It’s that time of year when I start searching my recipe files for tried and true, quick and easy dinners. Back-to-school means there is less time to casually linger over the stove. It’s also a reminder to take a look at some of my family’s favorite, but more time consuming recipes and figure out how I can simplify them into a weeknight meal.
One my family’s most beloved meals (especially my oldest son’s) is chicken piccata, however I rarely delve into making this during a jam-packed, school night. One of chicken piccata’s time-consuming tasks is pounding chicken breasts into flattened, thin cutlets. It’s a step I don’t particularly enjoy and it’s time consuming when making a large batch.
In order to simplify my recipe, making it weeknight worthy, I have begun using chicken tenderloin in place of whole chicken breasts. What a time-saver this has been! The tenderloins are already smaller and thinner, which means I don’t have to spend the time pounding down the chicken so it can cook quickly. It’s almost as if half the work has already been done for me.
Like all Tyson Fresh Chicken, each piece is hand-trimmed for convenience to save time and effort. It’s little things like this that help me get dinner on the table quickly.
All natural* with no added hormones or steroids,** Tyson Fresh Chicken is also delivered fresh, arriving at your store only days after leaving the farm. With my own farming background, I can appreciate the Tyson heritage of producing chicken for over 75 years.
The brand itself is wholesome and family-friendly and it makes me feel good using products from companies made up of real people – moms, dads, husbands, wives, neighbors and friends.
A must for chicken piccata is fresh lemon juice, nothing else will do. The fresh lemon juice is reduced with white wine and butter to make the perfect finishing sauce.
Piccata itself is a method of preparing food: meat is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a sauce. Originating in Italy, Piccata has lots of slight variations, but is mostly made using the same ingredients when it comes to the sauce.
One 2-1/2 pound bag of Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins fit perfectly onto one
17 x 12 sheet pan, making it easy to get into the oven with only one pan to clean up. I know I can thaw out the whole bag of chicken for this recipe without thinking about how to portion it out. Another win in the time-saving department.
When ready to serve, place chicken on a large platter or individual plates and pour the sauce over the top, drenching each piece.
I can’t tell you how much your family will love this. Also, capers are a traditional ingredient in chicken piccata, mostly for their briny, salty taste. However, when making this for my kids, I use fresh chives from the garden to top off the dish. They have not quite embraced the flavor of capers yet, I still have hope.
I know your family is going to love this delicious, time-saving meal.
Simple Chicken Tenderloin Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups panko
- 2 teaspoons freeze-dried parsley
- 2.5 pounds Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins
- vegetable oil
- 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, minced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a 12 x 17 rimmed baking tray with parchment paper that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray.
- Combine flour with salt and pepper. Combine panko with dried parsley. Using three shallow dishes, separate flour mixture, eggs and panko into each dish. Dredge each tenderloin in the flour first (shaking off excess), then the egg, followed by the panko mixture.
- In a large skillet over low heat, add 1-2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil. Working in batches, add several tenderloins to the pan and cook until slightly browned, 2 minutes on each side. Move them to the sheet pan and repeat with remaining chicken. Place sheet pan with browned chicken into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over med-high heat. Add lemon juice and wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about five minutes. The mixture will taste very concentrated and mouth-puckering (it is supposed to). Add remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and season slightly with salt and pepper.
- When chicken is done, place on a large platter or individual plates and generously pour sauce over the chicken. Top with fresh chives. Serve immediately.
- Note: Chicken must be cooked to an internal temperature of 170 degrees for boneless products and 180 degrees for bone in chicken products.
