Chicken Piccata 

Giada De Laurentiis’s Chicken Piccata is a beloved and surprisingly simple Italian-American classic, ready in under 40 minutes for four servings. Tender chicken breasts are butterflied, dredged in flour, and sautéed until golden in a blend of butter and olive oil. The signature lemony-caper pan sauce is made with chicken stock, fresh lemon juice, and capers, thickened naturally by the flour coating and finished with butter and parsley for brightness and richness. It’s both elegant and accessible—perfect for weeknight dinners or a special meal.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half (4 pieces total)
  
  

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  

• All-purpose flour, for dredging
  
  

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
  
  

• 5 tablespoons extra‑virgin olive oil (divided)
  
  

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (≈ juice of 2 lemons)
  
  

• ½ cup reduced‑sodium chicken stock
  
  

• ¼ cup brined capers, rinsed
  
  

• ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
  

Directions

1. Prep the chicken: Season each butterflied and halved piece with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour, shaking off any excess
   
   

2. Brown the chicken: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Once sizzling, add two pieces of chicken and cook ~3 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a plate. Add another 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp oil, and repeat with remaining chicken pieces, then remove the pan from heat
   
   

3. Make the sauce: Into the same skillet, pour in lemon juice, chicken stock, and capers. Return to medium-high heat and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the pan for flavor. Taste and season if needed
   
   

4. Simmer chicken in sauce: Return all chicken pieces to the skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes until cooked through, allowing the flour coating to help thicken the sauce
   
   

5. Finish and serve: Remove chicken to a serving platter. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter into the sauce until glossy, then pour over the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving
   
   

Nutritional Information (per serving ≈¼ recipe)

Based on Food Network analysis:

• Calories: ~494 kcal
  
  

• Total Fat: ~38 g (Saturated ~14 g)
  
  

• Carbohydrates: ~5 g (Fiber ~1 g; Sugar ~1 g)
  
  

• Protein: ~32 g
  
  

• Cholesterol: ~146 mg
  
  

• Sodium: ~560 mg