Quick Lemon Garlic Chicken Piccata
A fast and flavorful chicken piccata recipe ready in 20 minutes, featuring a bright lemon garlic sauce and tender chicken cutlets. Perfect for busy weeknights and simple dinners.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced or pounded to about ½ inch thickness
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour for GF option)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup (120ml) chicken broth (low-sodium preferred)
- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30g) capers, rinsed if desired
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Thinly slice or pound chicken breasts to about ½ inch thickness for even, quick cooking.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
- Add chicken pieces in a single layer (cook in batches if needed) and sear about 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- Lower heat to medium and melt butter in the same pan.
- Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, avoiding browning.
- Pour in chicken broth and fresh lemon juice, scraping up browned bits from the pan.
- Stir in capers and let sauce simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Swirl in an additional tablespoon of butter for richness.
- Return chicken to the pan, nestle into the sauce, and spoon sauce over. Warm together for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Pound chicken breasts evenly for juicy, quick cooking. Shake off excess flour to avoid gummy sauce. Avoid burning garlic by sautéing briefly. Simmer sauce gently to thicken. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of broth or water to loosen sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast wit
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 35
Keywords: lemon garlic chicken, chicken piccata, quick dinner, easy chicken recipe, weeknight meal, lemon sauce, garlic chicken, pan-seared chicken