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, wondering what to make for dinner, chicken piccata often comes to the rescue. A dish of crispy chicken cutlets bathed in a lemony butter and caper sauce, chicken piccata is one of those quick and easy Italian suppers that makes everyone at the table happy. You can serve the crispy chicken plain for the pickier eaters or lavish them with the zesty sauce for those who love a burst of lemony, briny flavors.
Capers can be polarizing, falling squarely in the love-’em-or-hate-’em category, so feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan. Chicken piccata pairs well with many easy sides, such as buttered angel hair pasta, roasted carrots, Parmesan smashed potatoes or couscous. That means you can go from “What’s for dinner?” to “Dinner’s on the table!” in less than 30 minutes.
Table of Contents
“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: The first step in the three-part breading process. Used to lightly coat the chicken, it prepares the surface for the next layers, 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. These crumbs stick to the egg-coated chicken, providing a flavorful, crispy coating once cooked.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Used for frying, it adds a subtle, fruity flavor to the dish while cooking the chicken to a golden perfection.
- Chicken stock: Forms the base of the sauce, adding depth and richness.
- Lemon juice: Adds a bright, acidic contrast to the rich sauce.
- Capers: Offer a burst of tangy, briny flavor that’s characteristic of piccata sauce.
- Butter: Swirled into the sauce for a silky finish, adding richness and gloss.
- Fresh Italian parsley: Provides a fresh, herbal note as, brightening up the whole dish.
- 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. (I use a sealable plastic bag to pound the chicken because it can also be used in the next step to easily coat the chicken with flour.)
To the bag, add the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; seal and shake to combine.
Add the chicken to the bag.
Then 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 1/4 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. This 3-step breading method (flour + eggs + bread crumbs) ensures that the coating adheres.
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, 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.
Add the parsley.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Remove the chicken piccata from the oven and transfer to plates. Spoon the sauce over top and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken Piccata can be partially made ahead to save time. You can bread the chicken and refrigerate it for up to 4 hours before cooking. However, for the best texture and flavor, I recommend cooking the chicken and preparing the sauce right before serving.
The breaded (uncooked) 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. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
Breading might fall off if the chicken isn’t properly prepped before coating or if the pan isn’t hot enough when you start cooking. Ensure the chicken is dry before coating in flour, dip thoroughly in the egg wash, and then press firmly into the breadcrumbs for a good coat. Also, make sure your pan with oil is hot enough so that the chicken sizzles upon contact—this helps the breading set quickly and stay attached.
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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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Comments
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Better than any fancy restaurant’s chicken piccata. I was out of capers and used artichokes instead- total hit! My MIL loves this recipe and will ask me to make this dish when she’s in town!
This was a quick, easy and delicious meal. I did leave out the capers, used butter cracker crumbs and doubled the sauce and it was still amazing.
A big hit and so easy! I served the chicken over linguine. Next time I make the sauce I’m going to add a little fresh garlic. It’s a hit!
This was a delicious, quick and easy dish. The chicken was flavorful and tender. The sauce was not too lemony or briny. I paired it with Parmesan mashed potatoes and honey glazed carrots. I doubled the recipe so we’d have leftovers tomorrow. This is one for my weekday dinner file.
Hi Jenn, LOVE your recipes! Can I do this with fish like sole or tilapia or cod?
Hi Kymberly, So glad you like the recipes! I think it will work; just handle it carefully as the fish will be a bit more delicate than chicken. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
so delicious! I usually make schnitzel and it’s a hit but tonight I made this and it was so good I had kids going up for seconds, empty plates and compliments! Thank you for sharing. I substituted earths balance for butter.
can you do this recipe without the butter? would you substitute it with something or just leave out?
Hi Emily, I’ve never tried it this way, but I think you could get away with substituting olive oil for the butter. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Excellent!
Jenn, I made your Chicken Piccata paired with Parmesan Smashed Potatoes and you did it again! Another wonderful, beautiful and highly pleasing dinner! I love how delicate the chicken cutlets came out so tender, moist, crunchy and delicious!!! The bag trick saves sooo much time as does filleting the chicken. My cookbook collection is getting dusty the last two years (and maybe a little jealous) since I check to see if you have a recipe for what I’m craving before I open them. I really appreciate your time, talent and generosity. I made four of your recipes last week and your Lemon Poppy Seed cake is on the menu for tomorrow. I can’t wait!!! Peace and Joy to you and yours. Sarah
❤️
This is a wonderful recipe. I am not the cook in our family, my husband is and he loves it. I feel very comfortble making this also for friends and relatives.
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious. I’m a beginner and felt that this was so well explained. Seriously, the recipies from this site never disappoint.
Made this for supper tonight. All my family loved it. I didn’t have the Italian parsley, but I don’t think it was missed. I added a couple of tsp. of dried parsley. I will certainly make it again.
I made this and it was amazing! My only suggestion is don’t spoon the sauce over all the chicken if you think you may have leftovers as they were soggy the next day. Next time I will keep the sauce separate to heat it up!!
