Veal piccata is more traditional, but in real life, who serves veal that often at home? We certainly don’t. Maybe twice a year. Instead, The and One turn to this zesty chicken piccata variation, and truthfully, the buttery lemon sauce and zing of the capers is just as delicious with chicken. We love the flavors so much, I developed a lemony chicken piccata meatball recipe.
Chow,
Featured Review
I made this last night and it was delicious, and one of the easiest Chicken Piccata recipes I have ever made. We like a little thicker sauce, so I worked in some flour and a little chicken broth to thicken it. Especially if it is served over noodles or rice, we like that goodness on top. This time, I served it with oven roasted sweet potatoes and steamed summer squash.
Lorna Ponte Tomek
What does “piccata” mean in Italian?
You’ll see various types of meat referred to, on occasion, as “piccata,” and it typically refers to a type of preparation in which the meat is pounded flat and also doused with a lemony sauce which is quite frequently punctuated with briny capers, as here. Once you’ve got that mastered, move on to chicken saltimbocca, another Italian favorite.
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If you make this chicken piccata recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Featured Review
Is there a better combination than lemon, butter and capers? This dish is so simple yet so elegant. It really does go from pan to table in a half hour Sometimes, simple is better and that is certainly the case here. A quick deglaze to get those umami-packed brown bits off the pan, the tart lemon and capers finished off with a little butter and bang, you’re done … We served this with Crispy Herbed Parmesan Potatoes and a green salad. Wonderful!
Greg Crawford
Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- Four (2 1/2 to 3 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts between a couple pieces of plastic wrap and, using a meat pounder, flatten each breast to an even 1/4 inch thickness.
- Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off any excess.
- In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons butter. When the foaming subsides, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. When done, remove the chicken from the pan and sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and capers, scraping up any brown bits and pieces left from the chicken. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Return the chicken to the pan, place it over medium heat, and warm gently for 1 minute, turning to coat both sides of the chicken with the sauce.
- Place the chicken on plates, spoon the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately. Originally published March 24, 2010.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
Mmmmmmm. This was absolutely fabulous. I don’t remember ever cooking this, although I have seen recipes for it over the years. All conversation stopped at the dinner table. I’d serve it to any one, at any time, on any occasion.
This is an easy dish to fix on a busy weeknight, especially since most ingredients can be found in a well stocked pantry. I served this with roasted carrots and a salad. Next time I make this I’ll double the sauce recipe so I can drizzle it over rice. Definitely a keeper.
This was incredibly simple to make. It helps to have your lemon juice, capers, and butter measured out before starting on the chicken. My chicken took a little longer to brown than the recipe indicated, so you may have to tack on a couple of minutes. This is a well-flavored, perfect weeknight dish.
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Is there a better combination than lemon, butter and capers? This dish is so simple yet so elegant. It really does go from pan to table in a half hour and to get so much wonderful flavor in that amount of time, well… Sometimes, simple is better and that is certainly the case here. A quick deglaze to get those umami-packed brown bits off the pan, the tart lemon and capers finished off with a little butter and bang, you’re done. The key, of course, is to be sure the chicken is pounded thin. That makes for quick cooking. We served this with Crispy Herbed Parmesan Potatoes and a green salad. Wonderful!
Greg, that’s the wallop of the holy trinity of lemon, butter, and capers—and it’s hard to beat. I’m so glad you mentioned pounding the chicken thin; it really is the secret to getting that perfect sear without drying out the meat. Sounds like you had a restaurant-quality Italian feast right at home in just 30 minutes. Bravo!
Simplicity and quiet elegance describe this traditional treatment of all those “white meats.” This easy-to-accomplish recipe is equally enjoyable using pork and turkey cutlets. Perfect for entertaining when time is short or for a special work-night meal at home, the ingredients are readily available and not a budget breaker. A keeper worthy of repeating.
John, I couldn’t agree with you more! I’m delighted you enjoyed the recipe. Keep the reviews coming!
Chicken piccata is one of our favorite dinners. This version is easy to make and delicious. Some of us added extra capers because we like them so much.
Thanks, kathy. We’re so pleased to hear that you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to comment.