Creamy Chicken Piccata (Printable)

Tender pan-fried chicken in a bright lemon and caper cream sauce. Easy, elegant, and ready in 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
11 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
12 - 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment and pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Dredge chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Pour in wine (or chicken broth) and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half (about 2 minutes).
06 - Add chicken broth, heavy cream, and lemon juice. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
07 - Stir in capers and return chicken to the skillet. Spoon sauce over chicken and simmer 2-3 minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with pasta, rice, or crusty bread.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a fancy restaurant dish but comes together in half an hour on a weeknight.
  • The sauce is so good you'll want to soak up every last drop with bread.
  • It turns plain chicken breasts into something you'll crave again and again.
02 -
  • Don't skip pounding the chicken, uneven thickness means some parts will be dry while others are undercooked.
  • Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, bottled just doesn't have the same bright, clean flavor.
  • Let the wine reduce properly or the sauce will taste sharp and boozy instead of mellow.
03 -
  • Always taste the sauce before adding salt, the capers and broth can be salty enough on their own.
  • If the sauce breaks or looks oily, whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter off the heat to bring it back together.
  • For an even creamier texture, stir in a tablespoon of mascarpone or cream cheese at the very end.
Go back