Lemon Artichoke Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is one of those staple Italian dishes that I can always count on being on the menu at a good Italian restaurant. Now, I’m gonna say it, not all chicken piccata dishes are the same. I like to switch things up and add artichoke hearts to mine! The tang from the artichoke hearts complements the lemon + garlic so well! Now, the best part of this recipe is you can customize it to make it YOUR own. Don’t like artichoke hearts, leave ’em out (but man are you missing out!!). Don’t like capers (my Dad HAH), leave ’em out – or simply make your picky eaters them pick around them!

However you choose to make it one things for sure, this lemon packed chicken is sure to please a crowd. Cooking this for a crowd and looking to save some time – fry up the chicken ahead of time and put it in the fridge. Then, when company shows up, all you’ll need to do is make the sauce and add the chicken to the pan to heat up.

PREP TIME	COOK TIME	TOTAL TIME
15 min	25 min	40 min

Ingredients

• 1 lb thin sliced chicken cutlets 
  • you can always use breasts and pound them down or thin slice them yourself!
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup flour
• 5 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup chicken stock 
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (aka the juice from 2 lemons)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
• OPTIONAL: 1 can quartered artichoke hearts
• OPTIONAL: 1/3 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Mix the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and flour in a bowl. Dredge the chicken on all sides and shake off any excess.
2. In a large skillet (I love using my cast iron Staub pan for this!) melt half of the butter and all the oil on medium high heat (you’ll need the rest later when we salute the garlic). Once the butter/oil start to sizzle, add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes. Careful not to overcrowd the pan, you may need to work in batches (if you do, make sure to use fresh butter/oil each time)! When the chicken is browned, flip it and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate.
3. Add the rest of the butter to the pan and saute the garlic for 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice to the pan. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1 tbsp of cold water and whisk until combined. While continuously staring, slowly add this mixture to your pan, whisk until combined. Sauce should begin to thicken. Scrape up any bits left on the pan from the chicken (that’s all the good stuff!!).
4. Add capers and artichoke hearts (if you’re using them) to the pan.  Place all the chicken back into the pan and cook for another 5 more minutes, or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. I like to serve this with some orzo, couscous or rice pilaf! Also goes great with a side broccolini or asparagus!