Description
This Lemon Chicken Piccata recipe features juicy, pan-seared chicken cutlets smothered in a bright, silky lemon-caper sauce. Perfect for a quick and elegant weeknight dinner, it pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes and fresh lemon wedges for garnish.
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’re about ½ inch thick.
- Coat the chicken: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss each cutlet in the mixture until evenly coated. Discard any leftover flour mixture.
- Cook the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the cutlets without overcrowding. Cook without moving for about 2 minutes until golden brown underneath, then flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until nearly cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
- Prepare the sauce base: Reduce heat to low, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic to the skillet. Stir continuously for about 30 seconds to avoid burning the garlic.
- Add liquids and flavors: Increase heat to medium-high and pour in chicken broth, capers, and Dijon mustard. Stir and scrape browned bits from the skillet. Cook until the liquid reduces by half, roughly 3 minutes.
- Add butter and finish sauce: Stir in butter vigorously until melted and sauce becomes glossy, about 1 minute.
- Combine chicken with sauce: Return chicken cutlets to the skillet and spoon sauce over them. Simmer vigorously for about 2 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165° F) and sauce thickens to lightly coat a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Transfer chicken to a serving plate, spoon sauce on top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
- This dish is ready in 30 minutes, making it ideal for a quick weeknight meal.
- To keep the chicken tender, do not overcook; ensure an internal temperature of 165°F.
- The sauce will thicken further as it cools.
- Gluten-free flour can be used to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 78 mg
