This is the BEST Chicken Piccata — tender, lightly fried chicken breasts simmered in a bright lemon, white wine and caper sauce. It’s a family-friendly, weeknight-friendly dish with a wonderful balance of tang and richness. Capers add a characteristic briny pop, but you can adjust to taste.
If you enjoy this chicken piccata, try the recipes for Creamy Lemon Sauce or The Ultimate Guide to Marinara Sauce for other bright sauce ideas.
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Chicken Piccata
- ⏲️Ready in: 1 hour
- 👪Makes: 6 servings
- 📋Main ingredients: Chicken breast, lemon, white wine, capers
- ⭐Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Elegant but simple, perfect over rice or pasta for a quick family dinner.
Chicken Piccata or Chicken Francese
Both Chicken Piccata and Chicken Francese are classic, delicious preparations. Francese usually has a thicker coating because the chicken is dredged in flour, dipped in egg, then fried. Piccata is lighter: the chicken is simply coated in flour (no egg) and finished with capers in a lemon–wine sauce. I prefer piccata for its lighter texture and cleaner finish, but either is worth making.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken breast. Choose fresh, evenly colored breasts. You can substitute well-tenderized boneless thighs if preferred.
- Shallot. Finely minced onion works in a pinch, but shallot gives a milder, more nuanced flavor.
- White wine. Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are good choices. If you prefer, replace with equal parts chicken broth.
- Capers. They add the signature tangy, briny note—omit only if you dislike them.
- Garlic. Use finely minced garlic to complement the shallot.
- Lemon. Always use fresh lemon juice for the best bright flavor and natural sugars that help the sauce thicken.
*See the recipe card below for full ingredient quantities and details.
How to Make Chicken Piccata
Step 1: Butterfly each chicken breast, tenderize gently, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Place flour on a plate and dredge each piece until fully coated. Set aside on a clean plate.
Step 3: Heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the chicken 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (165°F internal).
Step 4: Cook in batches so the pan isn’t crowded. Transfer cooked chicken to a cooling rack or paper towels; add oil as needed for remaining pieces.
Step 5: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté the chopped shallot 3–4 minutes.
Step 6: Stir in minced garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 7: Squeeze in fresh lemon juice and add capers. Let the lemon reduce slightly until it begins to thicken.
Step 8: Pour in white wine, raise heat to medium, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Scrape up the brown bits from the pan for added flavor.
Step 9: Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter until the sauce is smooth and slightly glossy.
Step 10: Return the chicken to the pan, spooning sauce over each piece to coat and warm through.
Step 11: Garnish with julienned basil (or parsley) and fresh lemon slices, then serve.
Serve chicken piccata over rice or pasta — angel hair or orzo pair especially well. It also complements simple sides like sautéed greens or roasted potatoes.
Pro-Tips
- Don’t flour too far ahead. If left too long, the coating can become soggy and stick to the pan.
- Fry in batches. Avoid crowding the pan so pieces brown evenly.
- Brown bits = flavor. The fond left in the pan will deepen the sauce.
- Simmer lemon and capers. Gently reducing the lemon intensifies its flavor before adding wine.
- Add butter off the heat. Lowering the heat when you add butter helps it emulsify into a smooth sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken piccata is chicken dredged in flour, pan-fried, and served in a lemon, white wine and butter sauce with capers and herbs. It’s commonly served with rice or angel hair pasta.
Piccata features lemon, white wine and capers for a bright, tangy profile. Marsala is made with mushrooms and Marsala wine, resulting in a deeper, more savory sauce.
Bitterness often comes from under-simmered wine or adding lemon too early, before the garlic and shallot are fully cooked. Make sure to simmer the wine and lemon to mellow harsh notes.
Capers are traditional and add a distinct tang that defines piccata, but you can omit them if you prefer—just know the flavor will be different.
Serving Suggestions for Chicken Piccata
This versatile main goes well with many sides:
- Vegetables: Serve with garlic parmesan green beans, sautéed rapini, or sautéed kale for a bright vegetable side.
- Starch: Try rice, angel hair pasta, or crispy garlic parmesan potatoes. Lemon pasta with spinach or artichoke pesto pasta are great pairings.
- Salad: A crisp Caesar or mixed green salad balances the richness of the sauce.
More Lemon-Forward Favorites
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Chicken Breast in Lemon Butter Sauce
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Lemon Pistachio Crusted Snapper
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Lemon Pasta with Spinach
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Cast Iron Lemon Dill Salmon
Please leave a comment and star rating in the recipe card if you try this — feedback is always appreciated.
The BEST Chicken Piccata
Vincent DelGiudice
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
1 large saucepan
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1 large plate
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breast, butterflied
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoon capers
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon basil, julienned
Instructions
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Butterfly and tenderize the chicken breasts, then season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour until fully coated and set aside.
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Heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium. Fry chicken 3–4 minutes per side or until 165°F. Cook in batches and transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Add more oil if needed.
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Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté shallot 3–4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
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Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until the lemon begins to thicken. Pour in white wine, raise heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
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Lower heat to low, add butter and stir until combined. Return chicken to the pan, coat with sauce, and top with basil before serving.
Video
Notes
- Don’t flour the chicken too far in advance; the coating can become soggy.
- Fry in batches to ensure even browning and enough oil in the pan.
- Browned bits left in the pan add depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Simmer lemon and capers together briefly for a concentrated lemon flavor.
- Add butter off the heat or with low heat to help the sauce emulsify and stay glossy.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 21g
Protein: 25g
Fat: 20g