Easy-to-Make Main Dish

This lemony chicken piccata dish is one of my favorite recipes! First, it is surprisingly easy to make, and second, it tastes as good or better than what you might get served at a restaurant. It has a tangy lemon flavor seasoned with butter.

Thin Cutlets

This dish is known for its thin chicken cutlets. To make cutlets, cut chicken breasts into small pieces, and pound them with a meat mallet. This will thin them and make them larger. An easy and no-mess way to pound raw chicken is to place it into a recloseable plastic bag and seal, squeezing out all of the air. Then use a meat mallet to pound the chicken. If you don’t have a mallet, try using a cast iron pan or a heavy metal cup.

Quick Cooking

Pre-measure and have everything ready to use in this dish because it cooks quickly. The thin chicken breasts only need to cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes when flipped. Don’t crowd the pan with the cutlets. It is best to cook the chicken in small batches and then move it to a warm plate. Also, be careful covering the chicken on the serving plate unless you have a cover that lets steam escape because steam can make the chicken soggy.

Capers

If you haven’t used or eaten capers before, they resemble canned green peas but have a salty pickled taste. If you love capers, add as many as you want. But if you don’t love them, you can delete them entirely because this dish is versatile.

Lemon

It is best to use fresh lemon juice in this recipe. You can even grate or zest the lemon peel and sprinkle it over the finished dish for more lemon flavor. Also, slice a fresh lemon and scatter it around the chicken before serving it. The lemon slices can serve as a garnish, but quests might also like to squeeze fresh lemon juice over their own serving.

Side Dish Ideas

Chicken Piccata goes well with pasta, mashed potatoes, asparagus, wilted spinach, or roasted vegetables. This recipe makes enough sauce to spoon over pasta or vegetables. 

Print Recipe

Chicken Piccata

Sauteed chicken with lemon sauce and capers

Votes: 2
Rating: 4
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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Keyword

Chicken Recipe, Lemon, Piccata

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 pound of chicken breast, thinly sliced into cutlets
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (more if needed)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (more if needed)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (or two cloves minced)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock (or broth)
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3-4 tablespoons capers, drained
• 4 tablespoons butter
• fresh lemon slices
• fresh parsley

Course Main Dish Cuisine American Keyword Chicken Recipe, Lemon, Piccata Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 pound of chicken breast, thinly sliced into cutlets Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (more if needed) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (more if needed) 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (or two cloves minced) 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock (or broth) 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3-4 tablespoons capers, drained 4 tablespoons butter fresh lemon slices fresh parsley

Votes: 2 Rating: 4 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken cutlets to thin and flatten them. Season them with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour.
2. Add the oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the pan is hot. Add the chicken cutlets to the pan being careful not to crowd the chicken. Sauté 2-3 minutes on the first side. Flip them, cover with a lid, and sauté for 1-2 more minutes. They are done when lightly browned and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at their thickest point. Remove them from the pan. Add more oil if necessary. Cook the rest of the cutlets and remove them from the pan.
3. Carefully add the wine to the hot pan to deglaze it. Add the garlic and cook it until it is slightly brown and the liquid has reduced to about half.
4. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, capers, and butter to the pan and stir. Return the cutlets to the pan and heat them for about a minute on each side. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

Recipe Notes

Pounding Chicken

The purpose of pounding chicken is threefold. It tenderizes the chicken, thins it, and makes each piece appear larger. Place plastic wrap over the chicken before pounding it to prevent stray bits of chicken from flying onto the kitchen countertop. For a no-mess method, place the chicken into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, forcing out all of the air. Pound the chicken while in the bag, moving the pieces around as needed.

Gluten-Free

Substitute gluten-free flour such as Cup4Cup or Measure for Measure in place of the wheat flour to make this a gluten-free dish. Make sure to use gluten-free chicken stock or broth.