Chicken Piccata Recipe | Bon Appétit

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: You either love ’em or you don’t. For those in the latter camp, this easy chicken piccata recipe is here to convert you. Served over a pile of pasta or next to a crisp iceberg salad (with crusty bread for mopping up the bright, buttery lemon-caper sauce), few weeknight dinners are so delicious and also so easy.

The key to the best chicken piccata is pounding butterflied chicken breasts into even cutlets. If you don’t have a meat mallet, use a small frying pan or rolling pin (on a durable surface!) to gently flatten each halved piece of chicken. For the sauce, use a dry Italian white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Vermentino and have it ready to pour into the pan the minute the garlic turns golden so that nothing burns. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then swirl in the capers and a few tablespoons of butter to create an emulsion, i.e., turn it into a rich, glossy sauce that clings to the seared cutlets. Garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresj lemon juice.

One more thing: After you’ve fallen in love with the lemony chicken piccata sauce (you will, trust us), you’ll be looking for more ways to make and use it. May we recommend skipping the gravy next time you make mashed potatoes? Or draping the silky emulsion over roasted winter vegetables? You’ll be glad you did.