Quick meals don’t get much tastier than Chicken Piccata! Tender chicken is paired with a bright, buttery lemon-white wine sauce that tastes like something you’d expect to enjoy at your favorite restaurant. Since it’s one of my favorite dishes to order when dining out, I knew I had to recreate it at home. Once I mastered the recipe, I was hooked. It’s surprisingly simple to prepare, yet feels special enough to make an ordinary weeknight dinner taste like a restaurant-quality meal right in your own kitchen.
Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe – A Restaurant Favorite
For years, Chicken Piccata was one of my favorite dishes to order whenever we ate at our favorite local Italian restaurant. There was just something about those tender chicken cutlets nestled in that bright, buttery lemon sauce with a splash of white wine that kept me coming back for more. Naturally, I decided I needed to learn how to make it at home and once I did, I was hooked.
It turns out this elegant-looking dish is surprisingly simple to prepare, making it one of those recipes that feels a little fancy without requiring a lot of fuss. It’s a wonderful way to turn an ordinary weeknight supper into something special, and goodness knows, there’s nothing better than serving a restaurant-quality meal right from your own kitchen.
Key ingredients to make Chicken Piccata: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)
- Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest gives the sauce a bright citrus flavor.
- Capers – Capers add the classic briny flavor to the sauce.
- Breading – All purpose flour and panko breadcrumbs for crunch and texture.
- Spices – Garlic salt and black pepper, dry Italian seasoning.
- Oil and Butter – Olive oil and butter combined for frying the chicken pieces.
- Liquid – Chicken broth or chicken stock plus white wine.
- Garnish – Chopped fresh parsley for earthiness and color.
How to Make Chicken Piccata Recipe
- Prep Chicken Pieces – Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness. Season the chicken on both sides with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Season Breading – Mix together all-purpose flour, panko bread crumbs and dry Italian seasoning.
- Coat the Chicken – Dredge the chicken lightly on all sides.
- Heat Oil – Over medium-high heat in a large skillet heat a few drizzles of olive oil with butter, brown the chicken on each side or until cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
- Make Sauce – In a small bowl, mix the remaining butter with all-purpose flour to form a paste.
- Add Liquids – Over medium-high heat add the chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice and lemon zest to the same pan scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Combine – Whisk in the butter-flour mixture to the pan, simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Lower the heat and simmer for around 2-3 minutes to cook the flour and allow the lemon juice and wine to mellow. If you like the sauce thinner, add additional chicken broth at this point.
- Mix-Ins – Add the capers and chopped parsley. Mix to distribute.
- Serve – Enjoy the sauce drizzled over the chicken pieces, garnished with lemon slices and additional parsley.
Kitchen Equipment to Make Chicken Piccata
- One large skillet.
- Knife and cutting board.
- Balloon whisk.
- Large spoon.
- Citrus juicer.
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions
- Chicken – You can use chicken thighs in place of skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs will take slightly longer to cook.
- Capers – Capers give the sauce its classic briny flavor and in this instance you really should use them.
- Breadcrumbs – Although it’s not a traditional ingredient in the classic chicken piccata breading, I like to add panko breadcrumbs to the flour mixture to give the exterior that little extra crunch that makes it so irresistible. You could also use dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
- White Wine – If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can use all chicken broth instead. In that case, add 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to the sauce.
- Fresh Herbs – You can garnish with fresh rosemary, fresh basil or chives.
- Heavy Cream – You can add a splash of heavy cream to the sauce for an even richer flavor.
Storage and Leftovers
- Leftovers – Store cooked Chicken Piccata chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the lemon butter sauce separately and drizzle on top just before serving.
- Reheating – Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave in single servings, in an air fryer, toaster oven or on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degrees f oven.
- Freezer – Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.
Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Piccata
- Serve Chicken Piccata with a side of al dente pasta like my Lemon Pasta to soak up every drop of the amazing lemon sauce.
- Pasta – Creamy Ditalini Pasta or Boursin Pasta are both stellar options.
- Rice – Rice Pilaf adds a nutty texture that complents the flavors.
- Potatoes – Baked Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes. Anything that will soak up the sauce is perfection.
More Easy Chicken Recipes to Make
Lemon always comes to mind for dessert but, it’s equally delicious in savory dishes to add an acidic note. Other recipes to try:
- This recipe for Bundt Pan Lemon Thyme Chicken and Red Potatoes is a complete meal.
- Chicken Cakes and Remoulade Sauce turns canned chicken into a feast.
- Lemon Butter Chicken with fresh tarragon.
- Smothered Asiago Chicken is topped with spinach and mushrooms.
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs marinated in yogurt and seasoned with lemon and dill.
- Serve this Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken over rice to enjoy the delicious sauce.
- Flavorful Chicken Satay from Skinnytaste.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Chicken Piccata
This Chicken Piccata features tender chicken in a buttery lemon-white wine sauce with capers for a bright, flavorful restaurant-style meal that's surprisingly easy to make at home.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 476kcal
Ingredients
- 4 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp each garlic salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 Tbsp divided use
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
- 4 Tbsp butter divided use
- 2-4 Tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup chicken broth plus additional as needed
- 1/3 cup white wine [see Cook's note]
- 1 medium lemon juiced and zest
- 2 Tbsp capers drained
- 2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a shallow bowl stir together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ,1/4 cup panko bread crumbs and dry Italian seasoning. Dredge pieces of chicken lightly on all sides.
- Over medium-high heat in a large skillet heat a few drizzles of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Brown the chicken cooking for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side or just until cooked through and the juices run clear. If the chicken is thicker, cook longer if thinner, cook for slightly less time. Add additional olive oil if needed, when turning the chicken. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
- Piccata Sauce: In a small bowl, stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour to form a paste.
- Over medium-high heat add the chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice and zest to the same pan scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- To the pan whisk in the butter-flour paste. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Simmer for around 2-3 minutes on low heat, so the taste of the flour, lemon juice and wine mellows.
- Taste and adjust the amount of garlic salt and black pepper to your taste. If you like the sauce thinner, add additional chicken broth at this point.
- Add the capers and chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately drizzling the sauce over the chicken pieces. Garnish with lemon slices and additional fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Chicken – You can use chicken thighs in place of skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs will take slightly longer to cook.
- Capers – Capers give the sauce its classic briny flavor and in this instance you really should use them.
- Breadcrumbs – Although it’s not a traditional ingredient in the classic chicken piccata breading, I like to add panko breadcrumbs to the flour mixture to give the exterior that little extra crunch that makes it so irresistible. You could also use dried Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
- White Wine – If you prefer not to cook with wine, you can use all chicken broth instead. In that case, add 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to the sauce.
- Fresh Herbs – You can garnish with fresh rosemary, fresh basil or chives.
- Heavy Cream – You can add a splash of heavy cream to the sauce for an even richer flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
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Chicken Piccata
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Reviewed by Kritik Sah
on
August 16, 2026
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