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Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is an easy Italian-American chicken dinner with thin cutlets cooked golden and finished in a silky lemon-butter-caper pan sauce. Expect glistening sauce that pools around crispy-edged fillets, with sharp lemon and briny capers in every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken piccata ingredients
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper To taste.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For light dredging.
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For pan-frying.
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided; reserve 2 tbsp for finishing.
  • 4 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine De-glazing and flavor base.
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth For the reduced pan sauce.
  • 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice About 2 lemons.
  • 3 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 1 lemon Thinly sliced for the sauce.
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Dredge and cook the chicken
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in all-purpose flour and shake off excess.
  2. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then cook chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
  3. Remove the chicken to a plate or rack and set aside while you make the sauce.
Build the lemon-butter-caper pan sauce
  1. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the dry white wine and scrape up the browned bits, then simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
  3. Add the chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, capers, and the sliced lemon, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce reduces by a third.
  4. Turn off the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter until the sauce looks glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet, spoon the sauce over each cutlet, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

For the best piccata texture, keep the cutlets thin and cook in batches so they brown instead of steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet with a splash of broth so the sauce stays silky. Freezing is not recommended because lemon juice can dull and the sauce may separate. Dietary swap: use plant-based butter instead of butter for a dairy-free version (finish off-heat the same way for glossiness).