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Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata with thin golden cutlets in a bright, silky lemon-butter-caper pan sauce. The quick simmer reduces the sauce to pool around the crispy edges for a classic Italian-American weeknight chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halve horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste Seasoning for the cutlets.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For light dredging.
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For cooking the cutlets.
  • 4 tbsp butter Divided; use 2 tablespoons during sauté and 2 tablespoons cold to finish.
lemon caper pan sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine Scrape up browned bits.
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice About 2 lemons.
  • 3 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 1 lemon Thinly sliced.
  • 1 Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Season and dredge the cutlets
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in all-purpose flour, shaking off excess so the surface is thinly coated.
Sear and remove the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then cook chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
  2. Remove the chicken to a plate or sheet and set aside while you build the pan sauce.
Build the lemon-butter-caper sauce
  1. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Pour in the dry white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the pan, then simmer for 2 minutes so the alcohol cooks off.
  3. Add chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, capers, and the thinly sliced lemon, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce reduces by about a third.
  4. Remove the skillet from heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce looks glossy and silky.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the lemon-butter-caper sauce over each cutlet so it pools around the fillets.
  2. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

For the glossy sauce, pull the skillet off the heat before adding the final butter so it emulsifies smoothly instead of breaking. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet over low heat and spoon sauce over the chicken. Freezing is not recommended because the lemon and capers can lose texture after thawing. For a lighter option, use olive oil instead of butter in the final step (the sauce will be less silky but still flavorful).