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Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata features thin golden cutlets cooked in batches and finished with a bright, silky lemon-butter-caper pan sauce. The sauce glistens and pools around the crispy-edged fillets for a classic Italian-American weeknight Italian dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken cutlets
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper Season to taste.
dredge
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour Dredge lightly and shake off excess.
pan sauce base
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For cooking the chicken.
  • 2 tbsp butter Part of the divided butter used for searing.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice About 2 lemons.
  • 3 tbsp capers Drained.
  • 1 lemon Thinly sliced.
  • 2 tbsp butter Remaining butter swirled in cold for gloss.
garnish
  • 1 fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and dredge
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Cook the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
Make the lemon-caper pan sauce
  1. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant and lightly golden.
  2. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  3. Simmer for 2 minutes so the wine reduces slightly, then add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and lemon slices.
  4. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces by about a third and looks thicker.
  5. Remove the skillet from heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce is glossy.
Serve
  1. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over each cutlet so it pools around the edges.
  2. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve right away.

Notes

For best texture, keep the chicken thin and cook in batches so the cutlets sear instead of steaming. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid drying out. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can break and the chicken texture changes. If you want a lighter option, use half the butter for the sauce and add 1-2 additional tablespoons of chicken broth to maintain a silky coating.