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Chicken Piccata with Fried Capers

Tender pan-fried chicken breasts finished with a bright lemon-caper butter sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 very large boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed and each cut in half
  • 2 T capers rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 T olive oil
  • salt to season chicken
  • black pepper to season chicken
  • 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 2 tsp fresh garlic finely minced
  • 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
  • 2 T fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sweetener optional
  • 2 T butter cut into several pieces
  • 1 T fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Trim fat and membranes from the chicken breasts and cut each breast in half to make 6 pieces; place one piece at a time inside a zip-top bag and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
  • Season both sides of each chicken piece lightly with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
  • Add the rinsed, dried capers and fry until they puff and crisp slightly, about 60–90 seconds; remove with a spoon to a paper towel, leaving the oil in the pan.
  • Return the pan to medium-high heat, add chicken pieces and cook with the top side down until nicely browned, about 3–4 minutes; flip and cook the second side until just cooked through, about 1–2 minutes.
  • Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving dish, browned side up, and keep warm if desired.
  • Add the minced garlic to the hot pan and cook 15–30 seconds until fragrant, then add the chicken stock and scrape the pan to dissolve browned bits.
  • Cook the stock until reduced by about half, approximately 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and optional sweetener, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter pieces until melted and the sauce is glossy.
  • Stir half the fried capers and the chopped parsley into the sauce, pour the sauce over the chicken, and garnish with the remaining capers.

Equipment

  • 12-inch nonstick frying pan
  • meat mallet or heavy pan
  • Cutting board and knife
  • zip-top plastic bag
  • Spoon
  • Paper Towels

Notes

  • Rinse capers to reduce saltiness.
  • Sweetener is optional and balances very sour lemons.
  • Pound chicken to 1/2" for even cooking.
  • Use a nonstick pan to help prevent sticking.