This Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe pairs a sensationally thin bread crumb crusted chicken with classic lemon wine sauce that is highly addictive!
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My love of chicken and citrus runs deep. I first introduced you to this amazing savory combo with my lemon roast chicken and potatoes recipe, and now I am back at it again with this breaded chicken piccata recipe.
What Is Chicken Piccata?
Traditional Chicken Piccata is a very simple dish. It begins with chicken that is pounded thin that is dredged in flour and lightly fried then topped with a deliciously easy to make lemon wine sauce. It can be served over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or anything you can think of.
This chicken piccata recipe has a bit of a twist and is one of my favorite chicken breast recipes for the following reasons:
1. It’s breaded! I simply can’t resist almost anything dredged in flour and breadcrumbs.
2. It’s drenched in a simple lemon wine sauce. The combination of citrus flavors and chicken can’t be beat!
3. It’s so simple and quick to make.
Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients to make this recipe so fantastic:
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts: Making sure they are thin helps cook them up in a flash.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is our secret weapon for a golden and slightly crispy coating.
- Beaten Eggs: Think of them as the glue, making sure that breadcrumb coat doesn’t fall off.
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs: These punch up flavor and texture in every bite.
- White Wine: Opt for a dry variety, it’s going to deglaze our pan and whisk you away to flavor town.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: This flavor adds so much zesty citrus flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter makes everything better – bringing a silky finish to our sauce.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Piccata
I love my chicken breasts for this breaded chicken piccata recipe to be as thin as possible.
You can either find it like this at your grocery store, or you can pound it yourself (with a mallet, rolling pin or any kitchen utensil that can do the job fast and easy) to make it thinner. This helps the chicken cook faster and tenderizes it even more.
The breading is created using beaten eggs, flour and bread crumbs (all in separate bowls). Dip your thin chicken breasts in the flour, egg mixture and bread crumbs and repeat at least once.
This dredge creates a flavorful impact with a golden brown and crispy outer layer alongside a fast lemon butter sauce, which you add to the top of your cooked chicken.
Best Wine to Make Piccata Sauce
I get asked this question a ton but here are a tips for selecting a great wine!
- Make sure it is a wine that you would normally drink. Avoid cooking wines.
- Crisp White Wine works best! Look at the following as amazing options!
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignn Blanc
- Chardonnay
How to Store and Reheat
To store, place any leftover chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Make sure to separate the sauce so it doesn’t get soggy. When you’re ready to reheat, pop the chicken at 350 to crisp and reheat the chicken. Microwave the sauce and serve over the chicken.
How To Serve This Dish
This lemon chicken piccata recipe can be served over a pasta like linguini or over a bed of grits or mashed potatoes, which is my preference along with my easy homemade garlic bread recipe. The softness of the mashed potatoes matched with the crunch of the chicken is so delicious. I do a small happy dance in my chair after each and every bite, just for good measure.
I originally started using the recipe for Ina Garten’s chicken piccata many moons ago but it has gone through quite a few alterations over the years to create my lemon chicken piccata. It was the perfect inspiration for this recipe. As always, thank you Barefoot Contessa!
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Find more Fried Chicken recipes HERE
Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
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Ingredients
- 6 thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Olive oil for sauteeing
- 1/2 cup white wine info on which kind to select in notes below
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees.
- Season thin chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add flour to a separate shallow bowl. In another bowl, add beaten eggs. In a 3rd shallow bowl, whisk together breadcrumbs and paprika.
- Dip seasoned chicken one at a time into flour then eggs then breadcrumbs coating both sides then place on a baking sheet to rest. Repeat with all chicken breasts until complete.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat.
- Add two chicken breasts at a time to pan and cook on both sides until golden brown. As each piece is finished, place the chicken breast on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the chicken in the oven when it is done and continue the cooking process (starting with adding more olive oil with each cook) until all chicken is cooked and placed in the oven.
- Clean the saute pan and put back over medium high heat. To make the lemon sauce, add white wine and lemon juice to pan and boil until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste then turn off heat and add butter, swirling in the sauce to completely melt. To serve, ladle sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Video
Notes
Pinot Grigio
Sauvignn Blanc
Chardonnay
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I’ll be making this with my plant-based chicken patties. Thank you!
I have made this twice using a pound of chicken tenders – nice sized ones and it worked out beautifully – enough for two of us with some leftovers. Highly recommend this, its one of our favorites now.
I made this and loved the flavor, but I wasn’t sure how long to cook the chicken in the oven and didn’t see anything in the recipe giving an estimate. I only put them in for 10 minutes, but it seemed they were a bit overcooked. How long do you usually bake them?
I could be wrong but I believe the oven was just to keep them warm until the sauce was ready.
Why do you suggest not using cooking wines? I have made chicken piccata with a non cooking wine before and it did not cook down enough, so then I did switch to a cooking wine.
The cooking wines are usually not as good quality but if you prefer that, definitely go that route.
That is genius to bread the chicken piccata! I love that and can’t wait to make for my family. I usually make chicken francese which my family loves but now I’m going to switch it up! Yum.
Lemon Chicken Piccata recipe calls for white wine, I do not normally like dishes that contains wine. I don’t like wine period. Can you taste the wine in it? Is there a substitution for the wine? It looks amazing and I do want to try it. Also does your cookbook contain dinner recipes or is it only desserts?
You don’t really taste the wine too much. You can also use a broth or stock as a substitute if you would like.
I asked same question before, is the cookbook just deserts or all recipes, no responses
Sorry about that. I get a ton of messages and I try to address those with questions about the recipes first where information isn’t readily available. Yes the book is just desserts.
Is the purpose of putting the chicken in the oven to keep it warm? Wouldn’t that temperature continue to cook the chicken with the first pieces of chicken going in oven being cooked more?
It won’t continue to cook it too long since it doesn’t take too long to cook all of the chicken but it will keep it warm until it is all done.
Tried this recipe and the whole family loved it! Thanks for sharing!!!
This has to be the best chicken piccata recipe on the internet!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Holy cow!! The breading on that chicken looks amazing! Pass me a plate of potatoes and this chicken for sure! Comfort food for life!!!
Go comfort food! It will always have my heart!