Description
Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian-American dish featuring tender, lightly floured chicken breasts sautéed to golden perfection and served in a flavorful lemon, butter, and caper sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, this easy skillet recipe combines tangy citrus and briny capers for a bright, delicious meal perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sauce & Cooking
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- ¼ cup capers, rinsed and drained
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season and dredge the chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in the all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess to ensure a light coating.
- Sauté the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter with the olive oil until hot and shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until each side is golden brown and the chicken is nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm.
- Make the sauce: In the same skillet, pour in the chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, and capers. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan to infuse flavor into the sauce.
- Simmer and return chicken: Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer gently for about 5 minutes to slightly reduce and concentrate the flavors. Then return the chicken breasts to the skillet, letting them soak in the sauce for an additional minute to absorb the vibrant flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer the chicken to plates, spoon the lemon-caper sauce over the top, and garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright and tangy flavor.
- To keep chicken breasts juicy, avoid overcooking; they should be cooked just until no longer pink inside.
- Capers add a salty, briny punch, so adjust salt accordingly in the seasoning step.
- This dish pairs beautifully with rice, pasta, or a simple green salad.
- Leftover chicken piccata can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
