This easy Chicken Piccata recipe will transport you straight to Italy, but it is simple enough to make as a weeknight dinner. The juicy chicken is drizzled with a lemon piccata sauce and topped with salty capers. Watch the video tutorial below to see how this may just become your favorite chicken recipe!
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While the name may sound fancy, this recipe is really a quick and easy chicken dinner that makes you feel like you’re dining at a fine Italian restaurant. It is a popular menu item, offered alongside Chicken Parmesan and Spaghetti and Meatballs at well-known restaurants like Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory. Also, leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have them), reheat well.
Watch How to Make Chicken Piccata
This classic Italian recipe tastes decadent and fresh thanks to the combination of white wine and lemon over the juicy chicken, but it’s actually quite simple. I hope you’re inspired to make this easy chicken dinner recipe. PS: Be sure to watch the extended taste test at the end of the video.
What is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken Piccata is an easy, one-pan chicken dish made on the stove. The chicken is dredged (covered) in flour and pan-fried. Then, a delicious caper lemon piccata sauce is made in the same pan and then drizzled over the chicken to serve. The sauce goes with a variety of side dishes, making this chicken dish a versatile recipe. We’ve shared some of our favorite Chicken Piccata sides below.
The simple step of dredging the chicken in flour makes the chicken breast quite juicy, forming a crust and sealing in the natural juices and flavor. It is the same method we use for our well-loved Chicken Marsala recipe.
Ingredients
You can pick up each of these classic chicken piccata ingredients at your local grocery store, making this recipe a go-to dish for your family’s table.
- Chicken breasts—3 large chicken breasts cut in half will make 6 cutlets. You can buy precut chicken cutlets and skip the first step of the recipe
- Flour, salt, and pepper—to dredge the chicken, give it a nice crust and seal in the juices
- Butter—adds flavor to the chicken and makes for a creamy lemon piccata sauce
- Olive oil—keeps the chicken from sticking to the pan
- Dry white wine —such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio, most of the alcohol will be cooked off
- Lemon juice—a staple in the piccata sauce. Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor
- Capers—adds saltiness to off-set the sour lemon flavor, just be sure to rinse them first
- Parsley—a tasty garnish for the chicken
How to make Lemon Chicken Piccata
In a few short steps, you can create this delicious Italian dish in your own kitchen. It’s perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike.
- Cut the chicken lengthwise into thin cutlets, or buy pre-sliced cutlets. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
- Coat (dredge) chicken cutlets in the flour and gently shake off any excess.
- Sautee the floured chicken in a large skillet. Once cooked through to 165 degrees, transfer the chicken to a serving dish.
- Whisk lemon juice, butter, wine, and capers in the same pan to create the piccata sauce. After one minute, dip each side of the chicken into the sauce and return the chicken to the serving dish. Allow the sauce to thicken for two minutes, then drizzle over the chicken to serve.
Pro Tip: Cook the chicken for 2-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of your chicken. Use an instant-read thermometer to test for doneness when the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
Variations
Classic lemon Chicken Piccata is made with white wine, lemon juice, and capers, but you can make some easy substitutes that will still taste great, although not exactly the same.
- Garlic – Some recipes add garlic. You can add it in the fourth step when making the lemon piccata sauce
- Chicken stock – Avoid using alcohol by substituting all or half of the white wine with chicken stock, although most of the alcohol cooks off in the pan.
- Lemon juice – you can omit the white wine altogether to make Lemon Chicken.
- Veal – For a more decadent meal, try substituting the chicken breast for veal cutlets.
- Green olives – swap green olives for capers, or you can omit them.
Can I Substitute the Capers in Chicken Piccata?
While capers are pretty classic to chicken piccata and are an easy way to add so much great flavor and freshness to this dish, my original recipe didn’t call for them. So, if you were curious, you can make this dish without capers, or you can swap capers for olives. But if you haven’t tried the recipe before, capers add such great flavor, I highly recommend you give them a try!
I was making my Lemon and White Wine Chicken for years without capers, and after watching an episode of Giada, I realized it was basically Chicken Piccata!
