Chicken Piccata Recipe
A classic chicken piccata recipe featuring pan-seared chicken cutlets finished in a bright, buttery lemon and caper sauce, ready in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- meat mallet
- shallow dish for dredging
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and pounded thin
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 3 tbsp capers drained
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Prepare and Dredge the Chicken
- Place the chicken breast halves between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness, about ¼ to ½ inch thick, using a meat mallet.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge each piece in the flour, shaking off any excess, and set aside on a plate.
Sear the Chicken
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
Build the Pan Sauce
- In the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil and minced garlic, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, since that's where much of the sauce's flavor comes from.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it reduce slightly for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the capers and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, whisking until the butter melts and the sauce turns glossy.
Combine and Serve
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, spooning the sauce over each piece and letting it warm through for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness is important for both quick, even cooking and a tender final texture, so take the time to do this step properly even if it feels like extra work.
- Scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan while building the sauce adds significant depth of flavor, so don't skip this step or wipe the pan clean before making the sauce.
- Whisking in cold butter at the end of the sauce helps it turn glossy and slightly thickened, a technique sometimes called mounting a sauce with butter.
- If the sauce tastes too acidic for your preference, an extra small pat of butter whisked in at the end helps mellow it out.
- Leftover chicken piccata keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheats gently in a skillet over low heat to avoid overcooking the chicken.