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Classic Chicken Piccata is frequently on our menu, but in the midst of a hot summer, Grilled Chicken Piccata is a spectacular alternative.

Marinating the boneless skinless chicken helps to infuse flavor and tenderize the chicken, plus grilling adds delicious smoky undertones. This was a new recipe for us and it was delicious!!! This Easy Chicken Piccata is a perfect summer entree when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.

Why You Must Make

  • If you love lemon chicken, this grilled chicken piccata is perfect for your summer menu.
  • Marinating for 30 minutes to 2 hours will impart delicious flavor into your chicken breasts.
  • It’s easy enough for a weeknight and delicious enough to serve to company.

How to Make

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Bone in Chicken Breasts – Thighs can also be used if that’s your preference.
  • Capers – Pickled flower buds that add piquancy to savory dishes.
  • Fresh Parsley – Chopped. I used flat-leaf parsley.
  • Lemon – For juice.
  • Chicken Broth – For sauce.
  • Butter – I used salted.
Grilled Chicken Piccata Ingredients with labels on a metal sheet pan.

Recipe Tips

  • PRO-Tip: Bone-in chicken breasts have more flavor than boneless, but you can always substitute boneless chicken breasts or even chicken thighs if that’s your preference.
  • The marrow and fat in and around the bones will liquidate as the chicken cooks and infuse flavor.
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice always tastes best. You can use bottled juice in a pinch.
  • PRO-Tip: Don’t marinate longer than 2 hours. The acidity in the lemon juice can make the chicken mushy by breaking down the meat. It can also make it tough and even affect the flavor.
  • Flip once during the marinating time so all sides can absorb the flavor.
  • PRO-Tip: Grill until the chicken reaches 160° to ensure any possible bacteria like salmonella is killed. If you have time to let the chicken rest before serving, you can grill to 150°, cover your chicken with foil for 10 minutes and the chicken temperature should rise 10° as it rests. It will then be safe to eat.
  • PRO-Tip: If you drizzle the leftover marinade over the chicken before serving, you must reheat it first. Letting it simmer for a full 5 minutes will kill any possible bacteria contamination.
  • You may grill the leftover lemon half and squeeze over the chicken before serving. We opted not to include this step, but you might want to offer a couple of grilled lemon halves if serving this grilled chicken to dinner guests.

What to Serve With Chicken Piccata

Since this chicken is grilled, summer side dishes will work well, but almost everything goes well with this tasty Italian-inspired entree.

Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe on a dinner plate with a fork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chicken Piccata Italian?

Piccata is the Italian word for veal escalope according to the Food Lover’s Companion. It’s a classic entree made with flattened veal that’s seasoned, floured, and sautéed, then served with a sauce using the pan drippings. Chicken is an alternate version using chicken cutlets.

What Ingredients Are in a Piccata Sauce?

The classic piccata sauce is made from pan drippings, lemon juice, and parsley. There are numerous variations using additional ingredients. I have always included caper berries.

What Should You Serve with Chicken Piccata?

A green vegetable like beans or asparagus, rice pilaf or potatoes, and a green salad are all delicious additions to a menu featuring chicken piccata. See some of my suggestions above.

Is Chicken Piccata Healthy?

Chicken piccata is relatively low in fat and sugar. It’s also high in protein. The sodium can easily be controlled by using less or eliminating the salt, depending on your diet.

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Overhead view of sliced chicken piccata on a white plate with a fork and green beans.
The Recipe:

Grilled Chicken Piccata

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Yield 6

A twist on the classic Chicken Piccata made on the grill. Recipe adapted from Michael Symon via Food Network.

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup capers, liquid drained off
  • ¼ cup minced flat leaf parsley
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons of butter

Instructions

  1. Season both sides of your chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and parsley.
  3. Add to a Ziploc bag with the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
  4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, but reserve the marinade for the sauce.
  5. Grill over medium-high heat flipping once about 5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 160°.
  6. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover while you prepare the sauce.
  7. In a saucepan, bring the marinade to a simmer. Add the butter and whisk until combined. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Notes

You may also use chicken thighs or bone-in chicken instead of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

This can also be made with pork.

Recipe adapted from Michael Symon via the Food Network.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 359Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 368mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 38g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Entrees, Chicken