Chicken Piccata Recipe

Bring the flavors of Italy to your table with this classic, much-loved Chicken Piccata recipe. Perfectly tender, golden-brown chicken breasts are finished in a creamy pan sauce that is made bright and punchy with lemons and capers. A crave-worthy dish that is sure to impress but so easy to throw together, you couldn’t mess it up even if you tried.

There aren’t many dishes that look fancy, taste fabulous, please just about everyone, but take little time and effort to make. This chicken piccata is that unicorn.

To boot, it requires pretty basic ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes. Oh, and did I mention leftovers are divine for days? Best to make plenty.

What Is Chicken Piccata?

In Italian, piccata refers to a piece of meat, pounded until very thin and flat. Though not very common anywhere in Italy, the most infamous piccata is the Italian-Amercian version of chicken piccata.

Made with thin chicken cutlets that cook in a buttery lemon caper sauce, it is the quintessential piccata dish in North America.

Truly Italian or not, chicken piccata is a delightfully tasty dish made even better by how easy and quick it is to make.

There are thousands of chicken piccata recipes on the Internet. Read the section below to find out why I believe this is the only chicken piccata recipe you’ll ever need. As always, I urge you to try this recipe as written, but never hesitate to make it your own according to your taste preferences.

My Two Piccata Pet Peeves

I have two pet peeves with most chicken piccata recipes. One is when a recipe calls for waaaay too much butter. Sure, butter is an easy cheat to make anything taste good. But since I make chicken piccata so often, it needs to be somewhat lower in fat.

This recipe uses just the right amount of butter and oil to make a creamy sauce that is plenty luscious, without the unnecessary extra fat.

Secondly, I love lemon but I am not a fan of a mouth-puckering, overly-tangy sauce. Toned down by the wine and chicken broth, the lemon flavor of this piccata sauce is perfectly balanced.

Oops, there may be a third. What I love most about chicken piccata is that it shines in its simplicity. Not just with the preparation, but the ingredients used. There is no need for garlic, onions, parmesan cheese, or cream. In fact, you don’t even need the capers—though I love them and can’t imagine my piccata without them. 😉

If you’ve been disappointed by a chicken piccata dish before, give this recipe a try. It’s incredibly simple but everyone I serve it to has always been more than pleased.

More Reasons To Love This Recipe

• Saucy – Everyone loves a dish that is saucy and the silky, tangy, lemony sauce in this easy chicken piccata recipe is pure heaven.
• A perfectly balanced sauce. The lemony caper sauce is perfectly balanced so it is delightfully tangy, but not so much it will make your eyes pop out.
• Easy and speedy – This is a surprisingly easy, wonderfully quick chicken dish to make. The perfect treat for a weeknight dinner!
• Budget-friendly yet elegant – This is an elegant dish to make for a dinner party without breaking the bank. Chicken breasts are not inexpensive but since you are slicing them in half, you end up with double the amount of pieces.
• A huge crowd-pleaser – I know, this term gets thrown around a lot. But I have yet to come across anyone that eats chicken and does not drool at the mere mention of this dish. Made properly, it’s always a guaranteed hit.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Hard to believe this great recipe uses pretty basic ingredients, most of which you likely stock in your pantry. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need. *The printable recipe with measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

• Fresh lemon juice – You will need one lemon to make the sauce. Sorry, But I must insist the lemon juice be freshly squeezed.
• Chicken breast – For this recipe, you will need to use chicken breasts that have been halved lengthwise. You can use 2 to 3 chicken breasts which will give you 4 or 6 pieces once cut. Note that if you are pan-frying more than 4 chicken pieces, you will have to do this in two batches. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Pound them a little if they are really thick.
• White wine and chicken stock – Wine and chicken stock are used to make the lemon butter sauce. Any dry white wine will work here. The white wine adds a little sweetness and complex flavor to the sauce so try not to omit it. If you are avoiding alcohol, use a little more chicken stock instead.
• Capers – I love a lemon caper sauce but if you don’t like capers you can omit them. Use capers that are in brine; drain them before using.
• Butter – For browning the chicken and for making the sauce.
• Olive oil – For browning and adding flavor to the chicken.
• Flour – For lightly dusting the chicken. I use all-purpose flour but an all-purpose gluten-free flour will also work. You could also use arrowroot flour or rice flour.
• Salt and black pepper – As always, generously season the chicken so it isn’t bland.
• Fresh parsley – Sprinkled just before serving, it adds a some fresh bright color and flavor.

easurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Variations

Don’t love chicken? Try making piccata with any of the following:

• Turkey tenderloins
• Pork tenderloin
• Fish fillets
• Eggplant slices (salted and patted dry)

Do I Have To Pound The Chicken?

This recipe will not work with thick chicken breasts. By the time they cook through, the butter would burn and the sauce would reduce too much. So halving the chicken breasts lengthwise is crucial to the success of the dish.

Once sliced in half, you could pound them thinner which will help them cook even faster and may ensure a more tender chicken. But lately I have been skipping this step and the chicken pieces still turn out great.

That said, if your chicken breasts seem too thick after halving them, you may want to gently pound them a little thinner. Here’s what to do:

Place a halved chicken piece between two layers of plastic wrap and gently pound it with a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 1/4-inch thick.

How To Make Chicken Piccata

Slice the chicken breasts. Place a chicken breast on a cutting board and use your sharpest knife to slice it in half horizontally. It doesn’t matter too much if it doesn’t slice perfectly even. Before you have enough practice, you may cut some holes through the chicken. Don’t worry about it. Your cutlet will still cook up fine. Pound it thinner, if necessary (see above).

Season and flour cutlets. Generously season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour until evenly coated.

Pan-fry chicken. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Working in batches, if necessary, sear the chicken about 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.

Make the sauce. Add the wine and broth to the skillet, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until mixture reduces by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, capers and remaining tablespoons of butter and cook until a smooth sauce forms, about 2 to 3 minutes more.

Finish cooking chicken. Return all the chicken pieces to the pan. Bring sauce to a simmer, spooning the sauce over the chicken to coat. Let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce is silky and chicken is warmed through.

Serve. Transfer chicken pieces to a serving platter and top with sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices. Serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What To Serve With Chicken Piccata

There are so many sides that go well with chicken piccata that I am thinking of writing a complete post on it. In the meantime, here’s a few suggestions I think you’ll love:

• Pasta—orzo, spaghetti, angel hair, tagliatelle, or fettuccini—prepared simply with a little olive oil, pasta water, and parmesan cheese.
• Parmesan Potatoes – Heavenly with a little piccata sauce poured over the potatoes.
• Green beans – Sautéed green beans make a wonderful healthy side to the chicken piccata.
• Salad – Try it with this pasta salad or with a leafy salad dressed simply with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
• Mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower – If making chicken piccata in the winter months, you can’t beat a side of fluffy mashed potatoes or cauliflower.

Storage Tips

• To store: Leftover chicken piccata can be stored in an airtight container, along with any sauce, in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To freeze: This chicken piccata dish freezes well so you may want to make a double batch. Place cooled chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

More Chicken Recipes To Try

This recipe was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with more detailed information and new photos.