Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata
You won’t believe how quick/easy this is with ingredients you already have on hand! Serve over pasta – SO GOOD!
For today’s recipe, we need to do a quick FRIENDS recap – it’s the one with the metaphorical tunnel.
Chandler: Okay, last night at dinner, when the meals came, she put half her chicken piccata on my plate and took my tomatoes.
Ross: And that’s bad because…, you hate chicken piccata?
Chandler: Noo.
Ross: You didn’t want to share your tomatoes, tomatoes are very important to you.
Chandler: No, it’s like all of the sudden, we were this couple. And this alarm started going off in my head: ‘Run for your life! Get out of the building!’
Rachel: Men are unbelievable.
So yes, this recipe is pretty much dedicated to Chandler and Janice because that’s the only thing that comes to mind when I think of chicken piccata.
Except it’s really just a super fancy-looking chicken dish that’s unbelievably easy to whip up with ingredients you already have on hand, making it perfect for date night, Sunday Supper, or even a busy weeknight.
But more importantly, can we talk about the lemon cream sauce? I mean, you could even double the sauce, skip the chicken and just put it on a bed of pasta.
I mean, the chicken would honestly just get in the way anyway.
Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup diced shallots
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine*
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Working one at a time, dredge chicken in flour.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Set aside and keep warm.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Add garlic and shallots, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth, wine and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in heavy cream until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in capers.
- Serve immediately with pasta and chicken, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Simple, yet delicious dish. I was unable to get my sauce to thicken much, but I can easily solve that on my next attempt. Great recipe.
Would love to make this for a dinner party I’m hosting. Can I make chicken about one hour in advance and cover in warm oven until served?
This was absolutely delicious!! The whole family loved it. Thank you for sharing!!!!
That was damn delicious! Will definitely make again
We love this meal. We double the sauce. I was hoping to have chicken leftover to take in my lunch, but my family ate it all. Guess I’ll have to make more of it too.
Delicious! I browned our chicken breast in Olive Oil, but used the butter to make the sauce. I made Mashed potatoes instead of the pasta. Placed the chicken & yummy sauce on top of the potatoes. We liked the idea you could taste the lemon in the sauce too. Steams Gr. Beans on the side. W/make it again!
Thanks for relating your story about Chandler and Janice, it sort of makes the recipe come alive, not that it needs help. I am not a big chicken fan, but hey you are supposed to eat healthy so I try and avoid too much red meat. I couldn’t believe how easy this recipe was and the taste is scrumptious, even with gluten free pasts.
This was super tasty! I have always made Chicken Piccata almost the exact same way. I never added cream and always served it over rice.
Made this for a last minute dinner last night….had everything on hand except for cream. It was delicious and will be a go to meal for this family weekly. thanks so much for sharing 🙂
It’s so nice to be able to go to a blog and confidently know that the recipe you choose is going to be delish! Thanks for always sharing great recipes. I will make this again and again.
WOW, this is something you would expect to eat at a restaurant. Thank you! This recipe will become a family favourite for sure. Exquisite! (I doubled the sauce )
Very good & easy to make!
So good! Loved the sauce so much! Instead of cream I used a can of coconut cream (just the top cream part) and used more broth instead of wine. Turned out amazing. Also subbed GF flour for the chicken coating. Everyone loved it and I could seriously drink the sauce. Thank you!!!
Very good!
This was very tasty but had some issues. I cooked on a cast iron which did get very hot after cooking the chicken medium-high for 10 minutes or whatever it was. The butter immediately browned and the garlic and shallots completely burned within seconds of adding it to the pan. Had to start from scratch on that with a nonstick skillet. Luckily I had enough garlic and shallots leftover. I’m surprised that these instructions would work for others.
I don’t think the recipe is the problem. Cast iron holds heat longer. It definitely changes the way you need to cook. Try a different type pan or take your cast iron off the heat for a bit to let it cool down before sautéing the shallots and garlic. It’s worth another attempt. IMO
This recipe was simple and DELICIOUS. Will absolutely be making again.
I ended up doubling the sauce ingredients as well and it worked perfectly. Served it over some thick spaghetti with a squeeze of extra lemon and some parmesan. The whole family loved it!
SO GOOD even with substitutions for what I had on hand. Swapped chick broth for veggie, heavy cream for sour cream mixed with water (1:1), and shallot for white onion. No capers or wine, sadly. Threw in a little salted pasta water. I am cooking for one so I halved the sauce and just made one breast. Tossed the pasta and breast with the sauce – Would make even more sauce ration for company (or maybe I let it thicken too much).
I did have to restart the sauce because it burned and tasted terrible. Determined it was a combo of: too high of heat with chicken (the butter turned brown) and most importantly, too small of chop on onion and garlic – they burned up fast but I kept on cooking for the full two minutes. In my second attempt I turned the heat down slightly and kept the chop to a dice (I had mindlessly done a fine mince). Even with all the caveats that remove delicious benefits like chicken juice, wine, etc., I was still very happy eating the results – def satisfies my restaurant cravings and I will make again!
First: I LOVE this recipe. Second: I find that, no matter what any recipe says, adding garlic at the same time as onion (shallots, etc.) is never a good idea. Garlic burns quickly and creates a bitter flavor. I cook the onion (shallots, etc.) until I’m pretty pleased, THEN add the garlic and only cook for a minute or so. Just my two cents…
This is so good. There’s something about lemon and chicken together. I made this for a potluck and it was a hit, of course, even among the tougher food critics at the party. I added garlic and onion powder, as well as Italian seasoning. Saving this recipe for sure. Thank you!
I was excited to try this but was afraid it wouldn’t be saucy enough for me but OMG this was so delicious. I will definitely make this again. My only thing is I wanted more seasoning on the chicken but still good as is too.
I don’t even want to order this when I go out for a fine Italian Dinner anymore… it’s just not as good as this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing this.
Very tasty.
I made it with normal sea salt, not kosher. Is it much better with kosher?
Fam jam loved this but I needed to quadruple the sauce recipe to have enough for the pasta! Added mrs dash to the chicken before I dredged in the flour. Turned out super!
WOW WOW WOW this recipe turned out phenomenal! I’ve tried several other and something always goes wrong when adding the heavy cream. This taste just like the restaurant minus having to go out! I mean this was so good I’m making more sauce in the morning. THANK YOU SO MUCH !
Delicious! My family loved it. Especially my two year old daughter who is ultra picky. Thank you so much for sharing. I did add one extra garlic clove because we love garlic. And, fresh grated Parmesan to the pasta. Ultra good.
What can I use instead of capers? Not a big fan.
We made it exactly as written. AMAZING!!!!
Substituted zoodles for the noodles for an low carb version
While I’m obsessed with your lemon garlic chicken thigh recipe, this one might be my favorite of all. I make it at least once a week over a green salad, so usually omit the cream. My husband (steak guy, not a fan of chicken) loves it too. Thanks for this awesome recipe that has become one of our weeknight staples!
There is 5 of us. Think I could throw in an extra piece of chicken without changing the rest of the recipe??
Have made this recipe of chicken piccata so many times and it comes out delicious every time. Love these recipes!!!
This recipe is amazing. I make it as much as I can. So delicious!
I love this recipe and have shared it with everyone. Chicken is my favorite, but I have also made it with thin pork chops and shrimp. Not a big lemon fan, so I usually only use juice from a lemon half. Just yummy!
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it out on the family.
I just made this as a buffet item for 50 guests for a cocktail buffet. I cut the chicken pieces small and did not use the wine, per the client’s request. Used 11 pounds of chicken and served it over penne. She told me this morning that it was the best she has ever had. It was a real hit with the guests. Thank you for this great recipe!
Very good. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs that I didn’t pound down, so they took a while longer to cook. The sauce was delicious, well flavored. A lb of pasta was too much for us, so next time I will cook half pound. We paired with grilled zucchini. Delicious flavor in this chicken piccata, will make again.
Great recipe albeit I used a bit of sugar to balance what I thought was a bit too much the bitterness in the sauce
Made it just the way it was instructed. *chef’s kiss*
Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Sauce was to thin so had to add flour to thicken. And the lemon was a bit strong for me. But other than that it was delicious. Thank you!!
Wendy: If you s & p and flour the chicken before sauteeing, then when you make the sauce, it’s thicker. We love the sauce so I double it. I make fettuccini noodles and add garlic-olive oil, steamed asparagus (cut in 2 inch sections), and halved grape tomatoes, and serve the pasta with the chicken and sauce. Yummy! Cheers!
I made this today followed it step by step well I added a little extra seasoning to the flour and chicken but overall this was so good 10 out of 10 just like my favorite restaurant
Oh my gosh it’s so good. My fam is so picky it’s rare we all like the same recipe but you just added another awesome recipe to the precious few we all enjoy together. Thank you so much!
question, has anyone tried this shrimp instead of chicken?
We love this recipe I make it for my husband all the time
I wouldn’t call it easy but directions were easy to follow and it was better than most restaurant versions. I followed the recipe exactly, but doubled it because I had a group of six. Only one piece of chicken was left and I made 2 and 1/2 pounds. It tasted so good and was tender and was perfect with angel hair pasta. I had picky eaters who really gave their approval as well. My sauce was a little thin so I might not use as much liquid next time. Thanks for a tasty dinner.
Absolutely delish! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Three of us ate every bite! I doubled the sauce and it was amazing!!!
Flavor was delicious. Too much pasta for the amount of sauce in the recipe. I cooked a lb of pasta and used half. Still was too dry. Ingredients were tasty but ratios were wrong. Next time I’ll flatten the chicken, triple the sauce, and prep in the morning.
