Description
This Lemon Chicken Piccata recipe features tender, pan-seared chicken cutlets in a vibrant, silky lemon-caper sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner that pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes or lemon wedges for a bright and savory meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 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
Sauce and Cooking
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 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 they are about ½ inch thick to ensure even cooking.
- Coat Chicken: In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Dredge each cutlet in the seasoned flour mixture, coating all sides evenly. Transfer the coated cutlets to a plate and discard any leftover flour.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken cutlets without crowding the pan and cook without moving until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through and no pink remains, with an internal temperature of 165° F. Remove chicken from skillet and place on a clean plate.
- Sauté Garlic: Reduce heat to low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic to the skillet. Stir continuously to prevent burning for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Sauce: Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken broth, capers, and Dijon mustard to the skillet. Stir and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, approximately 3 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: Add butter to the skillet and stir vigorously until melted and the sauce becomes glossy, about 1 minute.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return chicken cutlets to the skillet, spoon sauce over them, and simmer vigorously for 2 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Transfer chicken to a serving plate. Spoon additional sauce over the top and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with lemon wedges if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- This recipe is ready in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Use gluten-free flour if you need to make the dish gluten-free.
- Do not move the chicken while frying to achieve a nice golden crust.
- Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F for safe consumption.
- The sauce thickens further as it cools, so serve promptly for best texture.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or alongside lemon wedges to enhance the flavors.
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
