Ina Garten’s Chicken Piccata

Ina Garten chicken piccata recipe is creamy, buttery, and so easy to make! In just 30 minutes, you can impress your guests with a homemade, restaurant-quality meal!

Chicken Piccata Ina Garten

If you’re a fan of tangy flavors, you’ll love this recipe!

In this Italian dish, flavorful chicken breast is breaded and then coated in a rich lemon sauce with briny capers and a splash of white wine that’s simply divine.

Serve this decadent recipe with creamy mashed potatoes, Ina Garten Spinach Quiche Recipe, or this Barefoot Contessa potatoes gratin. Why not try with this irresistible sun dried tomato pasta salad?

How To Make It

Preparing The Chicken

Cut the chicken breasts into cutlets. Place the chicken pieces between two pieces of parchment paper or in a plastic freezer bag.

Pound the chicken with a rolling pin or mallet until flat and ¼ inch thick. Season with pepper and salt.

Breading The Chicken

Now prepare the three bowls for the breading process:

• In a first medium bowl, add the flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together until combined.
• In a separate bowl, crack the egg and whisk it together with a splash of water.
• Add breadcrumbs to a third bowl.

Start the breading process by coating both sides of the chicken in the flour mixture. Then, dunk it into the egg mixture. And finally, dip in the bread crumbs making sure all sides are nicely coated.

Keep one tablespoon of flour aside.

Frying The Chicken

Add olive oil to a large pan and heat on medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.

Once completely cooked, set aside on a plate.

Making The Sauce

Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth. With a wooden spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan.

The chicken broth will start boiling. Add lemon juice, white wine, capers, and two lemon halves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer everything until all the flavors are well combined.

Then remove the lemon halves. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and the cream.

Thick the sauce with one tablespoon of flour. Stir until well combined and thickened.

Bringing It Together

Pour the sauce over the chicken. Decorate with extra lemon slices.

Pro Tips

• For a nonalcoholic version, deglaze the pan with apple cider vinegar instead of white wine. Apple cider vinegar will create a tangy and acidic flavor that complements the rich buttery taste without the use of alcohol. This is also a good way to make this dish appealing to kids.


• I halved Ina Garten’s breading ingredient quantities because when I made the recipe, I found that I had leftover breading. I wanted to avoid food waste.


• If you like extra crispy chicken, repeat the breading process 2 to 3 times. This process will create an extra layer of coating that will give the chicken an irresistible crunch. Don’t forget to double the quantity of flour and breading. And add an extra egg. You can also coat the chicken in panko crumbs instead of flour. Panko is light and crispy, and it fries nicely!


• If the sauce is too acidic, you can add a bit of honey to balance the flavors. Since chicken piccata includes a combination of several acidic ingredients (lemon juice, capers, and white wine), the sauce may taste too tart. A touch of honey will bring a nice sweetness that counteracts the other ingredients’ acidity.

Storage

• In the Fridge: According to the USDA, you can keep cooked chicken in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.


• In the Freezer: You can freeze cooked chicken with a dairy-based sauce safely for up to 2 months. However, because the sauce includes cream, it may not freeze well. The cream tends to separate when it’s thawed, and the texture changes. The best way to freeze this dish is to freeze the chicken without the sauce and consume it within 3 to 4 days.

Reheating Chicken with Sauce

• Stove Method: Begin by preheating a skillet over medium heat, and add a small amount of fat (olive oil or butter) along with the chicken and the sauce. To prevent the sauce from drying out, add chicken stock, white wine, or a splash of water and cook for a few minutes.


• Microwave method: Microwave your dish in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between. Make sure not to overheat, or you’ll end up with a tough and dry chicken.

What To Try Next!

• Maggiano’s Rigatoni d Recipe


• Olive Garden Chicken Fritta


• Red Lobsters Cajun Chicken Pasta

Did You Like This Recipe?

If you tried and liked this recipe, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments section! I’d love to hear your feedback. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