Chicken Piccata – Restaurant Style!

This easy Chicken Piccata recipe has plenty of creamy lemon garlic sauce to go around. It’s made from a white wine reduction and a uses finishing technique from top restaurant chefs!

Serve this with homemade garlic bread and my One Pot Parmesan Garlic Pasta!

Chicken Piccata

I am beyond happy to share this Chicken Piccata recipe with you. It has a perfect balance of flavors which include lemon, garlic, capers, white wine, and chicken broth.

Be sure to read through my pro tips to learn how and why this tastes like it’s from a gourmet restaurant, including the finishing technique that chefs use to add a smooth and silky, velvety component to this amazing sauce.

Ingredients

See recipe card at bottom of post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt/Pepper
• Flour
• Garlic Powder
• Parmesan Cheese- finely grated from a block
• Olive Oil
• Butter- I use salted, non-salted is totally fine
• Garlic– Minced or sliced from fresh cloves at home
• Capers
• White Wine– Dry wine is best. Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc are perfect.
• Chicken Broth
• Lemon Juice
• Parsley

How to Make it

Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise and use a meat tenderizer to pound it to a uniform thickness of about an inch.

Dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour mixture and tap off excess.

Lightly fry in 2 batches until golden brown. Set aside on a plate.

Add garlic and capers, cook for 1 minute.

Carefully pour in white wine and let it bubble gently until almost completely reduced.

Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and parsley. Stir to combine.

Add chicken back to skillet and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a serving plate. Gradually whisk 2 Tablespoons cold butter into the sauce on low heat until incorporated. 

Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve.

PRO Tips for this Recipe

Don’t Fry Straight From the Fridge

• Frying your chicken directly from the fridge results in uneven cooking as it immediately cools down the temperature of the oil. For best results, remove the chicken from the fridge, cut/pound it, and allow the chicken to sit out for up to 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Tenderizing the Meat

• Pounding the meat allows you to ensure that it is of even thickness which then allows for even cooking.
• It also allows you to create thin cutlets which are ideal for chicken piccata.
• Finally, it makes the meat more tender melts in your mouth.

Don’t over-flour

• For best results, use a light coating of flour on the chicken and tap away the excess.
• Dredge the chicken in the flour right before you fry it. In this recipe we’ll dredge in 2 separate batches.

A Smooth, Velvety Finish

• Adding 2-3 tablespoons of cold butter to a warm sauce is is a technique that chefs use called “monter au beurre”, which creates a smooth finish and velvety texture to sauces. I use the same technique in my Penne Alla Vodka recipe.

Best Wines to Serve with This Meal

Platings and Pairings suggests to serve this with Chardonnay. Other fine options include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Blanc.

What to Serve with Chicken Piccata

• One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
• One Pot Creamy Lemon Pasta 
• Homemade Garlic Bread
• Mashed Potatoes

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chicken Piccata makes a great freezer meal as well. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

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Chicken Piccata

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

5 from 3 votes

Servings: 4

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This easy Chicken Piccata recipe has plenty of creamy lemon garlic sauce to go around. It's made from a white wine reduction and a uses finishing technique from top restaurant chefs!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• Salt/Pepper, to tasteSalt/Pepper, to taste
• ½ cup flour½ cup flour
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, separated3 Tablespoons olive oil, separated
• 4 Tablespoons cold butter, separated4 Tablespoons cold butter, separated
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Capers, drained2 Tablespoons Capers, drained
• ½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc½ cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 cup chicken broth1 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, plus more to garnish2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, plus more to garnish

Instructions

• PRO TIP: Frying your chicken directly from the fridge results in uneven cooking as it immediately cools down the temperature of the oil. For best results, remove the chicken from the fridge, cut/pound it, and allow it to sit out for up to 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner pieces of equal size.
• Place saran wrap over each slice and use a meat tenderizer to pound it until it’s about an inch thick and of equal thickness throughout.
• Pat each side very dry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine flour, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
• Lightly coat 3 slices of chicken with the flour mixture and tap off the excess.
• Melt 1+1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat in a 12-13 inch skillet.
• Add the floured chicken and cover the pan. Cook until golden brown, use kitchen tongs to check the bottom after about 4 minutes. Flip and repeat. Decrease heat slightly if needed.
• Lightly flour the remaining slices of chicken while the first batch cooks.
• Transfer the first batch of cooked chicken to a plate.
• Add another 1.5 Tablespoons oil and 1 Tablespoon butter to the pan, then add the chicken and repeat the cooking process. Remove and set aside once cooked.
• Decrease heat to medium and add the garlic and capers. Cook for 1 minute.
• Carefully pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan by running a silicone spatula on the bottom to scrape up the brown bits from the pan. This gives the sauce plenty of flavor. Allow it to gently bubble until the liquid is nearly gone.
• Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and parsley, stir to combine.
• Add the chicken and their juices back to the pan. Let the sauce simmer and bubble gently, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Reduce heat to low.
• Gradually whisk in 2 Tablespoons cold butter to the sauce until incorporated. This is a technique that chefs use called “monter au beurre”, which creates a smooth finish when added to warm sauces.
• Remove from heat, spoon sauce over the chicken and serve.

Notes

Side Suggestions:

• Garlic Parmesan Pasta (One Pot)
• Creamy Lemon Pasta (One Pot)
• Homemade Garlic Bread
• Salad with homemade Caesar or Italian dressing

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 104mg, Sodium: 601mg, Potassium: 530mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 572IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Stephanie