Chicken Piccata with Pasta
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Chicken Piccata with Pasta is a classic Italian dish, combining sautéed chicken breasts with a warm buttery lemon sauce and capers. Quick and delicious, this one will soon be on your regular meal rotation!
Pasta is always a great choice for dinner. Next, try my Baked Feta Pasta with Spinach or a Sausage and Gnocchi Skillet!
I love simple recipes. This chicken piccata uses ingredients that can easily be stocked in your pantry, and results in unique and delicious flavors. Your family will definitely be impressed, as mine was, and you will be adding it to your regular meal rotation.
What is chicken piccata?
In general, piccata describes meat (usually chicken or veal), that is sliced thin, coated in flour, and then sautéed in a lemon butter sauce, with capers. This classic dish can be adapted, but is so delicious if kept simple.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – You’ll need two pounds of chicken breasts, butterflied and sliced in half.
- Flour – Just a light coating of flour is all you need.
- Olive Oil plus butter – Use olive oil to sauté the chicken and unsalted butter for the sauce.
- Garlic – Just a few cloves, minced.
- Lemons – Two freshly squeezed lemons are needed for the sauce plus a little bit of zest.
- Capers – The key ingredient. You only need a couple tablespoons of this flavor booster. These are salty, so you may want to rinse them before using them (although I don’t always).
- Pasta – I used angel hair pasta, but any pasta you prefer works too. You could also serve this chicken over roasted veggies of your choice.
How to make Chicken Piccata
You can easily make this recipe in 30 minutes, after your ingredients are prepped to cook. I often get the chicken ready and place (covered) in my refrigerator ahead of time. You could also get the lemons zested and juiced in advance.
Step 1
Prep chicken. Butterfly the chicken breasts, and then slice in half. You should have four portions of chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste, on both sides. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, shaking off excess, and then set on a plate.
Step 2
Sauté chicken. Using a large cast iron skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Cook two pieces of chicken at a time, cooking until they are golden brown on both sides and cooked completely. They should read 165 degrees on a digital thermometer. Set cooked chicken on a clean plate, and then repeat with remaining two portions.
Step 3
Make sauce. When chicken is done, use the same pan to make the sauce. Keep drippings and add the butter over medium heat. (Be sure the skillet isn’t too hot.) When butter is melted, add garlic and stir for about a minute. Then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken broth, and capers. Add a lid to the pan, and simmer the sauce until it reduces to half, approximately 7-8 minutes.
Step 4
Prepare pasta. Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente, or according to packaged directions.
Step 5
Serve. To serve, add pasta to individual bowls. Then add a piece of sautéed chicken, and top with some of the warm lemon butter sauce with capers. Enjoy!
This dish is usually our full meal, but you could add a green salad or some fresh fruit to round it out.
What are capers?
Capers are little edible flower buds and are preserved by pickling in a salty brine. They are flavor bombs in cooking, like adding olives or pickles to dishes. Use them in salads, in sauces over different proteins, and over scrambled eggs and roasted veggies.
Pro-Tip: Serve this chicken piccata with a loaf of Chewy French Bread, a simple side salad, and a glass of white wine.
Other delicious Italian recipes on the blog:
- Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe – One of our current FAV recipes!
- Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese – – A lower carb version of the classic Mac n Cheese.
- Rigatoni Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli – A simple pasta recipe with ALL the taste.
Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)
- Global 7-inch Knife – My fav kitchen knife.
- Citrus Press – Used to prep the lemon juice.
- Cast Iron Skillet – This is a great skillet to sauté the chicken.
Try this Italian dish next: Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo
xoxo ~Sue
Chicken Piccata with Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless, chicken breasts – butterflied and halved
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour – or more, as needed
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 1/3 cup lemon juice – freshly squeezed (about 2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons capers – strained from jar (and rinsed, if desired)
- 8-12 oz. thin spaghetti – or more
Instructions
- Butterfly the chicken breasts, and then slice in half, so you have thin portions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, and set on a plate.
- Using a large cast iron skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides, cooking until it's cooked through completely. It should read 160 degrees on a digital thermometer. Set the chicken on a clean plate. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
- Leave the drippings in the pan, reduce heat (make sure the pan is NOT TOO HOT!), and add the butter. When butter is melted, add minced garlic and stir for about a minute. Then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, chicken broth, and capers. Simmer until it partially reduces, about 7-8 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the packaged directions. Strain.
- To serve, divide pasta among serving bowls. Add chicken, and then drizzle with the warm sauce.
This was delicious!! I tweaked a few things to make it gluten free. Used an almond flour and tapioca flour mix for dredging the chicken and gf pasta. The whole family enjoyed it. I love capers!
I’m so happy to hear this, Kate!
Absolutely loved this! Will be a go-to recipe for us.
Yay! 🙂
I could seriously eat this everyday! This was such a big hit when I made it for dinner the other night. Can’t wait to make it again and try your other recipes!
Thanks for your feedback, Mindy!
Chicken picatta is a favorite of ours, made it last night for a comforting meal on a chilly night. YUM!
So glad you enjoyed this chicken dish, Kathleen!
One of my most favorite meals! It turned out super good!
Oh great! I’m so glad, Michaela!
Soooo good! Tasted restaurant made and so simple
I love hearing this, Alex!
I just loved how light and simple this amazing comfort food was. It’s got so many flavors and textures.
I agree 100%!
Made this last night and we all loved it. Of course, capers make everything wonderful!
I agree whole heartedly!
We loved this for a cozy weekend dinner! We used GF pasta and it was still delish!
So good to hear, Lynn!
One of my favorite dishes at our local Italian place but this is WAY better!!
What a compliment! Thank you!
10 out of 10! Made this dish for my husband for Fathers Day. Very flavorful.
Oh I love hearing this, Nalei! Thanks for sharing your feedback with me!
I’m a huge fan of capers and they add a ton of flavor to this delicious chicken!
We are on the same page with this one!