Creamy Chicken Piccata (Print View)

Pan-fried chicken breasts in a luxurious lemon caper cream sauce. Bright, tangy, and ready in just 35 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)
02 - ½ teaspoon salt
03 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
09 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - ½ cup heavy cream
11 - ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
12 - 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Method:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper and pound to ½-inch thickness. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
02 - Coat chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess to ensure even coverage.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet. Sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
05 - Pour in white wine (or chicken broth) and simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce by half, approximately 2 minutes.
06 - Add chicken broth, heavy cream, and lemon juice to the skillet. Stir continuously and simmer for 2–3 minutes until sauce slightly thickens.
07 - Stir in capers and return chicken to the skillet. Spoon sauce over chicken and simmer for 2–3 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately with pasta, rice, or crusty bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce creates this incredible pan gravy that makes you want to run your finger along the edge of your plate when nobody's looking.
  • It's one of those rare dishes that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in just 35 minutes with ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or curdles, it usually means the heat was too high when you added the lemon juice, so always reduce the heat before this step.
  • Pounding the chicken to an even thickness isn't optional, it's the difference between perfect chicken and pieces that are simultaneously overcooked and undercooked.
03 -
  • Room temperature chicken sears more evenly than cold chicken straight from the fridge, so let it sit out for 15 minutes before cooking.
  • When reducing wine or broth, the bubbles will change from large and chaotic to smaller and more uniform when it's properly reduced, a visual clue I rely on every time.
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