Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe

Lemon Chicken Piccata is pan fried chicken cutlets in a creamy lemon butter sauce with white wine and capers. Serve with your favorite pasta for a special weeknight dinner or Sunday supper!

Why go out to eat when you can make this restaurant quality chicken piccata recipe at home? You can find this classic Italian dish at most Italian restaurants, but it’s cheaper to make it at home.

I used to make this simple chicken recipe way back when, before the kiddos came along. It’s definitely on the tangy side, and I didn’t think my picky eaters would go for it.

Now that they’re older, I make this easy chicken dinner for a special weeknight dinner or Sunday dinner. It’s a great recipe for birthdays, Valentine’s Day or date night!

Even though there is some prep work, this easy recipe takes about 30 minutes to make!

Try my Ritz cracker chicken or Mayo Parmesan chicken and search the archives for even more easy chicken recipes.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this creamy lemon chicken piccata recipe. They should be easy to find in your grocery store or online.

• Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• Seasonings — salt, black pepper and garlic powder
• Flour — all purpose flour
• Butter — salted butter or unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• White wine — or chicken broth
• Lemon — about 1 medium lemon for the fresh lemon juice
• Heavy cream
• Capers — usually found by the jarred peppers and olives

How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata

First, you’ll need to pound the chicken breast halves until they’re about 1/4 inch thick.

The easy way to pound chicken is to put them between pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap or into large freezer bags.

Then, use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to gently pound them.

Then, season the chicken, and dredge it with flour.

I like to put the flour in a shallow dish and use kitchen tongs to hold the chicken. After the chicken is well coated, be sure to shake off the excess flour.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat to medium high heat. When the butter melts, add the chicken cutlets to the skillet,

Pan fry the chicken breasts on both sides until they’re golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Next, remove chicken from the pan while you make the sauce. Place the chicken on a large plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Pour the white wine into the skillet. Then, deglaze the pan with white wine, or use chicken broth if you don’t want to use wine.

Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Then, add lemon juice, cream and capers. Put the chicken back into the sauce. Pour in the chicken juices, as well.

Add some chopped fresh parsley for flavor and presentation. I also like to add lemon slices for another pop of color.

The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce and should be 165 degrees internally for safety.

You can spoon the tangy creamy sauce over the chicken before serving or let people add their own sauce.

I highly recommend tasting the sauce before serving. You can add more cream or use chicken broth to help balance the flavors if you think it’s too tangy.

What to Serve with Chicken Picatta

We like to serve chicken piccata over a bed of pasta or egg noodles. The pasta helps absorb the creamy lemon sauce. I usually make pasta in my Instant Pot since my pan takes up a lot of space on the stove.

Sprinkle a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the chicken for extra flavor.

If you don’t want pasta, you can serve the chicken over rice or mashed potatoes. or roasted potatoes. We love steamed broccoli or asparagus with this creamy lemon chicken dinner. A simple green salad works, too!

Recipe Variations

To make chicken piccata without wine, chicken broth is a great substitute. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this creamy chicken piccata recipe.

Lighten up the recipe by leaving out the heavy cream or use half and half.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover chicken piccata in your refrigerator in an airtight container. It will keep fresh for 3-4 days. You can freeze leftover chicken for up to 3 months for best flavor.

Reheat the chicken on the stove top or in your microwave.

Cooking Tips

I recommend having all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before starting. It makes the cooking process much smoother.

If the chicken is very thick, butterfly the chicken by slicing it in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Then, pound the chicken pieces until they are even.

Capers have a strong flavor. You can rinse the capers before adding to the sauce to reduce the saltiness.

FAQ

My entire family loves this creamy lemon chicken piccata recipe — even the picky eaters go back for seconds!

I hope you enjoy this delicious chicken dinner as much as we do! If you do make it, please leave a star rating and/or comment.

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Recipe published in 2020 and updated in 2023.