Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken piccata sauce made of? ›

What Is Chicken Piccata? Chicken piccata is nothing more than chicken breast cutlets, dredged in flour, browned, and served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers, and either stock or white wine.

I also found the whole lemon slices included in many traditional recipes left my sauce with a bitter aftertaste from the lemon's pith. To avoid this, but maintain the acidic brightness this dish depends on, I added a bit of white wine to the sauce instead of lemon slices.

Lemon is acidic and helps balance the stronger flavor of the dark meat in thighs and legs, and the fat from the chicken skin.

Piccata, though, is an Italian word meaning larded. It seems to be a translation of the French word pique (sharp, as in piquant). When used in a reference to a way of preparing food (particularly meat or fish) it means sliced and sauteed in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices.

Best Option: Lime Juice

Lime juice wins the spot for best overall substitute for lemon juice because of its similar taste (just a little sweeter) and acidity level. You can use it in both savory and sweet dishes, as well as co*cktails.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

The reason you do not want to marinate chicken for longer than 4 hours is that the acidic ingredients in the marinade (like vinegar, wine, or lemon juice) will begin to break down the structure of the meat too much and it will start to “cook” before ever touching a heat source.

Important: If your marinade is full of fresh citrus or vinegar, like the one in this chicken skewers recipe, keep the marinating time below an hour for optimal results. Poultry marinated in citrus, like lemon or lime juices, or vinegars can turn mushy and stringy if left to soak for too long.

If you season your poultry before cooking, the flesh itself will be imbued with the fresh lemon flavor. Applying lemon juice after cooking won't affect the flavor of the meat as much, and will have a harsher and more sour taste because you haven't allowed the acid to permeate through the chicken.

What can I use in chicken piccata instead of white wine? ›

Broth. Chicken or vegetable broth can be a flavorful replacement for white wine. You can even swap it in equal amounts (go for low-sodium broth so your dish doesn't end up too salty). Just keep in mind that broth won't add any acidity, so you might want to add a touch of white vinegar to achieve a similar tang.

Chicken Piccata can be partially made ahead to save time. You can bread the chicken and refrigerate it for up to 4 hours before cooking. However, for the best texture and flavor, I recommend cooking the chicken and preparing the sauce right before serving.

Choose a Sauvignon Blanc with bright citrus flavors, which will match and draw out the lemon in the piccata sauce. A Sauvignon Blanc with stronger herbal notes will highlight the herbal flavors of fresh parsley.

You may be wondering what the difference is between this recipe and Chicken Francese. While they are somewhat similar, in Chicken Francese, the cutlets are dipped into flour and then eggs. Chicken Piccata cutlets are dipped in flour only and the recipe calls for capers and cream. They are both easy and good!

Piccata Sauce is a Lemony, Briny, Buttery Topping for Any Roasted Winter Vegetable | Bon Appétit.

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