Rule #389: Good meals come in simple flavors.
Chicken Piccata is a simple dish flavored by capers, lemon juice, and a little white wine. What could possibly be wrong with this meal, I ask you? The simplest flavors usually yield the best dinners in my little opinion. Traditionally when making Chicken Piccata, you’d dredge the chicken breast in flour before building your sauce, but I’ve left that out. Instead, I use just 1 tbs. of cornstarch and some chicken stock to make a slurry to thicken the sauce. What you get is a savory, creamy dish that’s full of flavor and low on calories (and carbs). Winner, winner, Chicken Piccata dinner!
This recipe makes 4 hearty servings, each coming in at around 215 calories, 3.5g carbs, and over 23g of protein! Chicken Piccata is big on flavor, not on your waistline.
This meal comes together in under 30 minutes, so I like to go ahead and measure everything out before I get started. You won’t need much to get this dinner party started, folks!
First, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides until you’ve got some good color (about 3 minutes per side).
Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate and keep warm. Now, add in 1 cup of dry white wine (we like Chardonnay) to deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine reduces by half (about 3 minutes), stirring to get all of the browned bits off the bottom. One rule of thumb when cooking with wine: ALWAYS cook with a wine you’d actually drink. Don’t go cheaper or your dinner will taste that way!
Next, add in some lemon juice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, then add in some chilled butter (it’s important it’s chilled – this helps the sauce get creamier). Cook until butter has melted.
Meanwhile, make a slurry with some chicken stock and cornstarch. Whisk together until combined. This will help thicken the sauce.
Now, stir in the capers and slurry (chicken stock + cornstarch). Stir to combine and cook an additional minute. Then add in your chicken and any juices on the plate. Turn the chicken to coat. Cook until flavors have absorbed and chicken is cooked through (about 8 minutes).
We love our Chicken Piccata over some Cauliflower Mash. It makes for an easy dinner with few carbs and tons of flavor!
Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. chicken breast cut in half through the equator (about 2 large)
- ¼ tsp. Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine we use Chardonnay
- 1.25 cups unsalted chicken stock divided (1 cup and 1/4 cup)
- 1 heaping tbs. cornstarch
- 1 tbs. fresh lemon juice juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 tbs. chilled butter cut into small pieces
- 1 tbs. capers drained
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook chicken until browned on both sides (about 3 minutes per side). Remove to a plate and keep warm. Add the wine to the pan, stirring to scrape the browned bits off the bottom, and cook until the wine reduces by half (about 3 minutes).
- Meanwhile, mix ¼ cup stock with the cornstarch, whisking to combine.
- Add the stock and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add in the butter, stirring until it’s melted. Stir in the capers and then the slurry (cornstarch mixture). Cook 1 minute, then add the chicken back in along with any juices from the plate. Turn the chicken to coat, and cook and additional 5-10 minutes (until chicken is cooked through and absorbs the flavor from the sauce).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Pineapple House Rules makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.