Chicken Piccata Capers Lemon (Printable)
Tender chicken sautéed and topped with a tangy lemon and caper sauce for a quick elegant meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), sliced horizontally into cutlets
02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (65 g)
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ For Sautéing
05 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
→ Sauce
07 - 1/2 cup dry white wine (120 ml) or chicken broth for alcohol-free version
08 - 1/2 cup chicken broth (120 ml)
09 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (60 ml, about 2 lemons)
10 - 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
# Steps:
01 - Place chicken cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
02 - In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge each cutlet in the mixture, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cutlets and cook 2–3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Work in batches if necessary. Remove chicken and keep warm.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Pour in white wine and scrape browned bits from skillet. Simmer 1–2 minutes until reduced by half.
05 - Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to skillet. Simmer 2–3 minutes allowing sauce to thicken slightly.
06 - Return chicken cutlets to skillet, spoon sauce over them, and cook 1–2 minutes until heated through.
07 - Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter for a silky finish, if desired.
08 - Sprinkle chopped parsley over chicken and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Ready in 30 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinners can actually feel special.
- The sauce is so bright and punchy it makes you feel like you're cooking with intention, not just following orders.
- It's forgiving enough for beginners but has enough finesse that you'll make it again and again.
02 -
- Don't skip the pounding step, I learned this the hard way when unevenly thick chicken left me with dry edges and an undercooked center in the same pan.
- The capers need rinsing or they'll oversalt everything, and fresh lemon juice makes a difference that bottled juice simply cannot match.
- Work in batches if you need to, crowding the pan just makes everything steam and steam is the enemy of golden, crispy edges.
03 -
- If your sauce seems thin after cooking, whisk together a little butter and flour on the side and stir it in for instant body and richness.
- Room temperature chicken takes longer to cook through than cold chicken straight from the fridge, so plan your timing accordingly for that perfect golden exterior.