# Chicken Piccata

Thin chicken cutlets, golden and pan-fried, finished in a bright lemon-caper butter sauce that comes together in minutes.

_Dinner · Italian-American_

Prep: 15 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 35 min · Yields: 4 servings

## Ingredients

- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lb total)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
- 4 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 lemon (thinly sliced into rounds)
- 3 tbsp capers (drained)
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley (roughly chopped)

## Instructions

1. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets. Place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Season both sides of the cutlets with the 0.5 tsp kosher salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper.
3. Spread the 0.5 cup all-purpose flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking off any excess — a thin, even coat is all you need.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams and subsides.
5. Add 4 cutlets in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
6. Add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter to the pan and repeat with the remaining 4 cutlets. Transfer to the plate.
7. Reduce heat to medium. Add the 3 cloves garlic to the drippings and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
8. Pour in the 0.5 cup dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes until reduced by half.
9. Add the 0.5 cup chicken stock, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, and the lemon rounds. Simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced.
10. Stir in the 3 tbsp capers and the remaining 2 tbsp unsalted butter, swirling the pan until the butter is fully melted and the sauce looks glossy.
11. Return the chicken cutlets and any resting juices to the pan. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, spooning the sauce over the cutlets, until heated through.
12. Scatter the 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley over the top and serve immediately, with the pan sauce spooned generously over each portion.

## Tip

> Swirl the final 2 tbsp butter into the sauce off direct heat — if the pan is too hot, the butter breaks into grease instead of emulsifying into a silky, cohesive sauce.

Tags: weeknight, one-pan, 30-minute, comfort-food

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Canonical: https://just-recipes.io/recipes/chicken-piccata