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
This Chicken Piccata recipe is classically served with spaghetti or your favorite pasta. Simply cook The pasta according to package directions, drain, and then stir in a tab or two of butter. Pasta pairs perfectly with the flavors of the chicken piccata sauce.
We also love serving it with our Creamy Mashed Potatoes or our quick-cooking Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. Roasted vegetables, salad with Homemade Italian Dressing, crusty garlic bread, or even a scoop of rice complement the creamy lemon sauce quite well.
Make Ahead
Lemon Chicken Piccata typically disappears fast but leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have them), reheat really well.
- Refrigerating – Store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days, according to the USDA.
- To Freeze – transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
- Reheating – Thaw the chicken in the refrigerator. Then put it in a 350˚F oven for 20 minutes. This will keep the chicken’s crispy coating from getting soggy in the microwave.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
Our family loves chicken recipes and chicken is the protein we use most often. These are our best-loved chicken dinners:
- Chicken Madeira
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Korma
Chicken Piccata Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
For the Chicken Piccata:
- 3 chicken breasts (large), boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt , or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine such as chardonnay
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice , (juice of 1 large lemon)
- 3 Tbsp capers, rinsed under cold water
Garnish:
- 1 small lemon, sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup parsley
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you end up with 6 cutlets. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Add 1/2 cup flour to a shallow dish. Dredge chicken to coat with flour, shaking off the excess. Transfer to a large plate in a single layer.
- Place a large skillet (non-stick or stainless steel will work) over medium/high heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Once butter melts and begins to sizzle, add 3 pieces of dredged chicken and saute 2-4 minutes per side or until 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer (timing will depend on thickness of chicken). Remove to a serving platter, add additional 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter and sauté remaining chicken.
- In the same skillet without reducing heat, add 1/2 cup wine, 1 Tbsp butter, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup rinsed capers. Simmer 1 minute then dip your chicken pieces into your sauce a few pieces at a time and place them back on your platter. Continue simmering sauce another 2 minutes to slightly thicken. Drizzle sauce over chicken and garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
Nutrition Per Serving
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Hi natasha ! Just wanted to know if we could substitute white wine with something else?
Hi Fizza, Wine really makes the flavor great in chicken piccata. I suppose you could use a little chicken broth but I don’t think it would have the same flavor profile
I don’t use white wine, so I use some chicken broth with a little apple cider vinegar.
My husband and I love this dish! Such a great combination of flavors!! The chicken is so juicy and tender as well. Definitely added to our list of meals to make over and over again! Super easy to make as an added bonus.
Sounds like you found a family favorite! Thank you for sharing your awesome review with me, Maria!
Hello Natashia.
My name is Margene.
I’m not a chef or a professional cook but over the years living in different states I’ve learn and thought myself how to make wonderful dishes.
I was recently Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in March 2018 but that has not stopped me from any challenge throwen at me..
I have embraced the love of food, dishes of all ethnicities and teaching myself how to cook. I am always ready for a great meal or dish challenge.
My kids are always telling me that I need to open a restaurant. I laugh and say Im ok with cooking in my own kitchen, Silly kids.
I made your “Chicken Picate” and it was so delicious and tender and a keeper at that.
My dish came out a little darker but I’ll take it.
My son’s could not get enough and were in heaven and said mom, this is a keeper.
I have just about all your delicious and scrumptious recipes.
You have made a great name for yourself and your dishes are better and delicious then other chefs. So Koddos…
So, I will continue to follow you and cook your awesome dishes. As they say the boys are always hungry and need their belly’s full.
So a huge thank for sharing your wonderful dishes.
Blessings to you and yours..
Margene in Arizona
Oh Margene you are so so sweet! Thank you so much for sharing this with me! I’m so happy you discovered our blog and I’m so inspired reading your review. Blessings to you! Thank you!
I love your recipes have you got a recipe on butter chicken as well how to make perfect chips
cheers Christopher
Not quite! But that’s a great idea! Thank you for that suggestion!
Love all your recipes, simple and easy!
You’re so nice! Thank you, Sandy!
5 stars!!
