Classic Italian Chicken Piccata Recipe
Published September 21, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This classic Italian chicken piccata recipe is pan-roasted and finished with a delicious white wine and caper butter sauce. You will love how easy this recipe comes together and how elegant it is to serve to family or friends.
If you love simple chicken recipes, then this is hands down for you. In addition, be sure to try my Chicken Cacciatore Recipe or perfectly cooked chicken boneless breasts,
Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata is a lightly floured pan-seared chicken breast served with a simple pan sauce with capers, and lemon juice. The classical version of this Italian dish would be used with thinly sliced and pounded veal scallopini.
Piccata is a cooking technique where you pan-fry thin slices of meat that is coated in a butter sauce. The sauce tends to be the most popular component of this dish and can certainly be served with pork or fish.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken — Boneless skinless chicken breasts are most common, but boneless skinless chicken thighs may also be used.
- Flour – All-purpose or bread flour may be used to light coat the chicken.
- Onion – Both shallots and garlic cloves are used. Substitute the shallot for a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion.
- Wine – Any dry white wine like chardonnay, Pinto Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc works well.
- Capers – Any size capers will work for this dish. A possible substitute could be pitless, small-diced green olives.
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the hero of the sauce.
- Butter — I always use unsalted butter when I cook or bake to control the sodium content.
- Herbs — The chicken piccata is finished with a classic garnish of minced fresh parsley. To elevate the dish, you could also add a teaspoon or two of minced fresh thyme.
- Seasonings – Only coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper were used.
How to Make Chicken Piccata
Slice the chicken breasts in half width-wise and gently pound them in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap so that they are about a ½” thick.
Coat the chicken breasts in salt and pepper seasoned flour until coated and pat off any excess flour.
Pan sear the chicken breasts in olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and set them aside.
Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and quickly sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and add in the capers.
Squeeze in lemon juice and cook until the liquid is almost gone or, “au sec.”
Remove the pan from the burner and stir in the butter, moving the pan in a circular motion to make a beurre blanc sauce.
Finish the sauce with parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can precook the chicken, but you will not be able to make the sauce ahead of time as it will break.
How to Store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and keep frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating.
How To Reheat: You can place the chicken in the sauce back into a pan and heat over low heat until hot.
chef notes + tips
- If your sauce breaks add some cold heavy cream to help emulsify it back together.
- You do not need to flour the chicken ahead of time if you want to keep this gluten-free.
- You can use a spoon or whisk to mix the butter to the sauce at the end.
- Try pounding out the chicken in a plastic zip bag 2 at a time if that is easier.
- Try serving this with pasta, mashed potatoes, over polenta, or risotto.
More Chicken Recipes
Video
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled small diced shallot
- 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup capers
- juice of 1 lemon, about 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pads
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- coarse salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise.
- Place them in between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap or in a large plastic zip bag and gently pound them with a mallet until they are about a ½” thick. Set aside.
- Add the flour to a bowl, season very well with salt and pepper, and mix.
- Coat the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour and pat off any excess flour. Set on a plate.
- Add the olive oil to a large frying pan over high heat. Once the oil begins to smoke very lightly, add in the chicken breasts and immediately turn the heat down to medium.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned and halfway cooked through and flip over.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 4-5 minutes or until cooked throughout.
- Remove the chicken breasts and set them aside.
- Add the shallots and garlic to the pan where the chicken was cooked and saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until very lightly browned over low to medium heat.
- Add in the wine, capers, and juice of ½ lemon and cook until the liquid is almost gone or about 1-2 tablespoons are left.
- Remove from the heat and add in the butter and swirl the pan in a circular motion until completely melted.
- Finish with parsley, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, salt, and pepper and pour over the cooked chicken breasts and serve.
excellent recipe! Love the ease of preparation and the flavors where phenomenal. It’s in our rotation!
So glad it was a hit!
Out of this World GOOD
Thank you!!
Made this tonight and it was Delicious! I would like to make more sauce, do I just double the sauce recipe?
Excellent!.
Thank you Chef, that is a truly tasty dish. I prepared it as you described and it was very nice. Paired it with a Schug Chardonnay. Magnificent.
Thank you for giving it a shot!
Possible to coat chicken with the flour, freeze them and then when I want to make this, defrost and cook them. Thanks
No
This my #1 go to for company dinners, easy and delicious. Throw it on some pasta, add a salad and bread – done !
Rave reviews.
My # 2 is your glazed pork chop recipe. A sure hit with company every time.
Thank you!
Excellent! Thank you!
This Chicken Piccata recipe is perfection and a favorite of ours. It’s so flavorful and the chicken is tender. It is easy to make and that is coming from someone that’s not a great cook:). I’ve made several of Billy’s recipes and each one turned out great. The recipes are easy to follow and made with ingredients I have readily.
Fantastic! Thank you for giving it a shot!
I have been making this for years using turkey cutlets (already very thin and very inexpensive). I never tried it with shallot and garlic though. You can be sure I’ll add it tonight – wow! Thanks for the great tip. It can only get better and my guy thought it was veal, the first time I made it for him. HA!
Thanks for giving it a try!
This was outstanding. I made this dish with the Pommes Fondantes. It came together perfectly for a fancy weeknight dinner. I’m serving it to friends later this week.
Thank you for giving it a shot!
While I had to sub a couple of things (white onion for shallot; chardonnay for Pino Grigio), this was absolutely delicious!! I made mushroom risoto to go with, but do wish I’d made a pasta dish instead. I have leftovers, so pasta next time!!
Thank you for giving it a shot!
This was delicious. Followed to the letter and was perfect. I’m not a big user of garlic, even though I’m Italian, but it was great. Chef Parisi’s recipes are the best along with his recommendations and tips.
Thank you!
I have made this recipe a number of times. Sometimes I will add a little chicken broth to have more liquid to spoon over the chicken if I am serving risotto or pasta with it. Like all of your recipes I not only appreciate learning more about the history of a particular dish, I also appreciate the way you present the tutorial on how it is made. Your videos go a long way to help a kitchen journeyman like me learn and hone better skills. Thanks.
Thank you!!
I love this recipe, it is in regular rotation especially for an impromptu dinner party. This dish is always well received. You are my “go to” chef, Billy Parisi. I appreciate the time and effort you put in on the videos snd recipes.
Thank you so kindly!
I made this chicken piccata recipe for friends and it was a big hit. The steps are uncomplicated and easy to follow, and the result looks and tastes like something you would get in a good Italian restaurant.
Fantastic!
Made your chicken piccata! It was delicious and your step by step was awesome.Thank you
Sandy McFarland
My pleasure!
Outstanding!!! Quick and easy and delicious!
Made this last night for supper and it was easy to follow and delicious!!!
It was absolutely delicious.
This is easy, gets consistently excellent results and my family LOVES it. One of our favorite dishes. Thanks so much!
You are the man Billy, made your Chicken Piccata tonight and it was the bomb wifey said better than at the restaurant and I agree with her!
Thanks Buddy!
Made this for dinner again tonight. It’s one of the few chicken dishes my wife will ask for!
Chef Billy, I made this for the first time and it was phenomenal!! It was so easy to make. Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Just made this for dinner. Absolutely scrumptious! Quick and easy meal!
Than you Chef! Definitely will make this many times. 💖
Absolutely my favorite recipe. After seeing this, I was making it once a week. Like it over angel hair pasta
Ive made this recipe exactly as suggested. It’s really good!
I made this for our best friends – delicious! Everyone enjoyed this dish. Such a simple recipe to follow. I added a splash more wine towards the end. Served with steamed asparagus that I added to the platter with the chicken and sauce, also made creamy risotto to go along with it. That recipe is 5 star as well!
many thanks!
Chef this was delicious! When my husband loves a recipe its a winner! Thanks for all your recipes, of which I have made many! It is company worthy too!
Wonderful recipes ChefBillythank you tasty 😋 😁👋🤩
I made this last night and it was so easy and delicious!!! Definitely will be making this again!!!
So delicious! I didn’t have white wine so I upped the chicken broth and lemon juice and it was incredible! Easy to make and SO good!
I’ve made this dish using different recipes but this is the best I’ve ever made. It taste is so delicious, you just can’t eat enough.of it. Thank you Chef Parisi for sharing this amazing recipe. You’re the best. 🍾🥂
Dear Chef Billy,
I just made Chicken Piccata for the first time today. It was so good that I had 2 helpings. I’ve had it in restaurants, but never like this!! Thank you so much.
Blessings,
Sister Barbara sfcc
Easy to follow, turned out divine. We ordered chicken piccata from a restaurant and it was subpar. Said we could do it better, and picked this recipe and it was far more delicious!
excellent!
Dear Chef Billy Parisi
I have made your chicken piccata this evening
It was delicious
Made it twice so far, my son and I loved it
But I told him this evening that I must try another recipe
I have two serving every time it is so good and I follow your instructions
So easy and delicious. I used to dislike capers when I was a kid. I love them now. This recipe is just divine!
made this and my husband loved it. very good
amazing!
Made this recipe, LOVED IT
Thanks for making your recipes simple and delicious! ❤️
excellent!
This was the first of my recipes of Billy Parisi. It was a smashing success. I made it again for a pot luck “Full Moon” party. It was a “hit!” It was so delicious and easy.
I had three thighs w/bone leftover from a previous meal. I professionally deboned them… (Errrr, okay, I hacked the bone out!) and used those. Easy, easy, tasty, tasty! Truly good recipe! And I used stuff I already had in my larder. I served the chicken picatta with my recipe, Maui rice. Which is basically fried rice made with leftover rice and whatever veggies are laying around. Let’s just say… There were no leftovers!
Thank you Chef!
my pleasure!
Easy and yummy!
many thanks!
Excellent and easy recipe. This may become our new weeknight favorite! Really quite good over egg noodles and a side of steamed brocollini.
fantastic!
This is the best Chicken
Picata recipe I have ever eaten.
.So easy and delicious!
so good!!
I made this for dinner tonight. It is a great recipe and will make again I. The future .
excellent!
I’ve made this recipe a few times! It’s perfect the way it is. My favorite so I will give this 5 stars!!
perfect!!
This is one of my favorite recipes. It is delicious!!!
so good!!
this recipe was simple yet delicious
perfect!!
Made this recipe several times. It is a family favorite and it was easy to follow. Given recipes to other family members.
amazing!
Can thighs be used? I do not
Like Chicken breast.
why not?
This is the best chicken piccata I have ever made. The flavors are perfectly balanced. Soaking up the sauce with sourdough bread was exceptional.
excellent!
My favorite piccata yet! The tip to take the sauce off the heat and slowly swirl in the butter so the sauce doesn’t break was perfect and made it so delicious!
perfect!!
I have made Billy’s chicken piccata recipe several times…..
Always so darn good and everybody loves it.. I’ve also used pork and veal and it’s always amazing. Thanks for making me look Like a rockstar in the kitchen
love it!
Made for the family. Will definitely make again!
excellent!
We really enjoy it every time I make it. I use chicken tenders because I don’t like cutting the breasts, but they work very well.
that’ll work!
Great recipe for a quick easy meal that will feel like fine dining. Have made this several times and it never disappoints.
It was delicious! Thank you for the great recipe and video!
excellent!
Love this recipe ! It is so easy and fast. It has become my “go-to” company dinner, because it is easy and makes me look good… lots of compliments.
The downside is when asked for the recipe I have to give your website… so then they realize you are the wizard of the kitchen, not me ☹️.
fantastic!
My first recipe I tried of chefs and it was so easy and delicious. Definitely in my rotation now and is easy to whip together for company!
Fantastic!
This recipe makes me look like a genius every time I make it. It’s a hit and it tastes amazing.
love it!
This has become a family favorite!
Excellent!
perfect combination of ingrediants` Love capers and lemon with that sauce~~excellent and easy-
Excellent!
Just made this recipe (for the tenth or more time) at my grown kids’ request. The best there is!
so good!!
One of our go to meals. So easy and so delicious!
so good!!
This was a new dish for my family. It’s now one of their favorites!
thank you so kindly!!
Love this recipe ! Love Chef Billy’s instructional videos. One of my family favorites.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
This was an absolute fantastic recipe. I actually followed Chef Billy’s ultimate chicken piccata with pasta. His instructional videos are the best. This is now one of my husband’s favorites.
thank you so kindly!!
Best chicken piccata I’ve ever made! It was delicious!
appreciate it
Delicious!!!
many thanks!
Perfection. Fancy but not diffficult!
Chicken Piccata is my favorite Italian dish, and this is my favorite recipe for it.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
My family loved this recipe!! Definitely adding to my meal rotation. Thanks, Chef!!
My pleasure!
I usually serve this with angel hair pasta, but I was thinking of doing it with lemon orzo. What do you think?
Sure
There are no adequate words to describe the velvety, lemony, briny goodness of chicken piccata. However, this recipe is the winner out of all the ones I have tried. When you serve this, you’ll swear you’re at a fine dining establishment and it is so simple to make. Yum, yum, and double yum. Thanks again Chef. You’re da bomb.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Easy, tasty, excellent.
This is staying on my “good ones” list
Thank you!
I’d never made this before. Was simple, easy to follow instructions and delicious!
Excellent!
Made this.
Everything that isn’t Mexican food intimidates me to the fullest. I finally put on my big girl panties and followed Chefs recipe and it was divine.
I must add that Chef Billy is now my go to on all things food! I don’t even bother googling recipes anymore. So bomb!!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
This is easy and delicious! I make it all the time now and everyone is always impressed!
so good!!
Loved this! Made with pasta & salad. Asparagus
Amazing!
This is so tasty! It’s easy and quick! I make this often!
Thank you!
This is the best Chicken Piccata recipe I have found, and I’ve tried several of them over the years. However, I would love more sauce and wonder if it is necessary to reduce it so much before removing it from the stove to swirl in the butter. What are your thoughts?
Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks for giving it a shot!! Feel free to add more butter.
After reading others reviews if chef Parisi’s Chicken Piccata, I moved the recipe to the top of my must try list. I was not disappointed. Easy to make, packed with flavor, I will be making this again soon for out of town guests. Delicious!!!!
Awesome!
Love, love, love the blast of flavors from such an easy entree. Prep takes the longest, do not even think of starting until every ingredient is ready to go. So quick to put together – easy enough for a weeknight favorite, fancy enough for your special guests.
Great
A great classic recipe and you make it easy for us. I will make this again and again.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
If this is ever on the menu at a restaurant, I have to order it. And now I can make it at home thanks to this recipe. Amazing – easy and delicious! Thanks!
My pleasure!
Made this the other day for my family! It was perfection.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
I made this Chicken Piccata tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I love how easy your recipes come together. No fuss, no muss just yummy goodness. I served it over mashed potatoes. This will definitely be in the rotation.
fantastic.
All I have to say is I would give this dish a 100 stars!!
Chef Billy thank you for getting me back in my kitchen. And cooking. Again I love I love how you are teaching me. The importance of unsalted butter in most recipes as we can adjust it for ourselves and in this dish the chicken piccata definitely need unsalted butter Ask the capers and the lemon add enough
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Outstanding! I follow Chef Billy on Facebook and his approach is so very much relateable. This is one of my favorites and is executed to perfection by Chef Parisi.
excellent
First time making chicken piccata. The recipe was so easy and delicious. I was always a chicken thigh person but this now has me picking up more chicken breast pieces. This recipe is so fast and easy. I served this with brown wild rice. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Love it!
This is my favorite piccata recipe ever.. I get tons of compliments every time.
Amazing!
This is my go-to recipe for special family dinners. I make it exactly as Chef Parisi describes and it’s perfect every time. His easy-to-follow instructions don’t just teach viewers how to make a meal, but he goes further to provide the ‘why’ behind important techniques.
Excellent!
Very nice wish there was a little more sauce for the chicken
You can add in more butter if you’d like.
This recipe is full of flavor! I made it for may husband and then shared it with neighbors, who loved it! I so enjoy watching your videos. You make things seem
doable from non chefs. Please continue to provide them.
Excellent! Thanks for making it.
Best cjicken piccata I’ve ever eaten. I’ve made this recipe my own! Love!
Fantastic
Loved this recipe! Easy and tasty!!
One of my favorites and a go-to recipe now!
My partner absolutely loved this recipe! Thanks Chef Billy!
This was delicious and easy to prepare! I did leave out capers since I am not a fan, but it was still very flavorful.
Absolutely delicious and so easy! I’m going to make this again and again. We loved it.
Easy and delicious
Great video and very tasty!
Hi Chef Parisi,
I’ve watched so many of your videos that I feel like I know you. You are my go to web chef. I loved the chicken piccata recipe. I didn’t use as much butter, but it was still delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipes! Sandra
Delicious, I will make it again.
Hi! I made this tonight. It was so delicious. My husband doesn’t normally eat anything with lemon, but this had the perfect amount, more like a fragrance than concentrated lemon, and we loved it. I left out the shallots (personal preference), but still so flavorful! I love your videos, you make it easy to follow along and I appreciate that you give technique tips that I can apply to other cooking events.
Just made this last night. Super easy, with little prep work. The mix of flavors is amazing!! Can’t wait to make it again!!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I served it with a brown butter pasta, cheddar bay biscuits and a tossed salad. Thank you Chef for sharing another great recipe and techniques.
Really great recipe chef Billy!
I followed your recipe to the T and my family really enjoyed it. All clean plates! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for cooking with the world. Please keep up the great teaching!
This time around I had and used all the ingredients! It was so yummy that one of the men at the table ate three pieces! Curious, is there any substitute for the butter that you would recommend (cholesterol concern)?
nothing will work outside of maybe margarine, but that won’t help your diet needs.
Since I have been following your channel and cooking the recipes you feature, I have not eaten any better food outside my kitchen. I enjoy the way to teach how to prepare and cook your different meals. My friends and family have enjoyed everything I have served them, and I really enjoy preparing the different foods you have shown on your channel. Thank you so much for your time and expertise. You have really made me a better cook, and I always look forward to you next recipe.
Thanks for giving all of these recipes a try, I appreciate it!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious. Everyone loved it. I love any thing with lemon in it. So yummy, thx chef!
I made this recipe last evening and it was over the top magnifico! People were actually wowed by the presentation and the taste was absolutely perfection. Thank you for teaching me how to prep, cook, and present a dish! You are truly a master at your craft! I’m grateful to be one of your Commis chefs. 🙂
Can you share the type/brand of pan you use in this recipe? It looks like carbon steel.
It is, it’s a DeBuyer