Chicken Piccata

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Tender chicken slathered in a buttery lemon sauce make this easy chicken piccata recipe equally suitable for busy weeknights or entertaining.

We eat tons of chicken during the week. You name it, I’ll make it…seared, breaded, braised, sauced, or grilled.

We’ve dubbed these easy breaded chicken breasts “Max’s Chicken” because my son requests them practically every week, and these chicken breasts in creamy spinach sauce are one of my personal favorites and definitely a reader Top 10.

Chicken piccata is a fixture in our weekly chicken rotation for a few reasons:

1. It’s super easy
2. It’s super quick
3. It’s always delicious

And bonus points because it’s pretty enough to serve to guests if you’re entertaining.

I’ve long professed my love of lemon and butter, so it’s not surprising that my recipe for chicken piccata has a healthy dose of both. Thin sliced chicken breasts are sautéed until golden, then coated in a bright, briny, velvety sauce.

I amp up the lemon in my chicken piccata by adding some freshly grated lemon zest as well as lemon juice into the sauce. There’s white wine in there for flavor and chicken stock to give the sauce some body.

Swirling in the butter at the end of the cooking gives the sauce that velvety richness and the capers bring that briny bite.

So grab some chicken, butter, and lemons and get your chicken piccata on. Guaranteed this recipe will be a fixture in your weekly rotation too!

Let’s make Chicken Piccata

1. Dredge the chicken in flour and heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3-4 mins per side.
2. Remove the chicken to a plate and add the wine. Reduce and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken stock. Reduce slightly and swirl in the butter.
3. Stir in the parsley and capers.
4. Add the chicken back to the pan, turn to coat, and gently rewarm the chicken. Serve!

Tips for success

• Thin cut chicken breasts work best for this recipe because they cook up quickly and the sauce to chicken ratio is optimal.
• If you can’t find thin cut chicken breasts, butterfly regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pound them thin.
• Don’t skip dredging the chicken in flour! The flour helps to give the chicken a gorgeous coating and color and the flour will help to thicken the sauce.
• Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go as this recipe cooks quickly.
• Mind the heat of your pan and be careful not to burn the chicken as you sear it. Reduce the heat if the chicken is getting too brown.
• Err on the side of under-cooking the chicken slightly as it will finish cooking when you add it back to the sauce.
• You’re looking for a nappe consistency for this sauce, meaning it should coat the back of the spoon but not be too thick.

More Tasty Chicken Recipes

• Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
• Chicken Breasts with Creamy Spinach Sauce
• Braised Chicken with Grapes
• Easy Breaded Chicken Breasts
• Creamy Lemon and Herb Chicken Thighs

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Chicken Piccata

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Tender chicken slathered in a buttery lemon sauce make this easy chicken piccata recipe equally suitable for busy weeknights or entertaining.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken piccata, lemon butter sauce

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 464 kcal

Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thin cut or butterflied and pounded thin)
• 1/3 cup Wondra flour or all purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 Tbsp)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 Tbsp capers
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with kosher salt and pepper and dredge in flour.

2. Heat the olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large saute pan until hot but not smoking.

3. Lay the chicken breasts in the pan in a single layer and saute until golden brown on one side. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 mins each side depeneding on thickness. Adjust the heat to prevent burning and you'll likely need to cook in 2 batches so you don't crowd the pan. Add a little more oil to the pan if it's too dry.

4. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until reduced by half.

5. Whisk in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken stock. Reduce by a third and swirl in the remaining butter. Stir in the capers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Reduce the heat and add the chicken back the pan. Turn to coat and gently rewarm the chicken. Serve with sauce spooned over the top.

Recipe Notes

• Thin cut chicken breasts work best for this recipe because they cook up quickly and the sauce to chicken ratio is optimal.
• If you can’t find thin cut chicken breasts, butterfly regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pound them thin.
• Don’t skip dredging the chicken in flour! The flour helps to give the chicken a gorgeous coating and color and the flour will help to thicken the sauce.
• Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go as this recipe cooks quickly.
• Mind the heat of your pan and be careful not to burn the chicken as you sear it. Reduce the heat if the chicken is getting too brown.
• Err on the side of under-cooking the chicken slightly as it will finish cooking when you add it back to the sauce.
• You’re looking for a nappe consistency for this sauce, meaning it should coat the back of the spoon but not be too thick.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Piccata

Amount Per Serving

Calories 464 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 169mg56%

Sodium 394mg17%

Potassium 917mg26%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 50g100%

Vitamin A 646IU13%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 19mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.