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Golden chicken piccata cutlets in a glossy lemon butter caper sauce with lemon slices and fresh parsley

Easy Chicken Piccata

Thin, golden chicken cutlets in a bright lemon, white wine, butter and caper pan sauce, ready in about 35 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/2 pounds (680 g)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60 g) for dredging
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Lemon caper sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (120 ml) or extra broth
  • 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (180 ml)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (60 ml), about 2 lemons
  • 3 tablespoons capers drained
  • 4 thin lemon slices
  • 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally and pound to an even 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Dredge each cutlet in flour and shake off the excess.
  3. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the cutlets in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and 165°F (74°C) inside. Transfer to a plate.
Make the sauce
  1. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds, add the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the broth, lemon juice, capers and lemon slices and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until reduced by about a third.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the cold butter one piece at a time until glossy.
  4. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the sauce over and warm for 1 minute. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes

No wine: Replace the wine with chicken broth plus 1 extra teaspoon of lemon juice.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat gently to 165°F (74°C) with a splash of broth.
Nutrition is an estimate per serving and does not include pasta or sides.