Chicken Piccata made easy! This is an amazing dinner made in minutes that the entire family will love. This one pan Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe has only 7 ingredients and is packed with SO much flavor. This easy chicken recipe is one of our all-time favorites!
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Easy Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is one of those classic easy chicken recipes that make us jump for joy! I love the flavor combination of the bright lemon juice, salty capers, and creamy butter. It’s an extremely simple recipe, but one that can be dressed up for a romantic date night, or dressed down for a quick weeknight family meal.
This Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe is a favorite at our house for its classic flavors and quick prep. I’ve yet to meet anyone that doesn’t just LOVE Chicken Piccata!
What are the ingredients in Chicken Piccata?
I love this Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe because it only has 7 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). Here are the ingredients in our Lemon Chicken Piccata:
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Flour
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Lemon Juice
- Wine or Chicken Stock
- Capers
Perfectly Cooked Chicken
Cut each chicken breast in half. Cutting each breast in half will help the chicken to cook faster and more evenly. In my experience it also makes for a great serving size when paired with delicious side dishes (see below.). If the chicken is still of varying sizes after cutting, you can also pound the chicken to even thickness.
More Top Tips:
We make this recipe often at our house and would love to share our tips for the perfect Chicken Piccata with all of you! Remember, we love EASY Chicken Recipes around here!!
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice. Always use FRESH lemon juice when making the sauce. It makes all the difference!
- Use unsalted butter for the sauce. There’s plenty of salty taste in the capers and as long as you properly season each chicken breast, this recipe will be plenty salty on its own. By using unsalted butter, we can better control the final taste of the overall recipe.
What is the difference between Chicken Piccata and Chicken Francese?
Chicken Piccata and Chicken Francese are pretty similar recipes, with both being served in a lemon butter sauce. While Chicken Piccata only dips the chicken in flour before frying, Chicken Francese dips in both an egg wash as well as flour. Also, Chicken Piccata has the addition of those delicious little flavor bombs, CAPERS!
Reheating Instructions
Reheating this Easy Chicken Piccata recipe is super simple! Store the Chicken Piccata, covered in its sauce, in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to reheat, place chicken as well as a serving of sauce onto a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!
Freezing Tips
You can freeze chicken piccata! HOORAY! Since the sauce for this Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe doesn’t include any milk or cream, it freezes beautifully. Here are some tips for properly freezing this recipe:
- Store the sauce and chicken separately, making sure both are properly stored for freezing.
- When ready to eat, allow the sauce and chicken to thaw overnight in the fridge and then microwave together as stated above.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many options for side dishes when it comes to this Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe. You can go with a side of pasta for Italian night, or keep things healthy with a side of roasted vegetables.
The Best Chicken Piccata Recipe
I just love this recipe. It’s so delicious, quick, and most importantly EASY! Anyone can make it, and I’d almost guarantee anyone will love it. Let me know your thoughts once you make it! I hope it warms your home the same way it warms ours.
Be sure to check out more Italian Chicken Recipes we love!
- Sheet Pan Chicken Caprese
- Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Florentine
- Chicken Parmesan
- White Chicken Lasagna
- Tuscan Stuffed Chicken
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Milanese
Chicken Piccata Recipe (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half length-wise
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 cup white wine OR chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons capers drained
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast liberally with salt and pepper.
- Place flour in a shallow bowl and dip each chicken breast to coat. Coat both sides, and shake off any excess. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet with olive oil and 3 tablespoons butter over medium/high heat.
- Once butter is melted and butter/oil begin to shimmer/crackle, add the chicken.
- Brown the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaching 165F. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside on a foil tented plate.
- Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers to the pan and lightly scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and allow to melt. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 5 minutes to slightly thicken.
- Return chicken to the skillet and baste in the sauce. Allow to simmer until chicken is heated through.
- Serve drizzled with sauce. Enjoy!
Suzy says
I love chicken piccata!
Becky Hardin says
ME TOO
natasha says
this looks like a delicious one pan meal! can’t wait to try!
Becky Hardin says
Let me know how you like it!!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Oh my, this sounds incredibly delicious!! I bet it tastes amazing!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks lady!
Alli says
This chicken piccata is top notch, we have had a lot in our day but this one was literally so so so good!
Becky Hardin says
I love how easy it is! I’m so glad you love it too 🙂 🙂
Ernest Contreras says
This is a classic dish I often prepared, in classy restaurants, one of my favorite dishes to order ,I like it with some of pan gravy over them, also done with Veal. great looking dish and recipe.
Chef Ernie
Becky Hardin says
Thank you Ernest!
Russlyn Nyborg says
I just made this recipe over the weekend and it turned out great! I had to increase some things because I had a crowd of 6 but it was delicious! Thank you for this yummy and easy to follow recipe!
Becky Hardin says
Oh YAY!!! This made my day 🙂 🙂
Angelica Raney says
This was delicious! Absolutely fantastic. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock or wine, because it’s what I had on hand. I followed the recipe perfectly and was treated with a fantastic meal! The boyfriend said, add it to rotation!
Becky Hardin says
That’s a great substitution! I’m so happy you guys loved it so much!
Joanne Robertson says
We love Chicken Piccata in this household. The only Change I made was to roll the final 3 Tbs. of butter in flour before adding it to the sauce to thicken it up. Love the lemon and the salty bite from the capers. The chicken is silky and so tender.
Becky Hardin says
Great idea! I’m so glad you loved it!
Heidi says
When you say a large chicken breast, how big do you mean(grams or ounce)?
Love your slow cooker and enchilada recipes, so we look forward to trying this
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by! I would say somewhere between 7-10oz.
Shawn Bogus says
Made this simple recipe last night. It was so delicious! Felt like we were eating in a top notch Italian restaurant!! Can’t wait to try some more recipes!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Shawn!