Classic Chicken Piccata: Quick Lemon Caper Chicken
Make restaurant style chicken piccata at home with this easy recipe for tender, pan seared chicken breast covered in a bright, tangy lemon caper sauce. This is a perfect 30 minute chicken dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan Frying
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional, substitute with chicken broth)
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Pound the chicken cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap until they are about 1/4 inch thick. This helps you achieve tender chicken breast recipe results.
- In a shallow dish, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet.
- If using wine, pour it into the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. This builds your homemade piccata sauce.
- Stir in the drained capers. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Return the cooked chicken cutlets to the skillet. Spoon the lemon caper sauce over the chicken.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately over pasta or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- For a gluten free option, substitute the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
- To prevent the sauce from breaking, do not boil the sauce vigorously after adding the butter or after adding the capers. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer.
- This dish pairs well with steamed asparagus or a simple side of angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cutlet with sauce
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Unsaturated Fat: 14
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 110