Boneless Chicken Thigh Piccata [Recipe with Pasta]
I love having chicken for lunch, but the usual roasted or rotisserie can get a bit boring. Boneless Chicken Thigh Piccata is the easiest and the tastiest way to spice up your cuisine! The meat made like this is super juicy and tender, but still crispy on the outside. My favorite part is the slight tanginess that comes from fresh lemon and capers! Scroll down for the full recipe!
Why Will You Love this Recipe?
- Layered Flavors: Zesty lemon is the perfect ingredient to pair with chicken. It freshens up the meal and enhances the other flavors. Capers bring a tad of tartness to the table, that balances the umami taste of chicken and bouillon. Simmering the meat in its own juices and chicken broth makes the bite maximally flavored!
- Perfect Texture of Meat: Different cooking techniques make the bite amazing: frying for the crispy crust and simmering for the soft inside. Plus, fresh lemon juice tenderizes the meat, giving it a melt-in-mouth texture.
- Simmered to Excellence: The chicken broth-based sauce is thick and fully flavored, due to lemon, fresh herbs, and leftover toasted spices from fried chicken.
- One-Pot Meal: Making a whole lunch in one pot is always a plus! It saves time and the flavors, too.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs – you can go for chicken breasts, as well, but thighs have much more flavor and texture
- Chicken broth – adds more flavor and enriches the taste
- Flour – you need all-purpose flour for the crusty outside, plus it thickens the sauce
- Capers – they add the tart and briny notes, but you can substitute them with green olives or more lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ginger – adding a bit of dry ginger spices things up and pairs perfectly with lemon
- Garlic – it infuses chicken with sweet buttery notes
- Parsley – fresh herb is better, but dried will work, too, just use less
- Lemon – to tenderize the meat and add the tang
- Olive oil
- Dry herbs – use oregano, thyme, and basil to season the pasta
- Butter – browning chicken over butter skyrockets the taste
- Pasta – I went for spaghetti, but you can opt for your favorite
Tools You’ll Need
- Large Nonstick Frying Pan Skillet
- Cooking Pot
- Strainer for pasta
- Zip-Lock Bag to tenderize the chicken in
- Kitchen Mallet
How to Make Chicken Thigh Piccata?
- Season and Fry Chicken Thighs: Tenderize the chicken thighs with a kitchen mallet and season them with salt, pepper, and ground ginger. Brown it in a pan over olive oil and butter.
- Making the Sauce: In the same pan, add some capers, garlic cloves, and lemon slices. Saute them for a few minutes. Remove the lemon slices, so the sauce is not too zesty. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer until it thickens.
- Assemble the Piccata: Return the chicken to the pan and simmer some more for the flavors to fuse. Add browned lemon slices on top and finely chopped fresh parsley.
- Boiling the Noodles: In a pot, cook spaghetti as noted on the packaging. Season with salt, pepper, and dry herbs.
- Serve: Arrange pasta on the plate, and top it with chicken, sauce, and toasted lemons.
Enjoy your lunch!
Recipe Alternations
- Substitute the Side Dish: Herb rice or couscous are superb to serve with this meal. Also, mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables are fine options. If you like the bread more, go for focaccia or ciabatta.
- Change the Spices: To add some heat and smokiness, try it with cayenne pepper, chili, and smoked paprika. You can brighten up the taste with more herbs: oregano, sage, thyme, cilantro, or rosemary. For earthy, nutty, and warm notes, go for cumin, turmeric, coriander, or Garam Masala.
- Add Cheese: Mixing some parmesan cheese in the sauce is a top-notch. Melt fresh mozzarella on top of the chicken for some mild, milky flavor. Those who love pungent and strong cheeses, blue cheese, provolone, or aged Muenster are on the list to choose from.
- Add Vegetables: You can boost the flavors and nutrition by adding different vegetables. Carrots, peas, sweet corn, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, and green beans are my favorites!
