Chicken Piccata

This chicken piccata is a classic Italian-American skillet dinner - thin, golden-crusted chicken cutlets in a bright lemon butter sauce with capers and fresh parsley. It's fast, elegant, and comes together in just 25 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients.

Chicken piccata is one of those recipes that feels like a restaurant dish but takes almost no effort to pull off at home. Thin chicken cutlets get a light flour dredge, a quick sear in butter and olive oil, and then the real magic happens in the pan - a silky lemon butter sauce with briny capers that comes together in minutes.

If you love simple, flavor-forward chicken dinners like my chicken stroganoff, this one belongs in your rotation. My favorite way to serve it is with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus - the potatoes soak up all that lemon butter sauce, and the asparagus keeps everything fresh.

Chicken Piccata Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this chicken piccata recipe:

• Chicken: Two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally to create four thin cutlets - or pick up four pre-cut chicken cutlets from the store to skip this step entirely. Thin cutlets are key here because they cook quickly and evenly, giving you a nice golden crust without drying out the inside.
• All-purpose flour: Used for dredging the cutlets before searing. The flour creates that light, golden crust and also helps thicken the sauce slightly as it picks up the pan drippings. You only need about a third of a cup - just enough to coat all four pieces.
• Butter: Three tablespoons total, divided between searing and finishing the sauce. One tablespoon goes into the pan with olive oil to sear the chicken, and the remaining two get stirred in at the very end off the heat to make the sauce glossy and rich.
• Garlic: Two cloves, minced. A small amount that adds depth without overpowering the lemon and capers.
• Dry white wine: A quarter cup is all you need - just enough to deglaze the pan and add a subtle acidity to the sauce. Something like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc works well. If you'd rather skip the wine, just use chicken broth instead.
• Chicken broth: Three-quarters of a cup that forms the base of the piccata sauce along with the wine. Use a good-quality broth since it makes up most of the liquid - you'll taste the difference.
• Lemon juice: Three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice - about one large lemon. This is the heart of the sauce, so fresh is non-negotiable here. Bottled juice won't give you the same brightness.
• Capers: Two tablespoons, drained. These small, briny little buds are what make piccata, well, piccata. They add a salty, tangy pop that balances the richness of the butter and cuts through the lemon. If you've never cooked with capers before, this is the perfect recipe to start.
• Fresh parsley: Chopped and sprinkled on right before serving. It adds color and a bit of freshness to tie everything together.

How to Make Chicken Piccata

1. Prepare the chicken. Use four store-bought chicken cutlets, or slice two large chicken breasts in half horizontally to create four thin cutlets. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge each piece in flour and shake off the excess. You want a light, even coating - not a thick layer.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat some olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the cutlets and sear for about 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Work in batches if your skillet isn't big enough to fit all four without crowding. Transfer the chicken to a plate, then pour off any excess oil from the pan - you don't want a greasy sauce.
3. Build the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the pan cool for just a moment so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook until it's mostly evaporated - this concentrates the flavor and cooks off the raw alcohol taste.
4. Finish the sauce. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until it reduces slightly. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining two tablespoons of butter until the sauce looks glossy and silky. Swirling the butter in off the heat is what makes the sauce emulsify properly - don't skip this step.
5. Serve. Return the chicken cutlets to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

• Pour off excess oil after searing. Once you transfer the chicken to a plate, take a quick look at how much oil is left in the pan. If there's a lot sitting there, pour most of it off before building the sauce - otherwise it can make the finished sauce feel oily rather than silky.
• Let the pan cool slightly before adding garlic. The skillet will be very hot after searing the chicken. If you toss garlic into a screaming-hot pan, it'll burn almost instantly. Lowering the heat and giving it a few seconds to cool down makes all the difference.
• Don't overcook the chicken. Since the cutlets are thin, they cook fast. Pull them from the pan as soon as they're golden and cooked through - they'll stay warm on the plate and briefly go back into the sauce at the end.
• Be patient with reducing the sauce. Let the wine cook down until it's mostly evaporated before adding the broth. Then let the broth and lemon juice simmer for a few minutes so the flavors concentrate. Rushing this step gives you a thin, watery sauce instead of something rich and balanced.
• Swirl in butter off the heat. This is what makes the sauce look and taste restaurant-quality. Adding cold butter to a hot (but not boiling) sauce creates an emulsion - glossy, velvety, and rich.

How to Serve Chicken Piccata

• Over pasta. Angel hair, linguine, or spaghetti all work beautifully - toss the pasta lightly in the sauce before plating, then lay the cutlets on top.
• With mashed potatoes. Creamy mashed potatoes are a perfect match for soaking up all that lemon butter sauce.
• Alongside roasted vegetables or a simple salad. Roasted asparagus is my go-to here, but any roasted vegetable works. A side salad with a simple vinaigrette is another great option if you want something lighter.

Variations

• Skip the wine. Use one cup of chicken broth total instead of the wine and broth combination. The sauce will be a little less complex but still delicious.
• Add a creamy twist. Stir in two to three tablespoons of heavy cream along with the broth for a creamy chicken piccata. It changes the character of the sauce, but it's rich and indulgent.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Easy Weeknight Chicken Dinners

If you loved this chicken piccata, here are a few more chicken recipes you'll want to try:

• Chicken Stroganoff
• Lemon Chicken Pasta
• Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Chicken Yaki Udon