Chicken Piccata is a delicious Italian-American dish that combines thinly sliced chicken breasts, lemons, and capers simmered together in a velvety butter sauce. The best part is it can be ready in about 40 minutes making it a weeknight go-to!
Full Instructional Video
Editor’s Note: Originally published on March 3, 2020. Updated with all new pictures, expanded information, and improved recipe on September 20, 2024.
Chicken Piccata is one of those dishes that can be found on the menu of nearly every Italian-American restaurant because its flavors make it appealing to the masses.
It’s great for weeknights, but also perfect for gatherings!
We like to serve it alongside rice pilaf and a green vegetable, such as sauteed spinach or garlicky broccoli rabe.
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Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
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- Chicken. I’m using thinly sliced chicken breasts for chicken piccata. You can save money by purchasing whole breasts and filleting the cutlets yourself, but many stores will sell cutlets that are already thinly sliced.
- Capers. I love capers and the flavor they bring to this dish. They are quite salty though so be sure to rinse them before using to remove some of the salt.
- Wine. Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
- Slice 4 cloves of garlic, cube 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, rinse 3 tablespoons of capers, and mince 1/4 cup of parsley. Take 2 lemons and slice 6 slices, then cut the rest into wedges. Place 1 1/2 pounds of thinly sliced chicken cutlets on a flat surface and season with salt and pepper on both side.
- Place 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow plate and dredge each cutlet in the flour, gently shaking to remove any excess. Save the flour for use later on in step 6. Place the dredged cutlets on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick pan to a touch less than medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and sear the cutlets until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches using a little more olive oil and butter as required for each batch. Once the cutlets are seared, remove to a plate and set aside.
- Using the same pan, turn the heat to low, add the garlic and a touch more olive oil, and saute for 1-2 minutes or until golden.
- Add the capers and cook for 1 minute more, then add 1/3 cup of dry white wine, and 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and turn the heat to high. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits, and allow the sauce to boil for 1-2 minutes.
- While the sauce is boiling, add the remaining butter cubes to the flour and roll them around to coat. Shake off the excess.
- Add the lemon slices to the pan, lower the heat, and allow the sauce to simmer for another 2 minutes. Add the floured butter cubes to the pan one at a time and use a whisk or wooden spoon to stir the sauce and emulsify. Taste test the sauce and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
- Add the chicken and half of the parsley to the pan and coat the chicken with the sauce on all sides. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the remaining parsley. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges and enjoy!
Top tips
- Use homemade stock. One way to instantly elevate the flavor in your dishes is to use homemade stock, in this case, chicken stock. Not only does it have better flavor and mouthfeel than storebought stocks, but you have 100% control over the sodium level in your dish.
- Thickening the sauce. Some folks prefer a thicker sauce for chicken piccata. If you’d like a thicker sauce, make a cornstarch slurry and use that to thicken the sauce to your liking.
- Use a nonstick pan. While it’s not required to use a nonstick pan for this dish, I do recommend it as it will make it so much easier to prepare and to clean.
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Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds thin sliced chicken cutlets
- 1/2 cup flour will not need all of it
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 3 tablespoons rinsed capers
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 2 large lemons 6 round slices and rest cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides then dredge the cutlets in flour and shake off the excess. Place the dredged cutlets on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Heat a large nonstick pan to a touch less than medium heat, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the pan. Sear the chicken cutlets until cooked through (approximately 3-4 minutes per side) then set aside on a platter lightly tented with foil. Do not crowd the pan. Work in batches, using a bit more olive oil and butter as required for each batch.
- Using the same pan, turn the heat to low and add the garlic and a touch more olive oil. Saute until golden (about 1-2 minutes) then add the capers and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the wine and chicken stock to the pan and turn heat to high. With a wooden spoon dislodge all the brown bits from the bottom of pan. Boil for 1-2 minutes then add the lemon slices, lower the heat, and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Roll the remaining butter cubes in the leftover flour and shake off the excess. Add one cube at a time to the pan. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, stir the sauce to emulsify. Taste test the sauce and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice levels if required.
- When satisfied with the taste of the sauce, add the chicken and half the parsley and gently coat all the pieces. Cook for 2-3 minutes to warm through. Turn off heat and add the remaining parsley. Serve with remaining lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on February 3, 2020. It was completely updated on September 20, 2024.
I just made this for my family and they gave it a 10/10. I made your sausage acorn squash recipe a couple of days ago same response. Keep up the great work!
That’s wonderful to hear, Virginia! Thanks for the comment!
I’m a new subscriber and this Chicken Piccata is the first recipe I’ve tried from Sip and Feast. It was delicious! The whole family enjoyed it. We made it for a birthday dinner, so we tripled the recipe. Plenty of leftovers – which is what we had hoped for.
I must say, however, that the flavor of the sauce became much stronger the second day, but not in a good way. I’m not faulting the recipe, but I believe that having all the leftover lemon slices sitting in the sauce for 24 hours made it way too lemony and very bitter. Maybe the slices should be removed before storing leftovers. They make a beautiful presentation and tasted great the first night, but perhaps the peel and pith become bitter over time?
