Lemon Chicken Piccata – pan-fried parmesan-coated chicken in a tangy lemon sauce with garlic, butter and capers. A delicious, moreish dinner that’s perfect served with linguine.
Lemon chicken piccata has American-Italian roots, so it’s not always common on traditional UK-Italian menus. I first fell for this dish on a rainy day in Florida after a soaking at Universal Studios. Served with a crisp glass of white wine it was simple comfort food that put a smile on my face — tender chicken with a bright, buttery lemon sauce studded with capers.
📋 Ingredients
I use four small chicken breasts to serve four people, flattened to about 1cm thick for even, quick cooking. Alternatively use two large breasts sliced in half horizontally to make four pieces.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card below.
- Flatten the chicken to tenderise and ensure it cooks evenly.
- Dredge the chicken in a mixture of flour, grated parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic powder for extra flavour and a crisp, golden crust.
- Pan-fry the chicken until golden, then keep warm in a very low oven while you make the sauce.
- Make the sauce by sautéing shallot in butter, then adding garlic, white wine, stock, lemon juice, capers and parsley.
- Return the chicken to the pan to baste in the sauce and serve topped with lemon slices.
👩🍳PRO TIP Measure the lemon juice and avoid pith to prevent bitterness. Cook the sauce gently — overcooking lemon or garlic can make it bitter. If the sauce tastes too sharp, stir in a teaspoon of sugar to balance it.
🍽️ What to serve it with
I often serve piccata over linguine, but it is equally good with:
- Boiled rice or couscous
- Crispy sautéed potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes
- Your favourite shop-bought pasta or homemade pasta
- Garlic bread on the side for a treat
I like to finish with extra capers, a sprinkle of parmesan and a crack of black pepper just before serving.
🍲 More fantastic chicken breast recipes
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Chicken Parmesan
Chicken
Chicken Marsala
British Classic Recipes
Hunters Chicken
Chicken
Creamy Chicken Dijon
Chicken
Easy Baked Pesto Chicken
Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
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Lemon Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (about 600g / 1.3lbs)
- 60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 tbsp finely grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, rapeseed or sunflower)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and finely diced (or 2 small shallots)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
- 360 ml (1 1/2 cups) chicken stock
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
- 2 tbsp capers in brine, drained
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Optional – if you want a thicker sauce:
- 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA) mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
To serve:
- 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
- Black pepper
- Freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to a very low temperature to keep the cooked chicken warm and set a baking tray aside.
- Place a chicken breast between parchment paper or clingfilm and pound with a rolling pin until about 1cm thick. Repeat for all breasts.
- Mix the flour, parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken breast in the mixture to coat fully.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to the tray and keep warm in the oven.
- Reduce the pan heat to medium and add the butter. When melted, add the diced shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Pour in the wine, increase heat to high and bubble for 1–2 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add the stock and simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly reduced. Reduce heat to medium and stir in lemon juice, capers and parsley.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in the cornflour mixture now and simmer briefly until thickened.
- Return the chicken to the pan and baste in the sauce. Slice the chicken if desired before serving.
- Serve topped with lemon slices, freshly grated parmesan and black pepper. Great with linguine, mashed potato, sautéed potatoes or herbed rice.
Notes
Thicker coating tip: For a thicker crust, double-dredge. Dredge the chicken, leave it for 10 minutes so the coating becomes slightly tacky (sprinkle a little water if needed), then dredge again.
Additions/swaps:
- Make it creamy: replace 120 ml (1/2 cup) of chicken stock with double (heavy) cream.
- Skip the wine: replace with non-alcoholic wine or more chicken stock.
Nutritional information is approximate per serving (recipe serves 4) and excludes side dishes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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