Lemon Chicken Piccata (30-Minute Skillet Dinner)

Tender, juicy chicken covered in a beautiful lemon butter sauce with garlic and capers seems almost too fancy for a weeknight, but trust me, it’s not. This easy chicken piccata has become one of my go-to midweek meals when life feels full between parenting and running a business. I always feel good making it, too, knowing my family is getting a high-quality source of protein without having to spend hours in the kitchen to make it happen.

What I Love About This Recipe

• There’s minimal prep time, and it takes a total of 30 minutes to get dinner on the table.
• It’s an easy recipe to double for having friends and family over – and it never fails to impress. I’ve found that doubling the recipe and using two skillets makes for the best results. (Rather than trying to make two batches one after another.)
• I can mix, match, and add different ingredients to make variations of my standard recipe. Tasty add-ins I’ve tried and loved are sautéed shallots, mushrooms, and onions. I also like adding a sprinkle of Romano, Asiago, or Parmesan cheese.

Ingredient Notes And Substitutions

Chicken cutlets: I like making my own chicken cutlets at home. However, if I don’t have the extra time, I’ll purchase quality chicken cutlets from the meat counter at the grocery store.

Capers: This is my secret ingredient that helps set this dish apart from other crispy pan-fried chicken recipes. They add a briny taste that elevates the flavor and brings a unique flair to the picatta.

Chicken broth: I love using homemade broth, but store-bought works fine, too. I value all the extra nutritional benefits that come with making broth fresh at home. Also, if I ever want to achieve that traditional chicken picatta taste, I’ll simply substitute half of the chicken stock with dry white wine. This allows me to easily create the notable savory, citrus flavor profile found in many other chicken picatta recipes.

Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

How To Make Chicken Piccata

Pound the chicken into uniformly thin cutlets. Place a sheet of plastic on a cutting board. Arrange the chicken breasts on the cutting board and cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to ½-inch thickness. Alternatively, I can slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. If they are still thick or uneven in thickness, use the meat mallet to pound them to a uniform thickness of about ½ inch.

Coat the cutlets well with seasoned flour. Rub the flour into all of the surfaces of the cutlets thoroughly. Then, lightly shake off any excess flour. This ensures a nice, even browning and adds flavor.

Heat up the skillet. Make sure the pan is hot and the olive oil is shimmering before adding the chicken cutlets. Resist the urge to flip the chicken until it’s browned on one side and releases easily from the pan without sticking. The key to achieving a crispy golden exterior is to sear the pieces of chicken over high heat without moving them. 

Make the piccata sauce. Remove the chicken cutlets from the pan, then add broth. Be sure to scrape up the flavorful brown bits on the bottom of the pan – this is called ‘deglazing’ – before adding the capers and mustard. Stir to combine, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Thicken the sauce and add the chicken back to the skillet. Add the lemon juice, stir, and spoon the sauce over the cutlets. 

Garnish, serve, and enjoy! Garnish with lemon wedges and serve over mashed potatoes, if desired. 

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

Make It Dairy-Free

To make this dish dairy-free, I use my favorite plant-based butter instead of regular butter.

Make The Sauce Thicker 

For a thicker sauce, I can simmer it for a little longer or stir in a tablespoon or 2 of extra flour or cornstarch.

How I Round Out The Dish

I love serving this piccata over mashed potatoes and with a side of grilled asparagus, sautéed asparagus, sautéed broccolini, or green beans. It’s also perfect for serving with pasta, such as fettuccine or linguine. If it’s springtime, I’ll often pair this main with asparagus risotto or over a bed of fresh arugula. 

Storage Instructions

I store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At one point, I decided to test how this dish would store in the freezer. Unfortunately, the sauce became extremely watery after I took out the leftovers to thaw. I found that if I want to have this dish in my meal prep rotation, I need to freeze the chicken on its own and plan on making a fresh, new batch of sauce each time.

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The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

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