Lemon and Caper Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is a popular Italian American dish that features a quick pan-fried chicken breast in a wonderfully vibrant lemon-caper sauce.

It is a recipe that is gloriously easy to cook, a bit of slicing and one pan gets you a centrepiece for a meal in well under 30 minutes.

White Wine, Lemon and Caper Chicken Breast

The chicken piccata recipe is simply a chicken breast, butterflied and then perfectly cooked in butter. You all know how I love butter; it is well documented here.

It is then rested whilst a pan sauce is made with wine, lemon juice, capers, garlic and shallots. Making sure that butter is put to good use.

It is a dish that pays more than a passing resemblance to the classic veal scallopini, and it is much more popular in the US than it is in Italy.

Chicken has a wonderful affinity with sharp flavours. You will find examples of lemon chicken in dishes as far and wide as China, to North Africa and Europe to the Americas. It just works!

I use it in recipes as diverse as my grilled lemon pepper chicken wings, preserved lemon chicken tray bake and Chinese crispy lemon chicken, through to my simple garlic lemon chicken and creamy lemon chicken pasta recipes.

It is a wonderfully quick and easy recipe! Preparation takes a leisurely 10 minutes, and cooking is all done and dusted in under 20.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken thighs?

In theory, yes, but the cooking process will be longer because it is difficult to get nice, evenly thick slices of chicken thigh.

If I were to use thighs or even whole legs, I would sear them in an oven-proof pan, then transfer them to a moderate oven and cook them until they are done.

Whilst the chicken is resting, you could then make the piccata sauce in the cooking pan as per my instructions.

What are capers?

Capers are the preserved bud of the flower from the caper ‘bush’. As bizarre as that sounds, they are something that I get palpitations about not having in my store cupboard.

They can add a wonderful extra dimension to everything from sauces like my tuna Steak with a lemon caper sauce through to salads, as in my tuna pasta salad with peas, in my sardine and salmon fish cakes and even in my Cuban-inspired picadillo recipe.

Do I have to use wine?

No, you can omit the wine and double up on the stock, but you might need to add a little more lemon juice to increase the acidity.

Can I make this in advance?

This dish does not reheat very well because the chicken has a tendency to become tough and chewy.

Fortunately, it is a quick recipe that only takes 30 minutes of your time.

Serving Suggestions

I have served my chicken piccata here with some simply boiled Chantenay carrots and asparagus. I cooked them in salty water until nicely al dente and then tossed them through the piccata sauce.

However, you could go to town with the sides for this dish. Mashed potato is a popular option, although I would personally recommend some celeriac mash.

Some simply boiled buttery herby new potatoes work wonderfully too.

Sticking with asparagus, you could also serve this with my air fryer garlic asparagus or even my garlic green beans amandine.

If you wanted a light salad, then something like this rocket salad or even my samphire and asparagus salad would work wonderfully.

You could also just go for a big hunk of crusty bread to mop up that wonderful sauce!

Equipment Used

I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan or skillet.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Citrus zester.
• Kitchen tongs and serving spoons.
• Whisk.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.