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–+ servings
Chicken Piccata on with a lemon sauce topped with capers.
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Chicken Piccata

This Lemon Chicken Piccata is a restaurant-quality meal that is easy to make at home! You will love this flavorful white wine sauce reduction sauce that has just the right amount of lemon and butter.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 303kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup flour
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter

Sauce

  • ½ cup dry white wine like chardonnay or pinot grigio
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons capers drained
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons cold salted butter
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

Cut, Pound, Dredge, and Sear the Chicken:

  • Note: This is the most time consuming part, after this section, this meal is a breeze.
  • Combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper on a large plate. Set aside.
  • Cut each chicken breast into 3 thinner slices. Place in between saran wrap and use a meat tenderizer to pound it very thin, about ¼ inch thick. It will plump more once it’s cooked so pounding thin is key.
  • Pat the chicken dry and dredge each side in the flour mixture. Tap off excess.
  • Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Add a splash of olive oil and/or reduce heat as needed during cooking. Set the chicken aside on a plate and turn off heat when finished.

Prepare the Sauce:

  • Carefully wipe the pan, but leave a few brown bits for added flavor.
  • Add the wine and garlic. Set heat to medium. Bubble gently for 4-5 minutes, until just a small amount of liquid remains. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” any remaining brown flecks on the pan while the wine reduces. This will add flavor.
  • Add the capers, chicken broth, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and stir to combine.

Add the Chicken back and Finish the Meal:

  • Add the chicken along with any juices from the plate.
  • Spoon the sauce over the chicken and cover partially, cook for 3-5 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly and become more flavorful.
  • Reduce heat to low. Add 2 Tablespoons cold butter and let it melt into the sauce. Tilt the pan to distribute the sauce throughout and spoon it over the chicken again. Remove from heat.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve. My Garlic Parmesan Pasta or Creamy Lemon Pasta is great with this meal.

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Chicken plumps up when cooked so be sure to really pound it thin (1/4 inch) beforehand. This also ensures even cooking and really tender chicken.
  • Use juice from a freshly squeezed lemon, it's far more flavorful than from a bottle.
  • Use a high quality butter, I prefer Land O' Lakes salted butter. 
  • Be sure to try my Chicken Piccata Pasta next!
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 104!
Nutrition information is an estimate and includes all of the flour dredge ingredients but it's likely that there will be some left on the plate. Nutrition information is per serving, there are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1103mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 478IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg