Quick and easy, creamy lemon chicken piccata is a simple and delicious 30-minute meal. Soft and tender chicken breast is dredged in flour, seared, and tossed in a light and creamy lemon sauce with capers and garlic to give the best flavour. This crowd favourite is so easy to make in a single skillet and served over a bed of pasta. The perfect weeknight dinner.
What is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a classic Italian dish where chicken breast that has been sliced and pounded is covered in flour and cooked with a light lemon sauce with capers. It is one of my favourite Italian dishes along with easy chicken parmesan (parmigiana), creamy tortellini soup with sausage, and shrimp fettuccine alfredo pasta bake.
Ingredients
To make this easy chicken dinner, you will need:
- chicken breasts - two boneless and skinless chicken breasts (1 lb. total), sliced in half and then carefully flattened with a rolling pin to ¼-inch thick.
- chicken seasoning - Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- all-purpose flour - for coating the chicken (dredging), and some more for the sauce.
- vegetable oil - to sear the chicken.
- butter
- garlic
- chicken broth - or 1 tablespoon chicken chicken bouillon powder + 1 cup water.
- heavy cream
- capers and lemon juice - these are classic ingredients in chicken piccata and give it its signature flavour.
- garnish - fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
- for serving (optional) - dry pasta such as spaghetti or linguine or mashed potatoes.
You will also need skillet (this is the pan that I used). A meat thermometer also very useful for checking the chicken for doneness.
How to Make the Best Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Flatten the chicken: Slice each chicken breast carefully in half lengthwise (horizontally) and place one at a time, between 2 sheets of plastic cling wrap or in a ziploc freezer bag. Carefully flatten the chicken breasts with a rolling pin until they are approximately ¼-inch thick. Don’t pound the breasts too hard, as it could tear them apart. Ideally, you want flattened chicken breasts with uniform thickness.
- Season and dredge the chicken: Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Then, dip the chicken in a shallow bowl of flour and evenly coat both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Sear the chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high for 2 minutes until the oil is sizzling and shimmering. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked through. The internal temperature for the chicken should reach 165F. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to do this in two batches. Rest the chicken on a plate.
- Make the lemon sauce: In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and flour and mix well until the sauce is smooth and uniform. Add in heavy cream, capers, and lemon juice. Turn the heat down to medium low and bring the sauce to a simmer until thickened to a desired consistency, about 2-3 minutes. Stir continuously if the cream curdles because of lemon juice, until smooth.
- Toss in chicken: Return the chicken to pan and toss well to coat. Let the chicken cook with the sauce for another minute and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
How to store: Store chicken piccata with the sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove over medium-low for a few minutes or in the microwave until warmed through.
How to Serve Chicken Piccata
I like to serve creamy lemon chicken piccata over a bed of linguini pasta with the sauce drizzle on top, or on mashed potatoes or garlic mashed cauliflower.
I would complete the meal with a light salad such as as Mediterranean orzo salad or Mediterranean chickpea wedge salad and a side of bread to soak up the sauce such as cheesy garlic dinner rolls or pull apart garlic bread.
More Chicken Recipes
- Easy Chicken Parmesan (Parmigiana)
- Apple Dijon Braised Chicken Thighs
- Skillet Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- Creamy Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Sauce
- One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice
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Recipe
Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 servings
Description
Quick and easy, creamy lemon chicken piccata is a simple and delicious 30-minute meal made with tender chicken breast in a light lemon sauce with capers.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts (1 lb. total) boneless and skinless
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth (or 1 tablespoon chicken chicken bouillon powder + 1 cup water)
- ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon lemon wedges, thinly sliced (for garnish)
For serving (optional):
- 6 to 8 oz. dry pasta
- mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast carefully in half lengthwise (horizontally) and place one at a time, between 2 sheets of plastic cling wrap or in a ziploc freezer bag. Carefully flatten the chicken breasts with a rolling pin until they are approximately ¼-inch thick. Don’t pound the breasts too hard, as it could tear them apart. Ideally, you want flattened chicken breasts with uniform thickness.
- Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Then, dip the chicken in a shallow bowl of flour and evenly coat both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high for 2 minutes until the oil is sizzling and shimmering.
- Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked through. The internal temperature for the chicken should reach 165F. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to do this in two batches. Rest the chicken on a plate.
- In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and flour and mix well until the sauce is smooth and uniform.
- Add in heavy cream, capers, and lemon juice. Turn the heat down to medium low and bring the sauce to a simmer until thickened to a desired consistency, about 2-3 minutes. Stir continuously if the cream curdles because of lemon juice, until smooth.
- Return the chicken to pan and toss well to coat. Let the chicken cook with the sauce for another minute and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
- Serve immediately with a side of pasta.
Notes
How to store: Store chicken piccata with the sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat for a few minutes or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
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Jess says
Came out delicious!
Heather Kromer says
This dish was super yummy, full of flavor, and super easy! I will most definitely be using this recipe again, thank you!!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Heather! So glad you liked the recipe!
Kenesha says
The recipe didn’t have measurements for the ingredients to make lemon sauce
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
All measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom (just above the comment section). You can click "Jump to Recipe" at the top to get straight there.
Melissa Bergeron says
This was sooo good. I don’t cook much but the nights I’m off I wanna get creative! Will be making this for my parents
D. Romaniello says
Super delicious!!!!!! Nice quick dish for a weeknight dinner. My family’s new favorite!!!
Gail says
Delicious! Great recipe for creamy piccata! Instead of using cream I used cashew milk (soak raw cashews to soften then blend high/well). Highly recommend this recipe...thank you! I'm going to try making it with cauliflower (but won't substitute the butter because nothing tastes as good as butter in piccata).
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much Gail! And thank you for sharing your substitution. Glad it worked with dairy-free milk!