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. If you love those same bright, briny flavors in a slightly different form, my chicken piccata meatballs are a fun twist on the classic.
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
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 (175°C). 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-in (6-mm) thickness. (If your chicken breasts are very small, you can skip the step of cutting them in half horizontally. I use two ¾-lb/340-g 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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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This is my family’s favorite chicken recipe by far. That says a lot in a family with three kids with unique food preferences.
My family loves this recipe and it is very easy! It works with gluten free breadcrumbs also. We pour the extra sauce on our veggies!
Jenn is my go to for recipes.
Thanks!
My son and his wife stopped by near dinner time and fortunately I had fresh lemons, capers and chicken. I love capers so it was a no brainer to try this recipe! I had made veal piccata before and I have no idea why I never thought to try chicken but it was so delicious. Suffice it to say there were no leftovers from this meal. I served it with a side of spaghettini in butter and olive oil and black pepper and a butter lettuce salad with EVOO + aged balsamic. It’s a keeper. Thanks, Jenn!
I love chicken picatta. This one is especially good. If you want to make it a “lighter” dish, you could dredge the chicken in just flour and forego the eggs and breadcrumbs on the chicken. I also often will add some white wine to my sauce and let that reduce as well.
Another winner from Jen.
I modified this recipe using gluten free flour and breadcrumbs. My husband is Celiac.
It was still delicious.
My husband and I make this recipe over and over again. It is one of my favorite meals. Sometimes we leave out the parsley if we don’t have any on hand and often times use chicken tenders to skip the pounding step, but otherwise we make it exactly as written and it comes out perfectly every time! A restaurant-worthy meal that we can make at home – thank you!
If you prepare/measure out your sauce ingredients ahead of time, you really can make this in a snap. I use ramekins (or small berry bowls) for my lemon juice, butter, etc. Besides being quick and easy, my husband has declared it his favorite recent meal.
My whole family loves this dish. The kiddos skip the caper sauce but the chicken is still great on its own. I didn’t have fresh parsley but the sauce was still delicious. Served this with garlic mashed potatoes and the sauce tasted amazing on that too!
Delicious!!!
Your version of chicken piccata is one we come back to time and again – thank your for writing recipes with careful enough instructions to make it foolproof for your audience.
Excellent recipe easy to follow. Easy to follow step by step. I make this chicken piccata often with the side of mashed potatoes