- Simmer it with Alcohol: White wine is usually on the ingredient list, but gin, vermouth, and vodka shouldn’t be slept on either.
Tips
Here are a few simple tips to skyrocket the taste of Chicken Thigh Piccata:
- Debone the Chicken: Remove the bones from the chicken thighs. I prefer to keep the skin, but you can remove it. I leave it because I use locally grown, organic meat.
- Tenderize the Chicken: Don’t skip this step, because the meat will be much juicer. Also, some parts are thicker than others, so you’ll secure even cooking. Do it in a zip-lock bag to make it mess-free.
- Use One Pan: Use the same pan you fried chicken in for the sauce, as well, because it will keep all the flavors. Don’t forget to scrape all the seasoning, flour, and butter stuck to the bottom. The flour will also thicken the sauce.
- Cook the Pasta Simultaneously: Boil the pasta along with making the piccata. You will need about 8 minutes for pasta and 20-ish for the meat.
- Puree the Garlic: Garlic cloves are browned and simmered along with chicken, but don’t remove them when serving. Puree them with a fork and add them back into the sauce. This little thing truly boosts the final flavor.
- Season the Pasta: Don’t skip seasoning the pasta separately from the piccata. Brown some butter with dried herbs and toss the cooked pasta in.
Storing Instructions
- Cool Down: Before storing, bring the meat to room temperature. Don’t leave it outside of the fridge longer than two hours.
- Store Separately: Store chicken and pasta separately, otherwise the noodles will become soggy from the sauce.
- Refrigeration: When properly stored, in airtight containers, chicken and pasta will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: You can use the microwave or bring it to a simmer over the stove. Be careful, though, as once reheated chicken can’t be stored anymore. It is best if you eat it right away. The same goes for pasta, choose a microwave or a pan with a drizzle of olive oil so it doesn’t stick.
- Freezing: Pasta doesn’t freeze well at all, as it becomes mushy and changes the texture completely. When it comes to chicken, it is good to freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost it by placing the container in the fridge overnight.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Honey Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
- Herb Crusted Chicken
- Texas Roadhouse Smothered Chicken
- Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken
- Sweet and Saucy Chicken Drumsticks
Boneless Chicken Thigh Piccata Recipe
Chicken Thigh Piccata
Chicken Thigh Piccata is the best meal I had lately! The meat is super juicy, crusty, and drenched in hearty chicken stock-based sauce. The special touch are definitely capers, that add the signature briny note, while lemon adds tang and tenderizes the chicken. Piccata is a simple, one-pot meal, so I couldn't gatekeep this amazing recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs boneless
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 lemons (juice and slices)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup capers (strained)
- 1 cup chicken stock
For the Pasta
- 3 oz spaghetti
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Frying the Chicken Thighs
- Tenderize the chicken thighs with a kitchen mallet and season them with salt, pepper, and ground ginger. Coat the thighs in all-purpose flour.
- Melt butter with olive oil in the pan over medium heat.
- Fry chicken tights until brown, for about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.
Making the Sauce
- In the same pan, add some capers, garlic cloves, and lemon slices. Saute them for a few minutes, until the lemon is browned.
- Remove the lemon slices. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer until it thickens, for about 10 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer some more for the flavors to fuse. Add browned lemon slices on top and finely chopped fresh parsley.
Making the Pasta
- Boil spaghetti as noted on the packaging.
- Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs: basil, oregano, and thyme over butter.
Serving
- Arrange pasta on the plate, and top it with chicken, sauce, and toasted lemons.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portionCalories: 684.4kcalCarbohydrates: 65.9gProtein: 31.5gFat: 34.5gSaturated Fat: 10.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 15.2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 129.4mgSodium: 1119.9mgPotassium: 702.4mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 707.7IUVitamin C: 64.3mgCalcium: 109.5mgIron: 5.6mg
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
Do you like Chicken Thigh Piccata? What are your favorite combinations?
