Elegant and Affordable: Lemon Chicken Piccata

The way that this chicken is prepared makes it so tender, so flavorful that you’ll be hooked…and so will your guests!  The recipe is adapted from Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa).  Above I paired it with mashed potatoes and brown sugar glazed carrots but this chicken dish is also very good with rice!

Lemon Chicken Piccata

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 Tbs water
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• olive oil
• 3 Tbs unsalted butter, divided
• 2 lemons, freshly squeezed (makes about 1/3 cup), reserve the lemon halves.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast in a separate plastic ziplock bag, or between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Pound out to 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle each side with kosher salt and cracked pepper.

Lay out three deep plates or shallow bowls (I think pie plates actually work excellent for this).  In the first one put the flour.  In the second beat the egg and the water together until smooth.  In the third put the bread crumbs.  Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.  If chicken breaks apart at all (as you’ll see in a picture below), no matter.  Just dredge the pieces and cook them just the same as the whole breasts.

Heat about 1 Tbs of olive oil over medium-low heat in a saute pan.  Add one chicken breast at a time and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned.  Place on the sheet pan with the parchment paper.  Once both chicken breasts are browned, place the sheet pan in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Wipe the saute pan of any larger pieces from cooking the chicken.  Over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs of the butter and then add the lemon juice and wine.  Whisk together.  And kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste and whisk together.  Add the reserved lemon halves and boil over high heat for about 2-4 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard the lemon halves.  Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk to combine.

Serve one chicken breast per plate and spoon on the sauce.

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