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 one of my go-to weekday recipes when time is limited. The chicken is always tender and flavorful. Pairs beautifully with a variety of sides. Wonderful as a casual meal or at an elegant dinner party. Jenn, I don’t know how you do it – superb recipes every time; I can hardly wait for your next book.
I love chicken piccata! However, I felt something was missing from this recipe. For a truly savory sauce you should deglaze the pan with some dry white wine before adding the butter off heat.
I have made this recipe numerous times and it’s a crowd-pleaser! We like extra sauce, so I usually double up on the sauce ingredients. Also, I buy the thin-cut chicken breasts and use those instead of slicing the chicken breasts in half and pounding them.
My family was suffering from chicken fatigue, so I decided to leap in and try this recipe! They loved it. I agree that it is probably not a weeknight choice if you work outside the home, but right now, I work from home and cook to relax! Making sure you get the chicken thin is key. The sauce really makes this dish! I plan to make it to use with my baked salmon!
This is just one of the dozen or more chicken recipes from Jenn that I use…there’s at least one a week in my rotation! Being in lockdown for 10 months (I live in the UK) has meant no dining out and this Chicken Piccata lets us pretend for a night that we aren’t at home. I have teenage boys so I double the recipe and have found that the lemon juice doesn’t need to be fully doubled to sustain the lemon flavor, so I make up for it with addition chicken stock. The capers don’t need doubling either as they’re so flavorful and strong.
Our favorite side to have with it is orzo pasta, which I absolutely double because the taste and texture of the orzo with the sauce is amazing!
I’ve made this one a few times now. Always pleased with the results. About the only thing I do differently is add more capers because I love them so much.
I thought this was delicious. It’s a bit messy to make, but worth it. My sons loved the cutlets without the sauce. I thought the sauce was flavorful without being overpowering. I’ll definitely add this to my regular rotation of meals.
My favorite Italian dish! This recipe is spot on with my memorized recipe, but I like to add a little cream to the sauce sometimes and even a little white wine for extra taste. But you have to be careful with too much wine or it will become sour. Beautiful presentation with the extra parsley, I hadn’t thought of increasing parsley but definitely add a lot of capers (nonpareils)!
Love that this recipe is straight forward and easy to follow especially with photo examples. I particularly love capers and it adds more flavor to the Piccata. Instead of butter is there a healthier substitute?Although butter makes the dish absolutely delicious.
Easy and yummy!