Chicken Thigh Piccata

Chicken Thigh Piccata is made with juicy chicken thighs that are pounded flat, dredged in flour and pan fried until crisp then served in a luscious lemon butter sauce that’s studded with capers. In Italy, piccata is traditionally made with veal cutlets, but this American-Italian version is just as delectable as the classic. 

It’s a quick, easy, and elegant meal for a weeknight dinner or any occasion. You’ll need to follow just a handful of simple steps to get this fragrant, flavorful dish on the table in just over 30 minutes.

Ingredients You Need to Make Chicken Thigh Piccata

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Flour: regular all-purpose flour
• Olive Oil: good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Butter: salted butter or unsalted butter
• Chicken Broth: or chicken stock
• White Wine: a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc
• Lemon: fresh lemon juice is key to the flavor of this dish – serve with fresh lemon slices for garnish if you like
• Capers: ideally non-pareil capers
• Parsley: ideally flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley)
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

What sets this recipe apart from others like it.

Searing the chicken thighs in a blend of butter and olive oil helps to evenly brown the surface and impart rich flavor without burning the butter. This blend of fats and browned bits from the skillet create an ideal base for the sauce. Chicken broth and white wine add body and are balanced by the acidity of fresh lemon juice and briny capers. A final dab of butter adds richness just before spooning the silky sauce over the crispy chicken thighs to serve.

Key Step with an Easier Option

The trick to perfect piccata is pounding the boneless, skinless chicken thighs to an even thickness so they’ll cook quickly and evenly. For minimal mess, tuck the chicken thighs between two pieces of plastic wrap (a zip-top bag works well for this) and pound the thighs to flatten with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

If you’re short on time, you can skip the step of pounding the chicken thighs. They’ll take a bit longer to cook and be succulent and flavorful, but won’t have a typical cutlet texture.

How to Store

Store leftover Chicken Thigh Piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best texture, reheat in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat until heated through.

More Delicious Recipes with Chicken Thighs

• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
• Grilled Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Ballotine
• Three Cup Chicken
• Coq au Vin Blanc

More Delicious Versions of Piccata

• Chicken Piccata (With an easy method for getting 3 even cutlets from 1 boneless skinless chicken breast.)
• Salmon Piccata
• Cod Piccata
• Pork Piccata
• Cauliflower Piccata
• Shrimp Piccata

How to Make Chicken Thigh Piccata

Pound chicken thighs to an even thickness with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess.

Cook pounded thighs in a sizzling blend of olive oil and butter until golden brown; arrange on a plate.

Add broth, wine, lemon juice and capers and simmer until reduced. Then add butter and stir until melted. Spoon sauce over thighs; garnish with fresh parsley and serve.