Description
Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata features tender, pan-fried chicken breasts coated in a light flour dredge, served in a luscious garlic, caper, and lemon cream sauce. This vibrant and comforting dish is perfect for a quick and elegant dinner, pairing beautifully with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional for thickening)
- Lemon slices, to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken: Coat the chicken evenly in flour, shaking off any excess to prevent clumping during cooking.
- Pan-fry the chicken: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the olive oil. Fry the chicken breasts on each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté garlic: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Create the sauce base: Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan to lift browned bits for extra flavor. Add heavy cream and bring the mixture gently to a boil.
- Add flavorings: Stir in capers, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Thicken the sauce: Simmer gently until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens. For a quicker and thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch slurry prepared by mixing cornstarch with water.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return the chicken breasts to the pan, spoon sauce over them, and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the chicken is reheated and well coated with sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with additional parsley and lemon slices. Serve hot over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with vegetables.
Notes
- This dish cooks quickly, making it perfect for a 30-minute weekday meal.
- If you prefer a lighter sauce, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour for dredging and cornstarch as a thickener.
- Be careful not to overcook the chicken to keep it tender and juicy.
- Spoon sauce generously to enhance flavor with every bite.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
