Easy Chicken Piccata

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This easy chicken piccata with lemon sauce is tender, tangy and deeply savory. This recipe features pan-seared chicken, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, capers, and spinach. It’s ready to serve in 30 minutes.

📌 PIN CHICKEN PICCATA

Healthy Chicken Piccata with lemon, tomatoes, artichokes and spinach served in a black cast-iron skillet.

🥘 WHAT IS CHICKEN PICCATA?

Lemon chicken piccata is an Italian favorite! This dish is also called piccata milanese or chicken milanese because of its origin in Milan, Italy.

This comforting meal begins with chicken breasts that are pounded thin, dredged in flour and sautéed in a skillet. It’s served with a tangy lemon garlic sauce featuring olive oil, butter, wine, broth, and capers. Our recipe includes artichokes, capers and spinach.

Lemon Chicken Piccata served in a cast-iron pan next to a glass of white wine.

🛒 INGREDIENTS

  • Chicken breasts (thin-sliced, pounded, or chicken cutlets)
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Dried thyme
  • Cloves of garlic
  • Marinated artichoke hearts, drained
  • Lemons
  • Chardonnay wine
  • Chicken broth or chicken stock
  • Capers, drained and rinsed
  • Fresh spinach leaves, no stems
  • Optional Garnish: Fresh Italian parsley
Ingredients for making healthy chicken piccata from scratch.

🐓 BUTTERFLY & POUND THE CHICKEN

Butterfly your chicken breasts and cut them in half. Place them between sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound them with a meat pounder or with the back of a small pan until each piece is 1/4-inches thin. Assemble a basic seasoned-flour mix: all-purpose flour plus salt and pepper!

Flour and spices in a white bowl for coating pieces of chicken.

📖 RECIPE STEPS

COOK CHICKEN & TOMATOES

  • STEP 1: Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
  • STEP 2: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add the chicken. Leave spaces between the pieces. Work in batches. Add more olive oil if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 165°. Transfer chicken to a tray.
  • STEP 3: Add butter and more olive oil to the pan. Place lemon slices in the skillet. Cook for one minute. Remove slices from the pan.
  • STEP 4: Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until a few of the tomatoes begin to pop. Remove from pan.
Four images showing step-by-step instructions for lemon healthy chicken piccata.

🥣 MAKE THE SAVORY SAUCE

  • STEP 1: Add garlic and artichokes to the skillet. Saute for 1 minute. Add wine and stir. With a wooden spatula, scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
  • STEP 2: Pour in broth and lemon juice. Add spinach and capers. Reduce heat to medium.
  • STEP 3: Add more butter and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce slightly thickens. Taste. Adjust seasonings as desired.
  • STEP 4: Return chicken, tomatoes and lemon slices to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken piccata. Garnish with Italian parsley.
Four recipe images showing how to make lemon chicken piccata step by step.

🧑🏼‍🍳 EXPERT TIPS

  • How to make this recipe faster: Buy “thinly-sliced” skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They’re about 1/4-inch thick, so you won’t need to pound them. You can also use chicken cutlets and slice them horizontally.
  • How to add more texture: For an irresistible crispy-brown crust, add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or Panko breadcrumbs to the seasoned flour.
  • Heathy add-in: Add zucchini when pan-roasting the cherry tomatoes.
  • What to serve with chicken picatta: Roasted asparagus, sour cream mashed potatoes, lemon orzo salad, or a crisp green salad.
Lemon Chicken Piccata garnished with roasted cherry tomatoes, lemon slices and Italian parsley.

🍽 MORE EASY DINNER RECIPES

Chicken piccata with lemon and capers in a skillet next to dinner plates and forks.

RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flavor testers rated this the BEST chicken piccata recipe. They loved the tender chicken breast, the bright tangy flavors and delicious textures. They said it tastes like chicken piccata they’ve enjoyed at Italian restaurants.

If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.

Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com
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Chicken piccata with lemon and capers in a skillet next to dinner plates and forks.

Easy Chicken Piccata


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5 from 18 reviews

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Description

This easy lemon chicken piccata is tender, tangy and deeply savory. Assemble this easy recipe in 30 minutes. It’s an ideal one-pot meal for busy families.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thin-sliced or chicken cutlets)
  • 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 45 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
  • 1 cup chardonnay wine
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups fresh spinach leaves (no stems), firmly packed
  • Optional garnish: fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

RECIPE PREP: Butterfly chicken breasts, cut them in half, and pound them to a 1/4-inch thickness. If using chicken cutlets, cut them in half horizontally.

  1. Add flour to a shallow bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add the chicken. Leave spaces between the pieces. Work in batches, adding more olive oil if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer reads 165°. Transfer to a tray.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Place lemon slices in the skillet. Cook for for 20 seconds on each side. Remove slices from the pan. Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until a few of the tomatoes begin to pop. Remove from pan. Add garlic and artichokes to the skillet. Saute for 1 minute.
  3. Add wine to the skillet and stir. With a wooden spatula, scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
  4. Pour in broth and lemon juice. Add spinach, capers, and 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce slightly thickens. Taste. Adjust seasonings as desired.
  5. Return chicken, tomatoes and lemon slices to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken piccata. Garnish with parsley.

Notes

How to make this recipe faster: Buy “thinly-sliced” boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’re about 1/4-inch thick, so you won’t need to pound them. You can also use chicken cutlets and slice them horizontally.

How to add more texture: For an irresistible crispy-brown crust, add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or Panko breadcrumbs to the seasoned flour.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 Minutes
  • Category: Chicken
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian
Gold Line: Sprinkles of Inspiration | confettiandbliss.com

EAsy CHICKEN PICCATA 👉🏻 JOIN THE CONVERSATION

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19 Comments

  1. Definitely one of my favorite versions of chicken piccata. Really loved the artichokes and lemons. Such perfect flavors. This recipe’s a keeper.






  2. A beautiful, healthy option for chicken piccata. My family loved this recipe. Adding it to the meal plan rotation.






  3. It was such a gorgeous dish and delicious too! It was a fantastic choice this weekend when company came over. Everyone raved about it and wanted the recipe. Thank you for sharing it with all the step-by-step photos. So helpful!

  4. I had never tried chicken piccata before, even though I am in love with Italian cuisine. It was so delicious. I am drooling over your pictures and the empty dish on my counter.






  5. I love chicken piccata, it’s definitely one of my top favorite things to make with chicken! Yours looks so delicious – can’t wait to try this recipe ♥