Chicken Piccata

The light lemon sauce served over this Chicken Piccata is simply delicious. The chicken breasts are seasoned and floured, browned, then served with a buttery sauce made with lemon juice, stock, and capers. Restaurant quality made in the comfort of your own home.

A buttery lemon sauce with capers over cutlets with pasta.

The chicken is browned in the pan, then the sauce is made in the same pan for easy clean-up, which I love.

Then, serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes, or serve your Chicken Piccata low-carb style with some roasted veggies or a side salad.

Chicken Piccata with a bowl of fresh pasta and lemon slices.

Making Chicken Piccata

The Chicken:

Have your large skillet out and add some oil to it.

Meanwhile, cut your chicken breasts horizontally so they are all about the same thickness, about 1/4-inch.

To get them all uniform, and to cook evenly, place some plastic wrap over them, then using your rolling pin, roll them gently to the same thickness.

You can use a meat mallet, but be careful to pound the meat gently or the chicken will tear and separate. I prefer the rolling pin for this very reason; you can control it easier.

Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, then dredge each piece in flour. In other words, have a shallow bowl or plate with flour in it, and coat each side of the chicken in the flour.

Then set the chicken aside on a separate plate until ready to cook.

Tender chicken in a rich, buttery sauce made with lemon juice and capers.

Heat the pan on medium-high until good and hot, then add the chicken. Depending on the size of your chicken, you may need to cook them in batches. I did. Side note: chicken is twice the size today as they were when I was a kid.

As they cook, (two at a time), they shrink, then later, when you add them back to the pan, somehow all four pieces fit. Magic I tell you.

Brown each side of chicken for about five minutes, then flip. The internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165°. Have a clean plate ready to hold the cooked chicken as you cook the next two, then the sauce.

Also, while the chicken is cooking, get the stuff ready for the sauce.

When you take the last of the chicken out of the pan, it’s time to start the sauce.

Lemon slices on cooked cutlets in a rich sauce.

The Sauce:

In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the garlic for a minute, or until fragrant. Stir in the broth and flour and whisk until the sauce is smooth and no clumps remain.

Alternatively, you can swap out the broth for white wine, which lends a sweeter flavor and adds a touch of acidity.

Next, stir in the heavy cream, capers, and lemon juice. Lots of flavor there!

Also, lower the heat under the pan to medium-low. You want the sauce to simmer until thickened a bit, which only takes 2-3 minutes. Stir continuously so the cream doesn’t curdle mixed with the lemon juice.

Then, add the cooked chicken back in pan and coat evenly with the sauce. Let the chicken reheat in the sauce for just another minute or two while you slice some lemon wedges and chop fresh parsley for garnish.

Ok then, time to eat and I mean right now, I’m hungry. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Place the chicken on top, then drizzle sauce over the chicken to run onto the pasta.

For sauce lovers, you may even want to double the recipe for sauce. I’m with you, there. I love a little chicken with my sauce.

If you prefer a more low-carb diet, serve the chicken with some roasted veggies or a side salad. One bite of this chicken, though, and you may not care what else is on your plate. So, enjoy.

Chicken Piccata next to a bowl of al dente pasta.

Love those chicken recipes?

Me, too. So easy, so delicious, and you can make them so many different ways. Click HERE for the fast track to the rest of my chicken recipes, or you can always hover over “Recipes” then “Ingredients” at the top of my blog.

You’ll find recipes for baked, braised, foil-wrapped, skillet, and slow cooker chicken. All my favorites!

If you tried and love this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment below. Thank you so much.

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Chicken Piccata

Tender, browned chicken perfectly seasoned with a buttery sauce made with lemon juice, heavy cream, and capers.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: easy dinner, impressive, restaurant quality
Servings: 4
Calories: 373kcal
Author: Sweet Ordeal

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 1 lb.)
  • 2 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth or white wine
  • 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. capers
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Optional Garnish:

  • fresh chopped parsley
  • lemon slices or wedges

Instructions

Chicken:

  • Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally and cover with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin to create uniform pieces to cook evenly, roll until chicken is even thickness, approx. 1/4-inch.
  • Add oil to pan and preheat on medium-high. Pan should be good and hot when you add the chicken.
  • Season chicken with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken in flour, then place on plate until ready to cook. Sear chicken in pan for about 5 minutes per side. Internal temp. should be 165°. Depending on the size of the chicken and/or the pan, you may need to cook chicken in batches. Set cooked chicken on clean plate.

Sauce:

  • To same pan, melt butter. Saute garlic for 1 minute, then add broth and flour. Whisk until smooth and there are no clumps.
  • Add heavy cream, capers, and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low to let simmer and thicken, 3-5 minutes.
  • Add chicken back to pan and evenly coat in the sauce. Continue to cook for another minute.

Optional Garnish:

  • Sprinkle fresh parsley over the top with slices or wedges of lemon.
  • Typically served over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Notes

For sauce lovers, you may want to double the sauce recipe, especially if serving with pasta or rice, which tends to soak up sauces.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1.085mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetordeal or tag #sweetordeal!

Chicken Piccata

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A bite of pasta with chicken and a buttery sauce with capers.

My Collected Recipes:

A quick mention of this wonderful blank recipe book that I helped to create with a very dear friend. Write in one or more recipes before giving it to that special person, then they can fill the remaining pages with their favorites, and/or have other special people write out recipes for them. It’s personal, and yes, it takes time and effort — something we’ve gotten away from with all this technology. Check it out HERE where you can order a hard or soft cover. Once there, click on READ SAMPLE to see the pages within. I especially like the “measurements and conversions” page. Also, I make no money from any sales, I just love the idea of this book. Missing my mom as I do, seeing her handwriting always makes me feel closer to her. Give that gift to someone else by writing out a favorite recipe.

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