Chicken Piccata and Pasta
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Looking for a restaurant-quality meal you can easily make at home? Chicken Piccata and Pasta has a bright lemon caper sauce that’s bursting with flavor! Serve this easy chicken piccata recipe over your favorite pasta to soak up the delicious sauce!
If you love recipes made with fresh lemons, try these tender Chicken Piccata Meatballs, or my popular Lemon Green Pea Salad that's perfect for spring.
Why You'll Love This Meal
- Quick and Easy - ready to serve in 35 minutes!
- Delicious Sauce - lemon caper sauce is irresistible
- Restaurant Quality - save money by making this meal at home
This chicken piccata pasta is a classic Italian dish with one little change...I add broth to the sauce instead of wine. I love cooking with wine, and you can definitely add it if you like, but many folks prefer this recipe without alcohol. The broth still creates juicy chicken with great flavor that's tart, buttery and savory.
Serve it over pasta or rice, and you’ve got a meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions. Even though it's made with simple ingredients, it feels fancy without all the fuss!
Ingredient Notes
You probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry at home. The rest can be found in your local grocery store. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for quantities.
- Pasta - I use spaghetti noodles, but you can substitute any pasta you like.
- Chicken - buy thin cutlets, or use boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut in half lengthwise.
- Flour - use all-purpose flour for best results.
- Salt, Black Pepper and Garlic Powder - seasoning for the flour mixture
- Olive Oil - use extra virgin olive oil if possible.
- Butter - unsalted will keep the sodium level down.
- Garlic - can use prepared minced garlic, or mince it from a garlic clove
- Chicken Broth - substitute chicken stock for less sodium, or use white wine if preferred.
- Lemons - I love using fresh lemon juice in this recipe. Buy extra lemons for garnish if desired.
- Capers - find capers near the olives in your grocery store.
- Fresh Parsley - optional garnish
Instructions
1. Cook pasta of your choice in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and cover to keep warm.
2. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
3. Dredge poultry in seasoned flour mixture, shaking off excess.
4. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Cook all pieces until golden brown in a hot skillet, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and cover with aluminum foil.
6. In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter and garlic. Cook 30 seconds.
7. Add broth, scraping up brown bits in the pan. Simmer 2 minutes.
8. Add lemon juice, capers, and lemon slices. Simmer 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced.
9. Return poultry to pan, cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.
10. Garnish with parsley, and serve over cooked and drained pasta with lemon wedges on the side. I like to add a dash of olive oil to my pasta before serving.
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
Serve with cooked pasta, rice, or garlic mashed potatoes.
For a complete meal, add green beans, lemon butter roasted asparagus, or a roasted beet salad with goat cheese.
Cheesy garlic bread also tastes great to dip in the piccata sauce!
Variations
- Chicken Breasts: Swap for boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a juicier texture.
- Capers: If you’re not a fan of capers, try chopped green olives for a similar flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Use white wine as a substitute for broth if desired.
- Pasta: choose another type of pasta such as angel hair pasta or penne pasta.
Helpful Tips
- Be sure to use both oil and butter in the hot skillet. Cooking with butter and not adding oil may cause it to burn.
- Fresh parsley is optional, but it adds color and flavor.
- It's not necessary to pound the poultry if you purchase thin cutlets.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of regular flour for dredging.
Yes, add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half for a richer sauce before adding the lemon juice and capers.
Fresh lemon juice works best in this recipe. I wouldn't use bottled lemon juice unless you're in a pinch.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers: can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: warm leftovers in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, or microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
Tried this Recipe and Loved It? ❤️ Please scroll down and leave a *STAR* review!
Recipe Card
Chicken Piccata and Pasta
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken cutlets (thin sliced chicken breasts)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Lemon Piccata Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 2 fresh lemons 1 juiced, 1 sliced thin
- 2 Tablespoons capers drained
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped optional garnish
For Serving
- 8 ounces cooked pasta
- extra lemon slices optional garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta of your choice in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and cover to keep warm.
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
- Dredge chicken in seasoned flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook all pieces until golden brown in a hot skillet, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and cover with aluminum foil.
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons butter and garlic. Cook 30 seconds.
- Add broth, scraping up brown bits in the pan. Simmer 2 minutes.
- Add lemon juice, capers, and lemon slices. Simmer 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Return poultry to pan, cook 2-3 minutes until heated through.
- Garnish with parsley, and serve over cooked and drained pasta with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.
Notes
-
- Be sure to use both oil and butter in the hot skillet. Cooking with butter and not adding oil may cause it to burn.
- Fresh parsley is optional, but it adds color and flavor.
- It's not necessary to pound the poultry if you purchase thin cutlets.
- Leftovers: Lemon Chicken Piccata and Pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, or microwave on high for 1-2 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
This is a very easy recipe and the time it takes to make it is exactly as written. I will be making this again because my whole family loved it!