Martha Stewart Chicken Cutlets Summer Squash And Feta Recipe

The caper brine is the move nobody talks about. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Cutlets with Summer Squash and Feta is a quick one-pan chicken cutlet recipe made with flour-dredged cutlets in a tangy sauce from capers, caper brine, and chicken broth, plus summer squash and spinach tossed with crumbled feta, all done in 25 minutes.

This chicken cutlet recipe is one of Martha Stewart’s best quick chicken recipes for summer when you want something light and tangy without heating up the kitchen for an hour. I make it when summer squash is everywhere at the market and I need a fast dinner that actually does something interesting with it. The caper sauce takes 3 minutes and the whole thing is done before the kitchen even gets warm.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Milanese
• Chicken Piccata
• Chicken Paillards

Why You Will Love These Chicken Cutlets:

• 25 minutes and one pan: The cutlets cook in about 5 minutes. The sauce takes 3. The vegetables take 4. You use the same skillet for everything and dinner is on the table before you even think about what to watch on TV. I have washed the pan before my family finished eating.
• The caper brine trick is genius: Martha adds the capers AND 2 teaspoons of the brine from the jar. The brine is salty and tangy and it gives the sauce a kick that the capers alone do not have. I threw the brine away the first time I made this and the sauce was flat. Never again.
• The feta stays crumbly: It goes in at the very end so it does not melt. You get little salty bites of cheese all through the squash and spinach. It is like a warm salad next to the chicken and it makes the whole plate feel fresh.

Chicken Cutlets Summer Squash And Feta Ingredients

• 4 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 teaspoons caper brine
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium summer squashes, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 bunches spinach, leaves torn if large (about 12 cups)
• 4 ounces feta, crumbled
• Crusty bread and butter, for serving

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Cutlets Summer Squash And Feta

1. Cook the cutlets: Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil. Cook the cutlets, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked all the way through, 4 to 5 minutes total.
2. Make the caper sauce: Add the capers, caper brine, and chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a boil, turning the chicken a few times. Move the chicken to a plate and cover it to keep warm. Keep boiling the sauce until it reduces to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl and cover it.
3. Cook the vegetables: Put the skillet back on medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the squash, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring now and then, until golden brown in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time and cook, stirring, until it wilts down. Stir in the feta and season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve: Put the vegetables on plates, lay the chicken on top or alongside, and spoon the caper sauce over the chicken. Serve with crusty bread and butter.

Recipe Tips

• Do not throw away the caper brine: Martha uses 2 teaspoons of it and that small amount changes the sauce completely. The brine is salty and vinegary and it gives the broth a tangy punch that makes you want to spoon it over everything. I tossed the brine once and the sauce tasted like plain broth.
• Reduce the sauce to 1/2 cup: It only takes 3 to 4 minutes of boiling. The sauce gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and cling to the chicken. If you stop too early it is thin and watery and runs right off the plate.
• Add the spinach in handfuls: 12 cups of raw spinach looks like an insane amount. If you put it all in at once the pan overflows. Add a few handfuls, let them wilt, add more. It cooks down to almost nothing. I still get surprised every time.
• Stir in the feta last: Martha adds it right at the end. It should stay crumbly and salty, not melt into the vegetables. If you add it too early it disappears into the spinach and you lose those little bites of cheese that make this dish.

What I Swap Depending On The Season

Martha mentions a few swaps in the recipe and I have tried most of them. In the summer I stick with zucchini or yellow squash because that is what is fresh. In the fall when squash season is over I use kale instead of spinach and it holds up better to the heat.

• I have used olives instead of capers. Martha suggests it and the sauce is different but still good. Castelvetrano olives with their brine are the closest match to the caper version.
• A squeeze of lemon juice instead of caper brine works when I do not have capers. It is not the same but it adds the acid the sauce needs.

The one thing I do not change is the feta. I tried goat cheese once and it melted too fast. Feta keeps its shape and that crumbly texture is half the point. This is a lighter cousin of the chicken piccata and I reach for it just as often.

What Goes Well With These Cutlets

The plate already has chicken, sauce, squash, spinach, and feta. Martha says crusty bread and butter and I agree because the bread soaks up the caper sauce. A piece of warm sourdough is my go-to.

If I want something extra, a cold cucumber salad on the side fits the summer feel of the dish. Some nights I put it over rice instead of serving bread and the sauce soaks into the grains perfectly.

How To Store Leftovers

Keep the chicken and vegetables together with the sauce poured over in a covered container for up to 3 days. The feta softens overnight but still keeps some texture. The squash holds up well but the spinach wilts completely, which is fine because it is already wilted in the dish. I would not freeze this because the feta gets grainy and the spinach turns watery.

Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth. The sauce loosens back up and the cutlets warm through in about 3 minutes. I eat leftover cutlets cold over salad greens with extra feta crumbled on top and a squeeze of lemon. It is one of the best lunches I make for myself.

FAQs

• What is a chicken cutlet? A thin piece of chicken breast. You can buy them already cut or make your own by slicing a breast in half horizontally and then pounding it to about 1/4 inch thick. Thin cutlets cook fast, which is why this whole recipe takes 25 minutes.
• Can I use chicken thighs? Martha says yes in the variations. Boneless skinless thighs work well, just cook them a few minutes longer since they are thicker. I have done it and the flavor is richer. The caper sauce goes with dark meat just as well.
• What kind of summer squash should I use? Martha says whatever looks best. Zucchini, yellow squash, crookneck, or pattypan all work. I usually grab whatever is cheapest at the market. Cut them into 1/2-inch rounds so they cook evenly.
• Can I skip the feta? You can but you lose the salty crumbles that make this dish special. If you do not have feta, crumbled goat cheese or shaved Parmesan work as swaps. I would not skip the cheese entirely because the vegetables need that hit of salt and tang on top.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Mushrooms
• Chicken Marsala
• Pea Puree Chicken

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 420
• Total Fat: 20g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Cholesterol: 85mg
• Sodium: 600mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 16g
• Protein: 38g