Description
This Lemon Chicken Piccata is a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner featuring juicy, pan-seared chicken cutlets topped with a bright and silky lemon-caper sauce. The dish combines tender chicken breasts dredged in seasoned flour, cooked to golden perfection, and finished in a tangy sauce made with garlic, chicken broth, capers, Dijon mustard, butter, and fresh lemon juice. Garnished with fresh parsley and optionally served over mashed potatoes, this recipe is simple to prepare and absolutely delicious.
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 the 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.
- Season the flour: In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, stirring to mix well.
- Dredge the chicken: One at a time, coat the cutlets thoroughly in the flour mixture and transfer them to a plate. Discard any unused flour mixture.
- Sear the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken cutlets and cook without moving until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until nearly cooked through, about 1–2 minutes. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
- Sauté garlic: Reduce heat to low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic to the skillet. Stir continuously for about 30 seconds to prevent burning.
- Prepare the sauce: Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken broth, capers, and Dijon mustard to the skillet. Stir and scrape browned bits from the pan, cooking until the liquid reduces by half, about 3 minutes.
- Finish the sauce: Add the butter and stir vigorously until melted and the sauce becomes glossy, about 1 minute.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon the sauce over the cutlets, and simmer vigorously until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce lightly coats a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Transfer the chicken to a serving plate, spoon sauce over the top, and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes if desired, garnished with lemon wedges.
- Store leftovers: Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Ready in 30 minutes, this recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Use gluten-free flour to make the recipe gluten-free if needed.
- Ensure the chicken is fully cooked by checking for no pink inside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- The sauce will thicken more as it cools, so serve promptly for the best texture.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
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
