Description
Home cooks adore this zesty lemon garlic chicken piccata with its tangy sauce and golden-brown chicken cutlets. Restaurant-quality results emerge quickly, letting weeknight diners savor Mediterranean-inspired flavors without complex preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup egg substitute (or beaten eggs)
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tbsps chicken broth
- 5 tbsps lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepping Chicken: Butterfly chicken breasts to a uniform 0.6-centimeter thickness by pressing between plastic wrap sheets with a meat mallet, ensuring even cooking and tender texture.
- Coating Preparation: Create a seasoned dredging station by mixing flour and salt. Dip chicken in beaten eggs, then thoroughly coat with seasoned flour, shaking off excess to achieve a light, crisp exterior.
- Searing Technique: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully brown chicken breasts until golden and fully cooked, approximately 3-4 minutes per side, working in batches to maintain optimal pan temperature.
- Sauce Development: In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Deglaze with chicken broth, lemon juice, and hot pepper sauce, scraping browned bits to incorporate deep, rich flavors.
- Final Fusion: Return chicken to the skillet, gently nestling pieces in the aromatic sauce. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the chicken to absorb the tangy, vibrant sauce while maintaining its crisp coating.
- Garnishing and Serving: Sprinkle chopped parsley and grated Parmesan over the chicken. Plate immediately, drizzling additional sauce to enhance the dish’s visual appeal and flavor profile.
Notes
- Butterfly with Care: Use gentle, even pressure when pounding chicken to ensure uniform thickness, which guarantees consistent cooking and tender meat.
- Coating Technique: Shake off excess flour to prevent clumping and achieve a light, crispy exterior that browns beautifully without becoming heavy.
- Pan Performance: Cook chicken in batches if skillet is crowded to maintain high heat and create perfect golden-brown crust without steaming the meat.
- Sauce Salvation: Scrape skillet’s browned bits while deglazing to unlock deep, rich flavor that transforms a simple sauce into a restaurant-quality experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 88 mg