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Chicken Piccata · Classic

Lemon Caper Chicken Piccata

Tender chicken cutlets dusted in flour, pan-fried golden and finished in a tangy lemon butter sauce with capers. Fast enough for a Tuesday, nice enough for guests.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Level
Medium

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 8 oz each
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Sauce

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup dry white wine, or more broth
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Cook to 165°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

  1. Slice each breast in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets.
  2. Lay the cutlets between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet to an even 1/4 inch thick.
  3. Season the cutlets with the salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl.
  4. Press each cutlet into the flour on both sides and shake off the extra.
  5. Heat the oil and 1 tbsp butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the butter stops foaming.
  6. Cook the cutlets (in two batches if needed) until golden on the first side.
  7. Flip and cook until golden and 165°F (74°C) in the center. Move them to a plate.
  8. Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic to the pan. Stir until fragrant.
  9. Pour in the broth, wine and lemon juice and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer until reduced by about a third.
  10. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the capers, then swirl in the cold butter a piece at a time until the sauce turns creamy.
  11. Return the chicken to the pan, turn it in the sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Serve right away.

Tip: Swirling in cold butter off the heat keeps the sauce from separating.

Tip: Serve over thin pasta, rice or with green beans.

Tip: Use a separate cutting board for raw poultry, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it. Don't rinse raw chicken; it only spreads germs around the sink.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 3 days. Reheat until hot all the way through (165°F).

Estimated nutrition per serving: 380 calories · protein 28 g · carbohydrates 14 g · fiber <1 g · sugars <1 g · fat 22 g (saturated 9 g) · sodium 710 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 13 of 13 ingredients.