Chicken Piccata
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Whip up classic chicken piccata—crispy chicken cutlets drenched in a zesty lemon-butter and caper sauce. It’s the quick, easy supper guaranteed to bring smiles all around the table.
When it’s 5:30 PM and I’m staring blankly into the fridge at a package of boneless chicken breasts, this chicken piccata recipe often comes to the rescue. Crispy, golden chicken cutlets in a buttery, lemony caper sauce, it’s a quick weeknight dinner that makes everyone happy. For the picky eaters, you can serve the chicken plain, while those who love bold flavors can enjoy the zesty, lemony sauce.
Capers tend to be a love-’em-or-hate-’em ingredient, so feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan. Chicken piccata pairs well with many easy sides, such as spaghetti aglio e olio, roasted carrots, Parmesan smashed potatoes or polenta.
“I have already made this recipe twice this week! A fast favorite in our household.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Piccata
- All-Purpose Flour: Step one in the breading process. Used to lightly coat the chicken, ensuring the crust adheres well during cooking.
- Eggs: Step two in the breading process. The floured chicken is dipped in beaten eggs, creating a sticky base for the breadcrumbs to cling to.
- Seasoned Italian Bread Crumbs: The final step in the breading process, providing a flavorful, crispy coating once cooked.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used for pan-frying.
- Chicken Stock: Forms the base of the sauce.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bright contrast to the rich sauce.
- Capers: A burst of tangy, briny flavor that’s characteristic of piccata sauce.
- Butter: Swirled into the sauce for a silky finish.
- Fresh Italian Parsley: Adds a pop of color and freshness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by prepping the chicken breasts. First slice each chicken breast in half horizontally.
Place the chicken breasts in a large sealable plastic bag and, using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound them to an even 1/4-inch thickness. This ensures that they cook quickly and evenly.
To the bag, add the flour, salt, and pepper; seal and shake to combine.
Add the chicken to the bag, seal, and shake to coat evenly.
Beat the eggs in a large, shallow bowl. In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs and salt. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then coat evenly in the bread crumbs. (The breaded chicken can be refrigerated for 4 hours or frozen for up to 3 months.)
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for until the first side is golden brown.
Flip the chicken and cook until the second side is golden, about 2 minutes more.
Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven while you make the sauce.
Discard any excess oil from the pan. Add the stock, lemon juice, and capers and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the pan. Gently simmer for about two minutes.
Off the heat, swirl in the butter.
Add the parsley.
Remove the chicken piccata from the oven and transfer to plates. Spoon the sauce over top and enjoy!
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Chicken Piccata
Whip up classic chicken piccata—crispy chicken cutlets drenched in a zesty lemon-butter and caper sauce. It’s the quick, easy supper guaranteed to bring smiles all around the table.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the Sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons brined capers, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Using a very sharp knife, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally. One at a time, place the chicken breasts in a large sealable plastic bag and, using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound them to an even ¼-inch thickness. (If your chicken breasts are very small, you can skip the step of cutting them in half horizontally. I use two ¾-lb breasts to make 4 portions.) Save the bag.
- To the bag, add the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; seal and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag; seal and shake to coat the chicken evenly. Beat the eggs in a large, shallow bowl. In another large, shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs with ¼ teaspoon salt. Using tongs (or your hands), dip each chicken breast first in the egg mixture, turning to coat evenly and letting any excess egg drip off, and then into the bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken to the pan and cook for until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until the second side is golden, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven while you make the sauce. (Note: the chicken should be almost fully cooked at this point. Don't leave it in the oven for more than 5 minutes or it will overcook.)
- Discard any excess oil from the pan. Add the stock, lemon juice, and capers and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from the pan. Gently boil for about two minutes, until slightly reduced. Off the heat, swirl in the butter, followed by the parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to plates. Spoon the sauce over top.
- Make Ahead: The chicken can be breaded and refrigerated up to four hours ahead of time.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The breaded cutlets can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze the chicken on the baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag or layer in an airtight container with sheets of parchment between the cutlets. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 585
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Sodium: 758 mg
- Cholesterol: 229 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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It hit! My son and husband kept raving about this chicken piccata. It was sooo good. And the directions were easy to follow- and I did this in my son’s kitchen.
As always, Jenn, a great meal was enjoyed by all. You are my go to for recipes.
Thank you Jenn! I can never produce moist chicken breasts no matter how I cook them – but this was superb! Followed the recipe completely and it was perfect. Lemon butter and capers make a perfectly balanced sauce and the chickent was crispy and moist inside. Thank you so much.
Hi Jenn, another smash hit for my family! After we ate dinner, I said to my family, “I must write to my culinary goddess before I do another thing!” This recipe struck the perfect balance! I find that sometimes Piccata dishes can be too tangy or overpowering with capers floating in too oily of a sauce but not your recipe! The chicken was perfectly crispy, yet tender and moist. We could cut it with a fork. The sauce was outstanding and next time I will double the recipe for leftovers. I hope you know how valuable your recipes are for so many people. Your recipes never cease to amaze me! It’s so nice to have such confidence when cooking and baking from recipes in your cookbooks or on your website. Thank you for everything, my culinary goddess!! Donna
💜
I happened to see this recipe along with the roasted carrots, and since I had the chicken in my freezer, made it last night. We loved the chicken piccata. Next time, to plan ahead, I will buy the thin cut chicken to save from slicing and pounding the thicker pieces, which was a little time consuming. I also used the Italian bottled lemon juice. The end result was so fantastic. I gave a positive review on the carrots. My husband thought they were candied. Absolutely delicious. I really love this site. Thank you Jenn!
Another winner! For an even faster weeknight dinner, I just sauté the chicken breasts without breading. And I cut back on the chicken broth for a thicker sauce (or add a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce since there is no breading.) Delicious!
So my husband said, “Oh, this is excellent!” I said, “I do everything Jennifer Segal tells me to do. My husband said, “Can I have her number?” Oh, my!!!! Great recipe Jenn! Thank you!
LOL – so glad it was a hit! 😊