Chicken Piccata With Lemon and Parsley

A plate of chicken lemon piccata served with spaghetti and bread

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 16 mins
Total: 31 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 8 cutlets

Chicken piccata is a classic Italian comfort food dish of chicken in a lemony caper sauce. It's one of those dinners that looks fancier than it actually is, which means you can serve it quickly on a weeknight for the family, on the weekend, for guests, or on a special occasion. It works equally well in any of those situations. Chicken with lemon and parsley is a classic combination.

For best results and quickest cooking, use large chicken breasts cut into strips or chicken tenders. To make it extra special, use Meyer lemons in the dish if they're in season. They are unique insofar as you can eat them in a way that you wouldn't want to eat a typical lemon, and the aroma and taste are more floral.

Tips for Making Chicken Piccata

  • What starch to serve with chicken piccata—Chicken piccata is especially good when served with either rice or pasta; in particular, we like to pair it with white rice or angel hair pasta.
  • Sides for chicken piccata—Pair this meal with a green salad and a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the extra sauce on the plate.
  • What kind of wine to use—If you use white wine instead of chicken stock, make sure you pick a wine that you enjoy drinking, and serve it alongside the meal if desired.

“Chicken Piccata with Lemon and Parsley is a simple, quick, and fresh-tasting way to prepare chicken cutlets. The combination of briny capers, fresh lemon juice, and the herbal hit of parsley really dresses up the mildness of chicken cutlets. It makes for a quick and healthy main course.”  —Joan Velush

Chicken Piccata With Lemon and Parsley/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, more as needed

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or half dry white wine

  • 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons drained capers

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make chicken piccata

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally or slice them crosswise to make cutlets.

    A cutting board with four chicken breasts halved horizontally

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the butter and the olive oil over medium heat.

    A large pan with melted butter and olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Put the flour in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

    A shallow plate with flour

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and coat lightly with the flour.

    A shallow plate of flour with two pieces of chicken breast coated in flour

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. Arrange the chicken in the skillet, in batches if needed, and cook until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter and oil if the pan is dry between batches.

    A pan of flour-coated chicken breasts cooking in butter and olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Transfer the chicken to a plate, add the garlic to the pan, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    A wooden spoon stirring garlic into a pan with olive oil and butter

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Add the chicken broth (or chicken broth and wine mixture) and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken back to the pan and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the capers and continue to simmer 1 to 2 minutes longer.

    A pan of cooked, flour-coated chicken cutlets cooking in lemon sauce topped with capers

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley, and serve.

    A pan of chicken lemon piccata topped with parsley

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

These easy variations will help you make this recipe your own.

  • Use Meyer lemons—If desired, substitute Meyer lemons in this recipe when they're in season. Meyer lemons soften and mellow when they're cooked and really infuse a dish like this with a new level of flavor. If you want to amplify the lemon, slice an additional Meyer lemon into thin rounds and add them to the pan during the last 5 minutes or so of cooking while everything is simmering.
  • Caper substitute—If you're out of capers, feel free to use a couple green olives, finely chopped; you don't need much as a little goes a long way.
  • Use chicken tenders—You can use chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts or cutlets. Keep in mind that they will not need to cook as long.

How to Store and Freeze Chicken Piccata With Lemon and Parsley

Once cooked, this dish will keep in the refrigerator for three to five days if it's sealed in a tight container.


You can freeze cooked chicken piccata too, if desired. Wrap the chicken in plastic and then foil, and transfer to a zip-close plastic bag suitable for the freezer. Try to squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing it.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
317 Calories
13g Fat
10g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 317
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 112mg 37%
Sodium 580mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 27mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 342mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)