Chicken piccata is a classic Italian dish. Beside smoked chicken recipes are made by using gas smoker or propane smoker, I have made chicken piccata many times in restaurants as a nightly special, and the hardest part to figure out is the chicken piccata side dish. Here are some vegetable and starch side dishes I have made over the years.
Most of them do not require a recipe link, but I provided ones for a couple of the starch dishes to help guide you through to the end. Below are three vegetable sides and three starch sides. They can be mixed and matched, and all six dishes below fit well and compliment chicken piccata perfectly.
Vegetable Sides for Chicken Piccata
These three vegetable dishes are considered classic sides for this classic Italian dish. They do not overpower the dish with strong, sour or salty flavors. Also, they add vibrant in color, which will help make your plate as delicious as it will taste.
1. Roasted Vegetable Medley
A medley of roasted vegetables will add flavor and color to your plate. You will need the following vegetables:
- Eggplant
- Onion
- A seeded orange and a red bell pepper
- Zucchini
All you have to do is slice each of them into wedges, toss them with olive oil and spread them on a roasting pan. Make sure they are seasoned with salt and pepper, top with some chopped garlic and roast them on 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about half an hour.
When it is time to plate your dish, drizzle the roasted veggies with some balsamic vinegar, coat with freshly shredded Parmesan and top them with some freshly shredded basil.
2. Roasted Asparagus
Trim the hard ends off the bottom of about two dozen asparagus spears to start with, and you can peel the asparagus if you want to. However, I do not as a matter preference. Before you toss them in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, toss them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Turn them over once to get both sides golden brown. When you put them on the plate with your piccata, you can leave them as is or lightly coat them with some fresh Parmesan cheese.
3. Green Beans With Blackened Sage and Hazelnut
Add butter and olive oil to a large skillet. Heat up some butter and a small amount of olive oil very hot without causing it to smoke and break your fat down. Add and cook about half a cup of fresh chopped sage, and saute it until it is brown. Once the sage is brown, add a couple pounds of trimmed beans, salt and garlic.
Toss the ingredients well and add a small amount of water to steam the beans. Once the water has completely evaporated, the beans should be finished. Remove the beans, season with salt and pepper and top them with chopped hazelnuts. Finally, spoon the mixture onto your chicken piccata plate for a unique and perfect vegetable dish.
Adding a Starch to Your Chicken Piccata
Picking the right starch for your dish is not going to be as complicated as picking the right vegetable. They do not need to be as decadent or colorful. They do need to be flavorful and complimentary though. Here are three starch dishes that are perfect for chicken piccata.
1. Ricotta Mashed Potatoes
Ricotta mashed potatoes are extremely easy to make and compliment chicken piccata perfectly without stealing the spotlight. Depending on how many people you serve will determine a number of potatoes needed. I prefer Yukon potatoes, and I think one potato makes for a large serving.
Peel the potatoes and boil them until they are soft and ready to mash. Once they are cooked, drain the water, season them well with salt and pepper and add a couple tablespoons of ricotta cheese per intended serving.
Mash the potatoes well. Make sure that everything is mixed in well and evenly. Spoon each serving into an oven-safe dish fit for a single serving, and bake them until they are golden brown on top. Each dish qualifies as a serving of starch.
2. Creamy Polenta
Polenta is made out of cornmeal, and it can be baked, fried or eaten almost like mashed potatoes. This creamy polenta recipe goes perfectly with chicken piccata. It is not a recipe I made on my own and adapted over the years, so here is a link to the creamy polenta recipe. I highly recommend trying it for this dish and others. It is extremely quick and takes fewer than ten minutes to cook, just remember to whisk to eliminate any lumps.
Polenta is also one of 6 Best Substitutes for Masa Harina and I usually use it for this recipe.
3. Rice Pilaf
Rice pilaf is a fast starch side dish I've made more times than basic toast, and it goes well with a lot of different dishes, especially chicken piccata. All you have to do is melt some butter in the same saucepan you plan to cook the rice in.
Next, saute a chopped onion in the butter, add a cup of rice to the butter, season it well with salt and pepper and add about a cup of chicken stock mixture. With pilaf, you want to bring the mix to a boil. Once it boils, you stir it once, lower the heat to a simmer and let it cook without messing with it for about 20 minutes.
Finally, stir some fresh parsley into the rice before serving. Here is an official recipe link, but this is really easy, quick and goes perfectly with chicken piccata.
Final Thoughts on Chicken Piccata and the Side Dishes
Chicken piccata is a classic dish, and it has stood well against the test of time. People still love it, and I have always gotten rave reviews when I have served it as a special. I think my side dishes I have used have been just as popular if not more so. They are just as classic as the main course.
These side dishes go well with a number of other classic Italian dishes, but they have been big hits with chicken piccata over the many years I have made it and rotated these dishes. There are many others, but these have been the most popular based only on my experience of serving them and receiving feedback from happy customers.
Thank you for reading. I hope you decide to try the sides the next time you prepare chicken piccata. I would love to hear from you. Be sure to leave any questions or comments below.
