Chicken Piccata Recipe

This bright Chicken Piccata is a restaurant classic as well as being effortlessly elegant! Pounding the chicken medallions thin creates a tender bite that cooks in minutes, which along with the salty capers and buttery lemon sauce adds a zesty punch to this dish that is so refreshing over angel hair pasta.

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Chicken Piccata Recipe Ingredients

• The Chicken:
  • 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced into 1/2-inch medallions)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (plus more for frying)
• The Lemon Caper Sauce:
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced (optional garnish)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

How To Make Chicken Piccata Recipe

1. Keep it warm: Preheat your oven to a low 200°F (95°C) and place a heat-proof serving platter inside. This ensures your first batch of chicken stays hot while you cook the rest!
2. Prep and dredge: Slice the chicken breasts horizontally or pound them into medallions about 1/2-inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge each piece of chicken, shaking off the excess so it’s a light dusting.
3. Pan-fry: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches (don’t crowd the pan!), fry the chicken for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer cooked pieces to the warm platter in the oven.
4. Start the sauce: Pour out most of the oil from the skillet, leaving just a thin film. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 20 seconds until fragrant—be fast so it doesn’t burn!
5. Deglaze and reduce: Pour in the chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the delicious browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Add the lemon slices (if using) and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5–8 minutes until the liquid reduces to about 2/3 cup.
6. Simmer: Stir in the fresh lemon juice and capers. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
7. Mount the sauce: Remove the pan from the heat. Drop in the butter and swirl the pan constantly until the butter melts and emulsifies into a glossy sauce. Stir in the parsley.
8. Serve: Arrange the chicken medallions on plates and spoon the luscious lemon-caper sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips!

• The Flour Coating: Don’t skip the flour! It gives the chicken a golden crust and leaves behind starch in the pan that helps thicken the broth sauce naturally later on.
• Rinse the Capers: Capers are very salty! Rinsing them under cold water before adding them prevents the sauce from becoming a salt bomb and lets the lemon flavor shine.
• Cold Butter Swirl: This technique is called monter au beurre. Adding cold butter off the heat at the very end creates a creamy, velvety emulsion. If you add it while boiling, the butter will separate and look oily.
• Thin is In: The thinner your chicken medallions, the faster they cook and the more tender they will be. Aim for uniform thickness so you don’t have dry thin bits and raw thick bits!

What To Serve With Chicken Piccata Recipe?

This Chicken Piccata Recipe is zesty and light, so it pairs perfectly with delicate sides! A nest of Angel Hair Pasta or Linguine tossed with a little olive oil is the classic choice to soak up the lemon sauce. For a vegetable, steamed Broccoli or Sautéed Zucchini adds a nice green contrast without overpowering the citrus! A crisp glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc mirrors the acidity in the sauce beautifully.

How To Store Chicken Piccata Recipe

• Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken in the fridge.
• Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over low heat. Add a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the sauce back up. Avoid the microwave if possible, as it can make the chicken rubbery.
• Freeze: You can freeze the cooked chicken in the sauce for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Chicken Piccata Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 350 kcal
• Fat: 15g
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Protein: 35g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving.

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