Try this variation, it is amazing!
Cook more chicken piccata than you need and refrigerate the leftovers. It gives the remaining leftovers time to absorb the lemon/wine/butter sauce.
Take the leftovers out of the refrigerator after hours of refrigeration or overnight. For example, put a single serving of pasta in a small saucepan. Turn the heat on medium high, but keep an eye on it. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and sautee it in 2 tablespoons of butter for 2 minutes. Add the leftovers to the pan. Add some white wine (1/2 cup) to loosen up the leftovers, 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of italian bread crumbs, a teaspoon of dried oregano, a teaspoon of dried basil, and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. And the juice of a whole lemon; yes a whole lemon! I even slice up slivers of the rind and sautee them as well. Keep stirring it until it is ready. Add a teaspoon of capers at the last minute, stir, and let cool enough to serve.
The pasta/lemon sauce will jump off your plate with a WOW! If you don’t get rave reviews for having ‘invented’ this, I’ll be amazed!
The best chicken piccata recipe I’ve ever made, hands down. And I’ve made a lot through the years. Such a quick, easy and delicious meal that feels like restaurant quality. Thanks so much for your recipe!!
This was absolutley delicious- better than any restaurant Lemon Chicken Piccata. I tripled the sauce recipe so there would be a lot of sauce and it all went for 7 of us for dinner. I used 2 bulbs of garlic minced through my little food processor- its never too much garlic! I didn’t have shallots but I used 1 large vidalia onion instead. Sauvignon Blanc( 1cup+) and 3 lemons, 2 quarts of Chicken Broth. Need to rinse the capers super well, double/triple rinsed, as these can make the sauce bitter. If you want to make your sauce thicker/creamier just mix the whipping cream mixed with a tablespoon or 2 or flour before you add it to the pot. If your sauce is too lemony, add more chicken broth or whipping cream – can’t go wrong with this and you will have more sauce too. This was the best Lemon Chicken Piccata by far! Thank you for a great recipe- a keeper! I’m looking forward to making more of your recipes.
Definitely double the sauce! Awesome recipe!
This recipe deserves a chef’s kiss! ! This is the first recipe I’ve tried of yours and I’m making it again this week (just made it last week).
Good recipe. Definitely double the sauce for 1 lb of pasta. Very dry otherwise.
Quick and easy yet delicious. I will make it again. I didn’t serve with pasta as we had just had pasta the night before. Served with rice and broccoli.
Made this for dinner tonight and paired with feta and spinach chicken sausage instead of chicken. A garden salad for a side and my husband said it was “Off the charts delicious!” We will surely be making this again and again!
This recipe is simply delicious.
So easy and so delicious. I made it according to the recipe, except I added a few more capers…don’t be stingy with the capers!!
I printed this recipe along with a few other recipes from your site and love them all! I just happen to have a day off and have time to send a review. We absolutely love this recipe! Some people commented that they added somethings to thicken the sauce but I think it was perfect. I also love the fact that you added just a 1/2 cup of heavy cream. It is the perfect amount to make it rich but not “guilty” rich. To readers just make sure you reduce the wine, chicken stock liquid for 5 minutes. Yummy!!!
I made this for my daughter’s bday and everyone loved it. I doubled it, thickened a bit, and sprinkled some grated parm in while cooking to give it even more flavor.
I love this recipe!! Fast, easy and delicious. I added baby artichokes to the sauce, made the sauce seem a little thicker.
This recipe was freaking amazing. I send it to all my friends to try. Definitely restaurant quality (as good as dishes I’ve had all over Italy). I’m making it for the 2nd time today, but I am going to attempt to make it more of a veggie recipe (rather than the chicken) by cooking some frozen veggies separately and adding them into the sauce (the chicken was GREAT, but I’m just not eating enough veggies, lately, and this sauce is SO GOOD, it will definitely support “hiding” some veggies in it). Also the capers were a bit concentrated for my taste, but that’s just personal preference, so will likely cut those in half this time around. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I have made this multiple times and have also wanted to add some vegetables to the dish. Two ways that have been successful is to add some mushrooms and saute with the onion and garlic, t hff en proceed with the recipe. Another option is to add and wlit fresh spinach in the step where you are reducing the sauce just before adding the cream and the capers. Both delicious says to up the veggie content. And yes, true confession, I also add freshly grated pecorino romano.
The chicken was delicious, but I had some trouble with the sauce. I doubled the sauce, so I used two lemons. I don’t know if I juiced them too efficiently, or if it’s just my personal preference, but it was too lemony for my family. I wish there was a definite amount (like 2 tablespoons?) listed since the amount of juice obtained from a lemon varies. When I tasted before serving and discovered this, I tried to rescue the sauce by adding cheese at first. Then I looked up how to counteract lemon flavor and found that baking soda works, so I added a small amount, and this actually seemed to thicken the sauce a little, which was nice, and it did neutralize the sour taste some. I liked it after this, but my family still wasn’t crazy about the sauce. Oh well. By the way, since I was doubling, I used one can of chicken broth and no wine (don’t keep wine in the house). Other than that, followed the recipe.
I have made Chicken Piccata many times and this one is my new favorite recipe. I did add chopped artichoke hearts to it. Delicious
This was a quick and delicious meal! I used chicken tenderloins so I didn’t have to pound any chicken thin. I used sweet onions. Presentation is beautiful even without the parsley.
I rarely cook, so when I say this was easy to make, it’s EASY to make. This recipe was a hit with my kids and husband. Thank you. We loved it!
SO DELICIOUS!! I could of drank the sauce with a straw!!
fabulous !! Great receipe !!!!
A delicious recipe! It’s as good or better than any chicken picatta I’ve had in a restaurant. I did as much prep as possible the night before, so it only took a few minutes to throw everything together and get dinner on the table after I got home from work today. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Literally, this is the MOST AMAZING chicken dish I have ever had or made!!!! FABULOUS!!! No, DAMN DELICIOUS!!!!
I did double the sauce and I then added a small bit of cornstarch slurry to thicken up the sauce a little.
EXCELLENT!
This was amazing. I sent the link to my mom and a couple of friends because everyone should have such easy, delicious food. Thank you!
The flavor is great. The chicken was nice and tender, but the sauce was way too runny. I would’ve had to crank up the heat and reduce it for ten minutes. Just use half the liquids and it’s fine.
So damn delicious, I impressed myself!!!
Yum, yum and yum! This recipe is amazing! I’ve probably made it five times in the past two months! I use ghee and olive oil to fry the chicken, and it renders the sauce extra rich. I wouldn’t change anything about this! My husband is eternally grateful!!!
Just delicious. Now we know that chicken piccata isn’t traditionally creamy but this version is easy positivity scrumptious so I decided to take it one step further and add freshly grated parmesan. Oh. My. Goodness. Just amazing. Truly an easy and delicious dish that makes you feel like a rock star chef! Another great recipe, thanks so much!
Tastes good but my sauce did not thicken.
I just made this last night and it was amazing. I doubled the lemon juice, chicken broth, wine, and heavy cream so that my sauce was extra saucy. I also added artichokes at the end just for a little extra.
So good. I only used 1/2 a lemon, I regret not doubling the sauce.
Super good and quick to make. First time to make but making again for dinner tonight. Only thing I did not have was capers. I did not miss them since I do not know anything about them. thanks for this recipe. I did it your way.
I’ve made many variations of this recipe but yours nailed it!
My husband had seconds and asked me to put this in our meal plan rotation!
Thank you!!!
BEST chicken piccata. I cut the pasta in half (or otherwise known as doubling the sauce) and I could have even had MORE sauce. It was so good I was literally licking the pan clean.
I do this recipe by browning the chicken breast in chunks (no flour) to lower the carbs and serve with either zoodles or spaghetti squash. So tasty!
This is a great dish! I had to leave out shallots as I am allergic to those and red onions, but for future, can I use white onions as a substitute?
I love damn delicious, most recently, bought the cookbook about meal prep and it has saved me countless hours!
Yes, this is really delicious and I have been following Damn-delicious for a long time. Her food is the best. But I have a problem now in that a family member has pancreatitis and can not have oil or butter. This was his favorite food. So the challenge becomes how to fix this without any butter or oil and produce something similar? There are millions of Americans now with pancreatitis but have no way to turn because there are no recipes that are outstanding without butter, oil or fried. Any ideas?
cook the chicken in the oven with seasoning then add to the pan after or maybe you can use olive oil or a butter substitute?
Use chicken broth instead of the butter and oil. Just make sure the broth doesn’t have any oil. You can still have the lemon and wine, so it will be delicious.
Absolutely delicious and it was easy for me to make. It was received well even for those who don’t normally like to eat Italian. I had the butcher slice the chicken breast thin for me, made more sauce than in the recipe and probably added a little extra butter, but the recipe probably calls for enough. I also reduced it a little, but because I wanted a slightly thicker sauce and didn’t want to wait too much time, I used the method of adding flour to thicken it more – little flour in a bowl then add some sauce and stir, then add to the remaining sauce. Not sure if that takes away from authenticity. I really loved this and this dish is not normally what I order. My husband said he would order this at a restaurant and the in laws loved it as well. I plan to make this over and over again. Thanks!
I made this minus the shallots, and used jasmine rice with thyme & steamed broccoli with feta cheese. The sauce was drenched all over the entire dish. Definitely a repeat dinner
The photographs look as delicious as this dish tastes. It is one of the best Chicken Piccata recipes I have made. It is a breeze to make with little prep. It most definitely a great summer evening diner dish everyone will love even the little ones. I did omit the the dredging of the chicken. I also used coconut cream instead of heavy cream and 1/2 the amount of butter recipe called for. Everyone loved it!!!
Quick and delicious! You can substitute light coconut milk for the heavy cream for a lighter but just as tasty version. I cube the chicken and dredge in flour with lemon pepper seasoning. Use some onion powder if you don’t have a shallot on hand. Get outside the pasta box! Serve over Israeli pearl couscous. Thanks for sharing!
My family loves this dish and it’s so easy to make!!!
Excellent, easy, great raves from the family!!!
Family approved! Made pretty much verbatim. Only added some roasted crispy artichokes when serving. I did dredge the chicken in potato starch instead of regular flour. ( Stays crispy even when covered with the delicious sauce. ) I used chardonnay wine and it worked well. Note, I didnt pound my chicken out like some mention, i just sliced the breast into thin layers horizontally. Its easier to do when chicken is slightly frozen. Then dredge and pan fry in butter mixed with olive oil, one to one ratio. Whenever i cook in just butter, I tend to burn it too fast, so adding the oil helps me avoid that. Will definitely make again and again. My family was stunned when i matter-of-factly served chicken piccata without any warning. I cook a lot but never made this before. Thanks for posting.
Oh goodness, that sauce… I could eat bowls of that stuff. I did have giant chicken breasts, so I pounded them out before dredging, and everything turned out perfect! BTW best tip from you was not to touch the chicken while they were frying- they turned out with a great crunchy crust. Thanks!
I made this for my girl for date night and I’ve never cooked for her yet and it turned out absolutely fabulous. She was actually really impressed and I was surprised I didn’t mess it up. She’s having it again for lunch today! Thank you for the awesome recipe!!
Okay, no, 15 minutes prep time??? Maybe if you’re Martha Stewart or Giada. But for the average man, forgettaboudit. Also, who happens to have ‘shallots’ “already on hand”? I didn’t even know what a shallot was! BUT, AFTER I got all of the ingredients and put ’em together, the meal came out tasting pretty nice! Just like the real thing at Cheesecake Factory. Amazing! It actually works! It wasn’t EASY but it worked. I’ll give ’em credit for that.
Aw, you make me miss a hearty plate of chicken piccata pasta so muchhhh I love when you included the white wine into the ingredients! A great step to make the chicken much more divine~ Yummy!
– Natalie Ellis
OMG I feel like a chef! I don’t cook much lol this was DELISH!! Thank you 🙂
Amazing!
Thank you thank you thank you. D-lish!
This has become my all time favorite recipe!!! I honestly just want to be eating this all the time. It’s perfect and so delicious. Sometimes I serve it with the chicken breast whole over the pasta and other times I’ll slice the chicken up after it has cooked and rested a bit and will stick it back in the pan to get all coated in the sauce. I’ve also made this with shrimp and I think it would also be delicious with pork chops …honestly, this sauce on just about anything could be my favorite food. Thank you for this recipe!! It’s my go-to meal for guests too because it’s simple to throw together after work and people are ALWAYS impressed!
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi, this dish was a hit! One thing though, regarding the lemon I chose. The lemon juice’s tartness ultimately was very pronounced in the sauce. When I make this again i will reduce the wine and chicken broth and as it thickens i will add the cream. One secret I learned long ago is after cream has bubbled and simmered in the pan for a few minutes it is unaffected by the addition of lemon juice. The cream will not curdle. It is then that i would add the lemon juice to tame the sweetness of the sauce. Too, a bit of preserved lemon would be a nice addition to the sauce. Tx
This sauce is amazing with pan seared snapper or grouper fillets.
I was really excited about making this for family & guests and it turned out pretty boring and took so much time. The sauce was very watering and bland. 🙁
I really want to make this, but need a suggesting for dairy free substitute. I plan to sub olive oil for butter, but what should I use for heavy cream? My 5yo is allergic to dairy… thanks in advance!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I have tried at least 10 different recipes for chicken piccata and have had it at atleast 5 different resteraunts and this by far is the best recipe I have found to date. The only slight alteration I added was before adding the capers I added flour to thicken up the sauce more. I also ad extra capers because I love them and I triple the recipe because this left over is amazing, and I usually hate left overs. If you are going to reheat it don’t use the microwave. Put the sauce in a pan and cut the chicken up and then when the sauce is hot add the noodles and continue to warm to your desired temperature.
So sorry, JULJANKA, I posted in the wrong place.
A number of your chicken recipes say that the boneless skinless breasts should be cut “crosswise”. Do you mean horizontally to make them each into thinner cuts? Or do you mean vertically to make them one half of a whole breast, but each the same thickness? I’m a bit confused, but love reading your recipes and my husband and I are very into Asian cooking right now. Thank you for you blog.
