Chicken piccata is an easy-to-make restaurant-quality savory dish that is elegant enough to serve guests. Pan-seared chicken breast is dunked in lemon butter caper sauce and has bright, zesty flavors. A luxurious mid-week meal that you can enjoy any day!
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Quick mid-week meal chicken piccata
It’s super easy to make a restaurant-worthy meal at home with minimal prep work and few simple ingredients. Chicken piccata is Italian Italian-American dish that is most popular for the luxurious sauce that gets poured over pan-fried chicken breasts. The key to making a good chicken piccata is adding the right amount of lemon juice to the sauce so it’s not overwhelmingly tangy.
Chicken breast is sliced into half, seasoned with salt and pepper, dredged in flour, and then pan-fried in butter and olive oil mix. It takes under 10 minutes to cook chicken breasts. You do not want to overcook chicken breast which will turn hard and rubbery. Seared for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown is enough to cook the breast. Since the chicken breast is sliced thin, it cooks pretty quickly. Take it one step further by pounding sliced chicken breast with mullet to make the surface even, hence cooks evenly and faster.
This recipe calls for chicken stock, if cooking for adults only you must definitely substitute chicken stock with dry white wine. White wine adds a depth of flavor to the sauce.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make chicken piccata recipe-
- Chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Chicken stock or dry white wine
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Baby capers
- Parsley
All the ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breast – Use large chicken breasts. Slicing them in half makes it into thin steaks so it cooks evenly and faster. Chicken breasts can be substituted with boneless chicken thigh fillets.
- Salt & pepper – seasoning chicken cutlets is important. It gives it a savory flavor. Along with salt and pepper, you could also use garlic powder and onion powder to make it full of savory flavors.
- All-purpose flour – for dredging chicken.
- Butter and olive oil – used to pan-fried chicken cutlets. Also, more butter is used to make lemon butter caper sauce.
- Aromats – shallots and garlic are used to make the sauce aromatic and flavorful.
- Chicken stock – brings the sauce together by infusing all flavors together and giving it body. Substitute chicken stock with dry white wine like Chardonnay which will add great flavor to the sauce.
- Lemon zest – adds fresh bright zesty flavor to the sauce.
- Lemon juice – Always squeeze lemon juice fresh just before use.
- Baby capers – use capers in brine, drained. Regular capers works too.
- Garnish with fresh parsley for a pop of freshness.
How to make lemon chicken piccata (step-by-step)
Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into half, and slice them so both pieces are even-sized. As a further step, you can pound sliced chicken breasts with mullet so they cook evenly.
Rub the breast with salt and ground pepper on each side.
Dredge each breast in flour, and shake off the excess flour. Dredge all chicken breast cutlets in flour and keep aside.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
Place chicken coated in flour in the skillet. Don’t overcrowd the pan, cook in batches.
Pan-sear chicken in the pan without touching it until golden brown. Depending on the size of the chicken breast the time may vary between 2-4 minutes on each side.
Flip the cutlet and sear on the other side.
Once golden brown on both sides, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Sauté shallot and garlic in the pan drippings.
Pour chicken stock (or dry white wine), and simmer for a few minutes.
Stir in more butter and add in baby capers (drained from brine).
Whisk until butter is melted fully in the sauce.
Turn off the heat. Add lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice to the sauce.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Pour the sauce over brown chicken breasts. Garnish with fresh parsley and a few lemon slices.
Serve lemon chicken piccata immediately!
Tips for Success
- Slicing chicken breast lengthwise into half allows it to cook evenly. Also, as a further step, pound the sliced breast with mullet so it’s thin.
- Do not move the chicken until golden browned at the bottom. Frequently moving chicken might not sear them properly.
- Remember chicken will plump up when it’s pan-seared.
- Don’t skip seasoning chicken breasts with salt and pepper (garlic powder and onion powder could be added). It adds a savory base. Seasoned chicken tastes better.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock so the sauce doesn’t turn out salty.
- Remember to turn off the heat before adding lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest lemon just before use.
- Add salt only after tasting the dish. Chicken stock and the capers may have enough salt.
What to serve with chicken piccata
Chicken piccata can be served over pasta (linguine), with mashed potato on the side, along with roasted veggies like
broccolini, broccoli, green beans, or mushrooms.
You can even enjoy it with crusty bread or biscuits on the side.
Serve with buttered noodles, it’s so good!
Variations
Use boneless chicken thigh fillets instead of chicken breasts to make lemon chicken piccata.
You can add heavy cream to the sauce to make it rich and creamier. I don’t recommend milk or half-and-half as a substitute for heavy cream. The acidity from the lemon will split the sauce.
If making for adults, use dry white wine like Chardonnay as a substitute for chicken stock. Wine adds depth of flavor.
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📋Easy Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chicken stock or dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons baby capers in brine, drained (regular capers can be used)
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts lengthwise into half, and slice them so both pieces are even-sized. As a further step, you can pound sliced chicken breasts with mullet so they cook evenly.
- Rub the breast with salt and ground pepper on each side.
- Dredge each breast in flour, and shake off the excess flour. Dredge all chicken breast cutlets in flour and keep aside.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
- Place chicken coated in flour in the skillet. Don’t overcrowd the pan, cook in batches.
- Pan-sear chicken in the pan without touching it until golden brown. Depending on the size of the chicken breast the time may vary between 2-4 minutes on each side.
- Flip the cutlet and sear on the other side.
- Once golden brown on both sides, remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté shallot and garlic in the pan drippings.
- Pour chicken stock (or dry white wine), and simmer for a few minutes.
- Stir in more butter and add in baby capers (drained from brine).
- Whisk until butter is melted fully in the sauce.
- Turn off the heat. Add lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice to the sauce.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour the sauce over brown chicken breasts. Garnish with fresh parsley and a few lemon slices. Serve immediately!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Notes
- Slicing chicken breast lengthwise into half allows it to cook evenly. Also, as a further step, pound the sliced breast with mullet so it’s thin.
- Do not move the chicken until golden browned at the bottom. Frequently moving chicken might not sear them properly.
- Remember chicken will plump up when it’s pan-seared.
- Don’t skip seasoning chicken breasts with salt and pepper (garlic powder and onion powder could be added). It adds a savory base. Seasoned chicken tastes better.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock so the sauce doesn’t turn out salty.
- Remember to turn off the heat before adding lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest lemon just before use.
- Add salt only after tasting the dish. Chicken stock and the capers may have enough salt.
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
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