Chicken piccata is a classic for a reason. How to make the delicious, easy weeknight meal

Golden chicken, caramelized shallots, briny capers and a velvety lemon-butter sauce — chicken piccata is a dinnertime indulgence that's shocking quick and easy to make.

But what is piccata? Piccata is an Italian word for larded, which some say derives from the French word pique, or piquant, which means tangy, spicy, sharp, zesty and so on (the synonyms abound). When used to describe food, piccata refers to meat that’s pan-seared and then sautéed in a sauce of butter, lemon and spices.

Chicken piccata an American adaptation of the classic Italian dish, veal piccata. In both cases, the meat is pounded thin, dredged in flour, pan-fried in butter and olive oil and finished in a tangy lemon-infused butter sauce. Thanks to the coating of flour, the chicken boasts an irresistible golden-brown crust that stands up to the satiny, slightly thickened sauce, which doesn't feel too heavy thanks to the acidity of the lemon and brininess of the capers.

This simple weeknight meal requires very few ingredients and minimal cooking time, but to ensure a successful outcome, I have a few tips before you start cooking.

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How to make chicken cutlets and lemon butter sauce

Use thin chicken cutlets. Thin-cut chicken breasts not only cook more quickly, but they also cook more evenly, which guarantees moist chicken from end-to-end. If your chicken breasts are thicker in the middle, the ends will overcook and dry out before the center is cooked. This advice isn’t just for chicken piccata, thin-sliced chicken is the key to any skillet dish that includes a pan sauce.

You have a few options for procuring thin chicken: purchase thin-sliced chicken from the grocery store or halve two regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts horizontally to create four thinner cutlets or pound your boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are about ½-inch thick.

Use flour, not breadcrumbs. The recipe below follows the traditional method of dredging your chicken in flour before pan-frying. Some recipes call for breadcrumbs instead, which makes for a heavier, clunky dish. Stick with all-purpose flour and keep the dish classically light.

Don’t crowd your pan. When pan-frying the chicken, make sure the cutlets aren’t touching each other. The goal is to brown every inch of the chicken and if the cutlets are overlapping, that can’t happen. Work in batches if necessary. When it comes to adding the chicken back to the pan sauce, it’s OK to nuzzle them in together.

Note that the wine is optional. I enjoy adding white wine to this dish because the fruity quality of wine perfectly complements the tangy lemon and salty capers. But wine is not wholly necessary. If you prefer, you can deglaze the skillet with an equal amount of chicken broth instead.

Choose non pareil capers. Why? Capers are sold by size — the smaller the caper, the more delicate in texture and flavor. Non pareil capers are about the size of peppercorns and they lend the perfect amount of flavor to this dish (think lemons, olives and flowers). In fact, non pareil is French for “has no equal”. Take note, larger capers won’t ruin the dish, just taste before adding them to the sauce and scale back if necessary.

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Chicken piccata recipe

This lemon-butter sauce is so delicious, you’ll want to soak up every drop, so I suggest serving piccata with fluffy rice (jasmine would be fabulous), tender pasta (angel hair is traditional, but egg noodles work, too), polenta, mashed potatoes, couscous, warm bread or your favorite grain. When it comes to vegetable side dishes, anything goes. For a pop of color, I suggest broccoli, broccolini, broccoli rabe, asparagus, spinach, kale, carrots or Brussels sprouts. And, of course, a mixed green salad is always an option if you want to keep the meal easy and light.

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1 ¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thin-sliced or pounded-thin (see note above)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• ¼ cup minced shallot or onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ⅓ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

• ½ cup chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons drained capers

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

• Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional

• Lemon slices for garnish, optional

Instructions:

1. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish, add the chicken and turn to coat both sides. Shake off excess flour.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and all of the oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. If necessary, work in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan.

3. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the shallot to the same pan over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine, bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 seconds, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the chicken broth, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, capers, lemon juice and lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices on the plate. Return to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly.

5. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices, if using, and serve.

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Questions or comments? Email the culinary team at cooking@azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chicken piccata is an easy Italian weeknight dinner. How to make it