Thank you so much for the awesome review Sherry!
Natasha what kind of capers did you use and where did you buy them? What is a good brand? Thank you:)
Hi Tanya, I don’t recall the brand name (maybe Mezzetta?) and I don’t currently have any in my fridge. I don’t stick to a particular brand because I don’t buy them often enough :-O, but look for the smaller “Nonpareil Capers” which are most often used in recipes.
What will be good side dish and what type of salad to complete the meal that I can serve to entertain guests?
Hi Sang! We like this with mashed potatoes! Our readers have also stated liking this with baked asparagus with lemon, butter and parmesan.
Hi Natasha, where do you buy your chicken or your poultry in general from? Awesome video!
Hi Melvin, I usually buy organic chicken at Costco or local Fred Meyer Thank you for watching 😀
This is absolutely delicious! I made it pretty much exactly like the recipe, and it turned out amazing. I can’t stop eating it.
Yay, I’m glad to hear how much you love the recipe Yelena! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha, I am so glad I found your lovely site and recipes. I am looking forward to trying this and the shrimp alfredo very soon.
I have a question about the wine. Can I substitute a white vermouth for the white wine when cooking? Will I need to reduce the amount of vermouth? I hear vermouth can sometimes overwhelm the dish?
That substitution will work just fine but you might need to simmer it a minute longer. I hope you’ll find many favorites here 😀
Wonderful recipe. Thank you!
Served with asparagus and thick home-style egg noodles.
After making the sauce, I then sauteed the asparagus in the sauce before serving. Just wow!
I also have been instructed that next time I make it I need to double (or triple) the sauce so there is more to drizzle over everything!
You’re welcome Teresa! I’m glad you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review with other readers!
love your website. made this last night and it was extremely lemony. had to add about a half a can of chicken broth to tame it. then it was fine. so unless you are a lover of extremely lemony flavors start with much less lemon. you can always add but it cannot be taken out.
I’m so glad you enjoy our blog :). Piccata does have a nice pronounced lemon flavor and I think it would still work well to cut back a little bit although we do love that lemon flavor 😉
thank you Natasha,what a amazing dish,fix it with a bake potato,and asparagus,yum yum
You’re welcome Robert! I’m glad you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Really good! I added 1/2 a cup of chicken broth which I thought was definitely necessary. Loving your recipes. Thank you!
You’re welcome Jen! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Made this last night and served with mashed potatoes and your baked asparagus with lemon, butter and parmesan. Both came out amazing!!! everyone was raving about how everything came out just perfect. Thank you for this recipe – my daughter said it’s her new favorite chicken (she’s usually extremely picky with her food). Can’t wait to make it again.
For those who didn’t want mashed potatoes I spiced up some white rice with lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley I had left over from the chicken. Great side option.
Awesome! I’m happy to hear that Ellen! Thanks for sharing your excellent review and helpful tips with other readers!
Hi Natasha,
I have a question,
Does it matter what kind wine you use? Because I went to the store and there is a very big variety of white chardonnay wine…
Thank you
Any wine that is a drinking quality will work. I would avoid using anything labeled “cooking wine”
Why is that? I thought the whole purpose of cooking wine is to use it in cooking.
Hi Olga, they have additives and salt which make them not ideal.
This dish is so yummy, simple and fast it’s incredible. We pared it with mashed potatoes and cucumber/tomatoes salad. Delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome Saniya! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy this recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Can you sub the all purpose flour with another flour? Almond Flour, maybe?
Hi Melissa, I haven’t experimented so I’m not sure. I assume a gluten free all-purpose baking flour would work, but I’m not sure about almond… Maybe someone else has some insight into this? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Thank you Natasha for a lovely recipe! I used buckweat flour and it came out great. Also, to tame down the lemony flavour I added some mapel syrup to taste. Turned out amazing!
Following your website and blog all the way from Australia!
My pleasure Elvira! I’m glad the recipe was a success. Thanks for following!
Yet another fantastic recipe on here! Perfect chicken piccata!
Thank you!! It IS so good! I’m glad you love it Monica 🙂