Chicken piccata is a bright, lemony pan sauce dish that comes together in under 30 minutes; this is my take on Giada De Laurentiis's version, which I've been making and teaching for years. Her method is sound and the technique is classic; what I'm adding here is the why behind each step so you can nail it on the first try.
Serve with pasta, spaghetti, sautéed veggies, or mashed potatoes, and enjoy a simple homemade dinner with your friends and family. Wouldn't marinated mozzarella balls pair so beautifully with this recipe?
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Sarah's Culinary Insight
- The butter and oil combination is intentional; butter alone burns at high heat, oil alone doesn't give you the flavor. Together they give you a golden sear without scorching.
- Do not skip deglazing. Those browned bits stuck to the pan after the chicken comes out are where most of the flavor lives. The stock lifts them; the lemon brightens them
- When you whisk in the final butter, work quickly and keep the heat on medium-low. Too hot and the sauce breaks; too cold and the butter pools instead of emulsifying into a silky finish.
- Reduce the sauce to half before adding that final butter. If you rush it, the sauce will be thin and watery instead of glossy and coating.
- Capers are salty! Taste your sauce before adding any extra salt.
Ingredients needed:
Chicken piccata has a short ingredient list; every one of them is doing specific work in the dish.
Recipe Card?
To find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions CLICK HERE to go to the recipe card.
Loved it! Did add some artichoke hearts. Will make this again. Thanks. ★★★★★ Sara
The chicken tasted fabulous! Would not change anything in the recipe. Thank you!
- ★★★★★ H. Tsai
Thank you so much for this recipe!! It was the best chicken piccata I've ever had either at home or out at a restaurant. The lemon was not overpowering, and the ingredients were spot on to make a fabulous meal. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans
- ★★★★★ Janet T.
Make Chicken Piccata Like Giada
Butterfly and pound the chicken.
Cut each breast in half horizontally so you have two thin cutlets per breast. They should be around ¼ inch thick. Thin and even is the goal; thick spots take longer to cook and the edges dry out before the center is done.
Season and dredge.
Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then press each cutlet into flour until well coated on all sides. Shake off the excess; you want a thin, even coating, not a thick crust.
Heat the pan.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil. Watch for the foam on the butter to subside; that's your signal the pan is ready. If the butter browns immediately, your heat is too high, start again.
Sear the chicken.
Add the cutlets without crowding the pan; if they're touching, they'll steam instead of sear. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until light golden brown. You're not cooking them through entirely here; they'll finish in the sauce.
Remove chicken to a plate.
Build the sauce.
In the same pan, add chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers. As the liquid hits the pan, use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up every browned bit from the bottom. Those bits are flavor; don't leave them behind. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it cook until reduced by half; about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add Butter.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk constantly until it's fully incorporated and the sauce looks glossy and slightly thickened. This technique is called mounting butter; it creates an emulsion that gives the sauce its silky texture. Stop whisking too soon and the butter will separate into greasy pools.
Plate and serve.
Return the chicken to the pan for 1 to 2 minutes to warm through, or plate the cutlets and spoon the sauce generously over the top. Finish with chopped fresh parsley.
Now that you have mastered this technique, you can apply it to smothered chicken with a pan gravy. Same method, similar ingredients.
Did you make this recipe?
Do you have feedback that would be helpful to others? If so can help this small business owner by leaving a rating and a review in the comments section? Thank you for being part of the Savoring The Good Community. ~ Sarah
Substitutions
- Lemon juice: Fresh is worth it here. Bottled lemon juice is more acidic and less bright; the sauce will taste sharp instead of clean. If you're out of fresh lemons, you can use bottled in a pinch, but reduce the amount by about a third and taste as you go.
- Capers: Green olives, finely chopped, work as a substitute. You gain a similar briny hit but lose the distinctive pop of a caper. I've made it both ways; the olive version is good, the caper version is classic.
- Chicken stock: White wine is Giada's original and it's excellent; it adds acidity and depth. I use chicken stock in this version because it's what most home cooks have open. If you use wine, go with something dry that you'd actually drink; cooking wine is not worth it.
