Sometimes, you need dinner in a hurry. Not a 30-minute hurry. Or even a 20-minute hurry. Sometimes, only a 10-minute meal can save you from take out. That’s when you need this Lemon Caper Butter Chicken.
This recipe is so easy that I almost didn’t provide measurements. It’ll seriously take as much time to measure as it will to just throw this together. Though I give specifics after all, you should feel free to improvise, tasting for adjustments. If you ask me, it’s faster that way!
On nights when you have extra minutes, serve this with your favorite sides, whatever they are, however long they take to cook. But, on a it’s-taking-everything-I’ve-got-not-to-order-pizza night, serve this with couscous and steamed broccoli (my quick trick: throw washed florets into a glass or ceramic bowl with a ¼ of water, cover with a lid left slightly ajar or plastic wrap with a few small holes poked in it, and microwave on high for a couple of minutes until the broccoli is bright green and just fork tender). Both can be prepared in the same 10 minutes that it takes to cook the chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken cutlets (breasts will take longer to cook)
- salt & pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon white wine (optional)
- capers
- parsley (optional)
Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Add butter to a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Once the foam of the melted butter subsides, add the chicken. Cook until browned on one side, 2-3 minutes. Flip the chicken cutlets and brown the other side, another 2 minutes. By the time both sides are browned, the chicken should be cooked through. Transfer cutlets to a plate and reduce heat to medium. (If you’ve got the time, cover the chicken loosely to keep warm.)
3. Add to the pan lemon juice and white wine. Bring just to a simmer and turn heat to low.
4. Add capers and parsley, swirl to combine. You should have a slightly thickened (but still quite thin) lemon butter sauce. If it hasn’t thickened enough for your taste, cook it another minute or so. Pour finished sauce over the cutlets and serve.
