Chicken Piccata is one of my all time favorite dishes. Tender chicken breasts are dredged in a lemon pepper flour and seared until golden. The chicken is then simmered in a fresh lemon caper white wine sauce. Serve this easy (yet seemingly fancy) dish over pasta or mashed potatoes to impress your family and friends!
Add in a side salad and a loaf of crusty bread for the perfect meal.
Easy Italian Meals at Home
We love going out to eat and Italian is one of my all time favorite choices. From Chicken Parmesan or a hearty pappardelle topped with bolognese to the bread and fresh olive oils, I just can’t resist (and of course don’t even get me started with Eggplant Parmesan).
Being able to make restaurant quality meals at home means I don’t have to sacrifice the meals I love while saving money (let’s keep it real, while staying in my pajamas). Cue, this easy chicken piccata recipe, it is a win-win!
What Is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken Piccata (or any piccata such as veal piccata) is a dish that features meat pounded thin and topped with a buttery lemon caper sauce.
Similar to my Lemon Shrimp Linguine, this lemon chicken piccata is usually served over pasta and I prefer a thinner pasta such as angel hair or a light linguine as its a delicate dish. It also goes great with Oven Roasted Potatoes and a side of baked zucchini or steamed broccoli!
How to Make Chicken Piccata
The meat is dredged in flour then added to a easy piccata sauce made from lemon and white wine that is packed full of full of capers, butter, and other delicious ingredients.
This sauce is reduced to bring out the best flavors from the broth, white wine, butter, and capers. It creates a light but silky sauce with a flavor punch you won’t be able to resist!
How To Sear Chicken
To make this easy chicken piccata, begin by pounding the chicken breasts until they are even (so the fatter side cooks at the same rate as the thinner end). I like to use a meat tenderizer, but the back of a sturdy cup or rolling pin also work in a pinch. Feel free to cut them in half if your chicken breasts are large. Sear the chicken breasts on both sides to brown the outside. Because they are thin, they’ll only need a few minutes.
How To Make Chicken Piccata Sauce:
To make this easy chicken piccata sauce:
- Cook butter and flour to make a roux.
- Add broth, lemon juice, white wine and capers. Reduce for a few minutes.
- Add chicken and parsley and heat through.
Piccata sauce is so easy to make yet has tons of flavor and is great over pasta!
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
Chicken Piccata is a great dish with a delicious buttery sauce so we serve it over any starchy carb (or of course Zucchini Noodles or Cauliflower Rice if you’re a low-carber). We love noodles, especially the pasta found in the refrigerator area of our grocery store (since it’s so easy and fast).
Alongside most pasta dishes like (Baked Spaghetti) we always add bread or buns to sop up any sauce and of course a fresh Italian salad or Caesar Salad.
If you’ve got leftovers, piccata can be reheated in the microwave or placed in a small pan with a lid and cooked on low until heated through.
Our Fave Chicken Recipes
- Oven Baked Chicken Breasts – Perfect to add to salads, casseroles or serve on their own!
- Chicken Lasagna – Easy, cheesy, creamy.
- Roast Chicken & Vegetables
- Chicken Stew – Rustic flavors, super easy!
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – Classic in about 20 minutes!
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts pounded to about ½ inch thick or cut in half crosswise
- ½ cup flour
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 tablespoons olive oil more as needed
- salt & pepper to taste
Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ lemon juiced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
- ½ cup white wine or chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons capers drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Combine the flour, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour mixture
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat and cook chicken about 4-5 minutes per side or until just until cooked through. Cook in batches if you cannot fit into pan. Remove from pan and place in a dish to keep warm.
- In the same pan, melt ¼ cup butter and add flour to create a roux. Whisk until smooth. Cook 1-2 minutes.
- Gradually stir in chicken broth whisking after each addition until smooth.
- Add lemon juice, white wine and capers. Simmer 3 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Add chicken back to pan and simmer 2-3 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve over pasta.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This was excellent and I’ve made various versions over the years. I served it with roasted and smashed mini potatoes and asparagus.
I made this dish this evening but added chopped prosciutto.Yummy!
Best recipe ever for chicken Piccata. My guests enjoyed it tremendously as did I.
I am excited to try this! I used to work in a restaurant and this was my favorite thing to order on the menu! I haven’t had it in almost 4 years now. They added halved cherry tomatoes and artichokes to it and it was so amazing!
I hope this one lives up to the memory. Enjoy, Cari!
This is a FAVORITE in our house! Planning to make this on Christmas Eve for my in laws. Can I just double the recipe for more sauce if I plan on having for chicken? Thanks!
That sounds like a delicious idea, Kristen! Enjoy!
Just made this, very easy and delicious!! I did have to change one thing, didn’t realize I didn’t have any chicken stock so I used a packet of chicken gravy mix… it turned out awesome!!! Made the sauce a bit thicker which we love!
Great recipe, quick and easy. Love it!
Absolutely delicious!!
just made this tonight with chicken tenderloins..turned out great with linguini
Was able to make sauce ahead of time early in the morning and let it sit until I was ready for dinner made the sauce again as in recipe. We had double sauce for our angel hair pasta and enough sauce for leftovers
This recipe has become my go-to meal.
My husband called this “restaurant quality” and learned to love capers while enjoying this meal.
Serve it with angel hair pasta and roasted asparagus
Made this for dinner tonight and followed the recipe exactly. It was amazing!! Thank you for a great recipe!
This was was amazing. My foodie boyfriend didn’t leave a morsel of food on his plate when he was finished and kept raving about great it was! I used chicken thighs instead of breast and used the flour with lemon peel to thicken the sauce for the flour to use at the end. 10/10 recommend! #recipeisakeeper
So happy to hear that Dawn! Glad you both enjoyed it.
Great recipe that leaves room for tweaking!
Very good recipe
This was so awesome! Easy and elegant. I used chicken tenders and flattened them out a little (1/4″). This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Donna! Sounds like a great idea!
Love your recipes!
I’m giving this four stars, but it is likely my error for this rating. I think my cast iron pan was simply too hot and, although the chicken can out beautifully, the roux was brown. I must have burned the butter and flour to have caused this. Still, I went ahead and finished. It was a passable dinner, but not what I wanted to put down. Any thoughts? PS I absolutely love and have such success with all your other delicious recipes!!
I agree, if the roux was brown, chances are that your pan was too hot Kathy.
I use marinated articoke hearts and juice with my chicken piccata
Sounds delicous Patty!
Incredibly delicious and simple to prepare!! Saving this one for sure!