What to Serve with Chicken Piccata: 13 Sides to Make You Swoon

We didn’t use the word “swoon” in that title lightly.

We consider chicken piccata to be the perfect date night recipe. So, of course there are going to be some romantic attachments to the dish.

But, not only is it the perfect date night dish because it tastes amazing – it’s also incredibly simple to put together.

The kitchen won’t be covered in flour after a mixer miscue. There’s no deep frying. There’s no grill to clean, and no esoteric pot to ponder.

There’s just a perfectly pounded chicken breast very lightly dredged in flour, browned in butter, and finished with lemons and capers.

Some people even go a little crazy and add cream to the frying pan.

We think that’s pretty fine too.

So, now that you have that special evening planned, you’re probably thinking about side dishes to lay beside that stunning centerpiece. Or, to put it simply, you’re looking at what to serve with chicken piccata.

How about easy dinner rolls to sop up the sauce? That sounds like a pretty remarkable pairing.

What about a bright and airy frisée salad topped with perfectly poached pears? That straight up announces itself as a date night side dish.

What about homemade angel hair pasta? It’s simple to pull together and gives the whole evening a certain je ne sais quoi.

Our Swoon-worthy List of Chicken Piccata Sides

We’re bursting with ideas to make both you and your chicken piccata swoon. So, explore our list of sides and let your imagination run wild.

We have a lot to choose from, and you’ll have a good time pondering what to pair with your favorite chicken piccata recipe.

1. Buttered Noodles

Buttery is the operative word here. Loads and loads of butter are what we look for in a simple and rustic noodle dish.

We want to pick up a fork and practically have to use a napkin to dab off our buttery forearms.

Oh, yes.

That’s what we like as a side dish for chicken piccata.

And we looked around and this recipe caught our eye – because butter.

Grab Christin’s recipe over at Spicy Southern Kitchen.

spicysouthernkitchen.com

2. Smashed Potatoes

Crispy. Yet tender. Savory and earthy.

Baked potatoes are good… but we do love us some smashed potatoes.

And how well would they pair with piccata chicken? Lemony chicken with briny capers together with the luscious crunch of these little baby potatoes?

C’mon.

That’s a match made in flavor heaven. We know that we could eat at least two plates of this magical combination.

And Jessica over at How Sweet Eats has the recipe that piccata longs for.

howsweeteats.com

3. Sautéed Spinach

Do you ever think, “Man, I’d love to whip up some perfectly sautéed spinach, but I don’t have a great recipe for it.”

Do you ever think, “Wow, I’d love some lemony spinach right about now.”

When pondering what to serve with chicken piccata, do you ever daydream about perfectly savory and tart sautéed spinach?

We’ve got your back, Jack!

We found a recipe for the ultimate lemony sautéed spinach that will make your piccata sit up on the plate and take notice.

Grab the recipe from Katie over at A Fork’s Tale and start sautéing!

aforkstale.com

4. Lemon Garlic Herb Rice

Chicken piccata is all about the buttery sauce, so when thinking of a chicken piccata side, we – of course – want to lean into that flavor profile.

Say it with us.

“Butter.”

Oh, yeah.

And of course, when mixing butter and lemon with browned chicken, it’s pretty remarkable to pair it with lemony, buttery rice too.

And a little garlic – and herbs and spices – for good measure.

So, that’s what we went searching for – garlicky, herby, buttery, lemony rice.

We found it from Jen over at Carlsbad Cravings.

carlsbadcravings.com

5. Easy Homemade Angel Hair Pasta

Traditionally chicken piccata is paired with a multitude of things – but none as much as pasta.

There’s just something about the way the chicken and sauce coats the strands of pasta that makes it pure joy on the tongue.

But, we thought we’d up our pasta game by making it from scratch. It’s simple, it’s rustic, it’s elegant, and the flavor is amplified tenfold.

So, let’s make some pasta!

Jacob Burton is going to show us how.

6. Garlicky Steamed Green Beans

There’s something about the pop of a freshly steamed green bean that makes our collective mouths water.

They’re so clean, and crisp, and full of their very encapsulated world of flavor that they don’t need much dressing up and fussing with.

A little squirt of lemon. A little dash of our favorite olive oil. A little light seasoning, and – *boom* – the perfect side for chicken piccata.

Maria at She Loves Biscotti gives us her simple recipe for a deceptively decadent chicken piccata side dish.

shelovesbiscotti.com

7. Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

We do love a good mashed potato recipe.

And we really love one with a little magic that may not be evident at first blush.

“What is that remarkably creamy element bursting forth from the plate?”

We’ll give you a hint – it rhymes with “shream pweeze.”

Grab the mashed potato recipe that will rock your chicken piccata’s world from Nichole at The Salty Marshmallow. And don’t forget the chives!

thesaltymarshmallow.com

8. Easy Dinner Rolls

Let’s face it, half of the culinary dilemma’s that challenge us are, “What are we having for dinner?”

And once that obstacle has been cleared, then we can sit back and relax a bit. Especially with a dinner that’s as simple to put together as chicken piccata.

So, since you have a titch of extra time to play in the kitchen, why not pull together some warm, homey, fragrant dinner rolls?

They’re perfect to sop up a lemony butter sauce with.

We want these.

You want these.

We all scream for “hot dinner rolls!”

Ashley at Center Cut Cook has a fabulous recipe for the dinner rolls of our dreams.

centercutcook.com

9. Lemon Roasted Asparagus

Bright green asparagus makes our collective hearts pure and our souls soar.

Yes, asparagus really is that perfect.

