Chicken piccata is one of my all-time favorite dishes, simple, fast, and full of flavor. With pan-fried chicken topped with a tangy lemon-butter sauce and briny capers, it’s a perfect balance of savory, salty, and citrusy goodness. It’s so easy to make and comes together in just about 25 minutes, making it ideal for a quick weeknight meal that feels special.
The key to a great chicken piccata is the sauce. The buttery lemon sauce clings to the chicken beautifully, and the capers add that burst of flavor that makes this dish stand out. It’s a comforting yet light dish that’s easy to love and perfect for pairing with bread, pasta or potatoes to soak up every last drop of sauce.
What I love most about chicken piccata is how versatile it is. It’s elegant enough for a special dinner yet simple enough to make for a busy weeknight. Whether you're cooking for yourself or serving guests, this dish always feels like a treat and will definitely impress with its bright, fresh flavors.
Jump to:
⭐Why You'll Love This Chicken Piccata
- Quick and Easy: You can make it in about 30 minutes, so it’s great for busy days.
- Tender and Golden Chicken: The chicken is perfectly cooked with a light, golden crust.
- Amazing Sauce: The sauce is buttery, tangy from the lemon, and salty from the capers, a perfect balance of flavors.
- Impressive but Simple: It looks and tastes fancy, making it perfect for guests or a special dinner without too much effort.
🧾Chicken Piccata Ingredients
Here’s the breakdown of what’s in this chicken piccata recipe:
For the Chicken:
- Chicken Breasts: They’re so easy to work with and cook up tender every time. They’re like a blank canvas that soaks up all the delicious sauce. Feel free to use chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Salt and Pepper: These are the basics, but they’re so important. They make the chicken taste great, even before the sauce comes into play.
- Flour: I love how the flour gives the chicken a light crust and makes the sauce just the right texture. It’s a small step, but it’s worth it!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Searing the chicken in olive oil gives it that golden color and adds a little richness, plus it smells amazing while it’s cooking.
For the Sauce:
- Shallot: It’s one of my favorite ingredients because it adds sweetness without overpowering the dish.
- Garlic: You can’t go wrong with garlic. It’s the flavor booster that makes everything taste more comforting.
- White Wine: This adds a subtle tang and makes the sauce feel a little fancy, like something you’d get at a restaurant.
- Chicken Stock: It’s the backbone of the sauce, adding a savory, comforting flavor that ties everything together.
- Lemon Juice: The zing from the lemon is what makes this dish so fresh and bright. It cuts through the richness perfectly.
- Capers: I adore the little bursts of salty, tangy flavor they add, they really make the sauce pop.
- Butter: Honestly, the butter is the best part. It melts into the sauce, making it creamy, smooth, and totally irresistible.
- Parsley: I love the fresh touch parsley adds at the end. It makes the dish look beautiful and adds just the right amount of herby flavor.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Chicken Piccata
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness (1.3 cm).
2. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
3. Coat the chicken breasts in flour and shake off the extra.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
5. In the same skillet, sauté the chopped shallot and minced garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
6. Add the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet. Let it cook for 2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
7. Add the capers and chicken stock, then simmer until it reduces by half.
8. Stir in the lemon juice and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes to thicken a bit.
9. Lower the heat and stir in the unsalted butter, a few pieces at a time, until melted and the sauce is creamy.
10. Place the chicken breasts back in the skillet and spoon sauce over them.
11. Simmer for about a minute to heat the chicken and let it soak up the flavors.
12. Top the chicken piccata with chopped parsley before serving.
🍽What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
This juicy chicken piccata is one of my go-to recipes because it’s so simple and packed with flavor!
I love pairing it with warm ciabatta or garlic bread to soak up all this delicious sauce, seriously, so good. If I’m in the mood for something hearty, creamy potato salad or crispy potato wedges always hit the spot.
When I want to add something fresh, a pasta salad or a tomato burrata salad is my favorite. And let’s be honest, no meal is complete without dessert. I usually go for a sweet lemon tiramisu, it’s the perfect way to end the meal!
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Make the Chicken Thin: I like to pound the chicken breasts thin or cut them in half. It helps them cook faster and more evenly, so they stay juicy.
Coat with Flour: The flour is a game-changer! It gives the chicken a nice crust and helps the sauce stick better. Just don’t overdo it, shake off any extra.
Don’t Crowd the Pan: If you cram too much chicken in the pan, it won’t brown properly. Cook it in batches if you need to; it’s worth it for that golden sear.
Balance the Flavors: If the sauce feels too tangy, I like to add a little extra butter or even a pinch of sugar to smooth it out. It’s all about finding that perfect balance.
Keep the Heat Low: When making the sauce, don’t let it boil. Low heat helps everything blend together nicely, especially the butter.
Let the Chicken Sit in the Sauce: Once the chicken is cooked, I like to put it back in the sauce for a minute. It soaks up all that flavor and stays tender.
Taste Before Serving: Always give the sauce a quick taste before serving. Sometimes it just needs a little more salt, lemon, or even an extra pat of butter to make it perfect.
Storage: Store leftover chicken piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
🐓More Chicken Recipes to Try!
If you're loving this chicken piccata, you'll also adore these tasty chicken recipes:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- Baked Chicken Legs
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- Baked Chicken Thighs
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
🍛More Dinner Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite dinner recipes! Try these:
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - 500 g
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 60 g All-Purpose Flour
- 4 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Piccata Sauce:
- 1 Small Shallot - Finely Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
- 120 ml Dry White Wine
- 240 ml Chicken Stock
- Juice of 1 Lemon - About 2 to 2 ½ Tablespoons
- 40 g Capers
- 75 g Unsalted Butter
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Parsley - Chopped
Instructions
- Start by pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness, about ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick.
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper.
- Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped shallot and minced garlic, sautéing for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Let the wine reduce for about 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the capers and pour in the chicken stock. Simmer the mixture and reduce by half.
- Stir in the lemon juice and let the sauce simmer for another 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Reduce the heat to low and swirl in the unsalted butter, a few pieces at a time, until melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, spooning some of the sauce over the chicken.
- Simmer gently for another minute or so to heat the chicken through and allow it to absorb some of the flavors.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the chicken piccata just before serving.
- Serve the chicken piccata hot with extra sauce drizzled over the top if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Andy says
Amazing chicken piccata! So easy and flavorful. The lemon sauce is perfect. Will definitely make again!