- Chicken breasts: Chicken thighs work but they need longer to cook and the texture is different; denser, more forgiving. The sauce pairs well with both. Thin-cut pork chops also work beautifully with this exact sauce. I have a pork tenderloin piccata you might like to try too.
Storage Tips
Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Store the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container; the sauce keeps the chicken from drying out.
- To reheat: warm in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken stock to loosen the sauce. Do not microwave; the sauce will break and the chicken coating gets rubbery.
- Freeze: I don't recommend freezing this one. The lemon butter sauce does not hold up after freezing and thawing; it separates and the texture suffers significantly.
Make-Ahead
This one is best fresh, but you can get ahead of the work without sacrificing quality.
- Butterfly and dredge the chicken up to 4 hours ahead; place the coated cutlets on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered. The flour coating will set and the sear will be better for it.
- Make the sauce ahead and refrigerate separately for up to 2 days.
- Sear the chicken to order (takes 8 minutes), reheat the sauce in the same pan, mount the butter fresh, and plate.
BIG NOTE: Do not assemble and reheat the finished dish; the flour coating on the chicken will turn soft and the sauce will lose its emulsion.
Ingredients
- 2 (2) Chicken Breasts skinless, boneless
- ½ Cup (62 ½ g) Flour, All Purpose
- ¼ Cup (43 ¾ g) capers
- ½ Cup (118 g) Chicken Stock low sodium
- 2 Tablespoon (28 g) Olive Oil
- 4 Tablespoon (56 g) Butter divided
- ½ Teaspoon (3 g) Salt
- ½ Teaspoon (1 g) Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Lemon Juice fresh
- 3 Tablespoon (3 Tablespoon) Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Butterfly chicken breasts and cut them into halves horizontally. The chicken pieces should be around ¼ inch thickness. If they seem to be thick, pound them with a meat hammer to desired thickness.2 Chicken Breasts
- Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper and dredge chicken in all-purpose flour until well coated.½ Teaspoon (3 g) Salt, ½ Teaspoon (1 g) Black Pepper, ½ Cup (62 ½ g) Flour, All Purpose
- Put a large skillet over medium heat; melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.2 Tablespoon (28 g) Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons (28 Grams) Butter
- Add the chicken pieces without overcrowding the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the chicken turns light brown in color. Remove and transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan add chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers. Bring it to boil, scraping up the brown bits from the pan. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes until reduced to half.½ Cup (118 g) Chicken Stock, 2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, ¼ Cup (43 ¾ g) capers
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk vigorously.2 Tablespoons (28 Grams) Butter
- Place the chicken on your serving plate (reheat the chicken in the oven if it's cold) and pour the sauce over it. Garnished with chopped parsley.3 Tablespoon Chopped parsley
Christine says
The dish was great. I made it just as directed. However if you want me to folllow up with other recipes, quit coving half the directions with ads. So annoying
Sarah Mock says
Thanks for letting me know Christine. I try and have my ads as minimal as possible. The BEST way to skip all ads is to print the recipe card. I hope that helps.
Janet Tangi says
Thank you so much for this recipe!! It was the best chicken piccata I’ve ever had either at home or out at a restaurant. The lemon was not overpowering, and the ingredients were spot on to make a fabulous meal. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans
Sarah Mock says
That is wonderful to hear Janet! I find that different lemons can have different acidities and that can affect the overall flavor of the dish. I am glad you found one that was the perfect balance for you.
~Sarah
Hubert Tsai says
The chicken tasted fabulous! Would not change anything in the recipe. Thank you!
Sara says
Loved it! Did add some artichoke hearts. Will make this again. Thanks
Sarah Mock says
oh! I love that tip!
Katie says
So GOOD! Made it with gluten free flour. The chicken was incredibly juicy and tender. My kids raved about it and gave it a 10 out of 10!
Raven says
Made this last night and it has been added to my list of “often served”.
Lisa says
Excellent meal - easy and fast. I used almond meal instead of all purpose flour as it’s all I had, and the chicken was so juicy and delicious!!! Thank you