Lemony Chicken Piccata – Serves 4 for About $6.50 (Quick, Easy & Gluten Free)

I love this chicken piccata recipe so much, it has become a “go-to” favorite that my husband and I cook on a regular basis. Not only is it easy enough for a beginner cook, it’s also inexpensive, quick and so delicious, it’s a perfect choice for when you have company over. You can buy chicken cutlets that have already been pounded thin or pound your own and save money. I bought my chicken breasts for $2.99 a pound, cut the breasts in half and pounded them in a plastic bag using a mallet.

This recipe only requires a couple of tablespoons of flour so if you’re gluten sensitive, a gluten-free flour works perfectly without changing up the texture. You don’t have to use gluten free flour though if you don’t have to. We’re lightly dredging the chicken in the flour so you don’t need a lot and the breasts don’t need to be completely covered.

The chicken piccata cost approximately $6.50. To round out the meal I served it with roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes, bringing the total cost of the meal to about $11.00 for 4 servings. It also tastes great with rice or pasta. Any green seasonal veggie is a good side and if it’s in season, it will help keep the cost down.

LEMONY CHICKEN PICCATA –

Prep Time: 10 minutes            Cook Time: 20 minutes                Serves: 4 for approx. $6.50

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast cutlets, about 1 – 1 1/2 pounds, thinly pounded

2 tablespoons flour (gluten-free or regular)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup white wine

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chicken stock (gluten free or regular)

juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons capers (feel free to add more – I could add the whole jar, I love them so much!)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper on both sides. Lightly dredge chicken in flour.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Add half the olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook on first side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and brown other side. Remove chicken to platter and repeat with remaining chicken and olive oil. Remove chicken to platter and keep warm.

To same skillet, add the white wine and minced garlic to the pan drippings and cook, scraping up the browned bits until thickened a bit. Stir in the butter, chicken stock, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.

Return chicken to the skillet, turning to coat both sides with sauce. Add capers and let simmer about 5 minutes or until chicken reads 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or pasta, along with a green veggie for a complete meal.