Made this recipe last night for dinner and I was surprised at how delicious it was! So simple to make and the sauce is so so tasty on the chicken cutlets. My boyfriend doesn’t like capers so he just drizzled the sauce minus capers and he was still impressed at how great it was. This is a restaurant quality meal. Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe has become an intercontinental favorite My Italian grandson is a finicky eater, and when he and my daughter and son-in-law visit each summer, I make Chicken Piccata for our first meal together. Franceaco eats his portion sans the piccata, and loves the crunchiness of the breading. We all enjoy every bite of this tasty chicken. This year I served it it with summer sweet corn, and a romaine strawberry and almond salad dressed with a chmapagne vinagrette. It was a wonderful welcome home feast. Thank you for this quick and delicious recipe.
can you freeze, defrost and reheat?
This is probably best right after being cooked, but yes, I think it could be frozen and reheated.
Great recipe! Light yet filling. Thank you
As delicious as it was easy. Sides of Orzo with pesto and a small salad, it hit the spot!!!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for this delicious recipe, it’s another triumph! Your cookbook arrived yesterday and it’s Brilliant! The illustrations and recipes are set out so well and are very clear to understand like all your recipes! I Opened it up and cooked the first recipe I came to, Curried roasted carrots and you’re right they’re just like vegetable candy Yum! I’m buying all my friends a copy for birthdays this year! It has pride of place on my kitchen shelf in front of Delia & Nigella 😉
Please come to the UK when the book is a bestseller, which it will be.We’ll put the kettle on! Thanks so much! x
Maddi, thanks so much for the nice words about the cookbook – so glad you like what you see so far! (And I’m incredibly flattered that I’m on your bookshelf next to Nigella!) I appreciate you taking the time to let me know! 💕
I’ve tried many of your recipes and they are easy to follow and turn out delicious. Looking forward to getting your cookbook when it comes out. Can this chicken picatta recipe work in a nonstick pan? Thanks!
Yep, a nonstick pan will work. And so glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
This was delicious. Served with spaghetti and French green beans because that is all we had. It took me longer than the stated time and fortunately I had my husband to sous chef but we had our wine and made a date of it. Agree with the reviewer that said that this was another restaurant quality meal at home. In fact these recipes are better than restaurants. Thanks again!
This Chicken Picaata is delicious. The chicken breast were so tender and moist. I was holding my breath on that because my husband prefers the dark meat. He loved it too. It’s a keeper with or without the sauce! I served it with the thyme carrots which is also a keeper and the Mac and cheese! I look forward to my cookbooks coming. I ordered one for my daughter and my daughter in law. I do hope you have a book signing close enough to me! Hope to see you there! Congrats…Beth
I made this tonight and followed everything except I didn’t need to stick in the oven. I just lined my pan with foil and then covered them with more foil. They stayed warm and nice and juicy! Sauce was delicious as well. I made roasted carrots with honey and a little soy sauce as well as mashed potatoes. Husband loved it!!! Thank you for sharing your talents…please keep them coming!!
This recipe is delicious. The only added ingredient I used was I dipped the chicken breast into a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese after I dipped it into breadcrumbs. The Parmesan cheese just adds a little extra flavor.
Give it a try. I served the chicken over rice. Delicious!
Thank you for all these wonderful dinner ideas!
Nancy
Ditto Nancy. Parmesan really adds something to it! I just mix parm right in with my flour spice mixture.
Easy and delicious! A fast weeknight dinner. Served with angel hair pasta and a green salad.
Thanks!
I made this for my family and everyone, including my little ones, loved it. It was very easy to make and I loved how the chicken finishes cooking in the oven because my chicken usually burns before it’s done on the stove. Thanks again for another keeper!
I made this recipe as written and the only thing I’d do differently is to thicken up the sauce. I used lemon slices as garnish and made the suggested pairings of parmesan mashed potatoes and roasted carrots with thyme. Made for a great presentation.
This was downright delicious. While friends of ours have discovered the thing where you put chicken in a ziplock in hot water and over the course of hours to days cook it to perfect tenderness, this is just as tender in just a few minutes. We did make lots of extra sauce (double everything) to pour over the rice we served the chicken with.
This was a simple, quick and fantastic tasting recipe. My son had requested chicken piccata for dinner and the next morning you had this in my email box! It was meant to be. The chicken was flavorful and moist. I wouldn’t change anything about the recipe. I accompanied it with roasted vegetables and a garden salad. My family loved it.
I’ll be honest, I was a little disappointed with this recipe, and I usually never am from this site. The chicken was good on its own. Sauce was ok. I served it with angel hair pasta. I thought it was a bit time consuming and messy for a weeknight meal.
I became a chef with this recipe! Easy and so delicious! Another fav to add to my Once Upon a Chef list!!!
Quick & easy, a definite must do again. I served with Parmesan Potatoes and steamed asparagus.
Loved this recipe! Found prepared chicken cutlets at my grocery store, so no need for slicing (even faster!). I will say, I tried to double it but my second set of chicken cutlets burned on the outside despite adding more cooking oil. First set was perfect though.
Made this for my son and myself the other night and it was super. Just a few items I did differently was I had the butcher hand slice the breasts for me when I picked them up and I used panko instead of bread crumbs.
