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Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata delivers thin golden chicken cutlets with a silky lemon-butter-caper pan sauce that glistens and pools around the edges. This easy chicken piccata uses a quick wine-and-broth reduction for a bright, spoonable sauce in one skillet.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halved horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper To taste.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For light dredge.
Pan sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil For frying and sautéing.
  • 2 tbsp butter Divided; used for cooking chicken.
  • 1 tbsp butter Divided; used for finishing until glossy.
  • 4 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 fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Dredge the chicken
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in all-purpose flour, shaking off the excess.
  2. Set the floured cutlets aside while you heat the skillet.
Sear and finish the sauce
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. Cook the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits.
  4. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and lemon slices.
  5. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce reduces by about a third, then remove the skillet from the heat.
  6. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce looks glossy.
  7. Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon the sauce over each cutlet, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the lemon thin so it softens during the reduction and distributes flavor across the sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm gently so the cutlets don’t toughen. Freezing isn’t recommended because the sauce and breading texture can change. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for dredging.