Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is a simple Italian-American dish that can be on your table in under 30 minutes.  Most of its ingredients are staples in many households.  The magic of this dish is the flavor combination of the tart lemon juice, the salty capers, and the butter which helps create a velvety sauce that’s brimming with lemony flavored goodness.  

In Italy, this dish is most often served with veal, but here in America, chicken is far more popular. 

Piccata sauce is very versatile and can be served over chicken, veal, or seafood.  Take your pick! 

But for now, I will show you how to make the classic chicken Piccata dish that so many love.

Before I go over the ingredients I just want to point out how important it is to start with thin cutlets.  You can buy them pre-sliced or fillet and pound them out flat yourself. 

Either way, it’s the key to so many great Italian dishes.  Whether you’re making the very similar and equally delicious chicken Francese recipe or the beloved chicken milanese, thin cutlets are essential.

Besides thin cutlets, you will need capers, lemons, garlic, parsley, flour, dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay), butter, olive oil, and salt/pepper. 

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Slice around 6 lemon slices and remove any seeds. Cut wedges from the remaining lemon.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper into 1 cup of flour on a flat plate.  Dredge the thinly-sliced chicken cutlets in the flour and shake off the excess.  Place the dredged cutlets on wax or parchment paper and set aside.  Save the flour for use in step 7.

3. Heat a large pan to medium heat for 3 minutes then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.  Pan-sear the cutlets until just cooked through – about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side.
4. Work in batches so the chicken will acquire a nice brown color as shown in Step 4’s pic above.  Keep the chicken warm in a plate tented with foil.
5. Turn heat to low and add in the garlic.  Saute for 1 minute until lightly golden.  If the pan is dry add a touch more olive oil.
6. Add the lemons and capers to the pan and cook for 1 minute.

7. Add the wine and low sodium chicken stock to the pan.  Turn heat to high and boil for 2-3 minutes to slightly reduce.    Turn the heat back to medium and toss all the remaining butter cubes into the flour and place in the sauce.  Use a whisk or move the pan around while stirring as shown in step 7 to emulsify the sauce. 
8. Taste test the piccata sauce and if required adjust salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice levels.  When satisfied add the chicken to the pan to warm through for 2-3 minutes.  Gently coat all the pieces with the sauce and add the parsley.  Turn off the heat and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.

What to serve with piccata

Green sides like sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and oil, Italian broccoli, or green beans with garlic and oil all pair perfectly with this recipe. 

A big green salad or this grilled fennel salad with shaved parmesan would also be excellent choices.

Substitutions and additions

• veal or fish – Piccata sauce is terrific on either of these ingredients.  For veal use thinly sliced scaloppine pieces just like the chicken in this recipe.  Swordfish and cod piccata are both delicious!
• shallots – instead of, or in addition to the garlic, add 1-2 diced shallots.
• artichoke hearts – Add thawed, previously frozen artichoke hearts 1 minute after adding the garlic.
• mushrooms – To effectively add mushrooms to this recipe saute them in a separate pan and add them in 1 minute after adding the garlic.

Top tips

• Thin cutlets are recommended.
• Use an adequate amount of oil and butter for each batch of chicken and do not crowd the pieces in the pan.
• If a thicker sauce is desired, a slurry of 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 ounces of water can be used, but the sauce shouldn’t be overly thick.
• Leftovers can be saved for up to three days and can be reheated in the oven on 325f covered until warm or on the stovetop at low heat.

More chicken recipes you’ll love

• Chicken Milanese – Thin chicken cutlets, breaded and fried, and topped with an easy tomato mozzarella salad.
• Chicken Florentine – Chicken cutlets in a creamy white wine spinach sauce.
• Chicken saltimbocca – Thin chicken cutlets with prosciutto and sage in a delicious white wine sauce.
• Chicken Vesuvio – Chicken pieces with potatoes and peas in a lemon butter sauce.
• Chicken with capers and tomatoes – Simple dish in a vinegary caper and cherry tomato sauce.
• Chicken Sorrentino – Eggplant, fontina cheese, and prosciutto in a Marsala tomato butter sauce. 
• Chicken marsala with smoked prosciutto – Mushrooms and chicken scallopine in a tasty Marsala wine sauce.
• Chicken cacciatore with olives – Bone-in chicken braised in a flavorful tomato sauce with oil-cured olives.

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