Easy Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata is bright rather than heavy: thin chicken cutlets are lightly floured, pan-seared and finished in a lemony sauce with capers. Butter rounds out the acidity, while the capers bring a salty bite that keeps the simple sauce interesting.
Do not over-flour the chicken; a thin coating is enough to encourage browning and lightly thicken the pan sauce. Add fresh lemon near the end so its flavor stays clean and lively.
Piccata Works When Lemon, Butter and Capers Stay in Balance
- Fresh lemon provides sharp acidity while capers add briny, savory bursts throughout the sauce.
- A light flour coating helps the chicken brown and gives the pan sauce enough body to cling to each cutlet.
- Chicken broth lifts the browned bits from the skillet, so none of that flavor is left behind.
- Butter stirred in near the end rounds out the acidity without muting the lemon.
Easy Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 thin chicken breast cutlets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp capers drained
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Season chicken and dredge lightly in flour.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and cook chicken 3–4 minutes per side; transfer out.
- Cook garlic for 30 seconds, then add broth, lemon juice and capers.
- Simmer 4–5 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Return chicken and remaining butter and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
- Finish with parsley and lemon slices.
Notes
Thin Cutlets Make Piccata Work
Piccata moves quickly, so the chicken should be thin enough to brown in a few minutes per side. If the pieces vary in thickness, the thinnest cutlets can dry out before the thickest one is ready.
Balance Lemon With Butter and Broth
Lemon is supposed to taste bright, not harsh. Broth gives the sauce volume and butter rounds the acidity; taste the pan sauce before adding extra lemon.
Add Capers for Salty Contrast
Capers bring salinity and a sharp, briny note that cuts through the butter. Drain them before they go into the skillet so the sauce stays balanced rather than tasting like caper brine.
Keep the Sauce Loose
The light flour coating on the chicken can thicken the pan sauce as the cutlets return. If it tightens too much, loosen it with a splash of broth before serving.
