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.
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“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.” -Kellee, FoodieCrush reader
You Can Make This Italian Classic in Just 20 Minutes in 1 Skillet!
“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.
Enter: this chicken piccata recipe made with a few super simple ingredients that when put together make a dish that’s light, bright, and totally addicting. The tangy sauce is made with just lemon, chicken broth or wine, capers, and butter. There’s no cream, because you really don’t need to add extra ingredients to fancy this dish up!
When it seems there’s nothing to cook for dinner, this creamy 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.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- 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.
Chicken Piccata Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- 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 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 with White Wine
- 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 white 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.
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
The BEST Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 lemon , divided
- 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
- Prep the lemon. Slice the lemon in half, juice one half, then cut the other half into ⅛" slices and set aside.
- Trim and season the chicken. 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.
- Pan fry the chicken. 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. You can keep the cooked chicken breasts warm while the sauce cooks by plating on a platter and covering with aluminum foil, or place in a 200°F oven. Continue with the remaining chicken.
- Make the piccata sauce. 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.
- Garnish and serve. 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 buttered noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
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.”
Veal is the traditional choice, but I’ve also made this recipe with lean turkey breasts and even fish like in my creamy salmon piccata.
More Easy Chicken Breast Recipes with Few Ingredients
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Lisa
Sooooo delicious and super easy and quick to make. The whole family loved it. I’m putting this dish in regular rotation!
A well-received family dinner is always the best family dinner. I’m so glad you’ll be making it again and thanks for the comment!
Lisa
This is the tastiest, easiest piccata recipe and the whole family absolutely loved it. I used all wine in the recipe instead of all broth or the half n half mix and boy was it good. I served it with some angel hair in olive oil and garlic with a nice baguette and it couldn’t have been better. You need to try this!
Thank you Lisa, I love the tart and tangy flavors and am happy to hear you do too. I also have a chicken piccata pasta recipe you should try.