Chicken Piccata Recipe

4.58 from 84 votes

This easy 30-minute Chicken Piccata recipe with a lemon butter sauce and capers has only 7 ingredients, comes together in one pan, and is packed with all the flavor you'd expect from the classic Italian dish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halved length-wise*
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter ¾ stick, 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.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and dip each chicken breast to coat. Coat both sides and shake off any excess. Set aside.
½ cup all-purpose flour
Heat a large skillet with olive oil and 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Once the butter is melted and begins to shimmer/crackle, add the chicken.
Brown the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside on a foil-tented plate.
Add the white wine (or chicken stock), lemon juice, and capers to the pan, and lightly scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
1 cup white wine, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 4 tablespoons capers
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and allow them to melt. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Return the chicken to the skillet and baste it in the piccata sauce. Allow to simmer until chicken is heated through.

Video

Notes

*Use thinly-sliced chicken breasts/chicken cutlets for this recipe. If needed, cut the chicken breasts in half to help them cook more quickly and evenly.

**A dry white wine works best for this piccata sauce. Try a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Chicken stock works if you don't have any wine on hand.

***Fresh-squeezed lemon juice will give this dish so much flavor--much better than bottled lemon juice.

****Green olives are the best substitute for capers. Pit them and chop them up into pieces!

Tips:

Thinly-sliced chicken breasts only take about 6-8 minutes total to cook.
Properly cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F before consuming.
After cooking the chicken, tent it with foil to keep it warm while you finish the recipe.
Make this piccata creamy by stirring in some heavy cream off-heat.
Lemons are sour, but their pith is bitter. Make sure to only add lemon juice, and if you choose to add some zest, try not to get any of the white pith in it!
Optional Ingredient Additions: fresh herbs, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or anchovies.

Storage: Store chicken piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition