Garlic Chicken Piccata
Garlic Chicken Piccata is fast, fresh, flavorful, and ready in just 30 minutes. Reminiscent of a restaurant favorite, you’ll love the creamy lemon garlic sauce that complements the tender chicken in this one pan meal!
You’ll also love this one pan lemon parm chicken gnocchi, chicken parmesan pasta skillet, and southwest chicken and rice bowls!
If you love easy chicken dishes, this is quite possibly the best chicken piccata recipe.
Chicken piccata is an American favorite, and for good reason. Juicy chicken, enveloped in a creamy sauce and cooked until golden. What’s not to love?
I’m no stranger to all things chicken…these honey garlic chicken legs, creamy parmesan mushroom chicken, and chicken alfredo pasta bake are on repeat in my kitchen.
And if you haven’t noticed, I’m not a fan of plain, boring chicken. In fact, I rarely order it at restaurants because it often lacks in flavor.
Until I tasted this lemon chicken piccata recipe. I knew I had to recreate it and make it fast and simple. And add lots of garlic, of course.
The chicken piccata sauce is what dreams are made of, friends. The classic recipe is creamy and loaded with flavors of lemon, garlic, and butter. It’s irresistibly delicious and perfect for drizzling over pasta or rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Easy: this piccata dish is made in just one pan, which means less time doing dish.
- Fast: it’s ready in just 30 minutes.
- Flavorful: with garlic, fresh lemon juice, butter, and seasonings, there is no shortage of flavor.
- Makes delicious leftovers: this chicken recipe reheats well and makes tasty leftovers.
Ingredients in Garlic Chicken Piccata Recipe:
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Seasonings: salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- All-purpose flour
- Olive oil
- Butter: unsalted works best so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe
- Capers: if desired
- Dry white wine: optional, you could also use chicken broth instead
- Fresh lemon juice
How to Make Easy Chicken Piccata Recipe:
- Season: generously season each side of chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.
- Cook: heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet and cook chicken until golden brown.
- Make the sauce: scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan and then add the capers, wine and/or broth, and lemon juice to a boil.
- Finish cooking: return the chicken to the skillet and simmer until warmed through. Stir in the remaining butter and garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley, if desired.
What Kind of Chicken Should You Use?
I used two chicken breasts and cut them in half to create four servings. However, chicken thighs, smaller chicken breasts, or chicken tenders would work well, too.
Do You Need to Pound the Chicken?
No! I cut the chicken breasts in half so that the cook time was shorter. You could use large chicken breasts as is, or cut in half. Alternatively, you could pound the chicken breasts if you don’t want to cut them in half, as this will result in thin pieces that cook faster.
What is Piccata Sauce Made of?
The sauce is typically made from butter, lemon juice, garlic and/or shallots, white wine, and capers.
What is a Substitute for White Wine in Chicken Piccata?
You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth in place of the white wine in equal amounts. If you swap out the wine for broth, you can add a touch of white vinegar for some acidity, if desired, as it will replace a little tanginess lost from the wine.
Want a More Intense Garlic Flavor?
Slice off the top part of a head of garlic and peel away the first few layers of skin. Drizzle the head of garlic with olive oil and roast at 400℉ for about 40 minutes. Remove the cloves once cooled and use in place of garlic powder or minced garlic.
How to Store:
Leftover chicken will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
To freeze: place cooled chicken in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to three months. When ready to serve, let thaw completely in the refrigerator.
To reheat: warm chicken in the microwave over medium power until warmed through. You can add a little cream, if desired, to thin out the lemon caper sauce.
What to Serve with This Classic Italian Dish?
I love to serve this easy chicken breast recipe with angel hair pasta or white rice. The lemon butter caper sauce is so decadent when tossed with pasta or rice.
You could also serve this chicken with:
- Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Lemon Broccoli
- Garlic Herb Rice
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
For a more tangy lemon flavor, sprinkle some lemon zest or lemon juice over the chicken just before serving.
Looking for More Easy Chicken Recipes? I’ve Got You Covered!
- Chicken and Spinach Pesto Quesadillas
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs
- Chicken Parmesan Burgers
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Tortellini
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Quesadilla
Garlic Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (cut in half lengthwise to form four pieces. Alternatively, you could use smaller chicken breasts or tenders)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, (divided)
- ¼ cup drained capers
- ¼ cup dry white wine OR low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Juice of lemon , (plus slices for serving, if desired)
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, (if desired)
Instructions
- Generously season each side of chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place flour on a large plate or pie pan. Lightly dredge chicken in flour. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Working in batches, cook chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, bring capers, wine/broth, and lemon juice to a boil. Season with additional salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Top with lemon slices and parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leftover chicken will last in an airtight container for up to four days.
- For a tangier lemon flavor, grate some lemon zest over cooked chicken and/or add some more lemon juice over dish just before serving.
- For a more intense garlic flavor, roast a head of garlic (cut and drizzled with olive oil) in the oven at 400℉ for about 40 minutes and then remove cloves to use in place of garlic powder.
- See my tips and tricks for making this Garlic Chicken Piccata above the recipe box.
- Recipe from Delish – Chicken Dinners Magazine (2023)
