Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is one of those Italian-American classics that proves you don’t need a long ingredient list to make a delicious meal. Thin chicken cutlets, a bright lemon-butter sauce, briny capers, and a splash of white wine, that’s it. This was a staple at my Dad’s restaurant and it’s still one of my go-to weeknight dinners. It comes together in about 30 minutes and tastes like something you’d get at a nice Italian restaurant.
Recipe Notes
Pounding the Chicken: Pounding the breasts to an even 1/4-inch thickness is key. It ensures they cook quickly and evenly. Place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan.
The Sauce: The sauce should be bright and lemony, not thick like a gravy. Let it reduce naturally rather than adding flour to thicken. If you want it a little richer, swirl in an extra tablespoon of cold butter at the end.
Don’t Skip the Capers: The briny, salty pop of capers is what makes piccata piccata. Without them, it’s just lemon chicken.
What to Serve With It: Broccoli sauteed in oil and garlic is a perfect side. In the summer time, a simple tomato and cucumber salad is another great pairing – the freshness complements the rich lemony sauce.
Want to save this recipe?
Send the link to your Inbox, plus receive the latest recipes and updates.
Chicken Piccata
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
- Flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Lemon slices (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread flour on a plate and dredge each chicken breast to coat, shaking off excess.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and the oil is shimmering, add the chicken breasts. Do not crowd the pan – work in batches if needed.
- Cook until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a warm plate.
- Drain the oil from the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. When melted, add the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan and spoon sauce over the top. Cook for another minute to warm the chicken through.
- Transfer chicken to serving plates, spoon the sauce and capers over the top, and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make ahead: You can pound and flour the cutlets up to 4 hours in advance. Keep them covered in the fridge. Don’t make the sauce ahead; it’s a 6-minute job and tastes much better fresh.
- Storage: Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge, in an airtight container with the sauce.
- Reheating: Low and slow in a covered skillet with a splash of broth or water. Microwaving makes the chicken rubbery and breaks the sauce.
FAQ
Yes. Use boneless, skinless thighs pounded to ¼ inch and add 1 to 2 minutes per side. The flavor is slightly richer.
Piccata is dredged in flour only and gets a lemon-butter-caper sauce. Francese is dipped in flour and egg, giving a softer, more delicate coating, and the sauce is lemon-butter-wine without capers. Both came off the same restaurant menus.
Yes. Replace the wine with an extra ½ cup of broth plus 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. You need the acid for the sauce to taste right.
Either they weren’t pounded thin enough, or they cooked too long. A ¼ inch cutlet needs about 2 minutes a side. Pull them when they’re golden. They’ll finish warming in the sauce.
Brined capers, the small ones (called nonpareils). Drain but don’t rinse. Salt-packed capers also work but need to be rinsed and patted dry first.
Turned out great. I did add some mushrooms and corn starch to thicken it just a little and did lemon to taste. Will definitely try additional recipes.
Thanks for sharing this recipe