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Quick & Easy 30-Minute Restaurant-Style Chicken Piccata with Bright Lemon Caper Sauce

Close-up of two golden-brown chicken piccata cutlets swimming in lemon-butter sauce, topped with capers and lemon slices.
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Make restaurant-quality Chicken Piccata tonight in under 30 minutes. This recipe uses simple ingredients to create a bright, tangy lemon butter sauce with capers that coats tender chicken cutlets perfectly for an easy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin into cutlets (about 1/4 inch thick)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound them to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
  2. In a shallow dish, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge each chicken cutlet lightly in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
  3. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add two chicken cutlets to the skillet. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan if needed.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour the white wine (or broth) into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for 1 minute.
  5. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and drained capers to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and thicken.
  6. Stir in the lemon zest. Taste the sauce and add salt or pepper if needed.
  7. Return the cooked chicken cutlets to the skillet. Spoon the lemon caper sauce over the chicken for about 1 minute to reheat.
  8. Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving immediately. Serve this simple skillet chicken over pasta or rice.

Notes

  • For a creamy chicken piccata variation, reduce the heat to low after adding the chicken broth in Step 5. Stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream and heat gently until warmed through. Do not boil the sauce after adding the cream.
  • If you do not have white wine, use all chicken broth for the deglazing step.
  • Use fresh lemon juice for the best tangy lemon sauce flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/chicken-piccata-recipe-easy-30-minute/