With a buttery lemon sauce and salty capers, this lemon chicken piccata recipe is my go-to dish during a busy weeknight or just when I'm craving it.
I'm all about savory lemon dishes with chicken - from honey lemon chicken to chicken francese to lemon chicken orzo soup.
Whenever I want a simple weeknight meal that is loaded with flavor, this lemon chicken piccata recipe is the first to come to mind. I've probably made this recipe more than anything else in my life as I just love the combination of butter, lemon and capers. To me it is the capers that really put the dish over the top. The brininess (is that a word?) just works great with the lemon.
After seeing how easy this is to make and how amazing it tastes, I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a go-to for you as well. And if you prefer some seafood, you can never go wrong with this shrimp piccata.
Why This Recipe Works
- One skillet meal - I love it when there is just one pot to clean – fewer chores, more time for your favorite activities.
- Easy to make and ready in 30 minutes - Simply grab some chicken breast, a few essential ingredients, and a pan. Swift, straightforward, and effortless!
- Impressive to look at and delicious - This timeless chicken piccata is ideal for making a lasting impression on your loved one, offering a combination of flavor and visual appeal.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chicken - Chicken breast cutlets are my go-to as they are already thin.
- Salt and pepper - Enhances the flavors.
- Flour - Used for dredging the chicken, providing a crispy texture and also helps thicken the sauce.
- Olive oil - For sautéing the chicken and creating a flavorful base.
- Butter - Adds richness to the dish and enhances the sauce.
- Chicken stock - Provides a savory liquid base for the sauce. I use low-sodium chicken stock as I always have that in my pantry.
- Lemons - Freshly squeezed lemon juice has the perfect amount of acidity to balance the fat from the butter and olive oil.
- Capers - These briny little buds contribute a burst of salty goodness.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients with this lemon chicken piccata. Some variations include:
- While I like chicken cutlets because they cook quickly, you can use chicken breasts, cut them and half and pound thin. You could also try turkey breasts.
- I like to use flour to panfry the chicken but cornstarch is a good substitute and is gluten-free as well.
- While olive oil is traditional, you can use grape seed oil, avocado oil or even clarified butter for a slightly different flavor.
- Opt for a plant-based margarine or coconut oil instead of butter if you want to make the dish dairy-free.
- While I use chicken stock, chicken broth or vegetable stock are good substitutes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Dredge the chicken in the flour with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil and butter for 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Add the lemon juice, stock and capers to the skillet, craping up the brown bits. Add the chicken back and reduce heat to medium-low, cooking for 5 minutes. Add remaining butter to sauce and pour over chicken.
FAQs
Lemon chicken piccata is an Italian dish where the chicken is pounded thin and topped with a sauce that includes lemon juice, butter and capers. The sauce usually includes stock as well, but you can also use white wine.
Some versions are coated in flour for a little added texture and some aren't. Piccata can also be made with veal.
Make note that if you are using thick pieces of thicken, you'll either need to slice in half or pound thin. To save time, I usually just buy the cutlets when making chicken piccata.
Chopped green olives or chopped dill pickles can be used as substitutes for capers, providing a similar briny flavor.
You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into it and the juices run clear and there is no pink.
Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn't just cook slightly longer.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
While you can microwave I like to reheat in a skillet over low heat with the sauce until warmed through.
Side Dish Options
You can never go wrong with some starchy carbs but plenty of side dishes go with this chicken piccata recipe. Some options include:
- Goat cheese risotto
- Parmesan roasted Brussels sprouts
- Roasted broccoli and potatoes
- Garlic mashed cauliflower
- Crispy roasted potatoes
At the end of the day, any roasted vegetable works great. I honestly usually just roast some broccoli most times.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the lemon chicken piccata turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Dutch oven - You want something large enough to cook the chicken.
- Spoon - A good wooden spoon is needed to stir everything together.
- Juice squeezer - So you can get that freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Cook the chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of browning.
- While store-bought bottles can be quite convenient, they lack in flavor compared to the real thing. It really isn’t that much extra work to freshly squeeze the lemons and you’ll notice a difference in flavor.
- If you really like lemon, add zest from half a lemon to the sauce.
- If you want an even thicker sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon chicken stock and add to the simmering sauce.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried this lemon chicken piccata or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Lemon Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts cutlets (or 2 chicken breasts cut in half)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 lemons, juiced
- ¼ cup brined capers, rinsed
- chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In shallow medium bowl, add flour and mix in salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
- In large skillet, melt 3 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side or when chicken is browned. Remove chicken and transfer to a place. Add 1 tablespoon olive and 1 tablespoon butter and repeat with remaining 2 pieces of chicken. Remove chicken to plate.
- Add the lemon juice, chicken stock and capers to skillet. Bring to boil, scraping up brown bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and add chicken back to skillet and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Add 2 tablespoon butter to sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
Notes
- Cook the chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of browning.
- While store-bought bottles can be quite convenient, they lack in flavor compared to the real thing. It really isn’t that much extra work to freshly squeeze the lemons and you’ll notice a difference in flavor.
- If you really like lemon, add zest from half a lemon to the sauce.
- If you want an even thicker sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon chicken stock and add to the simmering sauce.
Chris says
Lemon in savory dishes is one of my favorites!
Dawn says
This is an easy, delicious recipe I'm grateful to have! Thank you.
Ryan says
Thanks. It's one of my favorites.
Peter J says
Quick, simple, and very tasty. We like to substitute white wine for the chicken stock and let the chicken sit for a few more minutes in the sauce.
Ryan says
Thanks! I use wine every once in a while as well!
Rizza says
Very tasty and very easy to follow...
Thank you so much for sharing..😃
Ryan says
One of my favorites!