Give Chicken Piccata A Southern-Style Upgrade With This Ingredient

Some staple meals are difficult to improve upon, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Chicken piccata is one of these dishes. Thin slices of chicken breast coated in flour, pan-fried, and then blanketed in a sauce of lemon, garlic, butter, and capers is a solid meal. But the South knows how to put its own twist on this Italian favorite with one simple ingredient: buttermilk.

Marinating pieces of chicken in this thick, fatty, and acidic dairy before dredging them in flour adds a tanginess to each bite while simultaneously tenderizing them. Buttermilk helps lock in moisture so that as chicken fries, it retains its juiciness, and you don't end up with a dry mouthful when you sink your teeth into it. How long should you marinate chicken? The good news is it doesn't have to bathe in the buttermilk for more than 30 minutes for you to taste the added flavor, but you can also let it soak overnight in the fridge for a more intense piquancy.

Creating a buttermilk marinade for your chicken piccata can be simple. Use buttermilk and a squeeze of lemon juice, or you can level it up with some herbs and spices. Consider adding red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper for a little heat. Or mince some garlic along with oregano, parsley, or basil to add layers of flavor to the chicken as it marinates.

So is this extra step worth it? Adding the extra step of marinating your chicken for chicken piccata is definitely worth the extra time because it has another benefit. It will help the chicken brown better and more evenly, producing a crispier bite. But if you really want to achieve a golden crust, make certain you allow some extra time for the chicken to rest after you dredge it in the flour. This technique will prevent the chicken breading from falling off, while still keeping the coating light and consistent. So, the next time you make this dish, don't forget to build in a little more time for a buttermilk bath for your chicken.