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Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata features thin golden-fried chicken cutlets in a bright silky lemon-butter-caper pan sauce. The sauce glistens and pools around the crispy-edged fillets for an easy Italian chicken dinner that cooks fast on the stovetop.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.5 salt To taste.
  • 0.5 pepper To taste.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For light dredging.
Pan sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For searing.
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided: 2 tbsp for frying and 2 tbsp for finishing.
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine Deglaze and simmer.
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth Forms the base of the sauce.
  • 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice About 2 lemons.
  • 3 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 1 lemon Thinly sliced.
  • 0.25 fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Dredge the chicken
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off excess so the surface is thinly coated.
Sear until golden
  1. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering, then cook the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through; transfer to a plate or tray.
Build the lemon-butter-caper sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, then simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
  3. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and lemon slices, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce reduces by about a third.
  4. Remove the skillet from heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce looks glossy and cohesive.
Sauce and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon the sauce over each cutlet, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

For the best glossy piccata pan sauce, keep the heat at a steady simmer during the reduction, then take the skillet off the burner before swirling in the cold butter. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; rewarm gently so the cutlets stay tender. Freezing is not recommended because capers and lemon can lose brightness after thawing. Dietary swap: use gluten-free all-purpose flour for a gluten-free lemon caper chicken version.