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This is the best chicken piccata recipe around – perfect for enjoying as an easy weekday meal or with friends for an authentic flavor of Italy.
This easy chicken piccata recipe will give you a taste of Italy from the comfort of your home. Smothering sauce over chicken with capers and lemon, this briny, slightly sweet dish makes an impressive weekday dinner or the star attraction at a dinner party.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Boneless work better as we’ll be flattening them later on.
- All-purpose flour: You can use gluten-free flour if you prefer.
- Lemon pepper seasoning: You can make your own at home or substitute it for black pepper and lemon zest if you prefer.
- Olive oil and butter: For pan-frying the chicken. They also make up the base of the dressing.
For the lemon sauce:
- Chicken stock or chicken broth: This will infuse the dish with flavor. You can also use dry white wine.
- Butter: Best to use unsalted butter.
- Capers: They will add extra flavor to the dish.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice or bottled works, to brighten the flavor.
- Salt and pepper: Add to taste.
- Parsley: Sprinkle for serving.
How to make it
Prepare the chicken: To start the lemon chicken piccata, you need to prepare the chicken breast (butterfly it). Begin by slicing the chicken breasts through the middle to be a similar thickness – about ½ inch. Once cut in half, pound a bit in places where it looks thicker. I recommend using a meat mallet/hammer or the bottom of a pan. Hit them until the breast looks a similar thickness all the way through (it’s great for getting some frustration out!).
Dredge the chicken: In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with your seasoning choice. Then dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour, breading both sides of the chicken breast. Shake off any excess flour.
Cook the chicken: In a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes on either side until browned – flipping just once. If you want to check your meat is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer. Cooked chicken will have an internal temperature of 165 ºF/74ºC. Then set the pan-fried chicken aside.
Make the sauce and combine: Use the same pan you cooked the chicken in. To deglaze it and prevent burning, add the lemon juice and stock, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom. Let it simmer & reduce until it becomes a thick sauce. Finally, add the capers for a minute or two. Add the chicken at the last minute to quickly reheat it.
Season with salt & pepper. Plate up your chicken piccata, then pour over the sauce and serve. Garnish it with parsley or your favorite fresh herbs.
What to serve with chicken piccata
- Serve with pasta – I love it with simple butter noodles.
- Pair with oven-roasted asparagus, or brussels sprouts.
- Serve Chicken Piccata with a variety of sautéed greens like broccoli, broccolini, spinach, or green beans for added nutrition.
- Boost vitamins by serving chicken piccata with sauteed greens: broccoli, broccolini, spinach, green beans, etc.
- Serve with a side of salad.
- Potatoes, any which way you like them – roasted, mashed, or smashed.
- A bowl of rice or some fresh risotto.
- For Chicken Piccata, Europeans often enjoy it with bread to mop up the extra sauce. Focaccia and ciabatta are Italian favorites, perfect for this dish.
More dinner favorites
If you try this chicken piccata recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe
Equipment
- Food Thermometer optional
Ingredients
For the Chicken Breast Seasoning
- 20.5 oz chicken breasts 3 medium, boneless, skinless; you can also use chicken cutlets or tenders
- 1.6 oz all-purpose flour 1/3 cup
- 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning or 1/2 tsp black pepper & 1/2 tsp salt
For Frying the Chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 oz butter 2 Tbsp, unsalted
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, etc)
- 1 oz butter 2 Tbsp
- 1.4 oz capers in brine drained, 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup lemon juice from 1 large lemon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley just a sprinkle for serving
Instructions
Prepare the chicken
- Slice the chicken breasts through the middle to be a similar thickness – about ½ inch. Once cut in half, pound a bit in places where it looks thicker. Use a meat mallet/hammer or the bottom of a pan to hit them until the breast looks a similar thickness all the way through.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with your seasoning choice. Then dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour, breading both sides of the chicken breast. Shake to remove any excess flour.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes on either side until browned – flipping just once. Then set aside.
Make the sauce and combine
- Prepare the sauce in the same pan you cooked the chicken in. To deglaze it and prevent burning, add the lemon juice and stock, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom. Let it simmer & reduce until it becomes a thick sauce.
- Add the capers for a minute or two. Add the chicken at the last minute to quickly reheat it.
- Season with salt & pepper. Plate the chicken, then pour over the sauce and serve. Garnish it with parsley.
Notes
- If you want to check your meat is fully cooked, use a meat thermometer. Cooked chicken will have an internal temperature of 165 ºF/74ºC.
- This recipe is best enjoyed immediately. If you have any leftovers, keep them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Then reheat over low heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
