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Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata delivers thin golden chicken cutlets in a silky lemon-butter-caper pan sauce with a bright, glossy finish. The sauce pools around the crispy edges after you simmer wine and broth, then swirl in cold butter for a smooth sheen.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Piccata
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Halve horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets.
  • 1 Salt and pepper Season to taste.
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour For light dredging.
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil For pan-frying.
  • 4 tablespoon butter Divided; use 2 tbsp for cooking and 2 tbsp for finishing.
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine Use dry white wine.
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth For the pan sauce.
  • 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice About 2 lemons.
  • 3 tablespoon capers Drained.
  • 1 lemon Thinly sliced.
  • 1 Fresh parsley Chopped, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep the chicken
  1. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour and shake off the excess.
  2. Leave the cutlets ready to cook while you heat the skillet and gather the remaining ingredients.
Cook the chicken
  1. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering.
  2. Cook the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
Make the lemon-butter-caper sauce
  1. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
  2. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, then simmer for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and lemon slices, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce reduces by a third.
  4. Remove from heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce looks glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon the sauce over each cutlet, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For the best glossy sauce, keep the butter cold and add it off the heat, then immediately swirl until smooth. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid overcooking the chicken. Freezing isn’t recommended because the cutlets can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use 2 tbsp butter total and swap 2 tbsp for extra olive oil in the skillet while still finishing with 2 tbsp cold butter for shine.