Description
Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata features tender boneless chicken breasts lightly coated in flour and pan-fried to a golden brown, then smothered in a rich garlic, caper, and lemon cream sauce. This flavorful dish is perfect for a quick and elegant dinner, served best over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with veggies.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
- Lemon slices, to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Season both sides of each breast with salt and pepper.
- Dredge chicken: Coat the chicken breasts in the flour, shaking off any excess flour to ensure a light coating.
- Pan-fry chicken: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the olive oil. Fry the chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté garlic: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it.
- Create sauce base: Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan for extra flavor. Add the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add flavors: Stir in the capers, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Thicken sauce: Simmer the sauce gently until it reduces slightly and becomes thick and creamy. For quicker thickening, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook until desired consistency is reached.
- Finish chicken: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the pan. Spoon the sauce over them and simmer for 1-2 minutes until heated through and well coated.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with additional parsley and lemon slices. Serve hot over your choice of pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with vegetables.
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, substitute flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend or cornstarch.
- If you prefer a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be less rich.
- Pounding chicken breasts ensures even cooking and tender texture.
- Do not overcrowd the skillet when frying; cook in batches if necessary for a crispy crust.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright flavor.
- The optional cornstarch slurry speeds up thickening but simmering the sauce longer develops deeper flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
