Description
This Lemon Chicken Piccata is a quick and elegant weeknight dinner featuring juicy, pan-seared chicken cutlets finished with a bright, silky lemon-caper sauce. Served optionally over mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh parsley and lemon wedges, it's a flavorful dish that's simple to prepare and sure to impress.
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 Chicken Cutlets: Slice the chicken breasts in half crosswise to create 4 cutlets. Lightly pound each cutlet between sheets of plastic wrap until about ½ inch thick.
- Mix Flour Coating: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Coat Chicken: One at a time, toss chicken cutlets in the flour mixture until coated on all sides. Transfer to a plate and discard any leftover flour mixture.
- Cook Chicken Cutlets: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cutlets without crowding the pan. Cook without moving for about 2 minutes until golden brown underneath. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until nearly cooked through and no pink remains (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
- Prepare Sauce Base: Lower 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 Flavor: Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken broth, drained capers, and Dijon mustard. Stir and scrape any browned bits from skillet. Cook until liquid reduces by half, about 3 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: Add butter and stir vigorously until melted and sauce is glossy, about 1 minute.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return chicken to skillet. Spoon sauce over cutlets and simmer vigorously for about 2 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce lightly coats the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Transfer chicken to a serving plate, spoon sauce over the top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes and garnish with lemon wedges if desired. The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- This recipe is ready in 30 minutes, making it ideal for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Use gluten-free flour to make the dish gluten-free if needed.
- Home-made chicken broth improves flavor but store-bought works well in a pinch.
- Ensure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F for food safety.
- The lemon-caper sauce is bright and silky, enriching the juicy pan-seared chicken.
- Serve over mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Leftover chicken piccata stores well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
