Easy Skillet Chicken Piccata
Easy Skillet Chicken Piccata is a delectable entree that you can have on your plate in 30 minutes or less. Who doesn’t love that?
This Easy Lemon Chicken Recipe is simply chicken dredged in seasoned flour and cooked in a scrumptious lemon, butter, and caper sauce! Family-friendly, restaurant-worthy, and delicious!
Why You Must Make
- Chicken piccata is the dinner I make when I have absolutely nothing planned. There are always capers and lemons in the fridge, a bottle of dry vermouth in the liquor cabinet, and chicken in the freezer.
- It’s easy, elegant, and tasty; you can’t beat that!
- Besides pushing all the capers to the side of his plate, even the picky husband enjoys this lemon chicken recipe.
My weeknight dinners are typically quick and, of course, flavorful. I keep my days pretty busy, even hectic at times, so I like to have a repertoire of meals that go from stove to table in less than an hour. This recipe is ready even faster than that! This super easy skillet Chicken Piccata is always at the top of the list.
Recipe Tips
I first found this recipe in our local Junior League cookbook, Winners, but now I just wing it.
- Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag and gently pound them with a meat mallet.
- Dip flattened chicken breasts in another Ziploc bag in which you place the seasoned flour. Using seasoned flour provides better flavor than just salting the chicken after it’s been cooked.
- I like using Wondra Flour made by Gold Medal to coat the chicken. It’s a granular flour and makes a nice crust. Find it near the regular flour in the baking aisle. It’s in a blue can.
- PRO-Tip: Sautéd in the combination of butter and olive oil provides flavor (butter) and an increased smoke point (olive oil).
- PRO-Tip: The last step is to deglaze the pan with white wine and lemon juice. This helps bring up the “fond” or crusty bits at the bottom or the pan which adds even more flavor. Plus, alcohol is a flavor enhancer, just like salt.
- If you’re concerned about adding wine, most of the alcohol will burn off during the cooking process. Feel free to leave out the alcohol if that’s your preference. Use chicken broth instead.
- Adding capers is up to you, but you should try them at least once! The pickled, salty berries are a delicious contribution to any piccata!
I hope you will add this to your weekday dinner repertoire. From start to finish, this lemon chicken piccata can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes.
PS…no, Bill does not eat the capers. I don’t think the kids do either. More for me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Piccata is the Italian term for veal escalope, a classic dish made with seasoned and floured escalope that’s sauteed and served with a sauce made of pan drippings, lemon juice, and parsley. Chicken can be used instead of veal.
Note: Escalope is a French term for a very thin or flattened slice of meat or fish.
Any dish served “piccata” style is made with a lemon, butter, and caper sauce. Often a bit of white wine is used to deglaze the pan.
Typically made with a thin or pounded piece of meat like chicken, pork, or fish, but even vegetables can be made with a piccata sauce. The word piccata in French translates to piquant or a pleasantly sharp or appetizing flavor.
This easy chicken piccata is dusted in flour before frying to create a slight crust. Breading is usually a heavier crust made of bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or even nuts.
My dinner menus always have a protein source, vegetable, and starch. With this chicken piccata, I like to serve a simple vegetable like a roasted medley, roasted asparagus, carrots, or green beans. A green salad is a nice addition as well.
Garlic Bread or a Rice Casserole are also tasty side dish options. Mashed, Hasselback or roasted potatoes are nice additions, too. Keep the colors of your selections in mind and aim for a colorful vegetable to bring life to your plate.
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Easy Skillet Chicken Piccata Recipe
An scrumptious dinner that can be on the table in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded with meat mallet to flatten to an even thickness
- ½ cup flour (use All-purpose or Wondra* flour)
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 2-4 tablespoons butter
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine (I use vermouth if I don't have a bottle of open white wine)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon of capers
- Minced fresh parsley to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Melt butter and olive oil in a large saute pan.
- Mix flour and seasoning salt in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken breast and shake to coat the chicken in flour. Shake off excess, then place chicken into the hot pan.
- Repeat with the rest of the chicken and cook each till golden brown on each side and cooked through. Add more butter and olive oil if needed. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.
- Add wine to the hot pan and scrape up the drippings. Add lemon juice and reduce the liquid by half.
- Return chicken to pan and coat in juices. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with capers and parsley.
Notes
I used large capers in the photos, but use small capers when I make this piccata for my family. The larger ones are a pretty garnish if serving to company.
*Wondra Flour is a granulated flour made by Gold Medal. It's great for coating fish, chicken, etc. before sauteing.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
! chicken breastAmount Per Serving: Calories: 458Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 475mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 44g
47 Comments on “Easy Skillet Chicken Piccata”
This piccata is a great weeknight dinner! My family loved every delicious bite!
I love easy, flavorful dishes like this!
Lizzy,
I’d have to pick out the capers too. The vermouth is a great choice for the recipe. This looks like a delicious entree.
Annamaria
One of those meals that you can make in a flash . Simple yet scrumptious !
This looks like a perfect weeknight meal. And I’m pretty sure I’d be the only one eating capers here, too.
I love the flavors of this chicken… just need a fork now. 🙂
Chicken Piccata is one of my kids’ favorites, but of course the boys pick out the capers. Alexandra and I always end up eating them all. Your’s looks absolutely delicious!