Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata | The Recipe Critic

ScoopSkyMarch 4, 2021

55 5 minutes read

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A quick and easy one pot meal that is on the dinner table in 30 minutes! Tender breaded chicken in a creamy lemon sauce that the entire family will love!

Chicken is a favorite protein around here with its mild flavor, you can do so many delicious recipes! You have to try these favorites, Lemon Chicken, Fried Rice and Noodle Soup!

Creamy lemon piccata chicken in a cast iron skillet.

Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata

One of our favorite meals of the week was this Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata. My favorite part was that it was a one pot meal and ready on the dinner table in 30 minutes! It is just like the classic chicken piccata dish, but with the added lemon tang. It gives it such a fresh and delicious taste to this creamy sauce. The chicken has a delicious breading on the outside and it is perfect served over some pasta. Everyone in my family loved this meal. It had such a delicious flavor and will be one that we make again and again!

This American Italian favorite is so creamy and delicious. Piccata literally means, pounded flat and cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley and butter. Done in one pan and in 30 minutes means you can have an incredible meal on the table in no time. Do not be scared of the capers. They really make the dish amazing. If you have never had them, this is the perfect dish to try them with. You have to try this creamy lemon piccata!

Ingredients for Lemon Chicken

Super simple ingredients come together to make an irresistible meal. Serve this with a nice green salad and some rolls and you have dinner made!

Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat if needed.
Salt and Pepper:To taste.
Flour: Creates a nice breading on the chicken.
Butter: Adds flavor besides a frying agent.
Olive Oil: Also used to cook and add flavor.
Chicken Broth: Flavoring and adds to the sauce.
Lemons: Fresh whole lemons
Heavy Cream: Can substitute half and half, but won’t be as creamy in texture.
Capers: Look for these with the pickles and jarred pepperoncinis
Parsley: this is optional.
Angel Hair Pasta: Can substitute spaghetti noodles if you would like.

Making Perfect Lemon Chicken Piccata

Take the time if you need to, to pound your chicken the same size or at least thinned out. You won’t regret it. They will cook faster and more evenly.

Chicken: Heat 2 Tablespoons butter and 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper each side of the chicken breasts
If They Are Thick: If the chicken breasts are overly thick, pound them to be thinner. Cooking time will be shorter.
Flour: Dredge the chicken in the flour
Brown: Put the chicken breasts in the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked throughout and no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
Sauce: Turn the heat to medium low. Add broth juice from both lemons, heavy cream, and capers. Bring the sauce to a boil and return to medium low heat. Test the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Allow the sauce to cook and bubble for about 3 minutes.
Dish: Serve the chicken over cooked pasta and spoon the sauce over broth. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Chicken breasts seasoned, breaded and cooked, and the creamy sauce being made.

What are Capers?

If you have never had capers before, this is the perfect introduction. Typically served alongside of chicken and salmon dishes, they add a ton of flavor. Capers are under ripened flower buds of plant known as the caper bush. The capers are picked and dried. Then they are pickled to create this tangy, salty, and briny flavor that is out of this world yummy.

These little pea sized condiments produce big flavor. A little goes a long way. Use them in salads, pasta and chicken. Because of their lemony like flavor they are favorite with fish. Give these other recipes a try that spotlight the wonders of capers. Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon Caper Sauce, Pasta Puttanesca with Chicken and Lemon Salmon Piccata.

Upclose picture of creamy chicken piccata with lemons.

Tips and Variations for Creamy Chicken Piccata

There are a few tips and variations you can do with chicken piccata, but this recipe is perfect just the way it is.

Noodles: Truly any kind of pasta can be used to serve this scrumptious lemon piccata dish with. You can also serve it over steamed vegetables, rice, zucchini noodles, or anything else that seems delicious.
Chicken: Make sure your chicken is thin, you can pound it thin or slice it in half, either way will create the size you are looking for.
Flour: You need the flour to create the great crust on the chicken and for the sauce to stick to.
Fresh Lemons: Do not use bottled lemon juice. It will not taste the same and could actually ruin your dish. In this recipe, keep it to the real thing.
Capers: Some find the capers to salty, if you are afraid of that, just rinse the capers before adding.

How to Store Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata

Keep this in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Warm leftovers in the microwave. It is best to store it seperate from the pasta or whatever you are serving it with if you can.

A chicken breasts with lemon piccata sauce on a bed of noodles in a bowl.

More Chicken Recipes to Try

Chicken is so versatile. It can be used in all sorts of cuisines. American, Italian, Chinese, Mexican and everything in between. Chicken is relatively cheap protein making it an economical family friendly dish. You can boil it, fry it, grill it, bake it and roast it. And don’t forget the latest ways of cooking, instant pot and air fryer. All incredible ways to prepare chicken, so when you need a new recipe to try, look no further than here. I have you covered.