Chicken Piccata Recipe

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Chicken picatta recipe - frozen bone-in chicken thighs simmered in garlic, white wine, and lemon, then broiled crisp and finished with capers, butter, and parsley.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 697kcal

Author: Val

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 chicken thighs frozen, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon butter cold
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute without browning it.
Add the white wine and simmer until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits.
Add the frozen chicken thighs skin side up in a single snug layer. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 50 to 60 minutes, adding water as needed to keep about a quarter inch of liquid in the pan.
Check the thickest part near the bone with an instant-read thermometer. It should reach at least 165°F (74°C); 175°F (80°C) gives meat that loosens from the bone.
Heat the broiler with a rack about 5 inches from the element. Transfer the thighs to a foil-lined broiler pan, skin side up, and blot the skin dry.
Skim the fat from the liquid in the skillet and simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes to concentrate it.
Broil the chicken for about 5 minutes, until the skin is browned and crisp. Watch it closely.
Off the heat, stir the capers into the sauce, swirl in the cold butter until smooth, then stir in the parsley.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Notes

Cooking Time and Temperature

Simmer the frozen thighs covered over low heat for 50 to 60 minutes. Thawed bone-in thighs need about 30 to 35 minutes.

The thickest part near the bone must reach at least 165°F (74°C). Broil about 5 inches from the element for roughly 5 minutes to brown the skin.

Taste & Texture

The thighs come out soft enough to pull from the bone, with crisp broiled skin on top. The sauce is sharp with lemon and wine, salty from the capers, and smooth from the cold butter stirred in at the end.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Wine: Replace the white wine with an extra ¼ cup of broth plus a squeeze of lemon if you prefer to cook without alcohol.
Capers: Chopped green olives can stand in, though the sauce will be milder.
Herbs: Fresh basil instead of parsley gives the sauce a softer, sweeter finish.
Chicken: Bone-in drumsticks work with the same timing. Frozen boneless thighs need only about 20 to 25 minutes covered.

Storage, Freezing & Reheating

Fridge: Store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze the cooked thighs with their sauce for up to 2 months. The skin will not be crisp after thawing.
To Reheat: Warm gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water, then crisp the skin under the broiler for a few minutes.

Serving Recommendations

I serve these thighs over angel hair pasta so the lemon and caper sauce has somewhere to go. Roasted asparagus or a green salad on the side is enough, and garlic bread is good for the last of the sauce.

Proper Storage Tips

Let the chicken cool slightly before packing it with the sauce.
Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
Keep the sauce with the meat so it does not dry out.
Reheat until hot throughout.

Pro Tips

Use a pan wide enough to fit all eight thighs in one layer.
Keep the simmer low and check the liquid level every 20 minutes.
Blot the skin dry before broiling so it browns instead of steaming.
Skim the fat from the pan liquid before finishing the sauce.
Add the cold butter off the heat so the sauce stays smooth.

Nutrition