Easy Chicken Piccata

Rating: 3.59 stars
92 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 27
  • 4 star values: 22
  • 3 star values: 23
  • 2 star values: 18
  • 1 star values: 2

In this classic chicken dish, a swirl of butter in the white-wine sauce gives it a creamy consistency.

Everyday Food, December 2006

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

prep:
35 mins
total:
35 mins
Servings:
4
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dip into flour, turning to coat; shake off excess.

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  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the chicken; cook until lightly browned and opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and chicken (reserve skillet for sauce).

  • Meanwhile, cook linguine in boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Add spinach, and stir until submerged. Drain pasta mixture and return to pot. Toss with 1 tablespoon butter; season generously with salt and pepper. Add some reserved pasta water if necessary. Cover to keep warm.

  • Into skillet, pour wine and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high, stirring to loosen browned bits, until liquid has reduced to 1/3 cup, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; swirl in 2 remaining tablespoons butter until melted. (For a smoother sauce, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired.) Add capers, and season with salt and pepper. Divide chicken and linguine among four serving plates; top chicken with sauce.

Cook's Notes

Capers are often packed in brine. Rinse them in water before adding to a recipe to keep saltiness in check.

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Reviews (36)

92 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 27
  • 4 star values: 22
  • 3 star values: 23
  • 2 star values: 18
  • 1 star values: 2
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
05/20/2013
So easy and so delicious! Definitely a dinner guest keeper - gourmet! My husband loves this - we have it once every week!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/19/2009
Delish%21%21%21
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/15/2009
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!! It's very simple and quick too!
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Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/14/2009
Having trouble with all the recipes this week as mimi-ads are covering the ingredients and the ad box cannot be shut.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/13/2009
Isergio, Thanks for the printing tip....love not having to print everything along with the recipe :-)
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/13/2009
This was really easy and tasty. The only downside is it didn't hold up well as leftovers.
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Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
01/27/2009
Very tasty and quick to prepare. I served it with rolls and squash. I rarely have 'repeat' meals but this one will be an exception!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/11/2008
this is so good and easy. i've tried to make this from another recipe and it was complicated and didn't come out very good. i like this one and so did the family. they want me to make again.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/09/2008
thanks for the alcohol free tip . will definitely try this recipe now
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/09/2008
thanks for the alcohol free tip . will definitely try this recipe now
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/06/2008
You will make this again and again! Great for groups or singles!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/05/2008
This was FABULOUS! Don't leave the capers out. I think next time I will use more spinach though. Family loved it, too. I actually put the chicken atop the linguine and poured the sauce over all. Yummy!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/05/2008
This was FABULOUS! Don't leave the capers out. I think next time I will use more spinach though. Family loved it, too. I actually put the chicken atop the linguine and poured the sauce over all. Yummy!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/05/2008
I made this recipe and loved it, it was easy but it looked like a meal from a restaurant, which really impressed my in-laws. The only problem was that my husband does not like wine, and had a hard time eating the noodles. He loved the chicken, but not the sauce.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/04/2008
I added Pico de Gallo/Mushrooms and Mrs Dash Seasoning. The rest of the recipe was followed and It was divine. Got lots of wonderful comments.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
11/04/2008
This was just delicious. I made the linguini with it but I didn't have fresh spinach so I cooked up a box of frozen spinach and then in a separate pan some olive oil and about 6 cloves of garlic and tossed the pasta with the spinach and the garlic and olive oil. Yummy!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
10/16/2008
This is a staple in our home. As for all the questions around 'cutlets'... true cutlets are made by pounding the meat, easy to do, resulting in a meat (chicken in this case) to resemble the thickness of the thin sliced breasts sold in the store. Ella
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
10/16/2008
Another printing tip: I chose the print button above, and when the page popped up, I then highlighted the portiion of the page I wanted to print (eg did not highlight the ad) and then chose the button on my print menu in the page range section: print selection (instead of full page). It worked great, and was easy to do. No ad, just the recipe. Good luck!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
10/15/2008
lisaroth1 asked on 7/21/08 at 7:35 p.m. ET: Is a chicken cutlet a chicken breast that is sliced very thin? It is my understanding that a cutlet is thinner than a breast. The chicken breasts so often found in common groceries are tremendously large. Note the cooking time in the recipes in question--if 2-5 minutes total, then likely you'll be using a cutlet or a large breast butterflied so as to reduce the thickness. I've noticed MS using the terms interchangeably, and yes it can be confusing.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
10/12/2008
This dish always give my guest something to talk about.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
10/12/2008
This dish always give my guest something to talk about.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
09/10/2008
This was a great, light meal. Everyone loved it and it was really easy and fast to prepare.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
08/05/2008
The ads don't printout just a picutre of the dish.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/28/2008
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! Quick and easy and you don't have to be a chef to make it! Thanks!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/22/2008
Yummy - yes just cut and paste into word. I'm taking it with me tomorrow so I can swing by the store and get the ingredients
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/22/2008
You could just copy and paste the recipe it to a word document and not have the ads in there.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
Is a chicken cutlet a chicken breast that is sliced very thin?
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
I so agree with norasgranddaughter I wish they would remove the ad from the bottom when printing the recipies out ..ink is so expensive Please Martha be kind and remove it .
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
@NorasGranddaughter - I use the Firefox browser and the ad doesn't appear in the Print version - at least for me maybe because I have ad-blocker on. If using IE, In Print Preview (under File) try setting the Scale % bigger or smaller as needed so that you have to print two pages - the ad may appear on the second page and you can opt not to print Page 2 - just Print Page 1. Otherwise, this a delicious recipe, but it absolutely needs some garlic!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
Yum! Very good. Instead of spinach, try draining pasta, add some olive oil, pressed garlic, fresh basil and a little grated Parmesan. mmmmm! Kids loved that!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
I wish you would remove the advertisement bar that appears at the bottom when you click on the "Print" option above. It uses so much ink and prints indecipherably. I have to swipe the recipe, copy and paste into Word every time. I wish I could just print simply from your printer-friendly format. Please remove the advertisement on the printer-friendly version.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
Thank you for this recipe... I will need to find out what capers is... I don't have any idea... Well...I guess it's because I'm mexican :) Take care...
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
thanks for idea of substituting the chicken stock and lemon juice.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/21/2008
I substitute 1/2 c chicken stock for the wine and use 1/2 c lemon juice. Very lemony and more pantry-friendly.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
03/16/2008
Quick, easy, and delicious!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
12/06/2007
WE WERE SURE GLAD WE TRIED THIS, IT IS VERY GOOD
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