Chicken Piccata

Slice 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts in half crosswise into 4 cutlets and lightly pound each piece between sheets of plastic wrap until an even thickness (about ½" thick or less). Season lightly with kosher salt. Place ½ cup all-purpose flour in a medium shallow bowl. Working one at a time, dredge cutlets in flour, turning to coat. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a plate.

Warm 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, pan-fry the chicken cutlets, without moving them, until deeply browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook chicken on the other side just until nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean plate.

Add 4 garlic cloves, smashed, and remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and cook, stirring often and reducing heat if needed to keep garlic from scorching, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add ⅓ cup dry white wine and 1 Tbsp. capers, drained and coarsely chopped; cook, swirling pan and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of skillet, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup water, followed by the 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces. Swirl pan vigorously while butter melts to help it form an emulsion with water, about 1 minute.

Return chicken to skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice into sauce; taste and season with kosher salt. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter and top with chopped parsley; serve with lemon wedges.  Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in February 2018 and ran in our May 2019 issue. Head this way for more of our best recipes for chicken breast →