Chicken Piccata Recipe {Best Creamy Sauce} - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published February 22, 2020. Updated March 13, 2021

Chicken Piccata is a classic recipe everyone should know how to make! This creamy version just takes the traditional lemon chicken piccata up to a whole new level of delicious! Here you get perfectly pan seared, golden brown and tender chicken breast cutlets, topped with a rich and bright lemon sauce and they’re finished with tangy capers a touch of fresh herbs.

Also be sure to try my Salmon Piccata too!

The Best Chicken Piccata Recipe

Let’s just start out by stating the obvious, everything is better with a little cream added right? My mom taught me that and it’s one of the most important things she ever taught me. Truth :).

I love how simple and quick this chicken dish is to make! It’s definitely fit for a weeknight meal, yet it’s elegant enough for serving to guests on the weekend. And it’s something everyone can agree on.

Piccata Sauce Perfection

This version isn’t skimpy with the sauce, and of course you’ll absolutely love the fact that it’s a rich and creamy sauce vs. a plain old basic brothy sauce. The piccata sauce doesn’t contain an overwhelming amount of lemon juice, and I love what the little dab of butter offers and the way it pairs with the lemon.

It’s chicken piccata perfection! I can never get enough of that golden brown exterior on chicken cutlets and the rich flavor all those browned bits at the bottom of the pan add so much flavor. They really build up the flavor profile of the sauce.

This is just one of those a staple Italian recipes you’ll make again and again…and again. It’s how you turn bland and boring chicken into something worthy of dinner praises all around.

What is Chicken Piccata?

Piccata is an Italian word meaning “larded.” In cooking terms, it means “sliced and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter and spices.”

Check, check and check with this version, plus you get the added cream to take this to the next level. In Italy, they typically make it with veal sliced very thinly. However, here in the United States Chicken Piccata is most common.

Lemon Chicken Piccata Ingredients

This classic Italian dish requires surprisingly few ingredients, and most of them are pantry staples:

• Chicken breasts
• All-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Chicken broth
• Cornstarch
• Fresh lemon juice
• Butter
• Heavy cream
• Fresh parsley
• Capers

How to Make Chicken Piccata

• 1. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
• 2. Dredge both side of chicken cutlets in flour mixture, then add to skillet.
• 3. Sear chicken on both sides until browned and cooked through.
• 4. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

• 5. Add garlic to the same pan and saute until golden.
• 6. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Allow broth to simmer until reduced by half.
• 7. Whisk cornstarch with a little broth, then add to skillet along with the lemon juice.

• 8. Let simmer until slightly thickened, then remove from heat and stir in butter and cream.
• 9. Return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with capers and parsley and serve warm.

Want to see how easy this chicken piccata recipe is? Watch the video!

Do I Have to Add Cornstarch to the Piccata Sauce?

The cornstarch helps thicken up the lemon piccata sauce. Without it, I think the sauce would be too runny. If you don’t have any cornstarch, you may be able to achieve similar results with a little all-purpose flour.

What Sides to Serve with Chicken Piccata?

• The classic pairing is fettuccine pasta (or linguine/spaghetti).
• Or serve with breadsticks.
• A great side is roasted broccoli, add parmesan if you’d like.
• It is also great paired with my Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Tips for the Best Chicken Piccata

• The chicken breasts should be fairly thin and pounded out even (after halving) if needed. This way, they’ll cook quickly and evenly.
• Don’t skip the flour, it helps the chicken to brown nicely on the exterior it also gives the sauce something to cling to.
• Only use fresh lemon juice not bottled, it would ruin the flavor of the dish.
• If you are looking to cut calories, you could replace the heavy cream with half and half instead and still have a deliciously creamy sauce.
• Rinse the capers so they aren’t too salty.
• Don’t skip the fresh parsley, as adds that extra bit of freshness to this lemon chicken piccata and adds a nice pop of color.

More Classic Italian American Recipes You’ll Love:

• Chicken Parmesan
• Caprese Chicken
• Alfredo Sauce
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Meatballs

Recipe first published January 8, 2016. Photos and text updated January 24, 2020.