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Chicken Piccata

overhead shot of a black cast iron skillet filled with chicken piccata, thin chicken cutlets with a few thin slices of lemon tossed on top and some chopped parsley
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4.9 from 16 reviews

Tender chicken cutlets in a luscious lemony sauce. A recipe that's easy enough for weeknight dinner, delicious enough for a special occasion. Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded or sliced into thin 1/3-inch to 1/4-inch cutlets. (See notes below for how to make chicken cutlets)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons butter at room temperature, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 5 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (see notes)
  • 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth, divided
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed

Garnish

  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Lemon slices

Instructions

  1. Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and spread seasoned flour onto a plate. Dredge the chicken cutlets in seasoned flour to coat, shake to remove excess flour, and set chicken on a plate near the stovetop.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, tilt the pan to coat it, add half of the chicken or as much as will fit in a single layer, and sauté the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and just cooked through. Then transfer it to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding a little more oil and butter to the pan if needed.
  3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until much of the liquid in the pan evaporates, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook 3-4 minutes until reduced by about a third. While the sauce simmers, combine the remaining teaspoon of flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to the sauce and cook, whisking, for 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and ¼ cup capers, whisking to combine.
  4. Return chicken to the skillet, turning it in the sauce, and simmer it gently for 2-3 minutes or until it's heated through.
  5. Plate the chicken. Spoon some sauce on top. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley.

Notes

How to make chicken cutlets from whole chicken breasts:
Place a chicken breast half in a large plastic baggie left unsealed, and pound gently and evenly with a meat mallet, a small heavy skillet, or a rolling pin, to ⅓-inch to ¼-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining chicken. Cut each thin cutlet in half, if you like the idea of 8 small pieces rather than 4 large.

What to do with the chicken tenders: If the chicken has tenders, pull them out before pounding or slicing the chicken. Tenders are small and tender and don't need to be pounded. They can be floured and cooked along with the larger cutlets.

To make this gluten free dredge the chicken in cornstarch instead of flour.

to make this dairy free use your favorite butter substitute in place of butter.

To make this for a crowd Double or triple all the ingredients and follow this recipe through step 3. Put the sautéed chicken into a large deep roasting pan and pour the sauce on top. If you're not serving it right away, you can put the whole casserole in the fridge, covered, for several hours. When you're ready to finish the dish, cover the pan tightly with a double layer of foil and heat it in a 350ºF oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. If it's been chilling in the fridge, it will need an extra 5-10 minutes in the oven.

The Best White Wine For Chicken Piccata: Use a wine that's dry and crisp such as Dry Vermouth, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Avoid wines that are rich, sweet or oaky which can alter the flavor of your dish.

[This post first appeared on Panning The Globe in Feb 2016. It was updated on Sept 13, 2019 with added nutritional information, added tips for how to make chicken cutlets and how to choose a good cooking wine. It was updated again March 15, 2022 with new photos and answers to frequently asked questions. ]

Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for a the advice of a professional nutritionist.

Keywords: One pan chicken piccata, Chicken with lemon and caper sauce

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