Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is flavorful and beyond easy to make! This tasty dish requires surprisingly few ingredients and is cooked in a lemon butter sauce topped with capers.

The crispy chicken is smothered in an addictively tangy lemon-butter pan sauce studded with salty capers. For more tasty chicken dishes try Mayo Parmesan Chicken Bake, Baked Chicken Parmesan, and Lemon Garlic Chicken.

What is Chicken Piccata?

Chicken Piccata is an Americanized version of the Italian classic, Veal Piccata. It’s delicious, covered in a lemon butter sauce and topped with capers. Thankfully it’s also super easy to make.

The Piccata is often served over a bed of pasta. Angel hair is a beautiful pasta to use as it is as light and dainty at the piccata. Some other things to serve with this include:

• Mashed potatoes
• Egg noodles or other pasta
• Zucchini noodles
• Rice

This easy chicken dish is an amazing dinner made in minutes that the entire family will love. This one pan wonder is sure to become a staple on your dinner rotation!

How to Make Chicken Piccata

SEASON. Season all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.

DREDGE. Add flour to a bowl to dredge the chicken in. Shake off excess flour.

MELT. Melt 2 tbsp butter along with 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

COOK. When the oils start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 5-8 minutes on each side (internal temp 165°F). Remove the chicken and place on a plate.

BOIL. Leave juices and oil in the pan and add lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan to add flavor. Taste and season accordingly.

SIMMER. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken and place on a platter.

WHISK. Add 2 more tbsp butter to the pan and whisk the sauce vigorously.

GARNISH. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

Recipe Tips

Chicken: You want to be sure to use a thin tender piece of chicken. If you have a thick breast, then you’ll want to slice it half right through the center (Like you’re cutting a roll for a sandwich). You are also going to want to pound the chicken with a meat tenderizer. If you don’t have a meat tenderizer use the side of a glass cup and roll over the chicken to thin it out a bit. 

Some other tips to create the best piccata include:

• Don’t skip the flour. You can also use rice flour or almond flour. 
• Be sure to use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
• Add lemon zest to turn up the lemon flavor
• Don’t forget to rinse the capers.
• To thicken the sauce use cornstarch- in a separate bowl add 1 tsp cold water and 1 tsp cornstarch. Mix until smooth then add to the sauce.

Storing, Reheating + Side Ideas

Leftover Piccata can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it in a freeze safe container for 1-2 months. Thaw before reheating

Reheat: If you’re in a hurry you can easily reheat it in the microwave. Add a bit of broth to a dish and cover with plastic wrap. Heat until warm and tender.

If you have the time I suggest you reheat in the oven. The key is to heat slowly with a bit of chicken broth. Preheat the pen to 300 degrees F. Place the chicken and some broth in a baking dish and cover with foil. Heat for 15- 20 minutes or until warm and tender.

Sides to Serve:

• Italian Bread
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Baked Zucchini Sticks
• Roasted Broccoli
• Focaccia Bread

For more Italian Dishes, check out:

• Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
• Parmesan Chicken Manicotti
• Pasta Carbonera
• Easy Fettuccine Alfredo