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    Home » Chicken

    Lemon Chicken Piccata

    Published: Oct 30, 2019 · Modified: Jan 2, 2022 by Nora Rey · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    This chicken piccata recipe is a simple, light dish with thin slices of chicken lightly coated in flour and pan-seared with a slightly tangy, buttery lemon-caper sauce. The best part is that it only takes less than 30 minutes to make it!

    What is Chicken Piccata? Piccata means meat or fish sliced thin or pounded flat, dredged in flour, browned, and cooked in a pan sauce with butter, lemon, and capers. While veal piccata is the traditional Italian dish, chicken piccata is more common in the US, typically using chicken breast.

    Lemon chicken piccata on a plate
    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love this recipe
    • What you’ll need
    • Ingredient notes and substitutions
    • How to make this recipe
    • Frequently asked questions and tips
    • The key takeaway
    • Watch how I make it here
    • More chicken recipes you may like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why you’ll love this recipe

    • Pounding the chicken into uniform thickness ensures quick and even cooking.
    • A light flour coating creates a delicious browned crust and slightly thickens the sauce.
    • Using extra-virgin olive oil and butter browns the chicken better and makes an adequately rich sauce.

    What you’ll need

    Ingredients include chicken breasts, all-purpose flour, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, shallot, parsley, butter, capers, white wine, chicken base or bouillon, and lemons.
    Salt and pepper are not in the picture.

    Ingredient notes and substitutions

    • Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
    • Capers: These green flower buds are tangy and salty. They come in different sizes; the smaller ones labeled "non-pareil" have a more delicate texture and flavor, while the bigger ones are more acidic.
    • Dry white wine: It just makes the dish taste better. If you can't cook with alcohol, simply substitute with water or stock/broth.
    • Chicken base: You can use chicken base or bouillon dissolved in water for extra flavor. Boxed or homemade chicken broth/stock works just the same.
    • Fresh parsley: It's an optional ingredient that adds freshness and color.  

    How to make this recipe

    Prepare the ingredients): (1)Mince the shallot and garlic. Drain the capers and chop them if they're big. You can also rinse them to remove some of the salty or vinegary taste. (2)Prepare the lemon juice and slice half of a lemon for garnish. Chop the parsley. (3)Make the chicken stock or broth by dissolving the chicken base or bouillon in ½ cup of hot water.

    1. Capers in a small bowl with minced garlic and shallots on a cutting board. 2. Lemon juice in a small bowl with lemon slices, and fresh parsley being chopped on a cutting board. 3. Chicken base about to be dissolved in the bowl of water.

    Prepare the chicken: (4)Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them horizontally in half. You can cut them into smaller cutlets if the pieces are too large. Trim any membranes or fats. (5)Place the chicken in between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. (6)Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken pieces until uniformly thin (about ½ inch) for quick and even cooking.

    4. Slicing the chicken breast horizontally in half with a knife on a cutting board. 5. Placing the chicken slices on a parchment paper-lined cutting board. 6. Pounding the chicken placed in between the parchment paper on the cutting board with a meat mallet.

    (7)Season one side with salt and pepper. (8)Place the flour in a shallow bowl and coat each piece, shaking off excess.

    7. Seasoned the chicken slices with salt and pepper. 8. Dipping the chicken slices in the bowl of flour with the rest of the coated and uncoated chicken on a parchment paper-lined cutting board.

    Pan-sear the chicken: (9)Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it's hot and almost smoking, add about a tablespoon each of extra-virgin olive oil and butter, enough to coat the pan. (10)When it starts to sizzle, add the chicken pieces evenly spaced apart. Sear in separate batches, adding more oil and butter as needed. (11)Brown each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and aside.

    TIP: To get a nicely browned crust, keep the temperature high at all times and avoid overcrowding the pan.

    9. Swirling butter with olive oil in the pan using a spatula. 10. Placed the coated chicken evenly spaced apart in the pan using a pair of tongs. 11. Turning the seared chicken pieces in the pan using a pair of tongs.

    Make the sauce: (12)Lower the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (13)Sauté the shallots, garlic, and capers for about a minute.

    12. Adding olive oil to the pan. 13. Sautéing shallots, garlic, and capers in the pan using a spatula.

    (14)Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. (15)Let it reduce for another minute while scraping the fond or browned bits off the pan.

    14. Adding white wine to the sautéed shallots, garlic, and capers in the pan. 15. Scraping the browned bits off the pan using a spatula.

    (16)Add the chicken stock. (17)Then add the lemon juice. (18)Season with salt and pepper. Stir and taste the sauce. Adjust, if necessary. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.

    16. Adding chicken stock to the sautéed shallots, garlic, and capers in the pan. 17. Adding lemon juice to the sautéed shallots, garlic, and capers in the pan. 18. Adding salt to the sauce in the pan.

    (19)Add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix it in.

    Combine the chicken and the sauce: (20)Bring the chicken back to the pan. Let it heat through and absorb the sauce for about 2 minutes.

    19. Added butter to the sauce in the pan. 20. Placed the seared chicken back in the pan with the sauce using a pair of tongs.

    (21)Spoon the sauce over the chicken. (22)Add the lemon slices and fresh parsley, then turn off the heat.

