Chicken piccata was a pasta dish that I didn’t have until sometime within the past few years, and let me tell you, I have been missing out. It’s so simple with its lemony sauce and briny capers, but so delicious. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight, but nice enough to enjoy on the weekend with guests too. Traditional chicken piccata doesn’t have any milk or creamy in the sauce, but I love the way adding cream balances the tart lemon and the capers and include it in my version here. The creaminess makes the sauce even more delicous if you ask me!
I also brown the chicken breasts on the stove but finish them in the oven. Can you cook them completely on the stove in the sauce? Of course. But I’m all about saving you some time, and having the chicken finish in the oven while you make the sauce and boil the pasta means that you can have dinner on the table sooner. Also, I get a little paranoid about undercooking or overcooking chicken and find it’s easier for me to manage the perfect internal temperature of 165 if I finish it in the oven.
Serve this creamy chicken piccata with a big green salad and maybe some garlic bread and you’ve got dinner. I love a good easy pasta dish, and while I didn’t reinvent anything here with sharing a classic dish like chicken piccata, this is my take on a classic Italian recipe that’s already pretty close to perfect. Now, this is the only way that I’ll make chicken piccata: extra creamy and done just a little bit faster than the classic version. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
- 1 lb. spaghetti
- 4 tbsp. butter, divided
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 4-5 chicken breasts
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 3.5 oz. jar of capers, drained
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat 2 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and seaon on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place ½ cup of flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken breasts on both sides.
- Cook chicken breasts in the frying pan for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer chicken to this pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In the frying pan where the chicken had cooked, melt the remained 2 tbsp. butter. Whisk in 2 tbsp. flour.
- Add lemon juice and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add cream and capers and cook until thickened.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Pasta can either be tossed with the sauce and served with chicken on top, or the sauce can be served on top of both the pasta and chicken. Either way it will be delicious! Enjoy.
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Nancy says
lovely & delicious recipe.love to cook the recipe.