Trying something new for dinner tonight? Chicken piccata is a great, tasty, different entrée–but what can you serve with it?
Below are 12 quick and easy to prepare side dishes you can serve with chicken piccata. As you will see, they are just as classic and well-loved as the main dish itself.
We’ve separated four types of sides so you can easily find something in your pantry that you can whip up to go with this delicious entrée.
Click the type of side dish you want to create below, or take a look at all our side dish recipes to get inspired.
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Potatoes
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Pasta
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Grains
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Vegetables
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a favorite with almost everyone, from kids to grandparents. This version is the easiest, most basic recipe for mashed potatoes that will delight even the pickiest eaters.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Add salt to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes. The cooked potatoes must be tender but still firm. Drain.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat until the butter has melted. Using a potato masher or a potato ricer, mash the cooked potatoes. Slowly blend the milk into the potatoes until smooth and creamy.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Oven Roasted Potatoes
Another comfort-food favorite is oven-roasted potatoes. In this version, you can perk it up a bit with the herbs and spices or your choice. One of our favorite herbs to add to potatoes served with chicken piccata is rosemary, but you honestly can use almost anything to spice up this classic recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds potatoes, any kind
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs or 1-2 teaspoons dry herbs*
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
*Use any combination of herbs of your choice
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Scrub potatoes, then dice into 1-inch cubes.
- Toss the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients.
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. Potatoes should be browned and tender.
Loaded Potato Skins
Loaded potato skins? With chicken piccata? Believe it or not, this “bar food” staple actually goes really well with chicken piccata. And who doesn’t love the cheesy, bacon-y goodness on top of a crispy baked potato?
Ingredients:
- 5 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup bacon bits
- ¼ cup chopped basil
- ¾ cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Place them on a baking sheet and put them inside the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool.
- Once cooled, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the middle of the potato. Brush the potato skins with oil and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Put back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the potato middles, sour cream, bacon bits, basil, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Take the potato skins out of the oven and scoop some of the potato mixture into the potato skins. Sprinkle with the cheese then put back into the oven and broil for a few more minutes until the cheese has melted and browned. Loaded potato skins add an unexpected but welcome twist to chicken piccata.
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Pasta
Butter Lemon Noodles
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. You need only a few ingredients to whip up this pasta side dish while your chicken piccata is cooking to perfection. Use whatever pasta you have available, but we find that thinner noodles don’t overwhelm the delicate butter and lemon flavor of this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces fettuccine, linguine, or angel hair pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup parsley, finely minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lemon, zest, and juice
Directions:
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a separate skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Throw in the cooked pasta and parsley. Cook until some of the noodles get a pan-fried texture to them. Grate in some lemon zest and squeeze some lemon juice over the pasta. Season with salt and ground pepper.
Angel Hair Pasta with Herbs and Garlic
This is another simple but delicious pasta dish to serve as a side for chicken piccata. One big difference is the addition of rosemary and chili flakes to this side. These flavors just meld together wonderfully with the capers and sauce of the chicken piccata.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- ½ cup water used in cooking the pasta
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- Chili flakes to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add garlic, chili flakes, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. Cook until the parsley has wilted. Remove from heat.
- Place cooked pasta in a separate bowl. Pour the garlic herbed sauce over the pasta and gently toss. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and ground pepper over the pasta. Gently toss again to combine everything.
- If pasta is a bit sticky, add a little of the pasta water at a time to loosen it.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Flavorful, cheesy, with a tiny kick of heat, spaghetti aglio e olio is becoming a restaurant favorite. We suggest that you slice the garlic very, very thinly before heating it to exploit all its flavor. Speaking of flavor, you can also add a bit of butter to the parmesan cheese before tossing it with the spaghetti to add extra richness.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound/500 grams spaghetti
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 10 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chili flakes
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. When it is cooked, scoop out 1 cup of the water used to cook the pasta and drain the rest of the water.
- Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it turns golden but not burnt.
- Add cooked spaghetti and ¾ cup pasta cooking water. Toss the pasta until the sauce thickens and sticks to the pasta. Use more pasta water if needed.
- Sprinkle parsley and chili flakes. Serve with parmesan cheese.
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Grains
Green Rice
Yes, you read that correctly: green rice! The cilantro in this recipe adds both a surprising color and flavor to this interesting side dish that’s sure to become a favorite with your family.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup white rice, uncooked
- 2 cups of water
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon
Directions:
- Place water, cilantro, and salt in a blender. Blend until cilantro is finely chopped and the mixture is smooth.
- Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add uncooked rice and sauté until opaque. Add cilantro mixture, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Rice will cook in 15 to 18 minutes.
- Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Classic Dinner Rolls
Here we go: everyone’s favorite side dish–fresh bread. These classic dinner rolls will go with nearly every entrée you can think of, and chicken piccata is no exception. If you’re not feeling adventurous enough to bake your own bread (or simply don’t have time), pop into your local supermarket and grab a pack of frozen ones.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup of water
- 2 tablespoons butter
Directions:
- Combine ¾ cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Heat milk, water, and butter until very warm (about 120°F). Add this to the flour mixture.
- Using the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place in a greased 8-inch round pan. Cover and put the pan in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough balls rise until they double in size in around 30 minutes.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from the pan and brush with melted butter if desired.
Seasoned Quinoa
We’re not going to lie–quinoa is a favorite at our house. Although quinoa is actually in the spinach family, it works well as a substitute for starch. What does that mean? It’s low in carbs. Plus, it’s really delicious. Tip: make sure to rinse the quinoa very, very well before cooking.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer then drain completely. Put water in a saucepan and add the quinoa. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Stir in the butter, oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Add more salt if needed.
Chicken Piccata Side Dishes: Vegetables
Garlic Butter Green Beans
Seriously, is there a more versatile vegetable than green beans? They go with nearly everything, and are a holiday staple as well. Dress them up with this recipe to add a little more flavor to this side dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Lemon pepper seasoning and salt to taste
Directions:
- Trim the green beans and snap them in half. Put them in a large skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until the beans have softened. Drain the water.
- Add butter to the green beans. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes until the butter has melted. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is tender and fragrant. Season with lemon pepper seasoning and salt according to taste.
Garlic Cheesy Broccoli
Oh, yeahhh. Even kids who refuse to try broccoli will be entranced by the garlicky, cheesy deliciousness of this side dish. And people who already love broccoli will enjoy this delicious twist.
Ingredients:
- 3 heads broccoli
- 1 ¾ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Spread the broccoli in a medium-sized rectangular casserole dish.
- In a separate bowl, mix the garlic and cheddar cheese together.
- Sprinkle the cheese and garlic mixture over the broccoli. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 375°F.
Sweet Baby Carrots
Baby carrots get the sweet treatment with this side-dish recipe. Adding honey and sugar to your boiled carrots (just make sure you don’t boil them too long) makes this a special treat with chicken piccata.
Ingredients:
- 1 16-ounce package of baby carrots
- ½ cup butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
Directions:
- Put the carrots in a large pot and cover with water. Put salt and bring to a boil over high heat until carrots are tender in about 15 minutes. Drain water and allow to steam dry for two minutes.
- Bring back the pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Put in the butter and wait for it to melt. Stir in the honey and brown sugar. Add the cooked carrots and stir into the honey mixture until they are evenly coated. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Tips to Make Chicken Piccata
- Use organic, boneless, and skinless chicken breasts.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise and create a thin butterfly. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, pound with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness.
- Dredge lightly with all-purpose flour to create a light crust.
- Use stainless steel or cast-iron skillet instead of a non-stick pan in frying. The chicken bits created at the bottom of the two skillets will provide better flavor for the piccata sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What can I serve with lemon chicken?
Lemon chicken is simple yet flavorful, so it’s better to keep the sides simple as well. Fried or steamed rice, roasted potatoes, and a green salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice would be perfect, as would any of the recipes we’ve shared above. You can also go with steamed fresh green beans with the same olive oil and lemon dressing.
What wine goes best with chicken piccata?
Chicken piccata has grown in popularity as a dinner option in both restaurants and homes. Many people want to know what wine pairs the best with the dish.
There are many wines that can be paired with chicken piccata, but it really is a matter of preference on which is the best pairing. Try experimenting and start with the most likely candidates Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Rosé.
Additional Resources:
- FoodNetwork: Chicken Piccata Recipe
- YouTube: How to Cut Chicken Into Cutlets
Image Credits from Flickr and Pexels : “Chicken Piccata” (CC BY 2.0) by Jose Nicdao; “potato skin” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by don_naked; “2013-11-12 12.18.03” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by mkhong87; “Quinoa” (CC BY 2.0) by Perfect Zero; “baby carrots” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by savanna-smiles; “Mashed Potatoes in a Bowl” (CC BY 2.0) by wuestenigel; “angel hair pasta with goats curd and her” (CC BY 2.0) by ; “Recipes for Healthy Kids – Chapel Hill,” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by USDAgov; “Dinner Rolls” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by JL7978; “green beans with EVOO” (CC BY 2.0) by Mark Bonica; “Broccoli with cheese sauce” (CC BY 2.0) by TheHungryDudes; Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels; Photo by Nastasya Day from Pexels