    21. Spooning the sauce over the chicken in the pan. 22. Adding fresh parsley to the chicken with lemon in the pan.

    Serve: I love chicken piccata with spaghetti and a side of vegetables, but you can also serve it with rice, mashed potatoes, or a salad.

    Cooked chicken piccata in the pan.

    Frequently asked questions and tips

    Can I use chicken thighs for chicken piccata?

    Yes, chicken thighs will be just as delicious! You may have to cook them a little longer than chicken breasts.

    Can you make chicken piccata without capers?

    If capers are not available, the closest substitute you can use in this recipe would be finely chopped green olives. If you don't like them, feel free to omit and add more lemon juice and salt instead.

    The key takeaway

    Avoid overcooking the chicken breasts — pound them into uniform thickness and brown them quickly over high heat.

    Watch how I make it here

    More chicken recipes you may like

    • Chicken Empanada
    • Sweet and Sour Chicken
    • Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry
    • Creamy Chicken Marsala
    Phone showing how to tag me on Instagram.

    Did you make this recipe? I would love to know! Your feedback helps me make better recipes.  Please rate, review, or comment below. Questions about this recipe are welcome, too!

    Let's connect on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter, and Youtube. Be sure to tag me when you try any of my recipes @recipesbynora!

    📖 Recipe

    lemon chicken piccata on a plate

    Lemon Chicken Piccata

    This lemon chicken piccata recipe is a simple, light dish with thin slices of chicken lightly coated in flour and pan-seared with a slightly tangy, buttery lemon-caper sauce. The best part is that it only takes less than 30 minutes to make it!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 351kcal
    Author: Nora Rey
    Cost: $6-$8

    Equipment

    • Large skillet or sauté pan
    • Meat mallet or rolling pin (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds (907 grams) chicken breasts, about 3 to 4 pieces boneless and skinless
    • ¼ cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour for dredging
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • ¼ cup (57 grams) extra-virgin olive oil divided, for pan-searing and sautéing
    • 3 tablespoons (43 grams) salted or unsalted butter divided, for pan-searing and the sauce
    • 1 medium shallot minced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons (20 grams) capers chopped, if big
    • ½ cup (114 grams) dry white wine
    • ½ teaspoon chicken base or bouillon
    • 3 tablespoons (50 grams) lemon juice from 1 or 1½ lemons

    For serving:

    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • ½ lemon sliced

    Instructions

    Prepare the ingredients: 

    • Mince the shallot and garlic.
    • Drain the capers and chop them if they're big. You can also rinse them to remove some of the salty or vinegary taste.
    • Prepare the lemon juice and slice half of a lemon for garnish.
    • Chop the parsley.
    • Make the chicken stock or broth by dissolving the chicken base or bouillon in ½ cup of hot water.

    Prepare the chicken:

    • Butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing them horizontally in half. You can cut them into smaller cutlets if the pieces are too large. Trim any membranes or fats.
    • Place the chicken in between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap.
    • Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken pieces until uniformly thin (about ½ inch) for quick and even cooking.
    • Season one side with salt and pepper.
    • Place the flour in a shallow bowl and coat each piece, shaking off excess.

    Pan-sear the chicken: 

    • Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
    • When it's hot and almost smoking, add about a tablespoon each of extra-virgin olive oil and butter, enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
    • When it starts to sizzle, add the chicken pieces evenly spaced apart.
    • Sear in separate batches, adding more oil and butter as needed.
    • Brown each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and aside.
      TIP: To get a nicely browned crust, keep the temperature high at all times and avoid overcrowding the pan.

    Make the sauce: 

    • Lower the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the shallots, garlic, and capers for about a minute.
    • Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce for another minute while scraping the fond or browned bits off the pan.
    • Add the chicken stock and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.
    • Stir and taste the sauce. Adjust, if necessary.
    • Let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
    • Add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix it in.

    Combine the chicken and the sauce: 

    • Bring the chicken back to the pan.
    • Let it heat through and absorb the sauce for about 2 minutes.
    • Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
    • Add the lemon slices and fresh parsley, then turn off the heat.

    Serve: 

    • Chicken piccata is great with spaghetti and a side of vegetables.
    • You can also serve it with rice, mashed potatoes, or a salad.

    Video

    Notes

    • Chicken breasts: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
    • Capers: These green flower buds are tangy and salty. They come in different sizes; the smaller ones labeled "non-pareil" have a more delicate texture and flavor, while the bigger ones are more acidic.
    • Dry white wine: It just makes the dish taste better. If you can't cook with alcohol, simply substitute with water or stock/broth.
    • Chicken base: You can use chicken base or bouillon dissolved in water for extra flavor. Boxed or homemade chicken broth/stock works just the same.
    • Fresh parsley: It's an optional ingredient that adds freshness and color.  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 33gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 924mgPotassium: 635mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 437IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
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    Comments

    1. Angela

      April 30, 2020 at 1:14 am

      Made this for dinner tonight with brown butter gnocchi in the side. The chicken piccata was so delicious! Very easy recipe to follow. I actually used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. Also subbed chicken broth as I did not have bouillon on hand. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Nora

        January 02, 2022 at 2:28 pm

        Hello Angela! Sorry for the super late response. Yes, chicken tenderloins - what a great idea! And wow, gnocchi sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks again and happy to know that you liked it!

        Reply

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