Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian-American dish made with thinly sliced chicken cutlets, which are served in a rich and delicious sauce made with butter, white wine, lemon, and capers. Because of its popularity on the menus of many Italian-American restaurants, this chicken dish is often thought of as intimidating. It’s actually quite simple to create right at home in just one pan, using fresh and tangy Sunkist® lemons!

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes

Number of servings

Chicken Piccata ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (or 6 chicken breasts trimmed butterflied and pounded into 1/4-inch thick slices), patted dry with paper towels
  • .5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • .75 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or stock
  • .5 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
  • 1 Sunkist® lemon, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • Juice of 2 Sunkist® lemons
  • 1 teaspoon Sunkist® lemon zest
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish and serving

Chicken Piccata

Directions

  1. Place flour in a shallow dish large enough to hold flat cutlets. Season chicken cutlets generously with salt and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken with flour, shaking to remove any excess.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook cutlets until each side is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter or large plate tented in aluminum foil, or covered in aluminum foil in an ovenproof dish in a warm, 200 F degree oven.
  3. Continue to use the same pan. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Once melted, increase to high heat. Add chicken broth, wine, and Sunkist® lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk continuously until sauce begins to thicken slightly and lemon slices soften, 6-7 minutes.
  4. Reduce to medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, capers, Sunkist® lemon juice, and Sunkist® lemon zest. Remove from heat, and continue to stir until butter has melted.
  5. Place cooked chicken on a serving platter. Spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.