One Pan Chicken Piccata
This easy one-pot chicken piccata is super easy and so delicious. The buttery lemon pan sauce is the perfect flavor combination for pan-seared chicken. You'll love the ease of this simple and tasty meal!
One Pan Chicken Piccata Recipe
Isn't it fun to turn your kitchen into Little Italy for an evening? You can have a meal that is just as delicious as something you'd get in an Italian restaurant, right in the comfort of your own home!
This dish is really simple to make and always results in the most tender chicken topped with a luscious sauce. It will be a favorite for the whole family in no time!
Quick chicken dishes, like this one-pan chicken piccata, ground turkey stir fry, or sloppy joe bowls make life so much easier on a busy evening. These meals are packed full of protein, made with simple ingredients, and won't make extra work on my end.
Next time you're stumped on what to make for dinner, try out this chicken piccata recipe. You're going to love how easy it is!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It only takes 35 minutes to get this tasty chicken dish on the table, from start to finish! It's a great weeknight dinner meal.
- One pot dishes mean that there won't be a mound of dirty dishes to wash and a messy kitchen to clean after dinner.
- Leftovers from this classic Italian recipe store really well! It would be a great recipe for those who meal prep.
What is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a simple dish featuring chicken cutlets that have been browned and cooked in a sauce made from a combination of lemon juice, butter, and capers. Some chicken piccata recipes also call for white wine to be added to the pan sauce.
The word piccata refers to the specific sauce and combination of flavors. This classic Italian dish can be served over pasta, rice, or eaten on its own.
Ingredients
Grab these ingredients, plus any ingredients for side dishes, to make this easy chicken piccata recipe!
- all-purpose flour
- chicken breasts
- unsalted butter
- minced garlic
- chicken broth
- lemon juice
- capers
- pepper
Substitutions and Variations
You can use a gluten-free 1:1 flour substitute, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour, to make this recipe without gluten. Gluten-free flour won't change the flavor or consistency of this skillet chicken piccata.
Feel free to add white wine to your pan sauce. A dry white wine like pinot grigio would work well. If you use wine, you may need to reduce the amount of chicken broth used so that the sauce isn't too runny.
To make creamy chicken piccata, add some heavy cream to your pan sauce. It will thicken the sauce and give it a delicious creamy consistency.
You can opt out of using the capers if you don't like them! They're a classic flavor for this dish, but it will be extremely tasty without them.
How to Make One Pan Chicken Piccata
To begin making chicken piccata, you'll need to make the boneless skinless chicken breasts very thin.
You can achieve this by either beating each piece of chicken with a meat tenderizer or slicing chicken breasts in half horizontally with a sharp knife. The chicken pieces need to be about ½ inch in thickness.
Dip each thin chicken breast into a bowl of all-purpose flour and shake off the excess.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large frying pan. Then, pan sear each chicken breast, flipping after 4-5 minutes on the first side.
Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate. Set it aside to use in a later step.
Melt the remaining butter in the same pan, then sauté the fresh garlic until fragrant. Pour chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers into the pan and bring to a boil.
Place the chicken back into the frying pan and simmer for about five minutes, or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Always check the temperature!
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to verify the meat is cooked all the way. The thermometer should read 165°F (74°C) when the chicken is done.
Season chicken with black pepper and serve while hot!
Tips for Success
If your sauce is a bit too thick for your preference, add a few more tablespoons of chicken broth until it has thinned out.
The sauce of lemon juice, butter, and capers will turn out best if you use freshly squeezed lemon juice. The lemon juice in a bottle is convenient, but doesn't taste quite as fresh!
Before searing your chicken, make sure they are an even thickness all the way across. You don't want one end of the chicken breast to cook faster than the other! Use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to help even out the thickness.
Because capers are naturally salty, there is no added salt in the sauce for this recipe. Feel free to taste it (once fully cooked) and add additional salt to your preference.
What to Serve with One Pan Chicken Piccata
This Italian chicken dish is best served over a bed of your favorite pasta or rice. It also pairs well with a simple vegetable like roasted broccoli or grilled squash. Or, you could simply throw in some tasty breadsticks or easy cheese garlic bread to eat with your yummy chicken.
Want some more side dish options? There are over 30 ideas for side dishes for chicken in this blog post!
How to Store Leftover Chicken Piccata
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you need to freeze leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen leftovers completely before reheating. You can reheat chicken piccata on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. Be sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Feel free to melt a little extra butter and add some fresh lemon juice to freshen up the sauce.
Check out these ideas for using leftover chicken.
FAQ
Capers can tend to be a bit salty and briny, so you can omit them if you don't like the taste. They pair well with this dish but are not a necessary component. If you remove them, be sure to add ½ teaspoon salt.
This dish can become bitter if the chicken is cooked too long and becomes burnt. You'll want to ensure the sauce does not burn either. Cook everything over medium-high heat and stir the sauce to ensure it does not burn. Be sure that no zest from the lemon sneaks into the sauce when you add fresh lemon juice. That could also be the culprit in bitter chicken piccata.
More Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Pan Seared Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken Broccoli Orzo Casserole
Did you make this recipe?
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
One Pan Chicken Piccata
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 pounds chicken breasts cut in half horizontally or pounded thin
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup capers drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare chicken breasts by pounding thin (about ½-inch thickness) or cutting in half horizontally (placing your hand on top of the chicken and cutting through the thickest part of the breast, running the knife between your hand and the cutting board).
- Pour flour into a bowl. Then dip chicken into bowl with flour and shake off any excess.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Pan sear chicken, flipping after about 4-5 minutes on first side.
- After chicken is browned, remove from pan and place on plate. It will continue cooking in a later step.
- Melt remaining butter, then quickly sauté garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice and capers to pan and bring to a boil.
- Add chicken back to pan and simmer for about five minutes, until cooked to 165ºF internal temperature.
- Season with pepper and serve.
