Chicken Piccata
Tiny chicken tenders are true to their name – tender. And they cook up fast. Doctor them with garlic, lemon juice, bread crumbs, and fresh parsley for a quick weekday piccata that’s got a special weekend dinner feel to it. If you want to use boneless chicken breasts, use ones that have not been frozen (I find that breasts that have been frozen cook up tough). Slicing the tenders into strips before sautéing them will make them cook even faster. Serve this classic but simple recipe with rice.
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 8 Minutes
Cooking Time: 9–12 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup toasted bread crumbs (see Note)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 clove garlic, crushed in a garlic press
- 1 pound chicken tenders (about 12), rinsed and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
Directions
1. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Season them with salt and pepper and add the garlic. (If you are making your own bread crumbs by pulsing a toasted bun in a food processor, just add the salt, pepper, and a whole clove or garlic to the processor along with the bun.) Dredge the chicken tenders in the bread crumb mixture and set them aside.
2. Place 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter n a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the chicken tenders and cook until they are well browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked tenders to a platter. Add the remaining tablespoon each of oil and butter to the skillet and, when the butter has melted, add the remaining tenders and cook them until they are well browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer these tenders to the platter.
3. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the skillet. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and cook until the juices reduce to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the hot glaze over the chicken tenders and garnish with the parsley and capers. Serve at once.
Notes
One hamburger bun, split and toasted in a toaster oven, torn into pieces, then processed into crumbs in the food processor or blender will yield 1 cup of toasted crumbs. These will be softer and fresher tasting than bread crumbs out of a can.
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