Description
Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata is a delightful and easy-to-make dinner featuring lightly breaded chicken breasts pan-fried to golden perfection and smothered in a rich garlic, caper, and lemon-infused cream sauce. Perfect served over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes, this dish combines tangy citrus flavors with a velvety texture for a comforting yet elegant meal ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5–8 oz. each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flour
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (optional)
- Lemon slices, to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge each chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess to ensure a light coating.
- Fry the chicken: In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the olive oil. Pan-fry the chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Sauté garlic: In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn.
- Make the sauce: Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in the chicken broth while scraping up the browned bits from the pan to incorporate flavor. Add the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Add flavorings: Stir in capers, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Thicken the sauce: Let the sauce simmer gently until it reduces slightly and thickens to a creamy consistency. For a quicker, thicker sauce, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until desired thickness is achieved.
- Finish the dish: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over it. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the chicken is heated through and well coated with the sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with extra parsley and lemon slices. Serve hot over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with vegetables for a complete meal. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- If heavy cream is not available, full-fat coconut milk can be used for a dairy-free alternative, adjusting seasoning accordingly.
- To ensure even cooking, pounding the chicken to a uniform thickness is essential.
- The cornstarch slurry is optional but helpful for thickening the sauce quickly if you prefer a richer texture.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently.
- Serve with your favorite sides such as buttered noodles, steamed vegetables, or mashed potatoes to complement the creamy sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
