An easy chicken piccata recipe ready in just 20 minutes! Our single serving version features one sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast dredged in flour, browned, and served with a delightful lemon, butter, and caper sauce.
Our single serving chicken piccata recipe is made with simple ingredients and comes together quickly. Enjoy it with a bowl of buttered noodles or homemade mashed potatoes.
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What Is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a classic Italian dish featuring chicken that has been dredged in flour, lightly pan-fried in butter and olive oil, and topped with a tangy lemon-caper sauce. Usually served over pasta or mashed potatoes, chicken piccata, also called piccata milanese or chicken milanese, is a simple and elegant dish that can be ready in minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Made with 1 chicken breast or thigh: Typically, chicken piccata is made with thin chicken cutlets but I find it easier to simply slice a boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh into thin strips rather than pounding a chicken breast or purchasing chicken cutlets which are often more expensive.
- Simple ingredients: You won't find a long list of fancy ingredients in our simple chicken piccata recipe. The ingredients we use are ones you may already have in your pantry.
- Ready in minutes: It's amazing how quickly this dish cooks! Chicken piccata can be ready and on your table in roughly 20 minutes.
- Recipe doubles well: If you'd like to make a second serving of chicken piccata, just double the ingredient amounts.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Chicken: Use 1 (5 to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. For a gluten-free chicken piccata, use a gluten-free flour like King Authur brand, Measure For Measure Gluten Free Flour and make sure the broth used is gluten-free too.
- Salt and black pepper: For flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: I recommend shredding your own cheese rather than purchasing bagged or bottled pre-shredded cheese. The cheese will melt better when freshly shredded. Pre-shredded cheese contains preservatives that help to keep the shreds of cheese from clumping in the bag. This means that the cheese doesn't melt as well.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this easy chicken piccata recipe and in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil, but you may use light olive oil instead.
- Butter: We use salted butter. Lemon, chicken broth and capers are a classic chicken or veal piccata topping and the butter adds a rich flavor to the sauce.
- Chicken broth: I prefer using low-sodium chicken broth to control the salt content of the dish. If you use regular chicken broth, you might want to reduce the amount of salt you add. I always recommend tasting the finished dish and adding extra seasonings and salt if needed.
- Lemon juice: Use a squeeze of fresh lemon for the best flavor. If you don't have a lemon, use bottled lemon juice instead.
- Capers: Brined capers are salty and briny and give the chicken piccata sauce a tangy burst of flavor.
- Parsley: Chicken with lemon and parsley is a classic combination and I love adding a little bit of chopped parsley to the sauce for a fresh flavor.
How To Make Chicken Piccata
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Slice the chicken breast into thin strips, about ¼-inch thick.
- Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese in a medium-sized bowl.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture until both sides of each chicken strip are well coated.
- In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt butter with the olive oil.
- When the butter starts to sizzle, add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on one side.
Pro Tip: Be sure to let the butter melt fully. When it melts, you will know that the fat is the ideal temperature to cook your chicken.
- Flip each of the chicken strips and cook for another 3 minutes, until the chicken pieces have browned and are cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use the tip of a rubber spatula to gently scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half.
Pro Tip: I use canned or boxed low-sodium chicken broth in many of our recipes. I like to pour the remaining broth from the can or carton into a small plastic bag, seal the top, and store it in my freezer. The next time I need a cup of chicken stock, it's already in my freezer.
- Stir in the remaining butter.
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes. The flour from the chicken helps to thicken the sauce even more.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl or a plate and pour the piccata sauce over the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Expert Tips
- Read through the entire recipe before beginning. This easy chicken piccata recipe comes together quickly. Be sure to read through the recipe and the Ingredient Notes and gather your ingredients before starting.
- Some recipes call for using wine: Since this is a single-serving chicken piccata recipe, I chose to leave out the wine and use only broth. If you'd like to use white wine, add about 2 tablespoons along with the chicken broth. I think the best wine for piccata is a Sauvignon Blanc because of its bright citrus and herbal notes that pair so well with the lemon and parsley.
- To make a low carb chicken piccata, leave out the flour coating. Just coat the chicken strips with shredded Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you'd like to make another portion, just double the ingredient amounts.
The best substitute for capers is chopped green olives, preferably unfilled. They mimic the briny flavor of capers.
Piccata refers to the sauce which is made with broth, capers, lemon, and butter. This sauce can be paired with veal, salmon, chicken, or another protein like pork.
Scallopini refers to the preparation and method of cooking the chicken which can then be topped with a variety of different sauces, including piccata and Marsala
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
What To Serve With Chicken Piccata
I love to enjoy a big bowl of chicken piccata just as it is but you can enjoy the tender chicken and its sauce with buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. You might even like to consider making a small loaf of french bread and using a couple of slices to soak up all of the delicious piccata sauce.
Ways To Make Healthy Chicken Piccata
While chicken piccata is simple, light, and delicious, there are a few ways to lighten up this classic chicken recipe:
- Skip the flour. While I love the very light flour coating we use in our recipe, consider leaving it out. This will lower the carbs and keep this chicken piccata light. You may like to make our Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata recipe which is made without flour.
- Choose a healthy side. Piccata is usually served with pasta to soak up the wonderful sauce, but try serving it with brown rice, zoodles, or over a bed of spinach or arugula.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this chicken piccata recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Chicken: Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Tortellini Soup, Coq au Vin, Chicken Caprese
- Parmesan cheese: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta Carbonara, Smashed Potatoes, Cheesy Baked Eggs
- Chicken broth: White Bean Soup, Risotto, Mushroom Casserole, Turkey Cutlets, Clam Chowder
- Lemon juice: Tzatziki Sauce, Bloody Mary, Chicken Margherita, Lemon Scones, Lemon Meringue Pie
- Capers: Smoked Salmon Platter, Fresh Tomato Salad, Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata,
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
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Recipe
Chicken Piccata For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 (5 to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast , sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons butter , divided
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers , drained
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
- Dredge the sliced chicken in the flour mixture until both sides of each of the chicken strip are well coated.
- In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil.
- When the butter starts to sizzle, add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on one side.
- Flip each of the chicken strips and cook for another 3 minutes, until the chicken pieces have browned and are cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use the tip of a rubber spatula to gently scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half.
- Stir in the remaining butter.
- Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl or a plate and pour the piccata sauce over the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Read through the entire recipe before beginning. This easy chicken piccata recipe comes together quickly. Be sure to read through the recipe and the Ingredient Notes and gather your ingredients before starting.
- Some recipes call for using wine: Since this is a single-serving chicken piccata recipe, I chose to leave out the wine and use only broth. If you'd like to use white wine, add about 2 tablespoons along with the chicken broth. I think the best wine for piccata is a Sauvignon Blanc because of its bright citrus and herbal notes that pair so well with the lemon and parsley.
- To make a low carb chicken piccata, leave out the flour coating. Just coat the chicken strips with shredded Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Gail says
Great dish, loved it. I am lazy and usually opt for yogurt or cottage cheese for dinner but I know that's not the best. This was so easy I may change my mind!
Sheri B. says
I would leave out the capers. They are too strong of a taste. I don't like them. lol
To each their own taste.
J. Hegyi says
Super recipe.