Chicken Piccata

By Maria Lichty

Updated March 31, 2024

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Chicken Piccata is a classic chicken dish that seems fancy, but I promise it’s easy to make. You only need 30 minutes to make this delicious chicken dinner!

Chicken breasts are dredged in flour and panko (for extra crispiness), then pan fried, and served with a lemon butter sauce that is made with chicken broth, white wine, and briny capers. Finish with fresh lemon slices and herbs and you have a GOURMET meal that tastes better than any restaurant chicken piccata…and it’s SO simple to make at home.

Serve with pasta or crusty bread, for soaking up all of that delicious sauce! It is also great with an arugula salad or Caesar salad on the side.

This is the perfect chicken recipe for an easy weeknight meal or for a special celebration. Everyone loves this flavorful and satisfying chicken dish.

Ingredients

• Chicken– boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Flour– you need all-purpose flour for coating the chicken breasts.
• Panko bread crumbs– coating the chicken in panko makes it extra crispy.
• Lemon zest– add a little lemon zest to the panko to enhance the lemon flavor.
• Eggs– beaten with 1 tablespoon water.
• Butter– use butter to cook the chicken and to create a rich sauce.
• Olive oil– to cook the chicken.
• Chicken broth (or stock)- for making the sauce, use your favorite brand.
• Garlic– minced.
• Lemon juice– use fresh lemon juice!
• Capers-capers are the unripened flower buds of the caper bush. They add a tangy, salty, pop of flavor to the dish. Find them in the same aisle as pickles and olives at the grocery store.
• Lemon slices and chopped parsley– for garnish.

How to Make Chicken Piccata

*Scroll down for full recipe with ingredient list and instructions.

• Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are thick, cover with plastic wrap or place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pound the breasts with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even 1/4-inch thickness.

• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a large plate or shallow dish.
• Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish.
• On another large plate, mix together the panko and lemon zest.

• Take a chicken breast and dredge it in the flour, making sure both sides are completely coated. Shake off excess flour. Dip the chicken in the egg wash and then dredge into the panko mixture, covering both sides thoroughly.
• Set aside and repeat process with remaining chicken breasts.

• Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet.
• Add the chicken to the pan and brown well on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

• In the same skillet, make the sauce. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth; simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, lemon juice, and capers. Stir until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

• Add the chicken back into the pan and top with lemon slices and fresh parsley.

What to Serve with Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is usually served with pasta, but you can also serve it with rice. I also like to serve crusty bread on the side to soak up all of that delicious sauce!

If you want to serve a few side dishes with the chicken, here are some ideas.

• Bruschetta
• Butter Lettuce Salad
• Simple Arugula Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Roasted Carrots
• Green Beans Almondine or Roasted Green Beans
• Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts

How to Store & Reheat

• If you have leftovers, let the chicken cool completely. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To reheat, heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add the chicken and allow to heat for a 2 to 3 minutes, minute per side, or until heated through. Remove the chicken from the skillet, add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken back to the pan and serve.
• You can also reheat the chicken in the air fryer for a few minutes if you want the chicken to get super crispy. Do not put the sauce in the air fryer, heat it up in a skillet on the stove top.

More Chicken Recipes

• Lemon Butter Chicken
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Chicken Parmesan
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• Easy Skillet Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Penne Pasta

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Chicken

Chicken Piccata

This classic chicken piccata recipe only takes 30 minutes to make! The crispy pan-fried chicken with a flavorful lemon butter caper sauce is dinner perfection. Serve with pasta or crusty bread.

5 from 8 votes

PrintSave RecipeReview

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

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For the chicken:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and black pepper, for seasoning chicken
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons jarred capers
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 large lemon, thinly sliced, for garnish
• Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions

 

• Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are thick, cover with plastic wrap or place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pound the breasts with a rolling pin or meat mallet to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a large plate or shallow dish. Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish. On another large plate, mix together the panko and lemon zest.
• Take a chicken breast and dredge it in the flour, making sure both sides are completely coated. Shake off excess flour. Dip the chicken in the egg wash and then dredge into the panko mixture, covering both sides thoroughly. Set aside and repeat process with remaining chicken breasts.
• Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet. Add the chicken to the pan and brown well on each side, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
• In the same skillet, make the sauce. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth; simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, lemon juice, and capers. Stir until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken back into the pan and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Top with lemon slices and fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

Serve with pasta, if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 638kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 209mg, Sodium: 771mg, Potassium: 585mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 776IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 4mg

Keywords capers, chicken, lemon

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