Chicken Piccata Recipe
with lemon caper butter sauce
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Ingredients
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Chicken
Sauce
Method
Chicken
- 1
Prepare and pound
Slice each chicken breast horizontally to make two thinner cutlets (or butterfly and then pound). Place between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. This ensures quick, even cooking.
- 2
Season and dredge
Season both sides of the pounded cutlets with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Dredge each cutlet first in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in beaten egg, and set aside on a plate.
- 3
Fry chicken
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. When butter foams and the pan is hot (but not smoking), add cutlets in a single layer without crowding. Cook 2–3 minutes per side until golden-brown and just cooked through (internal temperature 160–165°F / 71–74°C). Transfer cooked cutlets to a warm plate and tent with foil. Reserve pan juices for the sauce.
Sauce
- 4
Deglaze pan
With the skillet still over medium-high heat, add the white wine (or chicken broth) to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until liquid is reduced by about half, about 1–2 minutes.
- 5
Add lemon and capers
Add the fresh lemon juice, lemon slices, and rinsed capers to the skillet. Let the mixture simmer gently for 1–2 minutes so the flavors meld and the lemon slices warm through.
- 6
Finish with butter
Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in the cold unsalted butter a tablespoon at a time, swirling the pan or whisking constantly to emulsify and thicken the sauce into a glossy lemon-caper butter. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or pepper if needed.
- 7
Return chicken to pan
Return the cooked cutlets to the skillet and spoon the sauce over them. Warm the chicken in the sauce for 1 minute to reheat and coat thoroughly (do not overcook).
- 8
Garnish and serve
Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the chicken and sauce. Serve immediately, spooning extra sauce and lemon slices over each cutlet.