Ultimate Chicken Piccata
These pan-fried chicken cutlets are glazed with a buttery/lemony sauce that’s dotted with capers and onions. It’s absolute perfection from the first bite to the last. This is the ultimate quick-and-easy weeknight meal!
This classic dish has the perfect balance of flavors! There’s just enough sweet butter to balance the tangy lemon, and there’s just enough sweet onion to compliment the briny capers! Each bite delivers moist chicken and an explosion of flavors that hit the palate from all sides.
This is the perfect weeknight meal! This chicken piccata is great for any busy weeknight because it’s quick, easy, made in one pan, and requires very few, readily available ingredients.
Use thin-sliced chicken! Not only does thin-sliced chicken cook more quickly, it cooks more evenly, which is the key to this dish. In fact, it’s the key to practically any chicken recipe that incorporates a pan sauce. If you didn’t purchase thin-sliced chicken from the grocery store, no problem. Simply halve two regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts horizontally, making four thinner cutlets.
What should you serve with your chicken piccata? I recommend something to soak up any extra sauce – so rice, pasta, bread, or your favorite grain would be an excellent option. And any vegetable works too – steamed, baked, roasted, blanched – and fresh or frozen! I served garlicky broccoli and fluffy jasmine rice on the side.
Ultimate Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 larger chicken breasts halved through the middle to create 4 thin cutlets
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced onion, or shallot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional
- Lemon slices for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish, add the chicken and turn to coat both sides. Shake off excess flour.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the same pan over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices on the plate.
- Return to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Season the sauce with salt and black pepper.
- Garnish with parsley and lemon slices, if using, and serve.