One-Skillet Chicken Piccata, For Two!
If you need a break from fall flavors, I feel you.
After a few weeks of inhaling pumpkin/squash/apple everything, I need a breather too. So I decided to make a fall palate cleanser with this one-skillet chicken piccata. It’s fast, healthy, and reliably easy (just 30 mins!). Not to mention lightened-up + portioned for TWO, because it’s been awhile since we did one of those.
Currently I’m in a panic over how fast October is flying by, I can’t believe the holidays are almost here. But before I inundate you with ALL THE SIDES (you know it’s coming!), let’s enjoy a year-round meal.
Chicken piccata is the kind of dish you can make regularly without boredom, particularly when it involves one skillet. It’s the sort of meal that can be paired with almost anything — spinach, pasta, green beans? yes — and it strikes that ideal balance of fresh + comforting, so I know you’re gonna love this.
You start by generously seasoning thin-sliced chicken breasts in salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Sear in a cast iron skillet until just brown on either side, then transfer to a clean plate. In the same skillet sauté onion and garlic in EVOO until tender, deglaze the pan with white wine, then finally build your sauce. A combination of chicken broth, half & half, lemon juice, capers, and parmesan cheese make it possible, and yes it’s crazy delicious. As you might already know this is a fairly classic piccata sauce, with the exception of using half & half instead of cream. You might have also noticed that there’s NO flour in this version, so gluten-free people, rejoice!
I’m here to make things easy.
Once you’re happy with the sauce return the chicken breasts to the pan, then bake for 15 – 20 minutes until cooked through. Like any piccata this dish is briny, bright, and seriously satisfying, so mentally prepare for some genuine gourmet taste. The parmesan cheese and half & half add depth to the piccata sauce without being heavy, and I think the tangier the dish, the better! The chicken also cooks up perfectly here, with just the right bite + tenderness to stand up to the sauce. Frankly I didn’t even miss the traditional breading, and I don’t think you will either.
Cute Christmas outfits are just around the corner, anyway.
And obviously one skillet means WAY less clean-up, so basically this is exactly what your midweek needs!
Get cooking. xo
One-Skillet Chicken Piccata
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thin-sliced
- a few pinches of salt & pepper
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 3/4 tsp basil
- 3 tsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp crushed or minced garlic
- 1/4 small yellow onion, diced (should yield about 1/2 a cup)
- 2 tbsps cold, dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup half & half
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 1/2 tbsps parmesan cheese + more for serving
- fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F.
- On a cutting board amply season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano on all sides. Next, heat a cast iron or oven-proof skillet over a high flame, then coat the bottom with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sear the chicken breasts on either side until brown, about 1 minute per side, then transfer to a clean plate.
- Reduce flame to medium-high, then add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Saute the garlic and onion until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Next pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom as you do to incorporate any brown bits of flavor. Simmer until the wine is almost completely cooked off, then add the chicken broth, half & half, lemon juice, capers, and parmesan cheese. Allow the sauce to reach a rolling boil, then keep simmering for 2 -3 minutes.
- When ready, add the chicken breasts back into the skillet, then bake on oven middle rack for 15-20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Serve immediately, garnishing with fresh basil and spooning over with the skillet juices.
