Crispy Chicken Piccata with Lemon Butter Sauce

Are you craving a restaurant-quality meal that’s elegant, incredibly flavorful, and faster than delivery? What if you could whip up a stunning chicken dish, featuring perfectly crispy cutlets and a bright, zesty pan sauce, all in about 30 minutes?

Look no further than this amazing Chicken Piccata recipe! While many traditional versions are simply dredged in flour, this recipe gives you a wonderfully crispy, breaded chicken cutlet that holds up beautifully to the luscious lemon butter sauce. This classic Italian-American crispy chicken dish is surprisingly easy to make and delivers a perfect balance of rich, tangy, and savory flavors in every single bite. It’s the perfect fast and fancy weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

This recipe uses simple, high-quality ingredients to create a truly impressive meal.

For the Crispy Chicken:

Ingredient	Amount/Quantity	Notes
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts	2 split (1 whole)	About 1-1.5 lbs total
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper	To taste
All-Purpose Flour	½ cup	For the dredge
Extra-Large Egg	1	For the egg wash
Water	½ tablespoon	To thin the egg wash
Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs	¾ cup	Panko can also be used
Good Olive Oil	1 tablespoon	For searing

For the Lemon Butter Sauce & Garnish:

Ingredient	Amount/Quantity	Notes
Unsalted Butter, room temp	3 tablespoons, divided
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice	⅓ cup (from 2 lemons)	Save the squeezed lemon halves!
Dry White Wine	½ cup	Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
Sliced Lemon	For serving
Fresh Parsley, chopped	For serving

this now & bake later ❤️

Timing

This dish comes together incredibly fast, making it ideal for a weeknight.

• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• Cooking Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps to create a restaurant-worthy Chicken Piccata at home.

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Chicken

First, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside.

Place each chicken breast between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or a heavy rolling pin, pound the chicken out to an even ¼-inch thickness. This is key for a tender, quick-cooking cutlet. Once pounded, sprinkle both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Set Up the Breading Station

You’ll need three shallow plates or dishes for breading.

• Dish 1: Add the all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix briefly.
• Dish 2: Beat the egg and ½ tablespoon of water together until smooth.
• Dish 3: Spread the seasoned dry bread crumbs in an even layer.

Step 3: Bread and Sear the Chicken Cutlets

Take one of your pounded chicken cutlets and dip it first in the seasoned flour, making sure to coat both sides. Shake off any excess flour. Next, dip it into the egg wash, letting any excess drip off. Finally, press the chicken into the bread crumbs, ensuring both sides are fully coated.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat. Carefully add the breaded chicken breasts (work in batches if needed). Cook for 2 minutes per side, just until the breading is golden brown.

• Actionable Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pan, as it will cause the chicken to steam instead of sear, resulting in soggy breading. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point.

Step 4: Bake the Chicken

Transfer the seared, golden-brown chicken to your prepared parchment-lined sheet pan. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F) and the breading is crisp.

Step 5: Make the Lemon Butter Sauce

While the chicken bakes, make the sauce. Carefully wipe out the sauté pan you used for the chicken with a dry paper towel. Place the pan back over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the fresh lemon juice, the dry white wine, the reserved squeezed lemon halves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat. Let it bubble and reduce for about 2 minutes, or until it has reduced by about half and thickened slightly.

Step 6: Finish the Sauce and Serve

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of room-temperature butter to the hot sauce. Swirl the pan continuously until the butter melts and combines into a smooth, emulsified sauce.

• Actionable Tip: Swirling the pan with the butter off the heat is the secret to a creamy sauce that doesn’t “break” or separate.Discard the lemon halves from the sauce. To serve, place one crispy chicken breast on each plate. Spoon the warm lemon butter sauce generously over the top. Garnish with a fresh slice of lemon and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve immediately!

Nutritional Information

Nutritional information is an estimate per serving (one chicken breast with sauce) and can vary based on the specific size of the chicken and brands of ingredients used.

