Description
A classic Barefoot Contessa Chicken Piccata recipe that delivers crisp chicken cutlets topped with a silky lemon-butter-caper sauce. Bright, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes — perfect for a cozy dinner or elegant weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create thin cutlets and pound until ¼ inch thick.
- Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip into beaten egg, and coat evenly with breadcrumbs.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown, then transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- Lower heat, deglaze the pan with wine or broth, scraping up browned bits.
- Stir in lemon juice and capers, then swirl in remaining butter until smooth.
- Return chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over the top, and sprinkle with parsley and lemon slices before serving.
Notes
- To keep the crust crispy, spoon the sauce on just before serving.
- You can prepare the chicken ahead of time and make the sauce fresh when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cutlet
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 560
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 13
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 32
- Cholesterol: 145