Chicken piccata
Thin chicken cutlets in a lemon, butter and caper pan sauce, with spaghetti to catch every spoonful. A small skillet dinner built around pantry staples.
Estimated calories and US ingredient costs.
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Ingredients, steps and a live timeline. Ready for 2 people.
Step timeline
Cooking order
8 leftPrepare the cutlets
~5 minPrepare the cutlets.
Place 12 oz chicken between sheets of parchment and gently pound to an even ¼-inch thickness.
Combine 2 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper on a plate.
Lightly coat the chicken, shaking off any excess coating.
Ingredients
- 12 ozBoneless chicken breast
- 2 tbspAll-purpose flour
- 1/4 tspKosher salt
- 1/8 tspBlack pepper
Start the spaghetti
~5 minStart the spaghetti.
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Add 4 oz spaghetti and cook for the package time until al dente.
Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain.
Ingredients
- 4 ozDry spaghetti
Brown the chicken
~6 minBrown the chicken.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the cutlets in one layer, working in batches if needed.
Cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden and the thickest part reaches 165°F.
Move the cooked cutlets to a clean plate.
Ingredients
- 1 tbspOlive oil
Make the pan sauce
~5 min cookMake the pan sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium.
Add 3/4 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp capers.
Scrape the browned bits from the skillet and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly reduced.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cupLow-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbspLemon juice
- 1 tbspCapers
Finish with butter
After ~5 minFinish with butter.
Turn the heat to low.
Swirl in 1 tbsp butter until the sauce looks glossy.
Add the chicken and any collected juices and warm for 1 minute without boiling hard.
Ingredients
- 12 oz total for recipeBoneless chicken breast
- 1 tbspUnsalted butter
Coat the pasta
~4 minCoat the pasta.
Lift the chicken onto serving plates.
Toss the spaghetti in the sauce, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed to coat the strands.
Serve the piccata
~4 minArrange the spaghetti beside the chicken.
Spoon over the remaining sauce and scatter with 2 tbsp parsley.
Ingredients
- 12 oz total for recipeBoneless chicken breast
- 4 oz total for recipeDry spaghetti
- 2 tbspParsley
Serve meal
~1 minOnce all dishes are cooked and ready, plate and serve the meal together.
Chicken piccata: Serve the piccata.
Chicken piccata: Serve while hot.
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Ingredients
For 2 people
- 12 oz boneless chicken breast, sliced into thin cutlets
- 4 oz dry spaghetti
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
- Prepare the cutletsPlace 12 oz chicken between sheets of parchment and gently pound to an even ¼-inch thickness. Combine 2 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper on a plate. Lightly coat the chicken, shaking off any excess coating.
- Start the spaghettiBring a pot of water to a boil. Add 4 oz spaghetti and cook for the package time until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain.
- Brown the chickenHeat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cutlets in one layer, working in batches if needed. Cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden and the thickest part reaches 165°F. Move the cooked cutlets to a clean plate.
- Make the pan sauceReduce the heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp capers. Scrape the browned bits from the skillet and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Finish with butterTurn the heat to low. Swirl in 1 tbsp butter until the sauce looks glossy. Add the chicken and any collected juices and warm for 1 minute without boiling hard.
- Coat the pastaLift the chicken onto serving plates. Toss the spaghetti in the sauce, adding a little reserved pasta water if needed to coat the strands.
- Serve the piccataArrange the spaghetti beside the chicken. Spoon over the remaining sauce and scatter with 2 tbsp parsley. Serve while hot.
Before you cook
What to get ready
Wide skillet, tongs, shallow flour dish and thermometer.
Measure capers and lemon juice before cooking. Make cutlets uniformly thin, keeping raw chicken away from garnishes.
If something needs adjusting
Flour coating scorches
Shake off excess flour and reduce heat if the pan residue turns dark. Burnt residue should not become the sauce.
Sauce tastes sharply sour
Add lemon gradually and taste. A splash of unsalted broth can mellow acidity without adding more salt.
Store for later
Keep chicken with a little sauce in a covered container. Reheat gently to 165°F; add water if the sauce has reduced.
Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep the fridge at 40°F or below; use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days. USDA storage and reheating guidance.
Make the ingredients go further
Cut evenly sized cutlets from larger breasts rather than buying pre-cut portions when the unit price is better. Save extra lemon for yogurt sauce or dressing.
Calculate this meal with your own prices →
Cooking notes updated October 24, 2026. How we create recipes.
Tips, swaps and questions
A little kitchen know-how
An even cutlet thickness matters more than an exact cooking time. Use the thermometer from the side to reach the center of a thin piece.
Make it work for you
Use drained chopped green olives if you are out of capers. They bring a different flavor, so start with a small amount and taste the sauce before adding salt.
Use extra lemon and chicken in lemon chicken with crispy potatoes.
Why is my piccata sauce too sharp?
Lemons vary in acidity. Add a little broth to soften a sharp sauce and swirl in the butter over low heat. Avoid reducing the lemon mixture until almost dry.
Times are estimates. Check ingredients for allergens. For safe temperatures and storage, see FoodSafety.gov.