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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Chicken Piccata with Capers and Lemon

    Published: Feb 26, 2021, Last updated: May 21, 2021 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A pinterest graphic of chicken piccata

    Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian-American dish made with chicken cutlets and capers served in a delicious white wine and lemon butter sauce. This recipe is super easy to make and is packed with flavour!

    An overhead shot of chicken piccata on a blue serving plate with lemon wedges and capers

    Chicken Piccata is the easiest weeknight meal.

    The chicken is dredged in flour which gives it a delicious coating and helps thicken the sauce. It's fried until golden then served in a zingy buttery sauce made with white wine, butter, fresh lemon and capers.

    Traditionally in the US this dish is served with pasta but like in Italy we never eat pasta as a side dish, instead I like to serve my chicken piccata with a simple arugula salad and some grilled or roasted veggies like our Parmesan Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli or Roasted Butternut Squash.

    Ingredients - what you need

    Chicken piccata is made with simple and easy ingredients. See the photo below that shows you everything you need plus some important tips.

    An overhead shot of all the ingredients you need to make Chicken Piccata
    • Chicken - I use 4 chicken breasts to serve 4 people. Each breast is cut in half to create a thinner chicken cutlet (2 per person). If your chicken breasts are large you might only need 2.
    • White wine - use a dry Italian white wine if possible or white vermouth. You only need ½ a cup for the sauce so the rest can be served with your dinner.
    • Stock - always use a low sodium stock so you can control the amount of salt that is added. I use organic chicken stock cubes for this.
    • Butter - the butter adds a lot of creamy richness to the sauce, definitely don't skip it!
    • Capers - make sure to use capers that are in brine and not salt. If they are salted you'll need to rinse them before use.
    • Lemon juice - make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice, you only need a little because the capers a quite pickely but you can add more to taste.

    Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have thin cutlets. Cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap (cling film) and bash them gently with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are around ¼ inch (1cm) thick (photos 1-3).

    Season the chicken with salt then dredge each cutlet in flour making sure to shake off any excess (photo 4).

    Step by step photos showing how to cut chicken into cutlets and dust in flour

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan, once hot fry the chicken cutlets in batches for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Place the cooked chicken on a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm (photo 5).

    Turn the heat down low and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted add the wine and the stock then turn the heat to high and whisk the sauce until it starts to thicken slightly (about 5-6 minutes) (photos 6 & 7).

    Step by step photos showing how to make chicken piccata with lemon and capers

    Add the remaining butter, capers, and lemon juice, stir until the butter has melted. Add the chicken back to the pan. If your pan or skillet isn’t big enough serve your chicken on a serving plate and pour over the sauce. Serve (photo 8).

    Recipe tips and FAQs

    • Cooking the chicken - fry the cutlets on a high heat so they get nice and golden on the outside. Each piece of chicken needs 4-5 minutes on each side and you'll probably need to cook them in batches.
    • Keep the chicken warm - make sure to keep the chicken warm on a plate covered in foil while you make the sauce.
    • Thickness of the sauce - this recipe makes a delicious lemon butter sauce that's pourable and not overly thick. If you'd like to thicken your sauce further then add in 2 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoon of water. Simmer until thickened.
    Can I add cream?

    Yes, you can make creamy chicken piccata by adding ¼ cup (60ml) of heavy cream to the sauce at the same time you add the chicken stock.

    What can I use instead of wine?

    If you want to make this alcohol free you can replace the wine with more chicken stock.

    A piece of chicken piccata on a fork

    More Italian recipes you might like

    • Veal Marsala (Scaloppine al Marsala)
    • Veal Saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto
    • Chicken Cacciatore
    • Italian Chicken Cutlets with pesto and spinach
    • Creamy Tuscan Chicken (a real Tuscan recipe)

    If you’ve tried this Chicken Piccata Recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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    A close up of chicken piccata on a blue plate
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    5 from 3 votes

    Chicken Piccata with Lemon and Capers

    Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian-American dish made with chicken cutlets and capers served in a delicious white wine and lemon butter sauce. This recipe is super easy to make and is packed with flavour!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian-American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 402kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    • 4 chicken breasts
    • ¾ cup flour (100g)
    • ½ cup dry white wine (120ml)
    • 1 cup chicken stock (240ml)
    • 2 tablespoon capers in brine drained
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions

    • Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have thin cutlets. Cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap (cling film) and bash them gently with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are around ¼ inch (1cm) thick.
    • Season the chicken with salt then dredge each cutlet in flour (¾ cup) making sure to shake off any excess.
    • Heat the olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large skillet or frying pan, once hot fry the chicken cutlets in batches for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked all the way through. Place the cooked chicken on a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
    • Turn the heat down low and add 1 tablespoon of butter (15g). Once melted add the wine (½ cup) and the stock (1 cup/240ml) then turn the heat to high and whisk the sauce until it starts to thicken slightly (about 5-6 minutes).
    • Add the remaining butter (1 tbsp), capers (2 tbsp) and lemon juice (1 tbsp), stir until the butter has melted. Add the chicken back to the pan. If your pan or skillet isn’t big enough serve your chicken on a serving plate and pour over the sauce. Serve.

    Notes

    • Cooking the chicken - fry the cutlets on a high heat so they get nice and golden on the outside. Each piece of chicken needs 4-5 minutes on each side and you'll probably need to cook them in batches.
    • Keep the chicken warm - make sure to keep the chicken warm on a plate covered in foil while you make the sauce.
    • Thickness of the sauce - this recipe makes a delicious lemon butter sauce that's pourable and not overly thick. If you'd like to thicken your sauce further then add in 2 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoon of water. Simmer until thickened.
    • Leftovers & freezing - leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days or can be frozen. Thaw completely before serving and reheating.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 924mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

    More Mains

    • Chicken Puttanesca
    • Italian Stuffed Eggplant (Mozzarella and Tomato)
    • Breaded Veal Cutlets with Parmesan Cream
    • Chicken Sorrentina (Pollo alla Sorrentina)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Catherie

      December 06, 2021 at 12:25 am

      Really confused about what happened to the 1/4 cup of flour.5 stars

      Reply
      • Emily

        December 07, 2021 at 10:36 am

        Thanks for spotting that, it's just for dredging the chicken I'll update the recipe now.

        Reply
    2. Ruth

      April 09, 2021 at 7:58 pm

      Absolutely delicious and so simple to make!!5 stars

      Reply

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