Looking for a lip-smacking side dish to along with your pasta or rice? This is the perfect side dish especially if you love Italian cuisine. I love love love Italian cuisine. I just cannot sum up how much I love Italian. Italian food is what made me love cooking in my teens. I just love how beautiful and aromatic it is when minced garlic is sautéed in butter or olive oil. My little brother just cannot wait on his legs when I start any dish starting with sautéing garlic in butter. He just doesn't leave until and unless he gets to eat it and I just get mad when I get interrupted while cooking, and he will come back every other minute to check if it is done to eat. Lol.

The chicken breast is cut lengthwise or in a butterfly shape and floured and then fried in olive oil to golden perfection. A sauce made from garlic-lemon-butter is poured over the chicken to make it slurpy good. The juice from the chicken gets combined in the buttery sauce when the sauce bubbles on a low flame for a minute or two. I know you might think, who has the time to make a side dish let alone a main dish. But I assure you this won't take much of your time, it is super easy. It only took me about 15 minutes only to make this. And the Mr. loved it. Alhamdulillah. The 15 minutes was worth it if you know what I mean. 😉 All a wife wants is a happy husband. ❤️

This juicy chicken can be served hot with pasta, rice or roasted veggies. This recipe is just too good yet so easy. This Chicken Piccata is going to be a family favorite in no time. I served it with some brown fried rice. The recipe of brown fried rice is on the blog.

Ingredients

For The Chicken:
2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts halved lengthwise to make 4
2 tablespoons flour (all purpose)
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
Cracked pepper
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro/parsley

For The Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons butter 
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chicken broth (stock)
1/3 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice - juice of 1 lemon (adjust to your tastes)

Instructions:

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the egg and parmesan cheese and cilantro. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in the flour mixture; shake off excess and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter has melted and the pan is hot. Dip the floured chicken into the egg mixture and fry the chicken until golden on each side and cooked through and no longer pink (about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer onto a warm plate.
3. Add the garlic to the oil in the pan, add butter if required and fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the broth. 
4. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer; season with salt and pepper to your taste; add in the parmesan cheese. Continue cooking gently for about 2 minutes until thicker. (If the sauce is too runny for your liking, add the cornstarch/water mixture into the centre of the pan and mix through fast to combine into the sauce. It will begin to thicken immediately).
5. Pour in the lemon juice, allow to simmer for a further minute to combine. Add the chicken back into the pan, allow to simmer gently in the sauce for about a minute to soak up all of the flavors in the sauce.

Serve with the sauce over pasta, steamed vegetables, white rice. Top with lemon slices and parsley.

Notes:

• You can make this chicken without using an egg instead you may just pat it in flour.
• You can make it more crumbly by using bread crumbs after the chicken is dipped in the egg/flour mixture.
• The parmesan cheese gives it a more cheesy flavor you may always avoid it; it becomes a classic delicious chicken Piccata.
• You may also make it creamy by adding heavy cream/Evaporated milk. 
• Use tender Chicken Breast for best results. It will be super juicy or you may always brine it. 
• Pound the chicken breast if it is too thick or else the inside of the chicken will not get done. 
• Be careful when you add salt, remember the stock already has salt in it.