This easy chicken piccata recipe with a lemon-caper sauce is a classic you’ll find on the menu of nearly every Italian restaurant. Because it can be made in just 20 minutes, it’s one of my favorite at-home recipes too.
“I have too many easy chicken dinner recipes,” said nobody ever.
It’s true, I have no shortage of chicken recipes (particularly of the Italian persuasion). What can I say, when I’m craving chicken, (easy) classic Italian recipes are the first thing that comes to mind.
When it seems there’s nothing to cook for dinner, this lemon chicken piccata recipe is one I can always pull out of my magic hat and wow my family with dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.
Because nobody ever said they didn’t want faster dinners, too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This chicken piccata recipe is made up of a few super simple ingredients that when put together make a dish that’s light, bright, and totally addicting.
- It’s a budget-friendly alternative to the traditional recipe made with thin scallops of veal. Instead we’re subbing in lightly floured and quick fried chicken.
- The tangy sauce is made with just lemon, chicken broth or wine, capers, and butter. There’s really no need to add extra ingredients to fancy this dish up!
Chicken Piccata Ingredients
- Chicken breasts — These get sliced in half to make thin chicken cutlets.
- Lemon — For flavor and presentation, I use a combination of lemon juice and sliced lemons in my chicken piccata sauce. The sauce will taste pretty lemony on its own but mellows when paired with the chicken.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper — Freshly ground is always best.
- All-purpose flour — The chicken cutlets are lightly dredged for slight crispiness and a superb golden brown sear.
- Butter + canola oil — When frying, I use a combination of butter and oil. The oil tempers the butter so it doesn’t burn, and the butter adds that golden color and flavor to the chicken. If you’re worried about the added fat, start by adding less of both and add more as needed. But don’t leave one or the other out for the best results.
- Chicken broth or white wine — Use one or the other, or a combo of the two.
- Capers — They’re pickled flower buds imported from Italy and found in the olive section of your grocery store. Capers are delicious little flavor explosions and pair amazingly with lemon.
How to Make Chicken Piccata
- To create a thinner scallop, cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the chicken breast in half to make two thinner scallops. A thinner breast cooks faster and stays moist.
- Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seasoning both sides of the chicken breast adds flavor so don’t be too shy. All it takes is a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to get the job done.
- Dredge lightly. Give the chicken a quick dredge in all-purpose flour to create a light crust when the chicken is cooked.
Heidi’s Tip: Use only one hand to dredge the flour so the other stays clean, avoiding two gummed-up hands instead of just one.
- Quick fry the chicken breasts. Use a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet Avoid using a non-stick pan. To build flavor, you want the chicken to leave bits in the bottom of the pan for the piccata sauce. A non-stick pan won’t create those bits.
- Deglaze with wine and chicken broth. To make the sauce saucy, use chicken broth or wine, or a combination of both to deglaze those flavor bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer to reduce the sauce for a minute or two. Be careful not to cook too long, or the sauce will reduce.
- Thicken with butter. To thicken the sauce, add an extra tablespoon of butter to give it body and a lush gloss.
Recipe Tips
- To speed up the cooking process, slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make a thinner tenderloin or cutlet. This is a super easy trick that works every time, for quicker cooking and juicy chicken. Use a thin, sharp knife to make this work easiest—this is my favorite knife for the job. Some recipes suggest pounding out the chicken. I find this an extra step that isn’t needed if the breasts are cut in half first.
- Cook the chicken in two batches. To avoid steaming instead of browning, don’t crowd the chicken in the pan when frying. To keep the chicken warm as the next batch cooks, loosely tent it with aluminum foil or place it in a 200°F oven.
- How to juice a hard lemon: If your lemons seem hard or under-ripe, microwave them on HIGH for 15-30 seconds to get the most juice out of it.
Recipe FAQs
Use organic, boneless, and skinless chicken breasts, and trim any excess pieces from the chicken.
We all know that boneless chicken breasts can be a bit boring on their own, but that’s not in the cards here. Thanks to generous seasoning and a quick fry, this chicken is moist and flavorful.
You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but it’s best with breasts. If using chicken thighs, they may require more or less time to cook — it depends on how thick they are.
If you don’t have capers, try chopped, green olives instead.
Any dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, will do. Choose a wine you’d actually drink, not a “cooking wine.”
Try lean turkey breasts and even fish like in my creamy salmon piccata.
Storage Tips
If you end up with leftover lemon chicken piccata, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat the chicken in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, taking care not to overcook it.
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower
- Parmesan Zucchini
- Panzanella (Italian Bread Salad)
- Buttery Garlic Bread
- Easy Parmesan Noodles
- Simple Arugula Salad
- Classic Tiramisu
Heidi’s Tip: Love chicken piccata? Try making Salmon Piccata next!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
The BEST Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter , divided
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chicken broth or white wine, or a combination of both
- 2 tablespoons capers , drained and rinsed
- Flat-leaf parsley , for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the lemon in half, juice one half, then cut the other half into ⅛″ slices and set aside.
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and slice in half lengthwise to make two thin cutlets. Season both sides of the chicken breasts evenly with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then dredge each breast in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter with the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 pieces of the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and cover with foil. Continue with the remaining chicken.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken broth or wine (or ½ cup of both) the lemon juice, sliced lemons, and the capers, scraping up the browned bits on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until melted. Taste for seasoning and spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts. Top with parsley, if desired. Serve with mashed potatoes or cauliflower, polenta, or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
More Classic Italian Chicken Recipes to Master
- Chicken Piccata Pasta
- Chicken Marsala
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Caprese Chicken
- Chicken Milanese
- Pesto Chicken
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Stella
Made for dinner with chicken thighs tonight. Soo good, served with black and white spaghetti and fresh asparagus. Our son said we need this more often! Thank you!!!
You’re so welcome Stella. So glad it worked well for you and the family.
Michelle Pratt
love the chicken recipes
Happy to hear it Michelle!
Kathy
The recipe was easy and delicious! I had all of the ingredients on hand . Simple ingredients. LOVE IT! Hubby approves too!win win!!
So glad you liked it Kathy!
Gail
I’m going to make this for 50 people. I need to prep the night before because I’ll only have about an hour before serving on the day of. When is a good stopping point that I can refrigerate overnight and come back to it then next day? Also, I’m not clear on the cooking. Does the chicken get baked after it’s fried? Or fully cooked on the stove top?
Hayley
Hi Gail! Oh gosh, that’s quite the crowd! Hmmm, your best bet might be to make this entirely the night before and just reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the oven, covered with foil (maybe at 250 or 300 degrees). As for the instructions, the chicken is fully cooked on the stovetop, there’s no baking involved. We hope this helps and that it goes well for you!
Kellee
I have made this recipe for my family multiple times and my family loves it! My oldest is getting ready to move to another city for the semester and asked me to make this for our last family meal together before he leaves.
Hayley
We’re so happy you and your family love this, Kellee! And good luck to your kiddo with the big move! That’s so sweet he requested this! :)
Lynn
Should I double up on. The broth to serve more people I’m feeding 6
Hayley
Hi Lynn! This makes 4 servings, so maybe just do 1 1/2 the recipe? We hope this helps and that you enjoy!
Christi Lang
Fairly easy to prepare, and really tasty! I topped with a sprinkling of Romano cheese and dried parsley flakes as I didn’t have fresh parsley.
I served with orzo and added some of the sauce as a topping to the orzo.
Hayley
Thanks for giving this a try, Christi! We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy
Easy & tastes great!
Hayley
Thanks, Kathy—we’re glad you enjoyed it!
Pam
Delicious and so easy!
Hayley
Thanks, Pam—we’re so happy you loved it!