Chicken Cutlets With Caper Sauce

Easy chicken cutlets with caper sauce. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin, seared, served with a caper sauce over arugula, fennel and shaved Parmesan. 1 pan, cooks in 15 minutes!

Chicken Cutlets with Caper Sauce
Elise Bauer

Sometimes, especially after a few days of heavy dinners, all you want is a light, good meal. "Light" as in you're trying to cut back, and "good" as in, can we make it taste good even though it's light?

This chicken cutlet recipe, with a caper shallot sauce, is just that, flavorful, filling, and won't weigh you down. You can make it all in one pot, takes about 30 minutes, and it's gluten-free too.

Chicken Cutlets with Caper Sauce
Elise Bauer

The idea for it came from my friend Peg, who is simply brilliant in the kitchen. It's sort of like a chicken piccata, but without the breading or lemon, and it is served with fresh arugula, thinly sliced fennel, and shaved Parmesan. Great for lunch or a simple dinner.

Updated from the recipe archive, first published 2011.

Chicken Cutlets With Caper Sauce

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

  • 2 chicken breast halves, pounded very thin, and then cut in half, so that you have 4 thin cutlets

  • Salt

  • 1 large shallot, minced, about 2 tablespoons

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock

  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 tablespoon capers, drained

  • 2 to 3 cups arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces

  • 1/2 fennel bulb, shaved thin

  • 16 to 24 paper thin shavings Parmesan cheese

Method

  1. Sear the chicken cutlets:

    Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a stick-free sauté pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking, about 1-2 minutes.

    Sprinkle salt over the pounded chicken breasts and sear them for 2-3 minutes per side in the hot pan, working in batches so that you do not crowd the pan.

    chicken-cutlets-caper-method-1
    Elise Bauer

    Remove the chicken breasts and cover with foil to keep them warm.

  2. Sauté the shallots:

    Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the shallots and cook 1 minute, stirring often. Do not let them burn, and if they begin to brown rapidly, turn the heat down.

    chicken-cutlets-caper-method-2
    Elise Bauer

    Add the garlic and cook another 45 seconds to 1 minute, stirring often.

  3. Deglaze pan with wine, add capers, red pepper flakes:

    Add the white wine and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

    chicken-cutlets-caper-method-3
    Elise Bauer
    chicken-cutlets-caper-method-4
    Elise Bauer

    Add the capers and red pepper flakes and boil until the wine is almost gone, about 2-4 minutes.

  4. Serve with arugula, shaved fennel, shaved Parmesan:

    To serve, mix the arugula and shaved fennel and put some on each plate. Arrange some shaved parmesan over them.

    Lay a piece of chicken on each salad, then top with a little of the sauce. Serve hot.

Chicken Cutlets with Caper Sauce
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
222 Calories
11g Fat
4g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 222
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 364mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 92mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 294mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.