Piccata is one of our favorite dishes. Mark’s Italian roots, recipes passed down from his grandparents, and our travels in Italy have made Italian cooking our go-to. This Chicken Piccata with caper lemon butter sauce served over fresh pasta captures those bright, comforting Italian flavors.
What you need to make amazing Chicken Piccata
There aren’t many ingredients in piccata, so the quality of each one matters. Two important components are the chicken stock and the wine: they form the base of the sauce and concentrate when reduced, so choose them carefully. Piccata works well with chicken, veal, or pork cutlets. With chicken breasts, pounding is optional — we prefer slicing breasts in half to reach the thickness we like, though chicken tenders also work.
Use a stainless steel skillet for browning the chicken and making the sauce in the same pan; the browned bits (fond) add depth of flavor when deglazed with wine. Other key ingredients are lemon juice, capers, and butter. Below is a closer look at the essentials.
Chicken Stock
Homemade stock will always produce a better sauce, but a good-quality store-bought low-sodium stock will do the job if you’re short on time. Avoid stocks with added salt so you can control seasoning. Taste your stock first — if it’s weak and watery it won’t contribute much; if it has good flavor it will enrich your sauce.
The Wine
Wine matters despite being used in a small amount. You’ll reduce it, so avoid inexpensive or off-flavored bottles. Pick a dry white you’d happily drink: sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or an unoaked chardonnay are all reliable choices. A sweet wine will concentrate sweetness as it reduces, which is not ideal for a savory lemon-butter sauce.
Capers
Capers give piccata its signature briny lift, but they can overwhelm if you don’t handle them correctly. Rinse capers well before adding them to the sauce to remove excess brine — you want a subtle briny note, not a pickling liquid that upends the balance.
The Cooking Method for Chicken Piccata
Cooking technique is crucial. Use a stainless steel pan so fond forms and can be released when you deglaze with wine. Don’t sear the chicken at excessively high heat — you don’t want burned flour or a bitter sauce. Cook over medium heat so a light golden crust forms while the chicken finishes cooking. The browned bits and accumulated juices create the foundation for a flavorful sauce.
After browning, transfer the chicken to a warm oven while you make the sauce in the same pan. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up the fond, then reduce. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken stock and simmer until the liquid reduces to a sauce-like consistency. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in cold butter a tablespoon at a time to create a silky emulsified sauce. Add the rinsed capers and return the chicken to the pan briefly to coat in the sauce before serving.
Finishing the Caper Lemon Butter Sauce
Once the liquids are reduced, remove the pan from direct heat before whisking in the remaining butter. Adding butter off the heat helps form a stable emulsion—too much heat will cause the sauce to break. If the sauce separates it can be fixed, but prevention is simpler: add the butter gradually while the pan is off the heat, then return briefly to low heat only if needed. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or a touch more lemon if required. Keep the sauce warm over very low heat; do not reheat aggressively.
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
In Italy, pasta is typically served as a first course and meat as a second, but at home we often serve the chicken with pasta for a complete meal. Fresh fettuccine or spaghetti are classic choices. Other great pairings include risotto, orzo, or creamy polenta — the sauce is versatile and delicious on most starches and vegetables.
Enjoy!
We hope you enjoy this Chicken Piccata with caper lemon butter sauce. If you try it, leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!
If you enjoyed this recipe, check the recipe card below for ingredients, instructions, nutrition, and serving details.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Piccata with Caper Lemon Butter Sauce
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half across (or 4 thin chicken breasts)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup (as needed) all purpose flour
- 10 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- Zest of 1 lemon about 1 teaspoon zest
- Juice of 1 lemon about 2-3 tbsp
- 1 cup chicken stock low sodium
- ½ cup capers – rinsed
Instructions
COOK THE CHICKEN
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Heat oven to 170°F (warm).
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Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour (or put the chicken in a plastic bag with the flour and coat completely).
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Melt 2 tablespoon butter in a large stainless skillet over medium heat until butter has stopped foaming, then add the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook about 3-4 minutes per side until browned and almost cooked through. If you do this in two batches, you may need a little more olive oil.
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Remove chicken to a separate oven-proof dish and place in the oven while you make the sauce in the same pan you used to brown the chicken.
MAKE THE SAUCE
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Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping stuck bits with a wooden spoon, and reduce by about two-thirds (≈5 minutes).
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Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken stock. Reduce until the liquid thickens to a sauce consistency (≈10 minutes).
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Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter, a tablespoon at a time, to form a glossy emulsion.
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Add the rinsed capers and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Turn the chicken once and cook briefly (about 1–2 minutes) to coat with sauce. Serve over pasta.