This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy chicken piccata recipe is a classic Italian American dish with a lemon butter caper sauce that’s fast to make at home! A few simple ingredients, 25 minutes, and you’re set.
Craving more restaurant-quality chicken dinners? Try my Easy Chicken Madeira!
What is chicken piccata?
It’s pan-fried chicken in a piccata sauce, which is a combination of butter, oil, fresh lemon juice, and capers. Simple, right? The secret to making the best chicken piccata is having the perfect amount of lemon, and I’ve got you covered with this really easy chicken recipe.
You can make this dreamy dish two different ways, and we’ve got instructions for both! One is a creamy chicken piccata, and the other is not. They’re both extremely tasty. The cream takes it to the next level, but depending on your mood or dietary restrictions, you may want to try it without!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re slicing chicken breasts in half lengthwise and not pounding them so it’s even faster
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, seasoning the cutlets with it gives a fabulous savory foundation
- Flour – for dredging
- Olive oil and butter – for pan-frying the chicken until golden brown
- Chicken broth – to infuse the sauce with flavor. Sub for a dry white wine like pinot grigio to make it even more luxurious.
- Lemon juice – always use freshly squeezed lemon juice vs concentrate
- Lemon zest – for that extra brightness and zing
- Capers – the briny flavor balances the lemon
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce rich
- Parsley – adds a pop of freshness
Can I make it without cream?
- You can definitely make chicken piccata without cream! If you do so, increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup. You could even do a half chicken broth/half white wine mix.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for something like milk or half-and-half for a couple of reasons. The acidity of the lemon will likely curdle the sauce, and the sauce won’t thicken as well. Either omit it completely or use heavy cream.
How to make chicken piccata
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then dredge them in the flour. Brown on both sides. Remove them from the pan and add the chicken broth, lemon juice, butter, and capers, scraping up the brown bits.
Stir in the cream. Return the chicken to the pan, and simmer until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Easy peasy!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I zest the lemon with my Microplane zester/grater.
- Be careful to not overcook the chicken since we’re using thin cutlets! It’s cooked when the internal temperature is 165F. Use an instant read thermometer.
- I love using my splatter guard in recipes like this one since it saves a lot of clean-up hassle, and here is the cast iron skillet I use.
Substitutions and variations
- If using small chicken breasts, you can keep them intact, but they may take a few more minutes to cook through.
- You can try using chicken thighs if you prefer. They may take a little longer to cook as well.
- I find the recipe is perfectly salted with regular chicken broth, but if you’re at all sensitive to salt, use a low-sodium one.
What to serve with chicken piccata
- I love it with a classic combo of Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Green Beans so that it’s a complete meal. This Stick of Butter Rice is also delicious.
- It’s also great with pasta. Try it with these Quick & Easy Garlic Butter Noodles, and then pair it with this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad!
- I like to top it with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. It’s next-level amazing.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat.
- I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, especially if you’re making the creamy version.
More easy chicken recipes
Have you made this lemon chicken piccata? Got questions? Let me know in the comments below! As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations.
Easy Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour (for dredging)
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon brined capers drained
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Garnish (optional) chopped parsley and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise (I butterfly then cut in half) to make 4 thinner cutlets. Trim off any fat. Season the chicken generously with salt & pepper and sprinkle with garlic powder. Coat the chicken in flour.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter plus the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, cook the chicken pieces for about 4-5 minutes per side until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and capers to the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits.
- Stir in the cream and return the pan to the heat. Once it's bubbling again, add the chicken back into the pan. If you want to make this recipe without cream, increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.
- Cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to your liking (you may need to turn down the heat a bit if it's bubbling furiously). If the sauce thickens too much, add more broth.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and/or parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- If using smaller chicken breasts, leave them intact (but you will likely need to cook them for a bit longer).
- If you don’t want the cream in it, I recommend omitting it entirely vs. using something like half-and-half because the sauce is likely to curdle and not thicken as well.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if sensitive to salt.
- I highly recommend this lemon zester.
- This recipe can also be found on page 86 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on September 4, 2015. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I’m always looking for good & easy recipes.
I made this for about 20 people & turned out Great!
All I did was pre make the chicken & sauce but kept it all separate until we were ready to eat so chicken was not over cooked.
Fabulous! Glad it worked out, Maria. Thanks for stopping by again to leave me a review! 😀
Chicken piccata IS different everywhere you go. They are all good to me though!
This recipe was great because I kind of imagined the ingredients, but surely would not have gotten it right without your help. I dont like to measure, but still nailed it with this recipe! Lemon caper lover here, so quadrupled that part. Possibly? Felt like it, although i didnt measure. Lol. Great recipe though and can be tweeked to taste.
Thanks!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Brandi!! 😀 Thanks for your review.
I have not made this yet, but it looks super yummy! Do you know if I can make this dish and freeze it in a glass casserole dish for later? I am really in need of yummy freezer meals.
Thanks!
Hi Kathi! I don’t think this is an idea freezer meal, especially if made with the cream. Cream sauces are notorious for not freezing well. You could try the version without the cream, however, and see how it goes.
Also I made this with lime juice since i didnt have a lemon and it still turned out great. Didn’t add the zest since I was in a hurry, still fabulous. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!
I made this tonight and it was great! Followed the recipe exactly with cream and all 4 kids enjoyed it, which is a rare occurrence! I also love your snarky comments to the people that lack the common sense to adjust to their personal taste/preference. Scrolling through the reviews made me giggle.
I’m so glad it was a hit!! Hehe sometimes I can’t help myself. 😉
I want to make this recipe for a luncheon for about 20 people. Could I use chicken tenders and can I make it ahead of time? What do you recommend?
Hi! If you go that route, I’d be very careful about not overcooking the chicken when you warm it up. Tenders take even less time to cook than the recipe timing. You might want to do a small batch test run and reheat it and see if you like the results before you do it for 20.
I made this today it was excellent. Wish I could post the picture of it. Thank you for easy directions. Lots of recipes have fancy terms for recipes,thank you for keeping it simple
I’m more of a baker,but getting married soon so definitely need easy recipes. Not one of those cooks that can eyeball ingredients.
It was so yummy. Haha looks like I’m a chef with this plate,thanks again:)
I’m so happy you found the recipe easy and delicious, Theresa!! 😀 That’s definitely my goal. 🙂
Thank you will be using lots of your recipes from now on:))
🙂
I have made this recipe with the heavy cream several times and it is delicious
I’m glad to hear it, Joan! 🙂
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you!!
You’re very welcome, Connie!!
Love this recipe! I opted not to put the cream and added extra capers. It turned out perfect!
Excellent!!
Delish and so easy!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much!
I was very disappointed with this recipe. Real chicken piccata doesn’t call for heavy whipping cream. Also, there weren’t nearly enough capers or lemon juice.
Hi Danelle! I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe. It is a reader favorite, so I am surprised, but I guess we all have different tastes. You say “real” chicken piccata doesn’t call for cream… so why didn’t you follow the tip in step 5 (and also mentioned earlier in the blog post under the “can I make it without cream?” heading) that explains how to make it without the cream? If you had a strong preference prior to making the recipe, I don’t understand why you’d opt to use the cream. This is an Italian American recipe and versions with and without cream are both common. As with any recipe, it’s easy to adjust to your tastes. Adding a bit more lemon juice or some extra capers is an easy fix.