Description
This creamy lemon chicken piccata features tender, pan-fried chicken breasts in a rich, tangy sauce made with capers, lemon juice, garlic, and heavy cream. Perfectly balanced flavors come together quickly in this comforting, elegant dish served best over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water, (optional) to thicken
- Lemon slices, to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1-inch thickness and season both sides with salt and pepper to ensure even cooking and flavor.
- Dredge the chicken: Coat each chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess. This helps achieve a crispy exterior when pan-fried.
- Cook the chicken: In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with olive oil. Pan-fry the chicken until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Sauté garlic: Lower heat to medium, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and add minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Make the sauce: Pour in chicken broth and scrape the browned bits from the pan for flavor. Add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add flavorings: Stir in capers, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Thicken the sauce: Simmer the sauce until slightly reduced and creamy. For a thicker sauce faster, add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened.
- Reheat the chicken: Return the chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over it, and simmer for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with additional parsley and lemon slices. Serve hot over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Notes
- Deglaze with dry white wine for added depth of flavor before adding chicken broth.
- Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan into the sauce for a richer taste.
- Season the chicken with paprika and garlic powder in addition to salt and pepper for extra flavor.
- Add a dash of red pepper flakes to the sauce to introduce a subtle heat.
- Pounding the chicken helps it cook evenly and become tender.
- Use full-fat heavy cream for the creamiest sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
