Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is the Italian-American classic you already know from restaurant menus, and I make mine without the messy step everyone dreads: pounding the chicken flat. Butterfly it instead. Same tender bite, none of the plastic wrap and mallet mess on your counter.

This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure.

I’ve cooked this dish professionally for years, and it hasn’t changed much because it doesn’t need to. The sauce is the real reason people ask for the recipe: lemony, garlicky, and glossy enough to spoon over noodles or rice. I always make extra sauce, because one batch is never enough at my table.

This is a weeknight dish, but it’s dressed up enough for company too.

Chef Jenn’s Take on Chicken Piccata

Most chicken piccata recipes start with a mallet and a piece of plastic wrap, and that’s the first place I ditch tradition. Pounding chicken breasts thin is messy, it flattens the texture unevenly, and it’s an extra step you don’t need. Butterflying gets you the same even thickness with one clean cut and a lot less cleanup.

I’ve made this dish more times than I can count over years of professional cooking, but the notes I have don’t include a specific comparison I can point to here. If you’ve clocked a difference between fresh and bottled lemon juice, or tested how long the sauce holds before it breaks, that’s worth adding.

The part that actually makes or breaks this dish is the sauce. Deglaze with wine, reduce it down, then swirl in cold butter off the heat so it stays glossy instead of turning greasy. Do it over high heat and the butter separates. Do it low and slow off the burner, and it stays silky every time.

What You’ll Love About Chicken Piccata

• This is quick enough for a weeknight, and if you butterfly the chicken the night before, it’s even faster, dinner in about the time it takes rice to cook.
• The sauce is the best part of this whole dish, and I always make sure there’s extra of it to spoon over noodles or rice.
• No pounding, no plastic wrap on the counter. I butterfly the chicken instead, and it’s faster and honestly less annoying than the classic method every recipe tells you to use.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts – Butterflied horizontally. You’ll need 2 large breasts, or if they’re smaller, use one per person.
• Salt and pepper – I use kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• All-purpose flour – Just scoop the flour and level it off without tapping it.
• Shallots – Shallots are milder and sweeter than yellow or white onions.
• Tablespoons butter – this is for dredging the chicken. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt and some pepper to season the flour, too.
• Olive oil – You will saute the chicken in olive oil. You don’t have to use your best olive oil. Any other oil will also work.
• Lemon juice – From freshly squeezed lemons. Uncork your inner foodie and add the zest from the lemons into the sauce if you like.
• White wine – Use a good-quality dry white wine. I cook with cheap Chardonnay and keep it in the fridge just for cooking. I save the expensive wine for drinking.
• Chicken broth – Use low or no sodium-added chicken broth.
• Capers – You can’t make Chicken Piccata without capers. Well, you can, but then it’s not chicken piccata. I use capers packed in brine. If they’re too strong for you, rinse them first.
• Freshly chopped parsley – Don’t skip this! Fresh parsley is the way to go.

How To Make Chicken Piccata

Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge each piece in flour and shake off the excess. You want a thin coating, not a crust of raw flour, or it’ll turn gummy in the sauce.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until the butter foams. The oil keeps the butter from burning at this heat, so use both.

Add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides and cooked through, then set it aside. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Crowded chicken steams and stays pale instead of browning, and that color is where the sauce gets its depth. Add a little more butter and oil between batches as needed.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it reduce for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Then add the chicken broth and lemon juice.

Reduce the heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until it reaches 165°F. Move the chicken to a platter to keep warm.

Stir in the capers and the remaining butter off a hard boil, swirling until the butter melts and the sauce turns silky. Add the butter cold and a bit at a time, that’s what gives the sauce its glossy body instead of a greasy layer on top.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

How to Butterfly Chicken Breast

To start, place your chicken breast on a cutting board. Holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice into the side of the chicken breast, starting at the thicker end and stopping just short of the opposite edge. Be careful to keep the knife flat and steady, ensuring you don’t cut all the way through. Open the chicken breast like a book and then cut the chicken breasts in half

Make It A Meal

Chicken Piccata pairs wonderfully with a side of creamy mashed potatoes, al dente pasta, or even a light and crisp green salad for a balanced meal. For a heartier meal, start with a Caesar Salad and serve crisp bread on the side. I love this dish with buttered egg noodles; it’s simple and delicious!

Storage

Leftover Chicken Piccata can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, simply warm it gently on the stove over low heat to preserve the moisture of the chicken. You can also freeze this dish. I freeze the chicken over top of the noodles and spoonfuls of sauce. It’s not quite as good as the original but it makes a quick and easy lunch or dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions