Chicken Piccata

From "The Dinner Doctor" by Anne Byrn. Tiny chicken tenders are true to their name—tender. And they cook up fast. Doctor them with garlic, lemon juice, bread crumbs, and fresh parsley for a quick weekday piccata that's got a special weekend dinner feel to it. Slicing the tenders into strips before sautéing them will make them cook even faster. Serve this classic but simple recipe with rice or risotto.

To Prep: 8 Minutes
To Cook: 9–12 Minutes

Serves 4


1 cup toasted bread crumbs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed in a garlic press
1 pound chicken tenders (about 12), rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon drained capers




1. Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Season them with salt and pepper and add the garlic. (If you are making your own bread crumbs by pulsing a toasted bun in a food processor, just add the salt, pepper, and a whole clove of garlic to the processor along with the bun.) Dredge the chicken tenders in the bread crumb mixture and set them aside.

2. Place 2 tablespoons of the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the chicken tenders and cook until they are well browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked tenders to a platter. Add the remaining tablespoon each of oil and butter to the skillet and, when the butter has melted, add the remaining tenders and cook them until they are well browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer these tenders to the platter.

3. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the skillet. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and cook until the juices reduce to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the hot glaze over the chicken tenders and garnish with the parsley and capers. Serve at once.