Yes, you want to cut them horizontally to make them into thinner cuts.
This is the best recipe EVER! So lovingly delicious I would have never believed I could cook something so mouthwatering- but it’s all thanks to you 🙂 I will check out the rest of your recipes as I guess there are more hidden gemstones like this one. Thank you ever so much for the culinary pleasure – I will make sure to experience it again soon!
This is my favorite Chicken Piccata recipe ever, it’s so easy and flavorful! I like to serve it on top of spaghetti squash, unless I have guests, then I treat them to the real deal 🙂
Delicious! Just finished dinner and this chicken dinner was a winner. I will make it again. Easy and full of flavor. I have only had Piccata in a restaurant so I am glad to be able to make my own. Thank you.
In the end, recipe was great. My problem was that when I added the cream, it wanted to curdle. I took it off heat, waited a minute and added a bit more cream. It turned out great but do you have any suggestions.
I have found that it is best when the ingredients are at room temperature before the cream is added.
Made this tonight with angle hair pasta! I doubled the sauce to have extra for the noodles and added mushrooms! I did pound the chicken beforehand and this was my best piccata yet! It’s definately a keeper for us! Yummy!!
Yup! This was “Damn Delicious!” Thank you.
I absolutely loved this! I didn’t have any shallots, so I left them out. I thought the flavor of the sauce was perfect. My husband and I love capers and the more, the merrier for us! I didn’t have spaghetti noodles, so I cooked a 1 lb box of cavatappi noodles and it was perfect for my family of 5. Thanks for the recipe–it’s going into my regular rotation!
Made this last night and it was delicious, but way too tart with the juice of 1 small lemon. Next time I’ll use half a lemon and double the sauce, as we like it extra saucy. I halved the pasta as well and it was perfect!
Ok. So I decided to try this recipe. First of all it is not a classic chicken piccata. But you don’t present it as such either. I grew up in Italy, went to the culinary school there and run a restaurant there for a long time. However, this modified recipe turned out very good and was a success. Somebody here mentioned that the cream curdled. So here is what you do to prevent it from happening: first of all the cream (even sour cream) has to be mixed with flour before adding it to the sauce.Always! Second, it has to be added there at the room temperature. Never straight from the fridge! I used home made sour cream so I reduced the amount of lemon juice to about a quarter you suggest. As far as wine Chardonnay was used. The end result was delicious.
Please don’t jump all over me, but can you use non-fat 1/2 & 1/2 in place of the heavy cream? I have guests coming who can’t eat all that fat.
Yes.
Can you omit cream all together?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Its funny you mention skipping the chicken and just putting the sauce on the pasta… Im allergic to chicken but am the worlds biggest sucker for a lemon cream sauce. So i have, on more than one occasion, asked restaurants to just add piccata sauce on my pasta (after verifying the sauce isnt made with chicken broth of course). So I will be making this with the chicken for my family, while using the sauce (subbing a “chicken flavor” veggie broth) to put on pasta and veggies for myself. 🙂
This was great! The flavor was perfect. I doubled the recipe because my husband loves extra sauce. I also added jarred articoke hearts (I recently had this dish at a restaurant and it had the artichoke hearts in it and it was amazing) I didn’t do the shallots. Everything was perfect except it would have been nicer to have the sauce a little thicker… It was a little too runny. Any tips on how to make it a little thicker without changing the flavor?
You can add a little bit of cornstarch as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Hope that helps!
If you are using 1 lb of spaghetti… I would definitely double the sauce. I made this with 8oz of spaghetti with chicken and the sauce was just the right amount. Also, 1/4 cup of caper is a bit too extreme.. I was doubtful so I added less than that… even then it was too much.. The sauce was too acidic for my taste.. I will try to make it next time with a little less lemon juice and much less capers.
I doubled recipe exactly and it was wayyyyy too tart. I also have a mixing bowl full of angel hair (I made two pounds). Please tell me exactly how to double this for the lemon juice, capers and cream.
You can multiply all ingredients by two to double.
Yes, it was a bit tart for me, too. I added 1tbls of sugar into the sauce for 4. It helped a lot. The final taste was well balanced.
If I make half the box of spaghetti would this be too much sauce for it? I don’t think my husband, my toddlers and I would be able to eat a whole pound of spaghetti but I think that we would eat that much chicken. Or if I doubled the chicken so we can get another dinner out of it would there not be enough sauce? I plan on making it tonight but really don’t want just a lot of leftover pasta with not a lot of sauce because it will go to waste.
It’s always safe to have more sauce then less so I’m sure 8 ounces of spaghetti should be just fine – but as always, please use your best judgment.
i did as you, 8 0z’s, and felt there would not have been enough sauce for a pound of pasta. you did good.
These recipes always have a catch. I sure do wish there was a website of recipes designed for men. Right off the bat, what the heck does ‘divided’ mean in the list of ingredients? I discovered what they were getting at by reading the directions. So I suppose the idea behind these recipes is to read EVERYTHING BEFORE you go shopping! I went to the grocery store with the recipe on my phone and I had to ask a few women what ‘divided’ meant. They all assumed it meant what I found out in the directions. What’s a shallot? The only shallot I’m familiar with is Gene Shalit or Shallot, I don’t know. I have NEVER used a shallot before. The stupid header says “You won’t believe how quick and simple this is with ingredients you already have on hand!” NO ONE HAS SHALLOTS ON HAND. Oh yeah men, don’t forget to also buy a garlic mincing tool. Two cloves. Minced. And I never did find out from the women I asked at the store about ‘Heavy Cream’ whether it is the same as ‘Heavy Whipping Cream’! They weren’t sure either. Another Oh Yeah Men: DON’T USE A POUND OF SPAGHETTI! I don’t know what idiot suggested that. They probably meant 8 ounces..half of the box. Trying to cook a whole box of spaghetti in a 4 quart pot does NOT WORK! Even though the directions on the box SAY you can use 4 to 6 quarts of water it’s NOT TRUE! 4 DOES NOT WORK! YOU NEED 6. So don’t bother with the whole box! Be safe and cook only half! 4 people ARE NOT GOING TO PUT A DENT IN A POUND OF SPAGHETTI. A final Oh Yeah Men: it doesn’t only take 15 min prep, 15 min cook! LOL. There’s 6-7 min of cooking the spaghetti. You have to watch it and stir it (cause if you don’t the spaghetti sticks to each other), melting the butter, cooking the chicken for 5 min, then flipping it for another 5 min, melting the divided butter with garlic and shallots and cooking for 2 min, pouring in the chicken broth and cooking for 5 min. (So far that is A BIT MORE THAN 15 MIN!!!), you’re not done: pouring in the Heavy Cream, cooking for…5 min. Of course by this time the chicken and spaghetti have gotten cold so I would suggest that the spaghetti not be cooked first and maybe the chicken not be cooked second, but then…. Oh hell, just order a pizza!
This reply is for Tim……..I love you, Man! Your post was hilarious. Not laughing AT you, just at the visual of your predicaments. Don’t give up. It’s all worth it in the end. A man that cooks is a true treasure!!!
Absolutely agree with you Gail. Tim, when I first started out on my own & began cooking there were plenty of times I was in your exact position! One of the times was a recipe needing a shallot which I had no idea what it was. I was 19. Recipe only called for 2 tbsp so I thought heck, I’ll just leave it out! The other ingredient was 3 minced garlic cloves. I thought a garlic clove was the entire bulb! I did have a garlic press someone gave me which I didn’t know how to use but figured it out that day. Needless to say, that was one meal completely inedible!! Plus side? Two of us who ate a few bites kept vampires away that night from all the garlic!! Keep at it! A man that can cook is sexy!!
lol, that’s funny. Thanks for the encouragement. (I came back to this site to look at that recipe again and saw the comments from you and Gail.) 🙂 Hard to believe that was two years ago!
Well, at least it was a great way to meet women!!
Agreed on halving the lemon and doubling the sauce! I used 1/8 cup capers as well because I knew my kids would pick them out. Oh and Tim, I had to google Shallot- 40 years old and wasn’t quite sure where to look or what to look for!
Tim,
It is difficult to speak for all in a group or segment. I’m a man, married to the same woman for 44 years, former Infantry officer, and I cook. Been cooking since I was a teen-ager. So perhaps you just need to bone up on your cooking skills, Bro. The whole doesn’t need to know what you don’t know. Hope you enjoyed the recipe. I’m planning it for next week – made Chicken Piccata several times but never with cream.
Any suggestions on a way to thicken the sauce a bit? It’s delicious in flavor, just a little thin.
Yes, you can add a bit of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Can this be made a couple hours before and then re-heated? Would you put the chicken of the pasta with sauce before storing to re-heat later?
Yes, this can be reheated. You can keep the sauce separate or together with the chicken – it’s really up to you.
My husband said this was the best meal I have ever made and he is hard to impress when it comes to food. So good and super easy to prepare! I substituted pasta for zucchini noodles and the sauce complemented it very well.
I just made this for dinner tonight . . . OMG!! It was amazing. This is going to be a regular in my house!
This was so brilliant! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs crumbed with Panko and swapped the pasta for spaghetti squash. What a sauce, so pleased I added the capers, they really lift the dish!
Girlfriend, you are knockin’ my taste bud socks off! This is just another damn delicious recipe. Yum! Yum! Had it tonight for dinner and it was hard to stop eating. My husband also loved it, but then he loves anything with lemon. Thanks for your wonderful culinary creativity. I’m enjoying it.
This recipe was a huge hit with my 3 extremely hungry teenage boys. In fact I was told that I really need to start making this every week. Thanks for the amazing recipes that you share with us. Much appreciated.
Chicken piccata is just so gooooooood!!! Your version with cream looks extra amazing!
Thanks for the recipe, gonna try this
Another awesome recipe! Made this tonight for dinner and it was a huge hit.
Once again you hit us with a dish that is delicious,beautiful in appearance when serving, but most impressive was how easy it was to make this dish at home.
I have one happy husband thanks to you and your down to earth way of putting a meal together with no fear of how it’ll turn out.
Thank you for sharing all of the tips and tricks too!
I look forward to browsing your site each evening for ideas for the week.
Great job and great site 🙂
Chungah,
I was so excited to try this recipe. I ordered Chicken Piccata for a girls night dinner a few weeks ago and it was not good. I’ve been wanting a yummy Chicken Piccata ever since and saw your post on IG today. I knew I needed it for dinner tonight. I loved that it was so simple and easy to make. My husband and I loved it. He asked for it to be put in the rotation 🙂 Can’t wait for some leftovers tomorrow. Also, LOVE your PF Chang lettuce wrap recipe. I make it almost every week to for lunch or dinner.
LOVE all of your recipes!! And chicken picatta- Cant wait to try your version:) One question- in the past, when I add the heavy cream, it seems to almost curdle/separate in the sauce Is there something I am doing wrong to make it do this?? Thanks for your help!
Perhaps your heat source is set too high?
In my experiences, acid curdles dairy- i generally suggest reducing the acid source before introducing dairy. High heat also will have adverse effects on a cream sauce (when it has over-reduced), typically resulting in a “broken” cream sauce- where the butterfat separates from the main sauce. Broken sauces can sometimes be rescued by adding more cream, but are sometimes beyond saving. A curdled sauce will look like tiny white “specks” in the sauce whereas a broken sauce will appear as an oil slick/pools of oil (fat) separate from the main body of the sauce. I’m eager to try this method- as lemon, cream and chicken have a natural affinity. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing yet another great recipe. We loved it !!
We love your recipes!!
Our 10 month old Golden Retriever will be having surgery next week on
her knees :(. Your dog recipes will be helping us through the recovery process!
I made this recipe last night. It was delicious and very easy. I do have one comment in that for my liking I thought half of the pasta would have been better. Love all your recipes!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🙂
This was delicious! I’d never used cream in mine, but it really made the dish…..that and the wine and the butter! Great dish…..and a 30 minute meal!
Totally just rewatched that episode. I’ll take it as a sign to make this dish this next week 😉
Can you please suggest a dry white wine? Could I use white wine vinegar (I think I have used it in a warm German potato salad I used to make)? I’m not sure if it work here though. Thnx
Sauvignon Blanc would be amazing here.
Yes. Chandler & Janice…. I still love that show so much. Such chemistry & timing between characters! Recipe sounds delish
This looks delicious, I love chicken piccata. When do you stir the chicken and/or pasta back in? Or do you put the sauce over both? Thanks.
You can actually just drizzle the sauce over the pasta and chicken as needed.
Thanks. Also, random question: what aisle of the grocery store do you usually find capers in? I’m going shopping after work today and will try to make this recipe tonight :).
It really depends on your specific grocery store.
Usually where the pickles and olives are.
Imported Italian food section with the little jars of red roasted peppers and marinated artichoke hearts.
I doubled the recipe last night, it really was extremely tart it seemed like the butter and chicken broth flavor was lost by doubling the lemon juice. I think the juice from two lemons is too vague. Perhaps I used large lemons. I also had trouble reducing that much liquid. Two pounds of angel hair was WAY too much for eight servings. I have tons left over. I’ll add shrimp in batches to the leftovers.
I slowly add lemon and taste as I go.
I love piccata and your presentation is gorgeous. Do you not pound the chicken breasts first before cooking? It looks like it, but there are no such directions. I had no idea there was that much heavy cream in the dish, or even any at all! No wonder it is so delicious!
You can choose to pound them out to your liking – it’s up to you! 🙂
Thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe, especially for someone like me who seldom do any cooking. I didn’t pound the chicken, it came out just as good. Hubby loved the pasta with the lemon piccata sauce. We are going to have this dish at least every other week. Thank you again, will be trying other wonderful dishes!
I love this dosh, esy and quick. I always pound my meat (lol) ive never used cream, so im looking forward to using your recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for the nice recipe
I just found dinner tonight! I have never used cream in mine before…just lots of butter. Can’t wait to try!
Exactly what I was thinking while I read the recipe! All a quiver to try this!
I made this dinner for friends. And they loved it. I put half & half cream instead of heavy cream. It was a little watery, so I added two tbsp of flour and the cream sauce turned out to be the right thickness.