Chicken Piccata thighs
Chicken Piccata thighs is a great weeknight recipe. Serve the juicy chicken and punchy lemon, caper and butter sauce with steamed rice for an easy dinner.
I love weeknight dinners that take zero effort but deliver huge on flavour. These easy chicken Piccata chicken thighs deliver on both fronts. I have always been a massive fan of chicken Piccata because let’s get real, chicken is just made for lemon, butter and capers, right? And because we usually have a pack or two of chicken thighs waiting to be used, I make this version way more than I ever do with just chicken breasts.
And yes, you can definitely do this with chicken breasts and it will be just as delicious and a little quicker. But what I love so much about the thighs is that I can leave them on the stove, cooking away in that glorious Piccata sauce while I pack the next day’s lunch boxes or pour myself another G&T. You know. Priorities.
How to make chicken piccata thighs
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and allow to melt. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper then add to the pan, skin-side down. Allow the chicken thighs to cook for 10-12 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the finely chopped garlic and cook, scraping off the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the white wine or chicken broth (chicken stock) and allow to come to a boil then add the capers and lemon juice. Whisk in the butter until emulsified. Add the chicken thighs back into the sauce then allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes with the lid ajar before serving with fresh parsley.
What to serve with Chicken Piccata
- Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes
- Almond, lemon and parsley pilaf rice
- Steamed vegetables
- Easy side salad with lemon dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- juice and zest of 1 lemon approximately ½ cup juice
- ½ cup capers rinsed if overly salty
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large saute pan set over medium heat and add a tablespoon of butter. Allow to melt together.
- Add the chicken, skin side down and season to taste. Cover and allow to brown for 10-12 minutes.
- Flip the chicken, season again and cook for another 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the garlic, scraping the bottom of the pan, and allow the garlic to fry and become fragrant then pour in the chicken stock, lemon juice and zest.
- Allow to come to a simmer then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the capers and simmer for 2 minutes then add the remaining butter and stir into the sauce to emulsify. Add the chicken back to the pan.
- Scatter over the chopped parsley and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced a little. (If necessary, add more stock.)
- Check the seasoning and adjust.
- Serve with rice, mashed potatoes or vegetables of your choice.
I don’t see onion listed as an ingredient. Is that intentional?
Yup! I don’t like onion in this sauce but you can absolutely add it if you prefer.
I wish I could get a 1/2 cup of lemon juice out of any lemon I’ve purchased in the last 10 years. This looks great though! I’ll try it tonight for the family!
We must have super juicy lemons here 😉
The recipe doesn’t say what heat to cook the chicken on. Please advise.
Medium heat – I’ve added it to the recipe 🙂
Always wonderful! I, of course, serve mine with angel hair pasta.
Wondering if I can do breasts and thighs together and just alter times accordingly. I like dark meat and my husband likes white meat.
You can, I would use bone-in chicken breasts to ensure the chicken breasts don’t overcook.
Cooked this dish tonight and it was fabulous. Baked and sliced some white potatoes and poured the juices on top with our favorite green peas. Easy and quick, thank you
Delicious! So happy you liked it.
Delicious, easy recipe. I’ve only recently started buying bone-in thighs and my family love them.
They are a staple in our home. Cheap and delicious!
Loved this recipe! My husband & two friends we were traveling with all chose Chicken Picatta in a restaurant in Italy before we flew back to Australia. It was made with very thin pieces of chicken. I’d never had it before! I came across your recipe by accident! So very glad I did. Memories are precious.
Delicious, so happy you liked it!
Hi Alida, I made this for supper the other night! Really very good! I think there is a step missing in the recipe – adding the butter to the sauce after the capers. Will definitely be cooking this again!
You’re completely right Clea! Silly me. I’ve fixed the recipe! Thanks for letting me know.
Not entirely fixed. In your prologue, you say to cook the chicken 10 -12 minutes on each side, but in the directions, you say to cook it 5 to 7 minutes. Chicken Piccata is one of our favorites. I’ll be making this tonight.
Fixed, thanks!
I made them that night and they were sooooo yummy! And so easy! (I substituted part of the chicken stock with white wine), I think we’re going to have this often and I’ll be checking out your other recipes, cuz this one was a big winner.
Piccata is one of my favourite sauce to make on busy night. Even otherwise actually. We love it with fish, chicken, veg 🙂
It is such a classic. I also love it whether I’m busy or have all the time in the world. 🙂
This looks amazing!
Thanks so much Pamela!
I happened to have all of these ingredients in my fridge so made this recipe tonight. It was absolutely delicious. I served it with steamed sugar snap peas and my kids actually licked their plates. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it Belinda. It’s such a great, easy recipe. 🙂
We love chicken piccata and I’ve never even thought of making it with thighs. Genius!
Try it! I’m sure you’ll love it.
This looks delicious Alida! If I made this with chicken breasts, how long should I cook it for?
The chicken breasts will cook much quicker. I suggest butterflying them or slicing them in halve to thin them out then dusting them in flour before starting. This will allow the sauce to thicken as well. You can really just brown the chicken a few minutes per side (should be completely cooked by this time) then continue with the sauce. Add the chicken back for a minute or two and serve. 🙂
Oh my gosh that looks delicious!
Thanks Danielle!
Looks great!
Thanks so much!
I cannot pass up a chicken thigh dinner Alida! And these look delicious. We love chicken piccata, so these will soon be on the menu!
I’m the same, chicken thighs are my fav! I hope you enjoy it Mary Ann! x
HELLO. CAN YOU REPLACE THE CAPERS WITH SOMETHING ELSE IN THE PICCATA RECIPE?
Of course! You could try pitted olives or even anchovies. The capers add delicious briney flavour but the olives should give a similar effect.