Served with steamed broccoli and Rosemary blend Quinoa and Rice. The ice cream came later 🙂 Will be making again soon.
Not a huge fan of chicken breast but the photo got me. Made this dish without any changes. The chicken came out moist and tender and we served with mushroom risotto and a Cesar salad. This Chicken Piccata is Absolutely Delicious!!!
I made this for my family this week and everyone loved it! I doubled the batch for leftovers but no luck ;). We are gluten and dairy free so I decided to skip the dredging and frying. I put the chicken on a sheet pan, sprinkled with lemon pepper and roasted it while I made the sauce. I subbed olive oil for the butter and added a little honey to the sauce. I also roasted brussel sprouts on the rack below the chicken. It was easy, fast and healthy. Thanks Jenn!
We made this last night for dinner. I love when I can make one dish that pleases the whole family – and this Chicken Piccata did not disappoint. We served this with angel hair pasta. The sauce, angel hair pasta and chicken together were delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
Another restaurant quality dish, made at home. We made this dish and paired it as recommended with the Parmesan mashed potatoes and roasted romanesco from our garden (instead of the carrots) and wish that we had made enough for leftovers. Even my picky eater (an almost 7-year old) loved it. It will be on the standard menu rotation for sure!
I made this tonight and like all your recipes, it was a big hit! Simple to make and very tasty. I reduced my sauce but it didn’t seem to thicken up. How thick should it get? Mine was basically the same consistency as chicken broth. Thanks!
The sauce really doesn’t thicken up for this, so sounds like you did everything right – glad you enjoyed it!
If you like a bit thicker sauce as I do, I save a small amount of chicken broth and add corn starch to slightly thicken the sauce.
Love your recipes and your recommendations for kitchen tools. Can you give me a recommendation for a good set of knives, like the ones you use? I plan to try this recipe!
Glad you like the recipes, Sharon! I really like Wüsthof knives. With a set like this, you’re getting everything you need. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for developing this recipe! Chicken Piccata is one of my favorite meals to order at an Italian restaurant, but my attempts to find a comparable recipe have not been as good. This is amazing, and so simple to prepare. I served with some mushroom risotto. The earthiness of the mushrooms worked well with the lemony chicken.
Made tonight, came out perfectly. chicken was moist and delicious! I did double the sauce as we made pasta for a side. Thanks!
Hey Jenn, I love your site & recipes. My family is gluten free & I struggle with recipes that call for flour. Is there another flour I can use or is it okay to skip it here. I’m not sure what the purpose of the flour is in this recipe. Could you give GF options for flour ingredients? Tks.
Hi Debbie, The 3-step breading method (flour+eggs+breadcrumbs) ensures that the coating adheres. I think you could definitely use gluten free flour and gluten free breadcrumbs here. Hope that helps and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Would this recipe work substituting veal for chicken? If so, what, if any, adjustments would need to be made? Eagerly awaiting your cookbook!
Hi Harriet, You can definitely use veal here – no changes necessary. Enjoy!
Legitimate comfort food! Pounded the chicken breasts with a little splash of water in the bag (because my mother does). Served with roasted broccoli. Absolutely delicious. Jenn, I’m such a fan of your recipes. I can’t wait for the cookbook!
😊 Thanks, Julie! Hope you find lots of new favorites in the book, too!
I always buy thighs rather than breasts, both because they’re cheaper but also because they’re more moist. Any strong reason why this recipe wouldn’t work with boneless-skinless chicken thighs?
Hi Brian, Since the breasts are pounded, breaded, and fried, there’s very little risk of them drying out — and I think a leaner cut is best given the coating and butter sauce. That said, thighs will work too. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it. 🙂
Hi Jen! I was so happy to see that you posted this recipe. Chicken piccata is my son’s favorite restaurant dish and I have not been able to find a really good recipe until today…. this recipe is amazing! Just made it, followed your directions as written, and both my son (he is a tough critic) and I give it an A++. Thank you. Can’t wait for your cookbook : )
Megan
Yes, you finally added this recipe! I’m so glad you did! I had this for lunch at one of the culinary schools in my area and it was so good I’ve been looking for a recipe. I have tried many of your other recipes and they do not disappoint. I can’t wait to try this out!
Hi there! Love your website and recipes! Have you tried making this dish with dry white wine _ broth, plus lemon juice?
Hi Anastasia, I haven’t tried this dish with wine but it should work. I just wouldn’t add too much since it could make the sauce a bit too acidic.
Hi, this looks amazing but we don’t have Italian breadcrumbs here …
Should I use soft ones or Panko ones?
Thanks!
Hi Kat, I’d use panko but you’ll need to add some dried herbs and a bit more salt to mimic Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs.
Jenn, can I use skinless, boneless thighs and how would this affect the cooking time/temperature?
Hi Carol, I definitely prefer this dish with chicken breasts but the thighs should work. I’d just keep them in the oven a bit longer – maybe 15 minutes to be safe. Hope that helps!
Can I substitute chicken tenders? If so how is cooking time/temp affected?
Love your cookbook Jen!
Sure, Janet – see how I handle the tenders in this Chicken Parmesan recipe (you need to flatten them). Hope you enjoy!