Easy Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is the move when you want something that tastes restaurant-fancy but cooks in the time it takes to boil pasta. Golden chicken breast cutlets meet a bright, lemony pan sauce, and it all happens in one skillet.

A light dusting of flour does two jobs. It helps the chicken brown into a golden crust, and the bit that cooks into the pan later thickens the sauce just enough to cling.

The sauce is built from what the chicken leaves behind. Pouring broth into the hot skillet and scraping up those browned bits, the fond, pulls deep, savory flavor into the sauce in seconds.

Lemon is the soul of piccata. Both the juice and thin slices go in, the juice for bright acidity and the slices to soften and infuse the whole sauce with citrus.

Spoon it over the chicken, scatter parsley, and dinner is done. Thin cutlets cook in just a few minutes a side, which is what keeps this so fast.

Chef Tips

• Pound the breasts to an even thickness so they cook quickly and stay tender.
• Dredge in flour just before cooking so the coating stays dry and browns well.
• Scrape up every browned bit when you add the broth, since that fond is where the flavor lives.
• Simmer the sauce just until slightly thickened, then pour it over right away.

Variations

• Stir in a spoonful of capers for the classic briny, tangy piccata bite.
• Add a splash of white wine with the broth for more depth.
• Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce.