Chicken Piccata Pasta

Written by
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Elaine Lemm
Updated 02/12/21
chicken piccata recipe

The Spruce / Elaine Lemm
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 2 bowls
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
1202 Calories
80g Fat
78g Carbs
36g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 1202
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 80g 103%
Saturated Fat 32g 160%
Cholesterol 184mg 61%
Sodium 1891mg 82%
Total Carbohydrate 78g 28%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 37mg 186%
Calcium 111mg 9%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 790mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chicken piccata is a hugely popular way to cook chicken, and it's easy, too. Chicken is lightly floured and quickly pan-fried and served with classic piccata sauce made from wine, lemon, capers, and cream, and sometimes garnished with parsley. Here, it is teamed with pasta, and what a combo they make. The dish comes together pretty quickly, so you can have dinner on the table in a little over 30 minutes. How amazing is that?

If you can't find chicken breast tenders look at the end of the recipe to make this dish with chicken breast instead. Do not confuse a piccata with a scallopine: The methods for cooking are similar, and both include lemon, but a piccata sauce has capers.

Enjoy with a tossed salad and some fresh fruit for dessert.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • 10 ounces chicken breast tenders

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 1 lemon, juice only

  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche

  • 2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed

  • 8 ounces spaghetti

  • 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, garnish

  • crushed red pepper flakes, garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chicken piccata ingredients

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

  2. Put the vegetable oil and half of the butter into a large skillet or frying pan, and heat over medium heat until lightly sizzling. Stir the flour, salt, and pepper together well on a deep plate. Dip each tender into the flour and make sure they are well coated.

    Dust chicken piccata with flour

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

  3. Drop the fillets into the hot butter and oil, cook for 4 minutes on one side, and flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a warmed plate. Cover with a piece of foil while you make the sauce.

    Gently fry chicken piccata

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

  4. Turn the heat up on the skillet, and once hot, add the white wine and stir while scraping up the juices from the bottom of the pan. Cook for a few minutes to reduce the wine by half, add the lemon juice, and stir. Let the sauce bubble for a few minutes.

    Chicken piccata sauce

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

  5. Add the crème fraîche and remaining butter, and whisk to incorporate into the sauce. Finally, add the capers and leave on a very low simmer.

    Chicken piccata add capers

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

  6. Cook the pasta according to instructions and drain well.

  7. Divide the pasta between 2 warmed bowls, followed by half the sauce on each. Stir the sauce into the pasta, then top with the cooked chicken, fresh chopped parsley, and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Serve immediately.

    Chicken piccata with pasta

    The Spruce / Elaine Lemm

Tips

  • Good selections of white wine to use for your chicken piccata include a sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio. While you're at it, go ahead and enjoy a glass with your meal. 
  • Don't like capers or don't have them on hand? Substitute pickles, green olives, lemon, or artichokes.  
  • Leftovers? Chicken piccata will stay good in the fridge for up to two days. Just reheat and enjoy. 

Using Chicken Breasts

Chicken tenders are tender little strips of very tender chicken, pulled from the side of the breastbone that comes already filleted. They are reasonably easy to find and work so well for this recipe. If you can't find them, use chicken breast instead. You will need to cut the breast horizontally lengthways first. Cut in half, then halve and cut crossways, and you will end up with a similar shape. If they are too thick, then tap them with a rolling pin to flatten them slightly. This helps them to cook evenly and quickly.