Creamy Chicken Piccata (Printable)

Tender pan-fried chicken in a luscious lemon caper sauce with cream.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
11 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
12 - 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment and pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Dredge chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 4–5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tbsp butter. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Pour in wine (or chicken broth) and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half (about 2 minutes).
06 - Add chicken broth, heavy cream, and lemon juice. Stir and simmer for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
07 - Stir in capers and return chicken to the skillet. Spoon sauce over chicken and simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through.
08 - Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with pasta, rice, or crusty bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy lemon sauce strikes that perfect equilibrium between bright and comforting, coating every bite like a warm embrace
  • Its fast enough for a Tuesday yet impressive enough for company, which is exactly the kind of duality I need in my life
  • The capers add these little bursts of brine that make the whole dish taste sophisticated without actually requiring any advanced techniques
02 -
  • Dont skip the parchment paper when pounding chicken or youll end up with meat shreds instead of presentable cutlets
  • If your sauce breaks or looks curdled, whisk in a teaspoon of cold cream and it will come back together
  • The sauce thickens quickly off the heat so have everything plated before you walk away from the stove
03 -
  • Pound all your chicken breasts at once and freeze extras between parchment paper for future meals
  • Double the sauce ingredients if you want leftovers—this sauce reheats beautifully over pasta
  • Rinse capers in a mesh strainer so you dont accidentally dump them down the drain
Go Back