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–+ servings
herb breaded chicken breasts with capers and lemon sauce in a black skillet

Easy Lemon Chicken with Caper Sauce (Chicken Piccata)

  • GFGluten-Free
  • SFSugar Free
5 from 4 votes
This easy recipe for lemon chicken with capers and a brown butter garlic sauce ("chicken piccata") is my family's favorite recipe. The lemon and capers bring a bright and briney flavor to the dish, which is rounded out with a deep nutty and savory brown butter garlic sauce. Whenever we get together for gatherings with friends and family they always request this dish. It's perfect for a quick weeknight Italian-style dinner or crowd-pleasing meal to serve on the weekends!
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

for the chicken

  • 4 chicken breasts , thin, boneless and skinless
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

for the brown butter caper sauce

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • ¼ cup white cooking wine or chicken broth
  • 1 lemon , juiced + extra wedges for serving
  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

prep and coat the chicken

  • Paper towel dry the thin chicken breasts (be sure to butterfly and pound thin if you bought thick ones).
  • In a shallow dish combine the flour, grated parmesan cheese, finely chopped parsley leaves, lemon zest, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste; mix well to combine.
  • Place the eggs and 1 tablespoon water in another shallow dish and whisk well to combine.
  • Dip each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally back into the flour mixture, making sure to coat both sides evenly. Shake off any excess flour and set chicken aside on a plate.

brown the chicken

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is very hot, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

prepare the sauce

  • In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Allow the butter to cook until it turns a golden brown color and develops a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn it! 
  • Once the butter has browned, add the minced garlic, and capers to the skillet. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until garlic becomes fragrant and the capers are slightly crispy. Stir in the white wine (or chicken broth).
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and squeeze the juice of one lemon into the skillet; add in the parmesan cheese and give a good stir.
  • Nestle the chicken breasts back into the skillet and garnish with fresh parsley leaves and/or lemon wedges, if desired.

Equipment