Name: Lemon Chicken Piccata
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian inspired
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, patted dry; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 1 teaspoon; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small shallot, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup low sodium chicken stock; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons capers, drained; 1/4 cup butter, diced; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (plus more for garnish)

This Lemon Chicken Piccata recipe is a restaurant-inspired meal that’s easy to make at home. Perfectly tender chicken, with a creamy lemon sauce, is made with simple ingredients. It comes together quickly for weeknight dinner meal the entire family will love!

The Best Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe

If you’ve ever wanted to make chicken piccata at home then this recipe is for you! With minimal prep time and a quick cooking time, the entire recipe comes together in around 30 minutes or less and is surprisingly easy to make at home. It’s great to whip up for a quick weeknight meal when you’re running short on time but still want a meal with lots of flavor!

What Is Chicken Piccata?

Lemon chicken piccata is an Italian-American dish commonly served in restaurants and it is delicious. Chicken breasts or cutlets are dredged in flour, seared in a pan, and paired with a velvety caper lemon sauce.

More Italian Inspired Recipes

Lemon Chicken Piccata Ingredients

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: I like to use chicken breast cutlets for this recipe. They’re thinner and more even than regular chicken breasts which helps to cook a bit more evenly and quickly.

Flour: this recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but if you need a gluten-free option, you can substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.

Olive Oil: this is used to sear the chicken and lock in flavor. Choose a great-tasting olive oil that you love.

Aromatics: shallot and fresh garlic add the perfect flavor to the lemony sauce.

Chicken Stock: this replaces the white wine found in a traditional lemon chicken piccata recipe, which keeps the entire recipe alcohol-free. I recommend using low-sodium stock so you have more control over the flavor.

Lemon Juice: freshly squeezed is best!

Capers: these have a briny taste, similar to olives, that works really well with the acidity of the lemon juice.

Butter: I like to use unsalted butter and add salt to this dish as I’m cooking. If you prefer, you could use salted butter and reduce the amount of added salt instead.

Parsley: last but not least to add a bit of freshness to finish the dish.

How to Make

Step One: Season each side of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then, place the flour in a shallow bowl or plate.

Step Two: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of oil.

Step Three: While the oil heats, dredge two of the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, and gently shake them to remove any excess. Add the chicken to the skillet, and cook on each side until the pieces are golden brown. Transfer them to a clean plate.

Step Four: Repeat steps two and three, adding more oil to the skillet and dredging and cooking the chicken.

Step Five: Remove most of the oil in the skillet, leaving about a teaspoon in the pan. Next, reduce the heat to medium, and add the shallot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook for another minute or until fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn! Then, sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the mixture, and cook for another minute.

Step Six: Add the chicken stock to the skillet, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and let it cook until it reduces by half.

Step Seven: Reduce the heat to low, and whisk in the lemon juice, butter, capers, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step Eight: Pour the lemon sauce over the cooked chicken breasts, and serve warm!

Tips and Tricks

Use thin chicken breasts – for the best chicken piccata recipe you want to make sure that the chicken breasts are an even thickness. If you can’t find chicken cutlets, butterfly the chicken pieces, or use a meat mallet to pound them out until they’re all roughly the same size and are fairly thin. This helps the chicken cook quickly without drying out!
Rinse the capers – some people find that capers are too salty for their liking. If this is the case, try running them quickly under cold water before adding them to the pan.
Avoid overcrowding the skillet – I like to work in batches, leaving a bit of space between each chicken breast, as it helps keep the skillet hot and allows the chicken pieces to achieve a beautiful golden sear.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this easy chicken piccata recipe over a bed of pasta to soak up all the delicious sauce! However, it pairs well with a variety of sides and appetizers. Some more of my favorite options include:

How to Store and Reheat

To Store: Allow your chicken to cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight container, and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.

To Reheat: Warm leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat on the stove.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

I hope you give this Lemon Chicken Piccata a try! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

Lemon Chicken Piccata

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Author: Ashlea Carver
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian inspired

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Description

Ingredients

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4 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, patted dry
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour + 1 teaspoon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 cup butter, diced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (plus more for garnish)

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Instructions

Season each side of the chicken breast with salt and pepper and add the all purpose flour to a shallow bowl or plate.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet.
Dredge two of the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and shake to remove any excess flour. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and transfer to a platter.
Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and repeat the process of cooking the chicken and then transfer to a plate.
Remove most of the oil from the skillet, leaving around teaspoon in the pan. Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium and then add the shallot. Cook the shallot for 1-2 minutes and then add the garlic cooking for another minute. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over the shallot and garlic and cook for another minute.
Next, add the chicken stock scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half.
Reduce the heat to low and then whisk in the lemon juice, butter, capers, and parsley into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.