This simple weeknight dish is easy to make and you only need one pan! Chicken piccata is a classic Italian dish consisting of thin pieces of chicken lightly coated in flour and pan fried to perfection. The same pan is then used to make a creamy and zesty lemon sauce that the chicken is simmered in until juicy and tender.

I learned how to make this dish from my Papou (grandfather) who made chicken piccata all the time. He loved to serve this over buttery egg noodles with a side salad. Chicken piccata would also pair well with mashed potatoes, rice, risotto, and any of your favorite vegetables.

KEY INGREDIENTS:

Chicken: To make this meal even quicker, buy thin-sliced chicken breasts. This will allow you to skip the first two steps and go directly into dredging your chicken.

Lemon: Because one of the major flavors in this dish is lemon, I strongly encourage you to use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. Using the zest and juice of a fresh lemon will ensure the most robust flavor.

White Wine: (Optional) When choosing a wine to cook with, always pick something that you would enjoy drinking. If you like the flavor enough to drink it, then you will enjoy that flavor in your sauce.

Capers: (Optional) Salty and briny, capers help to balance the richness of this creamy sauce. Although I do not like the flavor of the capers themselves, I like to add them to my Chicken Piccata because they help bring the sauce together.

Comment below what sides you would pair this Chicken Piccata with!

Print Recipe

Chicken Piccata

Looking for a new weeknight meal? This quick and easy sautéed lemon chicken is something my Papou made all the time. The chicken is pan fried until tender and the sauce is creamy and zesty.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken, chicken breast, chicken piccata, dinner, easy dinner, lemon chicken, one pan dinner, quick dinner, weeknight dinner

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• 1 cup flour reserving 2 tbsp
• 3 lemons zest of 1 and about ¼ cup of juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 ½ cups bone broth
• 1 small onion sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup white wine optional
• 1 tbsp capers optional

Instructions

• PREP THE CHICKEN: Prepare the chicken by trimming off any excess fat. Butterfly the chicken cutting all the way through. To do so, place your hand on top of one chicken breast and hold the knife along the side of the breast (carefully) saw through the chicken to make two thinner chicken breasts. Repeat this step with the second chicken breast, so you are left with a total of four thin chicken breasts.
• Starting with one piece of chicken, place a piece of parchment on top of the chicken and pound it with a meat mallet. Be sure to start in the middle of the chicken breast and work your way out to each edge. Do this with each piece of chicken until it is ¼ inch thick. Set aside.
• DREDGE THE CHICKEN: In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour (reserving 2 tbsp for later), salt, pepper, zest of 1 lemon, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and Italian seasoning. Lightly coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.
• COOK THE CHICKEN: Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook each piece of chicken until it is golden brown on both sides (about 5-10 minutes). Once each piece of chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside.
• MAKE THE SAUCE: Using the same skillet, add in the butter. When the butter has melted, add in the onions and cook until translucent. Then, add the garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant.
• Add in the reserved 2 tbsp of flour and stir. Let the flour cook for a minute or two to get rid of the flour taste. Slowly pour in the bone broth while whisking continuously. As you do so, use the whisk to scrape the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. At this point, you can add ¼ cup of lemon juice as well as the white wine and capers. Let the sauce simmer on low for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• ADD THE CHICKEN: At this point, taste your sauce to make sure it doesn’t need anything. I typically like to add more lemon juice because I like a lot of lemon. You may need to add some salt, pepper, etc. This often depends on if you use the capers because they can be salty. Once you are satisfied with the flavor of your sauce, add in the chicken and let it simmer in the sauce on low for another 5-10 minutes. Ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked by using a thermometer to check the internal temperature (you want it to be at least 165°F). Serve.

Notes

*To make this meal even simpler and quicker, use thin-sliced chicken breasts. This will allow you to skip the first two steps and go directly into dredging your chicken.

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