This will not stop me from making this recipe again – we loved it – but if we have leftovers next time, I’ll remove those lemon slices from the sauce. I can’t think of anything else that would have affected the taste in such an extreme way. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
To comment on the recipe itself, it is well written and easy to follow. All the step-by-step instructions and photos are so very helpful. Thank you, Jim, for providing a wonderful service for all of us home cooks who’d like to spread our wings and try something different. You are giving us the helping hand that we need. The Sip and Feast website is a wonderland of fantastic recipes and gorgeous, mouthwatering photos. Really well done. Thanks so much!
Hi Linda, we’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe and the website in general. Yes, storing the lemon slices with the chicken can intensify the flavor of the lemon which can sometimes be bitter. We actually did make this last night and reheated today with lemon slices and didn’t notice an issue, but lemons can vary in bitterness and sweetness, so if you find it’s better to store without the lemons, definitely do that.
Ich bin begeistert von Deinen tollen Rezepten, dieses ist z.Z. mein Lieblingsgericht. Bei Übersetzungsproblemen hilft mir der Translater ;.)
Liebe Grüsse aus Germany, Lothar
Thank you for the comment, Lothar! We are happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Quick question. This recipe looks terrific and I’d love to make this next week for a birthday celebration. I’ve never seen chicken cutlets sold in my grocer and I don’t trust my knife skills to fillet myself. Would flattening the chicken breasts with a meat mallet work? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi Ceejay, you can. Jim recommends looking for smaller chicken breasts if you’re planning to do this. They’re pretty thick, so when you flatten with a meat mallet they’ll be quite large and from there you may want to cut them.
Made this for the first time. Very good and easy to make. Will make again.
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Walter! Thanks for the comment!
Yum!
This was amazing, made it for our Sunday family dinner tonight and it will be going on rotation.Myfirst time making chicken piccata,loved it. 5 stars
We’re so happy you enjoyed!
You guys came along at the perfect time. We were living in Arizona and I happened to come across one of Jim’s videos – chicken Parmesan. I made it and it is delicious! I’m from NYC and was feeling a little nostalgic when I watched the video. It’s that NY accent and vibe that you guys give, not to mention your amazing recipes. Since then I’ve made quite a few, Steak Diane, lasagna, NY style potato and macaroni salads, garlic beef tips. The list goes on and on. Your NY sprit and recipes have joined our dinner table many a times. Thank you!
We’re so happy you have been enjoying the videos, accent and all, Edwin. Thanks for the great comment!
this looks like another outstanding recipe to try. I intend to do it at some point and have added it to my growing file of “Sip’n Feast” recipes.
I am going to tell a little story and make a comment, perhaps issue a little challenge.
I began to cook seriously for my wife and myself about two years ago when she was diagnosed with dementia, cooking for both of us as her illness progressed. Today she is in dementia care facility and I cook the vast majority of the time for myself.
I love your recipes but pass on trying many of them because they seem so often for a platoon of Marines and I am an eighty year old man living alone. Here’s the challenge: publish a series of recipes for one or two people only. It would help a lot.
Very simple and tasty recipe. its as good if not better than my local Italian restaurant
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Kevin!
Chicken Piccata, The best, I have made this several times, your directions are perfect, always comes
out the same, most enjoyable, had it tonight. I would like more sauce but, so good.
I love your recipes and your videos are on spot. Easy to follow. I PIN all your recipes. Great job keep up the wonderful and yummy recipes. Thank you GOd Bless
So happy you enjoyed, Irene!
Delicious! Better than most restaurants.
Thanks for another great recipe.
I have only tried a few of your recipes and I have saved several.
The ones that I have tried have been just lovely and so very tasty.
I am just a home cook and I enjoy that. I feel like with you and your recipes I have learned so much.
Thank you so much and I will continue to look to you for the recipe for whatever protein I may choose to work with on any given day.
Just wanted you to know how special your food is at my table.
Hi Marsha, thank you for the great comment. We’re so happy you are enjoying the recipes!
Made it today for the first time. Instructions were perfect. It was delicious. Thank you
This is my new go to recipe if i want chicken piccata. I swear this is better than my italian restraurant. Love, love. love it.!!!
Made this yesterday. Never made it before and it could have been served at a restaurant. Followed the method and it turned out great. Thank you!
Hi Sylvia, we’re so happy you enjoyed and appreciate the comment!
How I can’t print the recipe?
Hi Phyllis, click on “jump to recipe”, then click “print” which will bring you to a printer friendly page. From there you’d click “print” at the top of the page and follow the instructions that pop up for your printer.
This was te best chicken piccata I ever made. Delicious
Love this yummy recipe!!!
Such a wonderful recipe! My family is home for the holidays and I served this last night! No leftovers! Hah! So much lemon flavor mixed with the garlic, delicious. Thank you for sharing and happy holidays! 🎄
Hi Jane, it’s great to hear you all enjoyed this one and thanks for sharing!