Go Back
–+ servings
Drizzling sauce over chicken piccata.
Print Recipe
4.84 from 18 votes

Lemon Chicken Piccata

A classic Italian dish of lemon chicken piccata chicken that is perfectly cooked, tender, delicious and coated in a tangy lemon-caper sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: chicken piccata, lemon caper chicken, lemon chicken piccata
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 6 ounces each
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh thyme finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 garlic clove grated
  • ½ cup chicken broth or dry white wine
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 lemons thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup capers drained
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound chicken with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin to ½ inch thick.
    A chicken breast on a wood board, wrapped in plastic next to a meat mallet.
  • In a shallow dish stir together flour, chopped thyme, salt, and the pepper.
    Mixing flour and spices in a bowl.
  • Using paper towels, wipe the chicken pieces to remove the moisture then dredge all of the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, coating each one completely and shaking gently to remove excess. Place on a plate.
    Dredging chicken in flour.
  • Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers but isn’t smoking. Working in batches, cook two chicken breasts at a time for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
    Cooking chicken breasts in a skillet.
  • Transfer the chicken to a platter, add more oil to the skillet if needed, and cook the remaining pieces. Cover the cooked chicken with foil to keep warm.
    Searing chicken breasts in a skillet.

For the Sauce:

  • Melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, then stir in the broth, lemon juice, and lemon slices.
    Making lemon piccata sauce for chicken.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil, and cook for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly, stir in the capers. Return the chicken to the sauce, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
    Adding capers to piccata sauce.
  • To serve: Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon the lemon sauce over the chicken, sprinkle generously with the chopped parsley and garnish with the cooked lemon slices.
    Browned chicken in a skillet with lemon piccata sauce.

Notes

Pound the chicken evenly: Make sure the chicken is about ½ inch thick so it cooks evenly.
Dredge lightly: Shake off any extra flour when coating the chicken to avoid a gummy crust.
Use fresh lemon juice: Freshly squeezed juice gives the sauce a vibrant flavor. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but fresh is best.
Keep the chicken warm: Cover the cooked chicken with foil while making the sauce so it stays hot and ready to soak up all that lemony goodness.
Don’t skip deglazing: Add broth and lemon juice to the skillet to release all those caramelized bits. That’s where the flavor is hiding.
Prep the capers: If your capers are packed in salt, give them a quick rinse so they add just the right briny pop without overpowering the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 34.9g | Fat: 21.5g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 989mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 0.4g
QR Code linking back to recipe