And we love asparagus even more (if possible) when it’s doused with lemon. Oh yeah, it’s like a light sauce for asparagus that does wonders.

What could be more perfectly paired with chicken piccata? Especially if the lemony asparagus is kissed with a little garlic and salty parmesan.

Sign us up for all of the citrusy goodness!

Grab Lacey’s recipe over at A Sweet Pea Chef here.

asweetpeachef.com

10. Frisée Salad with Winter Spiced Pears

We love a little sous vide side action.

And we love perfectly spiced pears.

We also love frisée.

So, when we imagined pulling all of those things together, we knew what we wanted for a side dish for chicken piccata.

Grab Liz’s recipe over at Floating Kitchen for all the warm spice goodness.

And don’t fear if your kitchen doesn’t have a sous vide machine, she also has instructions on how to make the poached pears without one. Winner, winner, pear and chicken dinner!

floatingkitchen.net

11. Italian Roasted Baby Potatoes

Crunchy and flavorful is the way we like our potatoes.

And when they’re rolled and tossed in some Italian herbs and spices? That just makes them even more irresistible.

Picture lemony and briny chicken piccata nestled up next to browned potatoes, and you get what we’re talking about.

Utter deliciousness.

Amy over at Beautifully Broken Journey has a delectable recipe for savory potatoes that makes our mouth water. Check it out here.

beautifullybrokenjourney.com

12. Baked Artichoke Hearts

The world of artichoke heart sides gets a little bit more cheesy and flavorful when they’re breaded and baked.

Crunch.

Crunch.

Crunch.

And we know that the naturally light flavor of artichoke hearts marries perfectly with lemon. Which means that they’re the perfect helpmate to chicken piccata.

Chicken and artichokes and lemon and capers and parmesan?

Oh, yes. Sign us up.

The flavors mingle luxuriously on the plate and come together in a crescendo on the fork.

So, when it comes to sides for chicken piccata, we think that these artichokes from Anna over at Crunchy Creamy Sweet fit the bill perfectly.

crunchycreamysweet.com

13. Farro with Mushrooms and Peas

Farro is barley’s charismatic cousin. It’s hearty, and nutty, and savory, and toothsome, and packed with flavor, and…

…forgive us. We started ruminating pretty intensely about our farro love.

And do you know what else we love about farro? How well it stands up to being the star of risotto. There’s no drama and no diva-like attitude.

Farro just waltzes into the spotlight and does the work.

And it does it very, very, very, well.

Especially when it’s paired with earthy mushrooms and bright peas.

Suzy at The Mediterranean Dish has a recipe for risotto that makes chicken piccata clap and yell, “Encore!”

themediterraneandish.com

What to Serve with Chicken Piccata: What’s the Happs with Apps?

So, we’ve delved deeply into the world of possibilities for chicken piccata side dishes, but the possibilities don’t end there. Let’s take a look at some appetizers, drink pairings, and more.

With a main dish so soul-elevatingly simple to put together, you can also have a little fun with the introductory course.

How about some goat cheese, either sliced or whipped together with fresh thyme, parsley, and a hint of lemon, all served on rustic crackers or baguette? That would get things off to a rollicking start.

Staying with the goat cheese flavor profile, combining goat cheese with dried cranberries and herbs de Provence, and then slathering it on baked puff pastry squares. That checks all the boxes for elegant fare.

And, of course, don’t forget the dipping oil. Combining fresh herbs with top shelf olive oil and good bread is all the welcome anyone needs to dive in.

Don’t Forget to Play with Your Food!

We think of dippers as being crudité, but don’t stop there!

What about halved roasted Brussels sprouts dipped in a homemade aioli? Or trimmed and roasted rainbow carrots with a lemony basil pesto?

And walk past the oh-too-drenched-in-oil feta in the deli department and make your own. Slice feta and lightly drizzle it with good olive oil and fresh, roughly chopped rosemary, lemon zest, and some flakey fleur de sel for texture.

Get the party started with a myriad of flavors!

Let’s Get Those Bottles a-Chillin’!

We love a good light white wine with our piccata. And our nose tends to lead us to lead us to the fruitier varieties, like a sauvignon blanc with underlying citrus and melon flavors.

And don’t forget a classic like an oaky chardonnay, to bring out the richer and more bold flavors in the dish.

Another excellent choice is a good rosé. The acidity in the glass of wine blends beautifully with the citrus on the plate.

And – of course – a good dry prosecco is always the perfect tablemate for a piccata. It brings out the lighter lemon notes, and makes the entire meal feel like a celebration – even on a Wednesday night.

Who Doesn’t Love a Delicious Dessert with a Twist?

When it comes to the perfect ending to an amazing meal of chicken piccata and some splendid sides, why not splurge a little bit?

We love to indulge in the classics, like a tiramisu – but sticking with the lemon theme of the meal – try soaking the ladyfingers in lemon liqueur instead of Grand Marnier. It’s pure citrusy joy!

Another favorite for us is a stunning amaretto cheesecake. Almonds love lemon. And cheese loves nuts.

It’s a win, win, win.

And finally, it’s fun to end a celebratory meal with a little bit of retro fun, like a strawberry shortcake. You know you want to dip your spoon into a sponge cake with strawberries and whipped cream.

Check out some more dessert ideas on our Chicken Cacciatore sides page – you may just end up with a whole variety tray!

And there you have it. The perfect apps for the perfect meal, with the perfect sides and the perfect drinks for the perfect end of the evening.

What to serve with chicken piccata no longer needs to be a mystery. It can be perfection.