This easy chicken piccata recipe with a lemon-caper sauce is a classic you’ll find on the menu of nearly every Italian restaurant, and 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. And you guys agree, the more healthy the flavor, the more better. Not grammatically correct, but dang it tastes good.
When it seems there’s nothing to cook for dinner, this chicken 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 more fast dinners, too.
Chicken Piccata 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. The key here is that one word: Simple. There’s really no need to add extra ingredients to fancy this dish up—garlic, shallots, tomatoes, mushrooms. I save those for my Chicken Piccata Pasta.
Boneless chicken breasts are the star of this show, and we all know that too often those breasts can be a bit boring on their own, but that’s not in the cards here.
I use organic, boneless and skinless chicken breasts, and trim any excess pieces. 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 to make the cooking quicker while keeping the chicken juicy. 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, but I find this an extra step that isn’t needed if the breasts are cut in half instead.
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.
Then, give the chicken a quick dredge in all-purpose flour to create a light crust when the chicken is cooked.
TIP: Use only one hand to dredge the flour so the other stays clean, avoiding two gummed up hands instead of just one.
see more:31 Days of Weeknight Chicken Dinners to Make Now
How to Cook Boneless Chicken Breasts
Use a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet for a quick fry of the chicken breasts. Avoid using a non-stick pan. You want the chicken to leave the built-up flavor bits in the bottom of the pan to add flavor to the piccata sauce and a non-stick pan won’t create those bits.
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.
Cook the chicken in two batches to avoid crowding, otherwise the chicken will steam instead of brown. To keep the chicken warm as the next batch cooks, loosely tent with aluminum foil or place in a 200°F oven.
see more: How to Make the Best Baked Chicken Breast
How to Make Piccata Sauce
This lush, lemony sauce wins the award for easiest you’ll cook all week that doesn’t taste like it takes less than 5 minutes to make. Again, we are making this super simple, and nearly impossible to mess up.
Put the pucker in your piccata with lemon and capers. Not familiar with capers? They’re pickled flower buds imported from Italy and found in the olive section of your grocery store. They’re delicious little flavor explosions and pair amazingly with lemon.
I use a combination of both lemon juice and sliced lemons in my sauce, both for flavor and presentation. The sauce will taste pretty lemony by itself, making it just right when it’s paired with the chicken.
TIP: If your lemons seem hard or under-ripe, microwave them on HIGH for 15-30 seconds to get the most juice out of it.
To make the sauce saucy, use chicken broth or wine, or a combination of both and to deglaze those flavor bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the sauce for a minute or two but don’t go too long or it will reduce away.
To thicken the sauce, add an extra tablespoon of butter to give the sauce body.
see more: 31 Winter Winner Chicken Dinner Ideas to Make Anytime
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
This dish is perfect for quick weeknight eats and plate straight from the pan, or put it on a platter and serve it up for Sunday dinner. Here’s what I server alongside:
- The Best Creamy Mashed Potatoes (spoon a little sauce over when plating)
- Mashed Cauliflower with Parmesan and Chives (for those of you watching the carbs but still want the flavor)
- Easy Parmesan and Butter Noodles
- Easy 5-Minute Parmesan Zucchini
- Easy Green Beans with Browned Butter Almondine
- Arugula Salad Three Ways
And when there’s leftovers, I reheat the chicken piccata to serve for dinner the next night or make an easy lunch sandwich or slice it to top my favorite salads.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Chicken Piccata
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.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 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
Instructions
-
Slice the lemon in half, juice one half, then cut the other half into 1/8" slices and set aside.
-
Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and slice in half lengthwise. 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 1/2 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. Serve with mashed potatoes or cauliflower, polenta, or noodles.
More Easy Chicken Recipes You’ll Want to Make Too
- 30-Minute Caprese Chicken Recipe
- 5 Tips for Juicy Roast Chicken
- Easy Chicken Breasts with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- 30-Minute Creamy Mushroom and Leek Chicken Breasts
- The Best Greek Chicken Marinade
What’s your favorite chicken dinner or trick to get dinner on fast? Tell us all in the comments below.
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Sabrina says
yum yum yum, capers, breaded chicken, the whole thing, thank you
House of Hermens says
Nice recipes I have ever seen. I like all your recipes but one question, do I get all the ingredient or food material or grocery from ALDI food market? Please let me inform.
Alexa James says
This Delicious chicken piccata have lots of health benefits. can obtain protein, helps in growth of body & brain. Also, it is totally cholesterol-free with full of vitamins & minerals that boost immune system.
tazminiha says
wow
It sounds like a delicious recipe.
I’ll give a try this weekend.
Cindy says
Why is the sodium so high? The capers?
Angelina says
I was wondering the same thing, Cindy. Maybe the capers (but they were rinsed). Perhaps the nutritional info was calculated if chicken broth was used. Just to be sure that I make this with as little sodium as possible, I plan to use all white wine. It’s a nice & easy recipe, though. Sounds & looks delish!
Lisa Sullivan says
I couldn’t be a bigger fan of this dish. The perfect meal that I paired with steamed fresh green beans and a simple tossed salad with a hint of blue cheese. I used a bit of rose in the recipe and also served it with the meal. This is simple perfection! Bravo!
Heidi says
So glad you enjoyed it Lisa! It’s a fave here at my house too. So easy :)
Ana says
Delicious and easy recipe! Loved the flavors. I paired this with your parmesan zucchini recipe for a complete meal. Thanks for sharing!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
That sounds like a great meal Ana!
Brenda kent says
Amazing dish, it’s so light and fresh. Perfect for a quick summer dinner
I used zucchini spirals as noodles Instead of spaghetti