Lemon Chicken Breast

Lemon chicken breast is a light and tasty dish, very popular for its fresh flavor and ease of preparation. Here is a recipe with an Italian touch:

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour, as needed for dusting
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
• 100 ml chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
• 2 tablespoons salt-packed capers (rinsed, optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

1. First, make sure the chicken breasts are well cleaned and, if necessary, pound them lightly with a meat mallet to flatten them and ensure even cooking.
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then lightly dust with flour.
3. In a large skillet, heat the extra-virgin olive oil and add the garlic clove to flavor the oil. Brown the garlic without burning it, then remove it.
4. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook until golden on both sides.
5. Deglaze with the lemon juice and let it evaporate for a few minutes.
6. Add the grated lemon zest, chicken broth, rosemary, and, if using, the capers.
7. Let everything cook, turning the chicken breasts a few times, until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked through.
8. Once ready, remove the chicken from the skillet, adjust the sauce with salt and pepper if needed, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
9. Serve the chicken breasts with the sauce created in the skillet.

Trivia

Lemon chicken breast is a dish you can easily turn into a piccata-style version by adding white wine in place of some of the broth and using capers as a key component of the sauce. This is a very common and appreciated variation in Italy.