutely fantastic dinner that we just ate. Wow. (Apparently, I’m truly gifted with words tonight.) I’ve eaten chicken piccata at different restaurants. I’ve made chicken piccata at home. But it has never tasted like this in the past.

This is a fantastic classic Chicken Piccata recipe, with a surprising ingredient twist. My whole family really enjoyed this meal and it has already been requested again.

The first time I made this meal, I served this chicken with this Baked Polenta and it was so good, I’ve served it the same way ever since.

Chicken Piccata can be as simple or elaborate a meal as you like. This recipe takes about an hour to make, so it walks the line between the two.

I love a quick and easy twenty-minute meal as much as the next person, but sometimes, breading and pan-frying a piece of chicken is absolutely worth a few extra minutes. It isn’t difficult at all, it simply takes a few extra minutes.

Chicken Piccata Recipe

More than a few years ago, I participated in a group called the Secret Recipe Club. We’d choose a recipe from someone else’s blog, cook it, and then share it on ours.

My husband chose this recipe from my Secret Recipe Club blog assignment Delishhh and it was such a great find!

I love it when there’s an unexpected ingredient in a recipe. So, what gives this recipe the unexpected twist? Soy sauce! No kidding.

When I stumbled onto this recipe, I did a double-take. Soy Sauce in an Italian recipe?

Yes, and it is FANTASTIC. You’ll do a quick marinade of the chicken in soy sauce while prepping the other ingredients.

The soy sauce works its magic and produces an underlying flavor that couldn’t possibly be beaten. I’m already looking forward to making this Chicken Piccata recipe again.

What Does Piccata Mean?

Piccata simple means cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley and butter. That’s all. And it’s pretty much guaranteed to be delicious every single time.

How To Make this Chicken Piccata Recipe

Place your chicken breasts in a gallon-size freezer strength ziploc bag, one at a time, and pound them to an even 1/4″ thickness. (If the pieces are exceptionally large, cut each one half and then pound to an even thickness.)

Once they have all been thinned as much as possible, place them all back into the ziploc bag and add the soy sauce, ½ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and let the chicken rest on the counter for 10-30 minutes.

Place two separate bowls next to your stove. In the first one, whisk the two eggs together. In the second one, combine the bread crumbs and the flour. Heat the remaining ½ cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the butter has melted and the mixture is hot, start making the chicken by dipping each piece first in the egg and then in the flour mixture, being sure to press it into the chicken on each side.

Place each breaded piece right into the frying pan. I was able to cook two at a time in the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Tent the cooked chicken with foil to stay warm while you prepare the sauce. (You can also place the covered chicken plate in the oven to keep warm if you would like. I found that mine stayed warm enough simply tented with the foil.)

Add the sliced mushrooms and 3 tablespoons of butter into the frying pan that you just used. Saute the mushrooms over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the wine, lemon juice and capers to the pan.

Use a spatula to scrape up all of the brown bits and then let the sauce simmer for a few minutes while it reduces by half. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to combine.

Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over the top. Top with fresh parsley if desired.

Try serving this with Caramelized Brussels Sprouts or an Asparagus, Bacon, Corn, and Sweet Potato Skillet!

Twisted Chicken Piccata

5 from 1 vote

Crisp and juicy chicken with an irresistible lemon butter sauce. Recipe adapted from and with thanks to Delishhh

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Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Servings: 5 servings

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts approximately 2 lbs total
• ▢ 1 cup olive oil divided
• ▢ 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
• ▢ 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 8 tablespoons butter divided
• ▢ 10 oz mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1 cup dry white wine I used a chardonnay
• ▢ 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice I used two large lemons
• ▢ 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
• ▢ optional: ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Place your chicken breasts in a gallon size freezer strength ziploc bag, one at a time, and pound them to an even 1/4″ thickness. Once they have all been thinned as much as possible, place them all back into the ziploc bag and add the soy sauce, ½ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and let the chicken rest on the counter for 10-30 minutes.
• Place two separate bowls next to your stove. In the first one, whisk the two eggs together. In the second one, combine the bread crumbs and the flour. Heat the remaining ½ cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted and the mixture is hot, start making the chicken by dipping each piece first in the egg and then in the flour mixture, being sure to press it into the chicken on each side. Then place each piece right into the frying pan. I was able to cook two at a time in the pan.
• Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Tent the cooked chicken with foil to stay warm while you prepare the sauce. (You can also place the covered chicken plate in the oven to keep warm if you would like. I found that mine stayed warm enough simply tented with the foil.)
• Add the sliced mushrooms and 3 tablespoons of butter into the frying pan that you just used. Saute the mushrooms over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add the wine, lemon juice and capers to the pan.
• Use a spatula to scrape up all of the brown bits. Increase the heat to medium high and then let the sauce simmer for a few minutes while it reduces by half. (The brown bits will darken the sauce.) Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to combine. Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over the top. Top with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 474kcal · Carbohydrates: 20g · Protein: 28g · Fat: 28g · Saturated Fat: 14g · Cholesterol: 171mg · Sodium: 1976mg · Potassium: 646mg · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 3g · Vitamin A: 694IU · Vitamin C: 3mg · Calcium: 67mg · Iron: 3mg

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{originally published 11/7/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/21/20}