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With surprisingly few ingredients, this best chicken piccata recipe is bright, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes!
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.
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!
Why we love It:
- Simple + Flavorful. This dish is so delicious and comes together in no time.
- Great with so many sides. We love to serve this with our Best Mashed Potatoes, egg noodles or other pasta, zucchini noodles or rice.
- Loved by the whole family. Even the kids love this dish, so it’s great for any Sunday dinner or meal of the week.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 15 minutes
- 3-4 skinless chicken breasts, boneless – If the chicken breasts are thick, slice them in half. Chicken thighs can also be used. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- all-purpose flour, for dredging
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice – Add lemon zest for even more lemon flavor
- ½ cup chicken stock – or chicken broth
- ¼ cup brined capers, rinsed
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
How to Make Chicken Picatta
- CHICKEN. Season all sides of the 3-4 chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Add flour to a bowl to dredge the chicken in. Shake off excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter along with 3 tablespoons of 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.
- SAUCE. Leave juices and oil in the pan and add 3⅓ cup lemon juice, ½ cup chicken stock, and ¼ cup 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.
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken and place on a platter. Add 2 more tablespoons butter to the pan and whisk the sauce vigorously.
- SERVE! Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with ⅓ cup parsley.
Complete the Meal
- Side dishes: Italian Bread, Oven Roasted Vegetables, Quick Caprese Salad
- Desserts: Italian Cookies, Jello Cheesecake, Panna Cotta
- More Italian chicken recipes: Bruschetta Chicken, Parmesan Chicken Manicotti, Chicken Scallopini, Chicken Parmigiana
More collections: Italian Dinner Recipes, Chicken Dinner Ideas, Family Dinner Ideas
Chicken Piccata Recipe
With surprisingly few ingredients, this best chicken piccata recipe is bright, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3-4 skinless chicken breast, boneless
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- all purpose flour, for dredging
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup brined capers, rinsed
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Season all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add flour to a bowl to dredge the chicken in. Shake off excess flour.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter along with 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 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.
- 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.
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken and place on a platter.
- Add 2 more tablespoons butter to the pan and whisk the sauce vigorously.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 311kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 449mg, Potassium: 394mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 817IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How do I thicken the chicken piccata sauce?
- To thicken the chicken piccata sauce use cornstarch: In a separate shallow bowl add 1 teaspoon cold water and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Mix until smooth then add to the sauce and simmer.
Why is my chicken piccata Recipe too salty?
- Brined capers are quite salty, rinse thoroughly before using them. Another way to reduce the salt is to use low-sodium chicken stock and unsalted butter.
How to store chicken piccata?
- Keep leftover lemon chicken piccata can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
How to Freeze?
- Freeze it in a freezer-safe container for 1-2 months. Thaw before reheating
- To reheat. If you’re in a hurry, 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 reheating it in the oven. The key is to heat slowly with a bit of chicken broth. Preheat the oven to 300°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
Yum!
My daughter’s favorite meal
Was delicious. My whole family loved it and wanted me to make it the very next week.
This recipe was delicious and had great flavor. My whole family liked it. I loved the subtle acidity.
Thank you so much!!
The lemon butter sauce adds so much flavor! It’s an easy dish that my whole family enjoys!
Sounds fancy but is super simple. My kind of recipe.
This is a recipe that I hadn’t made in ages, and now I am wondering why I waited??? It is so easy and delicious and feels just a little fancy. My family loved it!
Delicious chicken! I love having Italian flavors but not necessarily tomato sauce. Perfect weeknight dinner.
My absolute favorite chicken dish! Everyone loves this recipe!
Great recipe for chicken piccata. Simple and easy to make.