Description

This Easy Chicken Piccata is a delightful and quick skillet dish that combines tender chicken cutlets with a tangy lemon-caper sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it’s light, flavorful, and pairs wonderfully with pasta, rice, or vegetables. The buttery sauce infused with fresh lemon juice and capers will make you fall in love with vegetables all over again.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken and Coating

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)

Cooking Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)

Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
2 tablespoons capers, drained

Garnish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon slices (optional, for garnish)

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Instructions

Season and dredge the chicken: Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and black pepper. Dredge each piece in the all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess to ensure a light coating.
Heat the skillet and fats: In a large skillet, warm the olive oil along with 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering.
Cook the chicken cutlets: Add the floured chicken cutlets to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate, keeping them warm.
Deglaze with white wine: In the same skillet, pour in the dry white wine and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce slightly and concentrate the flavor.
Add broth, lemon juice, and capers: Stir in the chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, and drained capers. Let the mixture simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens a bit.
Finish the sauce with butter: Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to add richness and give the sauce a smooth, glossy finish.
Return chicken and warm through: Place the cooked chicken back into the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the pieces and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken is heated through and coated nicely with the sauce.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley and optionally add lemon slices over the chicken. Serve immediately with your choice of pasta, rice, or vegetables.

Notes

For a gluten-free option, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
If you prefer, substitute dry white wine with extra chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version.
To make the sauce creamier, add a splash of heavy cream when finishing with butter.
Chicken breasts can be replaced with thin chicken thighs as an alternative.
Serve the piccata over angel hair pasta or with steamed green vegetables for a balanced meal.