Chicken Piccata Recipe

This easy chicken piccata recipe is a classic Italian American dish with a lemon butter caper sauce thats fast to make at home! A few simple ingredients, 25 minutes, and youre set.

Its pan-fried chicken in a piccata sauce, which is a combination of butter, oil, fresh lemon juice, and capers. Simple, right? The secret to making the best chicken piccata is having the perfect amount of lemon, and Ive got you covered with this beyond delicious easy chicken recipe.

You can make this dreamy dish two different ways, and weve got instructions for both! One is a creamy chicken piccata, and the other is not. Theyre both extremely tasty. The cream takes it to the next level, but depending on your mood or dietary restrictions, you may want to try it without!

Its one of those recipes you frequently see on restaurant menus, but since its so easy to make and has minimal prep, I hardly ever order it and just whip it up for a quick weeknight dinner. Its also special enough for when youve got company over. Everyone will rave about all that buttery goodness!

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper, then dredge them in the flour. Brown for 4-5 min/side. Remove them from the pan and add the chicken broth, lemon juice, butter, and capers, scraping up the brown bits.

Stir in the cream. Return the chicken to the pan, and simmer until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Easy peasy!

Have you made this lemon chicken piccata? Got questions? Let me know in the comments below! As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.

This recipe was originally published on September 4, 2015. Its been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!

Chicken Piccata

Convinced you don’t like boneless skinless chicken breasts? This easy recipe for chicken piccata with its garlicky lemon-butter sauce will convert you.

Total: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbsp. drained capers, coarsely chopped
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Chopped parsley and lemon wedges (for serving)

Instruction:

1. Slice chicken breasts in half crosswise into 4 cutlets and lightly pound each piece between sheets of plastic wrap until an even thickness (about ½” thick or less). Season lightly with salt. Place flour in a medium shallow bowl. Working one at a time, place cutlets in bowl and toss to coat in flour. Knock off excess flour and transfer to a plate.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, pan-fry the chicken cutlets, without moving them, until deeply browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side just until chicken is nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean plate.
3. Add garlic and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the skillet and cook, stirring often and reducing heat if needed to keep garlic from scorching, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine and capers and cook, swirling pan and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of skillet, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup water, followed by the butter. Swirl pan vigorously while butter melts to help it form an emulsion with water, about 1 minute.
4. Return chicken to skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir lemon juice into sauce; season with salt. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter and top with parsley; serve with lemon wedges. Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in February 2018. Head this way for more of our best recipes for chicken breast →

Easy Chicken Piccata

This easy chicken piccata recipe is a classic Italian American dish with a lemon butter caper sauce that’s fast to make at home!

Prep: 5min

Total: 25min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 26 g, Fat 29 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, Cholesterol 143 mg, Sodium 352 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, calories 393 kcal, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise)
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Flour (for dredging)
• 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (or dry white wine)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon brined capers (drained)
• 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
• Garnish (optional) chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instruction:

1. Slice chicken breasts lengthwise (I butterfly then cut in half) to make 4 thinner cutlets. Trim off any fat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and sprinkle with garlic powder. Coat the chicken in flour.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter plus the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Once the pan is hot, cook the chicken pieces for about 4-5 minutes per side until golden.
4. Remove the chicken from skillet and set aside.
5. Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and capers to the skillet. Scrape up any brown bits.
6. Stir in the cream and return the pan to the heat. Once it’s bubbling again, add the chicken back into the pan. If you want to make this recipe without cream, increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.
7. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to your liking (you may need to turn down the heat a bit if it’s bubbling furiously). If the sauce thickens too much, add more broth.
8. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Chicken Piccata

This easy Chicken Piccata recipe is a family favorite! Tender chicken is pan fried until golden and served with a tantalizing sauce made with lemon juice, white wine or stock, and capers. One of our favorite chicken recipes! Truly phenomenal and incredibly quick and easy to make! This simple chicken dinner is ready to go in less than 20 minutes!

Prep: 10min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 336 kcal, Carbohydrate 29 g, Protein 16 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 51 mg, Sodium 1069 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 1 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons capers (rinse if you want)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch (use two for a thicker sauce)
• parsley (optional garnish)
• lemon slices or wedges (optional garnish)

Instruction:

1. Cook chicken in the skillet until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes on each side over medium heat. The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F.
2. Add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon sauce over top the chicken. Top with parsley if desired. Serve and enjoy.

Chicken Piccata Recipe

FAQ

What is chicken piccata sauce made of?

What is the best wine to use for chicken piccata?

What is best to serve with chicken piccata?

• Baked Potatoes. …
• Garlic Butter Pasta. …
• Cauliflower Steaks. …
• Italian Bread. …
• Roasted Frozen Vegetables. …
• Dinner Rolls. …
• Caesar Salad. …
• Roasted Asparagus. Roasted vegetables almost always pair nicely with chicken piccata, especially when they’re simply made and lightly seasoned.

What is the difference between chicken piccata and chicken Francese?