Easy Chicken Piccata
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
With bright lemon, rich butter, and perky capers, this quick and easy chicken piccata tastes dreamy but is super simple to make at home. Grab a skillet and plan on about 25 minutes from start to finish for this restaurant-worthy weeknight wonder.
Chicken piccata is an Italian-American classic that consists of tender, pan-fried chicken in a simple yet irresistible lemon-butter sauce, dotted with briny capers. It’s a simple dish that nonetheless sounds elegant and worthy of both casual family meals and dinner guests.
Although chicken piccata is simple, there are two keys to making it shine. One is to prep the chicken correctly, so it stays flavorful, juicy, and tender. The second key is to use just the right balance of lemon and butter, so that the sauce is neither too tangy nor too rich. This recipe is tested and perfected for your success in both departments!
Ingredient Notes
Pro Tip
No need to let the rest of those capers linger in the fridge: add this bright lemon caper pasta to your menu for the next week or two. It goes great with Italian dressing chicken and an arugula salad.
How To Make Chicken Piccata
This is an overview. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prep the chicken. Begin by slicing each chicken breast lengthwise, so you have four thinner cutlets. Season each side generously with salt and pepper and lightly with garlic powder. Dredge each piece lightly in flour. This helps the chicken develop a nice coating and will later help thicken the sauce.
Sauté the chicken. Cook the chicken in a hot skillet coated with a mix of olive oil and melted butter. When golden brown on both sides and cooked through to 165°F in the thickest part, remove to a plate and set aside.
Make the sauce. Add broth, capers, lemon juice, and more butter to the pan. Scrape the bottom as the sauce bubbles. This will incorporate all the bits rendered by the chicken straight into your pan sauce, where they belong!
Assemble and finish. When the sauce is a consistency that you like, return the chicken to the skillet and spoon a bit of sauce and capers over each piece. Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away.
Pro Tip
If you’ve nestled the chicken back into the skillet but are not yet quite ready to serve, reduce the heat all the way to its lowest setting and cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. This will help everything stay warm without drying out.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken piccata is simple to make but tastes and sounds kind of fancy, so I like to serve nice sides to match. Orzo or another small pasta shape makes a nice bed for the chicken and is delicious with a drizzle of the extra piccata pan sauce.
In the veggie department, everyday Italian salads or greens with homemade Italian dressing fit the Italian-American profile well. You also can keep it elegantly simple and serve steamed green beans or asparagus with more of the sauce spooned on top to bring the plate together.
Easy Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 Tablespoons butter divided
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1-2 Tablespoon capers drained but not rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast lengthwise through the middle, so you have four thinner cutlets. (For the most tender chicken, you also can lay each cutlet flat on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound a few times with the flat side of a meat mallet or a heavy-bottomed skillet.)2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the garlic powder and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper.1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper
- Place the flour in a plate or shallow bowl and dredge each chicken piece through it, shaking gently to remove any excess.1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of the butter.4 Tablespoons butter, 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- When the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts. (If all the chicken does not fit easily in the pan at once, you will have better results taking the time to cook it in batches, rather than crowding the pan and letting the breasts overlap with one another.)
- Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes on one side, until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and continue to cook until each piece reaches 165°F inside. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and pour in the chicken broth, capers, lemon juice, and remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Scrape the bottom to loosen any browned bits. Bring the liquid to a simmer.3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1-2 Tablespoon capers, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Let the sauce bubble for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s reduced to a consistency you like, then return chicken to the skillet. Spoon some sauce and capers over each piece.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, serve, and enjoy!fresh parsley
Notes
- Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an estimate.
Nutrition Estimate
More Easy Chicken Skillets
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy my quick lemon thyme chicken, lemon chicken pasta, creamy garlic chicken, and Tuscan chicken with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
You can also FOLLOW me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK for more great recipes and ideas!
