Description
Chicken Piccata brings zesty lemon and buttery sauce together for a restaurant-quality meal that feels totally doable in your own kitchen. Tender chicken cutlets bathed in a tangy white wine sauce make weeknight dinner feel like a special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoning and Cheese:
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
Pan Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 tablespoon cold butter
Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts between wax paper sheets to ¼-inch thickness. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Blend flour, Parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper on a flat plate. Dampen chicken breasts and coat thoroughly in seasoned flour mixture. Let chicken rest for 2-3 minutes, then dredge again for extra crispy coating.
- Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (375°F) until shimmering. Carefully place floured chicken breasts in hot pan.
- Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 2-3 additional minutes.
- Transfer cooked chicken to a warm plate. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to retain heat.
- Deglaze skillet by adding 2 Tbsp white wine, freshly squeezed lemon juice from one whole lemon, and 2 Tbsp capers. Scrape browned bits from pan bottom.
- Simmer sauce over medium heat for 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and swirl in 1 Tbsp cold butter until melted.
- Pour hot pan sauce evenly over chicken breasts. Serve immediately while sauce and chicken are warm.
Notes
- Double dredging creates a crispier, more flavorful crust that helps seal in the chicken’s moisture and gives extra texture.
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled for the brightest, most vibrant sauce flavor that really makes this dish pop.
- Pat chicken breasts completely dry before seasoning to ensure a perfect golden-brown sear that won’t steam in the pan.
- For a gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with almond flour or cornstarch, which will still provide a nice crisp coating on the chicken.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg