I make this charred lemon chicken piccata recipe when there’s somebody coming over I want to impress, and the hardest part, I’m serious, is not eating the capers straight out of the jar. The chicken gets a buttermilk bath and a Parmesan coat, and meanwhile I’ve got lemon slices in a dry pan going black at the edges, which my smoke alarm has opinions about. I also stir a full teaspoon of anchovy paste into the sauce. Yes, anchovy! It melts into the butter in about thirty seconds and that’s the last you’ll see of it. Garlicky angel hair underneath, and dinner in under an hour!

Crispy chicken piccata served over garlic butter pasta, topped with charred lemon slices, capers, and a rich shallot-studded sauce.

Do not forget to check out my Chefs Tips and Wine Pairings sections below!

The Recipe is next!

But remember, you can scroll past the recipe to learn a bunch more about this chicken piccata recipe. Plus wine pairings!! The recipe is listed again at the end, so you don’t have to come all the way back up here!! Unless you want to 🙂

Crispy chicken piccata served over garlic butter pasta, topped with charred lemon slices, capers, and a rich shallot-studded sauce.
5 from 1 rating

Chicken Piccata Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Author: David Prock
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Yield: 4 People
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This chicken piccata recipe has buttermilk in it, which surprised me too, the first time. Half an hour in the buttermilk is fine. Two hours is better, if you remember, which I never do!! Parmesan goes in the flour, and the crust gets SO crunchy.
The sauce, oh boy. Shallots, capers, and a teaspoon of anchovy paste (don't make that face). Then cold butter off the heat, one cube at a time, until the sauce gets perfectly silky.
Charred lemon slices on top and garlicky angel hair underneath. The sauce goes over the chicken, never under it, because I will fight for that crust!

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • butterflied and halved into 4 cutlets
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, for marinade
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, for marinade
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, for seasoning
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For the Sauce:

  • 1 shallot, finely minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock, to be reduced by half
  • Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 2 tablespoons
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cubed—for mounting
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
  • Optional: 2 to 4 lemon slices, charred in a dry skillet or with a torch (for garnish)

Emergency Slurry (optional backup):

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water

Garlic Butter Pasta (Side):

  • 8 ounces angel hair pasta, or similar thin pasta
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 3/4 cup reserved pasta water, from boiling pasta
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Optional garnish: fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, or toasted breadcrumbs

Instructions
 

Marinate the Chicken

  • Butterfly and halve the chicken breasts to form 4 cutlets.
  • In a bowl, mix buttermilk and lemon juice. Submerge chicken and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Prepare the Dredge

  • In a shallow dish, combine flour, Parmesan, Italian seasoning (if using), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper.

Remove and Prep the Chicken

  • Remove chicken from marinade.
  • Pat each piece thoroughly dry with paper towels.
  • Dredge in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking off excess.
  • Let rest 5 to 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Sear the Chicken

  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Sear cutlets for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
  • Transfer to a wire rack or plate to rest. Do not return chicken to the sauce.

Build the Sauce

  • Discard excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
  • Sauté shallots, garlic, and capers over medium-low heat until aromatic and softened (1 to 2 minutes).
  • Stir in anchovy paste and cook 30 seconds more.
  • Deglaze with white wine, scraping fond. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add chicken stock and reduce by half over medium heat, about 5 to 7 minutes, until sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Finish the Sauce

  • Remove from heat or reduce to lowest setting.
  • Add lemon juice.
  • Whisk in cold butter cubes one at a time until sauce is emulsified and glossy.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • If needed, stir in slurry and simmer briefly to thicken.

Cook Pasta

  • Boil pasta in well-salted water until just al dente.
  • In a skillet, lightly toast garlic in olive oil and butter until golden.
  • Add drained pasta and reserved pasta water. Toss until emulsified and coated.
  • Season to taste and finish with parsley and Parmesan.

Plate and Serve

  • Plate pasta as a base or alongside.
  • Lay rested chicken cutlets on top.
  • Spoon sauce over the chicken, not beneath it, preserving crust.
  • Garnish with chopped parsley and optional charred lemon slices or toasted breadcrumbs.
Calories: 701kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 427mg, Potassium: 767mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 636IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 116mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!

Lots of good stuff below!

Don’t reach for the capers just yet. Below you’ll find what makes this charred lemon chicken piccata so good, what to serve with it (the garlicky angel hair is only the start), whether piccata is breaded or fried, the best white wine to pour, chef’s tips, make-ahead tips, and a lot more! The recipe link shows up at the bottom so you don’t have to scroll back up.

Flat lay of Chicken Piccata ingredients including raw chicken breasts, buttermilk, anchovy paste, capers, lemon, garlic, and herbs.

A Little History of Chicken Piccata

The word piccata has a history tangled up with larding and thinly prepared meat, which is a pretty good description of what I do to a chicken breast anyway.

In Italy, the classic reference point is veal. Piccata di vitello al limone, thin slices of veal with a little flour, butter, and lemon.

Chicken piccata became an Italian-American favorite, with chicken taking the place of the veal more closely associated with the Italian dish. Exactly when and why that swap became standard is harder to pin down than the recipes make it sound.

My version gives chicken breast a buttermilk soak before it meets the pan. That isn’t traditional piccata. It’s how I like to keep this lean cut juicy beneath the lemon-and-butter sauce.

So if you’re looking for the classic veal version, this isn’t it. But adapting a dish to the ingredient in front of you, I’d argue that counts as tradition too.

What Makes This Chicken Piccata Different

The charred lemon is my favorite thing on the plate. Lemon slices go into a dry, very hot pan and sit there until they’re blistered and dark in spots. The sour edge mellows out, and what’s left tastes sweeter and a little smoky. I eat them straight off the plate, peel and all, which gets me some looks.

Then there’s the crust! A couple spoonfuls of Parmesan go into the flour, and the chicken comes out of the skillet crunchy enough to hear from across the kitchen. The sauce goes on top at the very end. Never underneath! That crust is too good to drown.

The sauce is a little fancy, I’ll admit. Cold butter gets whisked in off the heat, one cube at a time, and there’s a cornstarch slurry on the recipe card as a backup if it ever breaks on you (I’ve needed it, no shame).

The garlic butter angel hair is part of the recipe, too, so there’s no hunting for a side dish at six o’clock!

Why This Chicken Piccata Recipe Works

  1. Buttermilk Marinade: Half an hour in buttermilk and lemon and the chicken comes out juicy, like, really juicy. I did one batch without it once to see, and I went right back.
  2. Butterflied Cutlets: I slice the breasts open and cut them in half, four thin cutlets, no pounding. My meat mallet hasn’t left the drawer in years.
  3. Dry, Dredge, Rest: Pat them bone dry, dredge, then let them sit on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. The flour goes a little pasty (weird, I know) and then it grabs the chicken like glue in the pan.
  4. Oil AND Butter: Olive oil so the butter doesn’t scorch, and butter because… butter.
  5. Capers, Rinsed and Dried: Rinse them and pat them dry. Wet capers spit hot oil at you, and my forearm has the freckles to prove it.
  6. Reduced by Half: The wine and stock cook down until the sauce coats a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. It’s the only part of this recipe where I’ll ask you to be patient!

How to Make Chicken Piccata

Chicken breast coated in seasoned flour mixture, shown in dredging bowl with floured cutlets resting on a wire rack nearby.

Step 1: Marinate and Dredge

  1. Butterfly and Marinate: Slice each breast open and cut it in half, so you have four thin cutlets. Into the buttermilk and lemon juice they go, in the fridge, for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  2. Dry and Dredge: Pat each piece dry with paper towels, really dry, I mean it. Press them into the flour, Parmesan, salt, and pepper (Italian seasoning too, if you like), shake off the extra, and let them rest on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes.
Chicken broth being poured into a hot pan of sautéed shallots, garlic, and capers, deepening the sauce for Chicken Piccata.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken and Make the Sauce

  1. Sear: Olive oil and butter in a big skillet over medium-high heat, then the cutlets, 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden. Onto a rack they go, and they stay there. They don’t go back in the pan.
  2. Start the Sauce: Pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat. Shallots go in over medium-low for a minute or two, then the garlic, capers, and anchovy paste for 30 seconds more.
  3. Wine, Then Stock: Pour in the wine and scrape up the brown bits, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock and let it cook down by half, 5 to 7 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
  4. Finish With Butter: Heat off. Stir in the lemon juice, then whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time. If the sauce still looks thin, the slurry fixes it in about a minute.

Step 3: Lemons, Pasta, and Plating

  1. Char the Lemons: Lemon slices go into a dry skillet over high heat until they blister, a couple of minutes a side. A kitchen torch works too, if you’ve got one.
  2. Garlic Butter Pasta: Cook the angel hair in well-salted water until just al dente, and save ¾ cup of that water. Warm the garlic in olive oil and butter until golden, then stir in the pasta and the water until it clings.
  3. Plate It: Pasta first, chicken on top, and the sauce spooned over the chicken, never under it. Charred lemon and parsley to finish.

Make-Ahead & Storage for Chicken Piccata

  • Make the sauce base early. The shallots, garlic, capers, anchovy, wine, and stock can be cooked down a day or two ahead and put in a jar in the fridge. The butter waits. The first time I made this for company, I finished the sauce the night before, butter and all, and it split into a greasy puddle the second it got warm… completely awful! That’s how I found out butter sauces don’t like a second night. Warm the base in a small pan, then whisk the cold butter in right before dinner, while the chicken rests!
  • Marinate ahead, dredge last. The chicken can sit in the buttermilk for as much as 2 hours. Dredge right before you cook. Flour left sitting on wet chicken turns to paste, and paste doesn’t crunch.
  • In the fridge. Put the chicken, the sauce, and the pasta in separate containers, and they’re good for as much as 3 days. Reheat the chicken on a rack at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes and the crust comes right back. The microwave gets you soft chicken, which I’ll eat standing at the counter but I won’t serve. Warm the sauce over low heat and whisk it. A splash of stock pulls it back together if it starts to separate.
  • In the freezer. The cooked cutlets freeze well, flat on a sheet pan first and then into a bag, and they’re good for as much as 2 months. Reheat them straight from frozen at 375°F for about 15 minutes. The sauce is another story. Make it fresh!
  • The Garnish Rule. Charred lemon and parsley happen the night you serve it. Leftover charred lemons go limp and bitter in the fridge, I’ve tried.
  • Meal Prep Tip. On a busy night the chicken goes into the buttermilk when I walk in the door, and by the time I’ve changed and set the table it’s ready to dredge. With the sauce base already in a jar, dinner is about 25 minutes of actual cooking!

Chicken Piccata Upgrades and Variations

Piccata is a method more than a recipe. Here’s how I bend it.

  • Chicken Thighs: Thighs are my lazy-night version. Flatten them a bit with your palm and give them a couple extra minutes a side. They forgive you for checking your phone!
  • Creamy Chicken Piccata: A splash of heavy cream goes in with the stock. It comes out rich and a little pale, and it disappears fast in my house.
  • Veal Piccata: The original! Thin cutlets, skip the buttermilk, and pull them fast, a minute or two a side and that’s it.
  • Fried Capers on Top: Dry off a spoonful of capers and fry them in hot oil until they open up and crunch. I snack on these while I cook, fair warning.
  • Pecorino in the Pasta: A handful of Pecorino in the garlic butter pasta. It’s saltier than Parmesan, so ease up when you salt the water.
  • Lemon Peel in the Oil: A strip of lemon peel in the oil while it heats, out before the chicken goes in. The kitchen smells unreal.
  • Swordfish or Shrimp Piccata: This sauce on swordfish or shrimp is SO good, and neither one needs the buttermilk. Italians have been putting capers and lemon on swordfish for a long time.
Seasoned flour mixture for dredging chicken, with Parmesan, cracked pepper, and herbs in a bowl. Grater and salt visible nearby.

Chef’s Tips for Chicken Piccata

Skip ahead Jump to Recipe

  • Don’t Rush the Crust: For a great crust, put it over medium-high heat and let it sit there for a couple of minutes. You want it golden before you turn it. Give it time. Take a breath. Set a timer if you have to. Just don’t turn it early!
  • Two Batches: If the cutlets are touching in the pan, they steam. I do two batches and park the first ones on the rack.
  • Deglaze with the Good Stuff: For some reason, people often cook with wine that they’d never drink on its own. Sure, the other ingredients will mask some issues with cheap wine, but it seems the better plan is to deglaze with a wine you don’t need to hide.
  • Cook Shallots Before Garlic: Garlic burns fast, and science has yet to discover a way to unburn it. So, only add after the shallots are soft. That sets their timelines just right.
  • Use Pasta Water Wisely: You’ll be using some of the water you boil your pasta in, because this “pasta water” is full of starch. Make sure to save about ¾ cup when draining your pasta.
Garlic, shallots, and capers sautéing in a stainless pan as white wine is poured in to deglaze, forming the base of the pan sauce.

Flavor Adjustment Guide for Chicken Piccata

Piccata sauce only has a handful of things in it, so when it’s off, you notice. Here’s how I fix it.

  • Too Sour: The lemon got away from you. Happens to me more than I’d like to admit!! Whisk in another cube or two of cold butter off the heat, or a splash of stock, and taste again. A tiny pinch of sugar works too. I won’t tell.
  • Too Thin: Put it back over medium and let it cook down a couple more minutes BEFORE the butter goes in. If the butter’s already in, the slurry from the recipe card, stirred in over low heat, pulls it together in about a minute.
  • Broke and Greasy: The pan was too hot when the butter went in… I’ve done it. Pull it off the heat, add a tablespoon of stock, and whisk like you mean it. It’ll come back.
  • Too Salty: Capers, anchovy, Parmesan, and stock, that’s a lot of salty stuff in one pan. Rinse the capers next time and use low-sodium stock. For right now, honestly, a squeeze of lemon and another cube of butter is the fix.
  • Soggy Crust: Almost always, the sauce went under the chicken. Or the pan was crowded. Or the chicken went in wet. Spoon the sauce over the top right before you eat.
  • Missing Something: It tastes fine… just fine. A splash of white vermouth or a little dab of Dijon wakes it right up, and a few drops of Champagne vinegar do the same thing if you want it brighter.
  • Dry Chicken: The cutlets were too thick, or they stayed in too long. Butterfly them thinner next time and keep it to 2 to 3 minutes a side. This one’s hard to undo, so extra sauce is your friend tonight!

Key Ingredients for Chicken Piccata

  • Buttermilk: This gives you acid that tenderizes the chicken. But that’s true of any acidic liquid. The reason we use buttermilk is for that distinctive sour note that raises flavor up from the sauce, which makes it essential for this dish.
  • Parmesan (in the dredge): This cheese is nutty and savory, yes. But plenty of cheeses are. What Parmesan does that the others won’t is get crispy in the pan instead of melting away, and that’s the texture and contrast I want on this chicken.
  • Anchovy Paste: People get nervous about this one, and I get it, I did too. It’s a teaspoon. It melts in, and the sauce just tastes more like itself… which is a weird thing to say about a fish, but there it is.
  • Capers: Get the small ones.
  • Dry White Wine: Any dry white works here, and I mean any. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are the usual picks because they’re cheap and crisp, but if there’s a half bottle of something open in the fridge door from Friday, use that.
  • Cold Butter (for finishing): It has to be cold. I tried it once with soft butter because I forgot to plan ahead, and the sauce turned oily and thin on me, so now the cubes wait in the freezer while the sauce reduces.
  • Charred Lemon: I’ve said plenty about these already. Quarter inch thick, that’s the only thing I haven’t told you.
  • Garlic: Fresh. The jarred stuff is sour and I just can’t get past it, and in a sauce this simple you’d taste it.

Wine Pairings for Chicken Piccata

  • Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (Marche, Italy)
    Why it Works: Crisp and a little salty, with a bitter almond finish I love next to the anchovy in the sauce. It’s my first pick for chicken piccata, and it’s usually cheaper than you’d expect.
    Tasting Notes: Lemon oil, almond skin, sea salt, green herbs
    Suggested Label: Bucci Verdicchio Classico Superiore
  • Etna Bianco (Sicily, Italy)
    Why it Works: Grown on a volcano, which still amazes me, and it tastes flinty and lean with a little stone fruit. It keeps pace with the lemon butter caper sauce and lets the crust have the spotlight.
    Tasting Notes: White peach, wet stone, fennel, lemon zest
    Suggested Label: Benanti Etna Bianco
  • Gavi dei Gavi (Piedmont, Italy)
    Why it Works: Bright and clean, pear and citrus, and light enough to sit right next to the butter sauce. If you’re cooking for someone who says they don’t like wine, start here.
    Tasting Notes: White grapefruit, pear skin, wildflowers, hazelnut
    Suggested Label: La Scolca “Black Label” Gavi dei Gavi
  • White Rhône Blend (France)
    Why it Works: The fuller one of the group. Grenache Blanc and Roussanne give it some weight, and it holds its own against the shallots, anchovy, and butter. I reach for this one on a cold night.
    Tasting Notes: Honeyed pear, chamomile, lemon balm, Provençal herbs
    Suggested Label: Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc
  • Crémant de Loire (France)
    Why it Works: Bubbles with piccata feel a little fancy, and they should! The fizz resets your palate between bites of that butter sauce, and the brioche notes sit nicely next to the Parmesan crust.
    Tasting Notes: Green apple, almond croissant, lemon peel, chalk
    Suggested Label: Langlois-Château Crémant de Loire Brut

Faq’s

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Yes, as long as they are boneless. The upside and downside of thighs is their higher fat content. You’ll need to trim some and pound them flat for cooking. Thighs will make the overall dish much juicier and (for many) tastier.

Do I really need to marinate in buttermilk?

You can skip it if you really don’t have the time, just don’t think things will be the same. Buttermilk has high acidity and strong flavor. That means you’ll really develop the protein and make it absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious. But if that’s not your thing, you can skip it.