• Calories: Approx. 450-550 kcal
• Protein: 35-40 g
• Carbohydrates: 20-25 g
• Fat: 20-25 g
• Saturated Fat: 10-12 g
• Sodium: High (due to salt, breadcrumbs)

Healthier Alternatives

This recipe can be adapted to be lighter while still tasting great:

• Skip the Breading (Traditional Piccata): For a more traditional, lighter version, skip the egg and bread crumbs (Step 2 & 3). Simply dredge the pounded chicken in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and pan-fry in the oil/butter mixture until cooked through. Proceed with the sauce as directed.
• Gluten-Free: Use a measure-for-measure gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free bread crumbs for the breading.
• Air Fryer Chicken: For a less-oil “fried” version, after breading the chicken, spray it with cooking oil and cook in an air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 7-10 minutes, flipping once, until golden, crispy, and cooked through. Make the sauce separately on the stove.

Serving Suggestions

This Chicken Piccata is a star, and it pairs beautifully with sides that can catch its delicious sauce.

• Pasta: The most classic pairing is over a bed of angel hair pasta or linguine.
• Potatoes: Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or roasted potato wedges.
• Vegetables: It’s fantastic alongside roasted asparagus, sautéed spinach with garlic, or simple steamed green beans.
• Low-Carb: For a low-carb meal, serve the chicken and sauce over zucchini noodles (zoodles) or cauliflower rice.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

For a perfect dish every time, watch out for these common issues:

• Chicken Not Pounded Evenly: If the chicken is thick in some spots and thin in others, it will cook unevenly, leaving parts dry and others undercooked. Solution: Take the time to pound the chicken to a uniform ¼-inch thickness.
• Soggy Breading: This happens if the pan isn’t hot enough or if it’s overcrowded. Solution: Sear the chicken in batches over medium to medium-low heat in hot oil. Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels, if needed.
• Broken Sauce: If you add the final butter over high heat or whisk it too aggressively, the sauce can separate. Solution: Always add the finishing butter off the heat and swirl the pan gently to emulsify it into a creamy sauce.
• Forgetting to Discard Lemon Halves: Accidentally serving the boiled lemon halves is unpleasant. Solution: Remember to fish them out of the sauce before spooning it over the chicken.

Storing Tips

This dish is best served immediately to enjoy the crispy chicken.

• Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, it’s best to store the chicken and the sauce in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Reheat the chicken in an oven or air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 5-10 minutes to help re-crisp the breading. Gently reheat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until just warm.
• Freezing: Freezing is not recommended, as the breading on the chicken will become soggy, and the butter-based sauce may separate upon thawing.

Conclusion

This Crispy Chicken Piccata recipe is your ticket to a fast, elegant, and incredibly delicious meal. The combination of the golden, crispy breaded chicken and the bright, tangy lemon butter sauce is a classic for a reason. It’s a satisfying, restaurant-quality dish that you can easily master at home any night of the week.

Ready to impress with this easy Italian-American classic? Give this recipe a try and let us know what you think in the comments below! Don’t forget to rate the recipe and subscribe for more fast and flavorful dinner ideas!

FAQs

Q1: Can I add capers to this recipe?

Yes! Traditional Chicken Piccata almost always includes capers. For a classic piccata flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of drained capers to the sauté pan along with the lemon juice and white wine.

Q2: What’s a good non-alcoholic substitute for the white wine?

You can easily substitute the ½ cup of white wine with an equal amount of low-sodium chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon of extra lemon juice or white wine vinegar to add back some of the acidity.

Q3: My breading fell off the chicken. What went wrong?

This often happens if the chicken is wet before breading. Make sure to pat the pounded chicken cutlets very dry with paper towels. Also, after dredging in flour, be sure to shake off the excess before dipping it in the egg wash. The flour helps the egg wash (and thus the bread crumbs) stick.

Q4: What are “seasoned” bread crumbs?

Seasoned bread crumbs are pre-mixed with dried herbs like parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. If you only have plain bread crumbs, you can easily make your own by adding ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt to your ¾ cup of plain crumbs.

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