Description
This Lemon Chicken Piccata is a vibrant and delicious weeknight dinner featuring tender, pan-seared chicken cutlets coated in a bright, silky lemon-caper sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, it's perfect served over mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 chicken cutlets (~1 to 1 ¼ lbs)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (use gluten-free flour, if needed)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Optional for Serving
- Mashed potatoes
- Lemon wedges or slices
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Slice the chicken breasts in half crosswise to create 4 cutlets, then lightly pound each cutlet between sheets of plastic wrap until about ½ inch thick.
- Mix Coating: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Coat Chicken: Toss each cutlet in the flour mixture until evenly coated and place on a plate. Discard any leftover flour mixture.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cutlets, cooking undisturbed for about 2 minutes until golden brown underneath, then flip and cook an additional 1–2 minutes until nearly cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
- Prepare Sauce Base: Reduce heat to low, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic to skillet. Stir continuously for about 30 seconds to prevent burning.
- Add Liquids and Flavorings: Increase heat to medium-high, pour in chicken broth, add capers and Dijon mustard. Stir and scrape browned bits from the pan, cooking until liquid reduces by half, about 3 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: Stir in butter vigorously until melted and sauce becomes glossy, approximately 1 minute.
- Simmer Chicken in Sauce: Return chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over cutlets, and simmer vigorously for about 2 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and sauce coats the spoon.
- Add Lemon and Season: Remove skillet from heat, stir in lemon juice, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Transfer chicken to a serving plate, spoon remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes with lemon wedges if desired.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- This recipe is ready in 30 minutes, ideal for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Use gluten-free flour if you need a gluten-free option.
- Ensure the chicken is cooked through by checking there is no pink inside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- The sauce thickens as it cools, so serve immediately for best texture.
- For extra creaminess, serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest flavor.
- Leftover chicken piccata can be refrigerated and gently reheated without losing flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe (without mashed potatoes)
- Calories: 232 kcal
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 542 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