Can I make chicken piccata without wine?

You still have a few options. Remember, the white wine makes a dish tangy, tart, and sweet. Use a splash of chicken stock with a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice. For a really fun option, try a strong ginger beer or ginger ale.

How do I keep the crust crispy?

Ah, the eternal question. Best to stick to the basics. Don’t return the chicken to the sauce. Let it rest separately, then plate and spoon the sauce over—never under.

Can you make chicken piccata ahead of time and reheat it?

You can prep most of it ahead of time. You’ll just want to wait to cook the chicken, because letting it sit in the fridge will diminish its crispiness. If you has freshly cooked chicken, you can add the sauce on and serve with confidence.

What’s the best pasta for chicken piccata?

Any thin noodle will give you the right ratio here. And then noodles typically give you a high sauce-to-noodle ratio. For this reason, the best option is probably angel hair.

Is the slurry really necessary?

Yes, especially if you run into issues with the sauce structure. You want it to coat a spoon.

Can I leave out the anchovy paste?

Probably, but why would you? Trust me, it won’t make the dish taste like anchovies. Instead, it delivers a ton of je ne sais quoi. If you skip it (due to a grave allergy, let’s say), add a tiny splash of soy sauce or miso at the end to replace some of that depth.

Is chicken piccata breaded or fried?

Neither, really. It’s dredged in a light coat of flour (with Parmesan, in mine) and pan-seared in a little oil and butter, not deep-fried. No breadcrumbs, no pot of oil, and the crust still comes out crisp.

Can I make chicken piccata dairy-free?

Yes, with a few swaps. Unsweetened almond or oat milk with a squeeze of lemon stands in for the buttermilk, the Parmesan comes out of the dredge, and a dairy-free butter finishes the sauce. It’s a little less rich, but it works.

What to serve with chicken piccata?

The garlic butter angel hair comes with this recipe, so you’re covered. For something green, roasted asparagus, broccoli, or green beans are my go-tos, and roasted potatoes work great if you’re skipping the pasta.

What’s the best white wine for chicken piccata?

For the pan, any dry white you’d drink, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. For your glass, check the pairings above. Verdicchio is my first pick.

What can I use instead of capers?

Nothing! Don’t! Alright, if you have to… Chopped green olives are the closest swap, with the same briny punch. Use about the same amount.

How long does chicken piccata last in the fridge?

It’s good for as much as 3 days, with the chicken, sauce, and pasta in separate containers.

Butter cubes being whisked into a rich, golden lemon-caper sauce to finish Chicken Piccata with a silky, glossy texture.

Equipment Needed for Chicken Piccata

  • Large Skillet: For searing and sauce-making. Go stainless steel or cast iron so that it really holds heat well.
  • Small Skillet: For charring the lemon slices.
  • Tongs: For turning the cutlets.
  • Sharp Knife: For butterflying the breasts into thin cutlets.
  • Shallow Dish: For the flour and Parmesan dredge.
  • Fine Mesh Strainer (optional): For straining sauce just before mounting butter.
  • Microplane or Fine Grater: For lemon zest and Parmesan.
  • Sauce Whisk or Small Silicone Whisk: For emulsifying the butter.
  • Meat Mallet (optional): Only if you’re using thighs.
  • Wire Rack: For resting chicken post-sear.
  • Medium Pot for Pasta: For cooking noodles.
  • Slotted Spoon or Spider: For transferring.
  • Serving Platter or Pasta Bowls: For serving. I suggest you go shallow and wide.

If this chicken piccata is your kind of dinner, these are the ones I’d make next:

Incredible Chicken Marsala Recipe — Same skillet, same dredged cutlets, but a Marsala and mushroom pan sauce instead of lemon and capers.

Our House Favorite Chicken Parmesan — The other Italian-American chicken dinner in my rotation, and yes, more Parmesan.

Marry Me Chicken Recipe — Creamy sun-dried tomato chicken for the nights you want the sauce rich instead of bright.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe (The BEST) — There’s a Parmesan rind in that pot too. I have a type.

Deep & Creamy Beef Stroganoff — Another pan sauce finished off the heat, over a pile of egg noodles.

You made it!

So that’s my charred lemon chicken piccata. If there are lemon slices blistering in a dry pan somewhere in your kitchen right now, you’re doing it right.

If you made it, leave a rating and a comment below. I read every single one and it genuinely helps more people find this recipe. Got questions? Drop them in the comments, I’ll get back to you.

Now that you made it all the way down here, go char some lemons!!

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