Bright, zesty, and irresistibly buttery—this lemon chicken piccata is a restaurant-quality meal made easy at home.
Thin chicken breast fillets are pan-fried in seasoned flour and simmered in a lemony white wine sauce with capers and garnished with fresh parsley.
You’ll Love This Easy Yet Elegant Lemon Chicken Piccata Because…
- Simple ingredients matched with simple instructions will have you feeling like an Italian chef in no time.
- Lemon piccata chicken goes from the stove to the table in a single skillet for beautiful presentation and easy cleanup.
- Versatile, lemon chicken piccata is perfect for adding in veggies or experimenting with the seasonings.
- Bright and flavorful lemon caper sauce can be used over grilled veggies or pan-seared salmon filets.
What’s in Lemon Chicken Piccata?
Chicken: Look for small, skinless, boneless chicken breasts up to about 1 ½ pounds total. Ready-made chicken cutlets to save on prep time. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are perfect for single-serve portions.
Sauce: This simple recipe calls for real butter and a higher-quality of white wine. A dry Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio will provide the best results. The alcohol cooks off in this recipe, leaving behind a fresh flavor that goes great with the lemony butter sauce, but you can use extra chicken broth instead. For a creamier sauce, mix in some half-and-half in Step 5 after the butter has been melted in.
Lemon: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest for the best flavor in this recipe.
Capers: Capers add a pop of fresh and briny flavor to lemon piccata chicken. You can swap out the capers for sliced Manzanilla or Kalamata olives if desired.
Variations: This dish is excellent with additions like sliced mushrooms, chopped artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, or spinach. This recipe can also be made with shrimp, veal, or pork tenderloin.
How to Make Lemon Piccata Chicken
- Prepare and cook the chicken breasts (full recipe below) and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with wine and chicken broth. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and capers.
- Reduce heat to low and add butter and chicken breasts.
- Serve garnished with parsley and some lemon slices.
What Pairs Perfectly with Lemon Chicken Piccata?
Take chicken piccata to the next lemony level and serve it over homemade lemon rice, alongside some Greek-style lemon potatoes or carbonara pasta. It’s also delicious over thin pasta noodles like angel hair (capellini), or even zucchini noodles for a lower carb dish. Suggested veggie sides like grilled zucchini, and sauteed broccolini will look elegant against lemon chicken as well.
Storing and Reserving
- Keep leftover chicken piccata in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat chicken and sauce on the stove top on medium heat with a little broth added to loosen the sauce.
- Freeze portions in zippered bags for up to 4 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Luscious Lemon Dishes
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Lemon Chicken Piccata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1½ pounds)
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry. Place each breast flat on a cutting board. With knife parallel to the board, cut the breast in half through the middle to make 2 pieces. Place each piece between 2 layers of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet until ¼ inch thick.
- In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken in flour mixture.
- To a skillet over high heat, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil until shimmering. Cooking in batches, add chicken breasts in one layer, adding oil as needed. Brown for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until chicken reaches 165F, then set aside.
- Using the same skillet on medium heat, add wine and chicken broth and reduce for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and capers.
- Change heat to low and add butter, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken to skillet. Toss to coat and warm. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
- Great with steamed broccoli and rice or noodles.
Notes
- Keep leftover lemon chicken piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- It will keep in the freezer for 4 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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