Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe Recipe
A simple, classic Italian dish brimming with flavor- Chicken Piccata is easy enough for weeknight dinners or elegant enough for entertaining.
How to Make the Best Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
Chicken Piccata is one of those timeless Italian-American classics that never fails to impress. With its bright, lemony sauce studded with briny capers and finished with a generous pat of butter, this dish delivers restaurant-quality flavors in under an hour. The lightly floured chicken cutlets develop a beautiful golden crust that pairs perfectly with the silky pan sauce.
What makes this recipe so appealing is its versatility. Serve it over a bed of angel hair pasta to soak up every drop of that delicious sauce, or keep things lighter with a side of roasted vegetables or a fresh salad. The balance of tangy lemon, savory chicken broth, and the subtle sweetness of shallots creates a sauce you’ll want to make again and again.
The key to perfect Chicken Piccata lies in a few simple techniques: pounding the chicken to an even thickness ensures quick, uniform cooking, and building the sauce in the same pan captures all those flavorful browned bits. Don’t be shy with the lemon and capers—they’re what give this dish its signature bright, punchy flavor.
Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe
A simple, classic Italian dish brimming with flavor- Chicken Piccata is easy enough for weeknight dinners or elegant enough for entertaining.
Ingredients
Chicken
Piccata Sauce
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Slice chicken breasts in half length-wise (if extra large). Lightly pound to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Generously season both sides of the cutlets with salt.
- Place flour in a shallow bowl, lightly dredge chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Cook the cutlets in two or three batches. Add olive oil and a teaspoon or two of butter to a skillet. Sear the cutlets over med-high heat for about 3 minutes, turn them over for another 30 seconds to a minute. The chicken will get heated and finish cooking in the sauce, so we are just going for a light sear. Add more oil and butter if needed for each batch. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
Make the Piccata Sauce
- In the same pan, without cleaning it, sauté the shallots and capers for 3 minutes. Add garlic, sautéing another minute. Add wine and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and black pepper, heat to a simmer and whisk in butter until emulsified. Add chicken and heat 2-3 minutes until chicken is warm and cooked through.
- Add lemon juice, parsley and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- For extra tender chicken, pound the cutlets to an even thickness so they cook uniformly.
- Don't skip deglazing the pan with wine—those brown bits add tremendous flavor to the sauce.
- Adjust the lemon juice to your preference; some prefer a more tangy sauce.
