Chicken Piccata - Spend With Pennies

Chicken piccata is one of my all-time favorite dishes, and it’s SO easy to make!

Chicken breasts are lightly browned and simmered in a bright lemon caper white wine sauce. Serve over pasta or with crusty bread.

This recipe comes together quickly for a delicious weeknight favorite.

a skillet of chicken piccata with lemon slices and capers

This is a restaurant-quality dish that comes together quickly.
It uses simple ingredients that I always have on hand.
It seems fancy, but it’s actually quite easy to make!
The sauce is bright and flavorful with lemon, capers, and wine (or broth).

What Is Chicken Piccata?

Piccata is a dish with meat in a buttery lemon caper sauce. Piccata is usually served over pasta.

This is a chicken piccata recipe; however, it can also be made with veal or shrimp—you’ll find a 20-minute shrimp piccata in my cookbook. The sauce is vibrant but delicate, so I prefer to serve it with thinner pasta such as angel hair or light linguine.

chicken , capers , parsley , lemon , oil, broth and seasonings to make Chicken Piccata with labels

Unlock the Magic of Chicken Piccata

Chicken: Choose small, skinless, boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can also use chicken cutlets or boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe.
Broth: Chicken broth is the base of this piccata sauce, adding flavor while balancing the lemon so it’s not overpowering. A simple butter and flour roux thickens it up.
Lemon: Fresh lemon adds the best flavor, I also add zest to the flour mix.
Capers: Capers have a tangy, briny, salty flavor and are delicious. You can replace capers with chopped green olives, chopped artichoke hearts, or even a very small amount finely chopped anchovy.
Wine: Choose a dry white wine like pinot grigio or replace the wine with additional broth.

How to Make Chicken Piccata

The Chicken: Pound the chicken and dredge it in the flour mixture. Brown brown it on each side in a large skillet or braiser.
The Sauce: Add the flour and butter to the pan. Slowly add the broth. Then add the lemon juice, capers, and wine. Simmer until thickened.
The Final Touch: Add the chicken to the sauce until heated through.

Holly’s Helpful Tips

If the chicken breasts are around 6oz each, gently pound to ½-inch thick. If they’re larger, you can cut them in half crosswise before pounding. This will help them to cook quickly and evenly.

To pound chicken, place the chicken on a cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap (to avoid splatter). Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to gently pound the chicken.

Pan-frying in batches helps the chicken to brown better.

What to Serve With Chicken Piccata

Pasta: Chicken piccata has a delicious buttery lemon sauce, and it’s great over a long, thin pasta like angel hair or spaghettini.

Other starches: It can also be served with mashed potatoes, rice, noodles or a big chunk of crusty bread for dipping (if you haven’t tried my easy artisan bread, it’s a favorite).

Veggies: I love to pair this easy chicken piccata recipe with a fresh green veggie like broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or Brussels sprouts.

Pucker Up With These Fresh Lemon Favorites

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

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Chicken Piccata Recipe

Chicken piccata has tender chicken breasts simmered in a lemony white wine sauce with capers.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Using a meat mallet, gently pound each chicken breast to ½-inch thick. See notes for larger chicken breasts.
Combine the all-purpose flour, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until lightly browned and cooked through (165°F). Remove from the skillet and set aside to keep warm.
Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Whisk in the flour, scraping up any brown bits, and cook for 2 minutes.
Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth after each addition.
Add lemon juice, white wine, and capers. Simmer for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Add the chicken back into the skillet, and simmer in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.

Chicken: If the chicken breasts are very large (over 7oz), cut them in half crosswise and pound to ½-inch thick if needed. It can be replaced with chicken thighs or veal—adjust cooking time as needed.
Sauce: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. Capers can be replaced with finely chopped green olive if desired.
Serving: I love chicken piccata with a thin pasta like linguini or angel hair pasta. It can also be served with mashed potatoes or rice. Serve with roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, or roasted cauliflower pair well.
Fresh minced garlic can be added to the butter in the skillet if desired.

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

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