This easy recipe for chicken piccata is a simple yet superb dinner that’s ready in no time!
Made with butter, lemon juice, white wine, and capers, the flavor is just to die for!
You’ll never go wrong with classic chicken dishes. Loved by kids and adults alike, this Italian-inspired recipe is just perfect.
It’s one of my go-to recipes on a busy weeknight. Even if I have a billion other things to do, I make time for this!
Done in as little as 20 minutes, this recipe is such a breeze, I can easily squeeze it into my hectic schedule.
Give your weekly menu a rustic Italian flair with this scrumptious chicken piccata.
Chicken Piccata
Fried chicken cutlets with capers and a lemon butter sauce spiked with white wine – that’s what you can expect from a plate of chicken piccata.
The chicken is good, but the sauce is sublime. There’s something truly special about the combination of butter, lemon juice, and white wine!
Unlike tangy Greek chicken, that blend makes this wonderfully smooth and rich.
And let’s not forget about the capers, which give the dish a nice crunch and salty flavor.
Not only is chicken piccata drool-worthy, it’s also very versatile, so even leftovers can be transformed into a completely new dish.
I’m talking piccata sandwiches, pasta, risotto, tacos, and a lot more!
With an infinite list of leftover ideas, trust me, you’ll want to triple the recipe.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts –Boneless and skinless work best.
- Flour – For dredging the chicken, giving it a crunchy crust.
- Butter – To make that thick, velvety sauce.
- Olive oil – For frying the chicken. It’s rich in omega-3 and omega-6, so it’s good for you!
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed, to bring out the flavors.
- White wine – Apart from flavor, it keeps the chicken moist and tender. Don’t worry, the alcohol content evaporates while cooking, so the piccata is 100% safe for kids.
- Capers – To add tanginess and a burst of lemony flavor.
Tips for the Best Chicken Piccata
- Get the sharpest knife you have and slice the chicken cutlets horizontally. Be sure they are thin enough to get a perfect sear on both sides, but don’t cut them so thin that they look like paper.
- Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. If you’re a dark meat lover, feel free to use chicken thighs as a substitute.
- Try it with orange juice and slices . It will add brightness to the dish, and keep the chicken moist.
- Use vegetable or chicken broth instead of wine. It will act as a tenderizer and will keep the chicken moist.
- Do not completely coat the chicken in batter. Remember: you’re making piccata, not chicken Milanese. So just lightly dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess.
- Add some toasted flaked almonds for more texture and flavor. Sesame or sunflower seeds make a perfect garnish, too.
- Garnish the piccata with fresh herbs for flavor and presentation. My personal choices are flat-leaved parsley and coriander, but thyme and rosemary are great, too!
What Exactly Is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a dish of pan-fried chicken cutlets topped with a butter lemon sauce.
It’s, hands-down, one of the easiest but most flavorful chicken dishes you can ever make.
Fun fact: while chicken piccata primarily uses Italian cooking techniques, it may not have completely originated in Italy.
Rather, it’s more of a fusion of Italian and (probably) American cuisines.
The chicken is cooked like a scaloppine, which refers to thin slices of meat coated with flour and fried. Lemon butter sauce is commonly used in Italian cooking as well.
What makes it non-Italian, though, is the addition of the capers. No one knows where that idea came from, but I’m not complaining.
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
Because chicken piccata is such a simple dish, it pairs beautifully with almost anything. Here are some serving ideas:
- Pasta – Fettuccine Alfredo, angel hair pasta, buttered noodles – take your pick.
- Potatoes – Whether mashed potatoes or oven-roasted, you can’t go wrong.
- Starch – I’m talking rice, dinner rolls, crusty bread, and sweet potato wedges.
- Vegetables – For a lighter meal, pair your piccata with roasted veggies, sauteed spinach, or steamed asparagus.
More Chicken Dishes You’ll Enjoy
Ritz Cracker Chicken
Coca Cola Chicken
No-Peek Chicken
Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
Chicken Piccata (Easy Recipe)
4
servings15
minutes20
minutes484
kcalIngredients
1 cup 1 all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon 1 salt
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1/2 cup 1/2 butter
3/4 cup 3/4 dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon 1 capers
1 lemon, sliced
2 teaspoons 2 chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture evenly. Shake off any excess flour.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; be careful not to brown the butter. Sear the chicken until the juices run clear, and it’s no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over frequently for even cooking. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet, scraping the bottom to melt any remaining browned bits of food. Stir in the lemon and reduce heat to low. Cook the sauce, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Add the capers and chicken. Toss the chicken to coat.
- Place the chicken in a serving dish. Top with sauce and garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Enjoy!
