Easy Chicken Scaloppine Piccata with Tomatoes
This chicken scallopini recipe is a lighter, more approachable take on the classic Italian dish. Tender chicken cutlets are sautéed in a bright white wine butter sauce with garlic, capers, sweet cherry tomatoes, and basil. It all comes together in one pan in less than 30 minutes, making it simple enough for a weeknight but special enough for company.
Servings: 4
Calories: 536kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts boneless skinless
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic very thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock unsalted or low sodium
- 3 tablespoons capers drained
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves or Italian parsley, thinly sliced or minced
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts against the grain, on a bias, to create medallions or small cutlets.2 lbs chicken breasts
- Place a piece of plastic wrap over each piece and use a meat mallet to pound them out until about ¼ inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Lightly dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess.½ cup all purpose flour
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden on the first side, about 2 minutes.4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Turn the chicken and cook until just cooked through, about 1–2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven, then repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.2 cloves garlic
- Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, then add the chicken stock and bring up to a boil.½ cup dry white wine, ¼ cup chicken stock
- Return the chicken pieces to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes to warm the chicken through and help the sauce thicken. Transfer the chicken back to the plate, leaving the sauce behind.
- Stir in the capers, tomatoes and lemon juice, then let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the tomatoes soften slightly.3 tablespoons capers, 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup lemon juice
- Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter until the sauce becomes glossy and lightly thickened.2 tablespoons butter
- Stir in half of the basil, then taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, then top with the remaining basil and serve immediately.
Notes
- Try to pound the cutlets all to a similar thickness to allow them to cook evenly and stay tender. Be careful not to pound too hard or the chicken could tear.
- The sauce should part cleanly when you drag a spoon across the base of the skillet. If it appears broken or greasy, add a splash of cold water or stock and whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Slicing the chicken against the grain creates ultra tender pieces. Pound them out to be nice and thin so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Do not crowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary so the chicken browns instead of steaming, and add more olive oil as needed to keep the pan lubricated.
- Add the tomatoes at the end so they soften but still hold their shape and stay fresh. You don’t want to make tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 1041mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 526IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
