Lemon Chicken Piccata

OMG, this is exactly what I was looking for. It's restaurant quality. The sauce is SO SO good and I think adding the lemon slices early on really makes it POP like you suggested with a beautiful fragrance and taste. My family was very impressed. UPDATE: Made this for my husband's business client and he asked for the recipe to take home. Also, someone said they thought the sauce was too acidic.. adding lemon slices in at the end only heightens the acidity, not tempers it. I happen to love the taste of lemon like this, but that's just me. Try adding some white wine to the first reduction, then add the chicken broth and go from there. That might help.

When I make this recipe, I use Italian flavored bread crumbs, instead of flour, to dredge the chicken. Also pound the chicken breasts out a little so they cook faster. I use white wine instead of chicken broth for the sauce. This sauce really requires some tasting to check for tartness as it reduces. If it's too tart, add a small amount of sugar starting with a tsp. Chicken Picata is probably my favorite chicken dish and it's truly elegant and 'company' worthy.

This dish is superb. Very light, low fat and the sauce has a lemon infusion that is simple, yet elegant. The lemon slices really do make a difference. Be sure you're adding them early or your sauce could be a bit more bitter. The oil from the rind of the lemon adds a tremendous lemony lift! I am adding this dish as an option to my menu for my clients. They'd pay good money for this. I agree with the others - it is definitely restaurant quality right at home!

The reason that this might taste bitter is because the white pith of the lemon when simmered becomes very bitter. You could just use a vegetable peeler and peel off just the yellow of the lemon

I have not made this yet.....some quick thoughts. To stop the bitterness do not add the lemon slices to cook with the sauce, use lemon zest and finish with the butter, the white pith is what is making it bitter. Add lemon slice when serving. I also am going to try grilling the chicken and making just a quick lemon pan sauce with shallots, white wine, perhaps a riesling or pinot grigo and garlic, however; no chicken broth. I would not cut into medallions leave in breasts in tact. To thicken maybe a little cornstarch and water if necessary. I will let you know how it turns out. After making this, the grilling part probably not needed, pan frying would have been fine. The sauce I made was great only wish it had made more. Cornstarch not necessary. But a great recipe!

This recipe was delicious with some modifications. I gave it 5 stars because I think it would have been good without the modifications too... I just never cook exactly by any recipe. Here is what I did differently... I pounded out the chicken but did not cut it in medallions. I pan fried it in a cast iron skillet using olive oil instead of vegetable oil. After the chicken, I wiped out the pan and added a little more olive oil and some margarine (I have a dairy allergic person in my family so no butter). I added 2 cloves of garlic then a 1/2 lb of thinly sliced baby portabella mushrooms. After the mushrooms released their juices, I added the liquid. I used 2 cups of good chicken stock plus 1/2 cup of a reisling. I also double the lemon juice and left out the lemon slices. I zested one lemon into the sauce and saved the lemon slices for plate garnish. When correcting seasoning at the end, I added a generous amount of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of raw sugar. I served the chicken with the extra sauce over mini bow tie pasta. All three of my kids ate this and my husband gave it a thumbs up and I loved it. I would definitely make this one again!

Perfect. Well, almost. I pounded the chicken breast first; really makes it tender. It takes less time to cook, so it doesn't get tougher and drier on the outside...

Wow, I do not know what I did wrong? I love chicken piccata. I followed the recipe exactly. But, the sauce was so bitter!!! Maybe, the lemons I used were the problem? I loved the cooked chicken before adding the sauce. It was both tender and crispy. I tried to fix the sauce by removing the lemon slices and adding white wine and a little extra butter. I served with rice and the person I ate dinner with ate all of theirs, but I couldn't get over the bitter bite still lingering. Although, he did not seem to notice for some reason. Make sure you use really fresh lemons! I believe that could have been the issue, but not sure? Great sauted chicken either way.

excellent. Very light even with the butter at the end. No bitterness from the lemon slices because I took them out after the first 7 mins of boiling.

CAUTION! It is hard to stop eating this! I made this with 1/2c Pinot Grigio and 1/2c chicken broth, 2 garlic cloves, a dash of sugar in the sauce (with the capers) and only 1 Tbsp of butter at the end and it was wonderful! I served it with green beans, salad and baked sweet potato. De-lish!

Ok for the 1 star reviews.. when you are adding in lemon or any citric to a dish, its best to add and taste.. and not just dump in 1/4 cup of anything that has a high acid level.. as the sauce cooks down the tartness will be overwhelming.. live an learn that's my motto and I have learned a lot trying out these recipes! Here's a simple way to control the tartness of this dish: Add 6 lemon slices and taste.. want more tart.. spoon in lemon juice to desired taste. if you are cooking the sauce down, this will make it bitter, so..... take out a small bowl and add to this small bowl some corn starch ( about 1 tsp). Mix with water and then fold this into the sauce until it's thickens up. Usually takes about 3 minutes.. turn off the heat and it will set up nicely.. as you prep the plates for service.. Want to blow you guests away.. here's what I do to add an authentic ITALIAN kick to this recipe: I spice up the flour ( garlic, oregano, paprika and pepper), chiffonade basil and add 1 can of artichoke hearts ( remove oil and liquid) to the dish.. Not a fan of artichoke hearts, sliced and teamed zucchini also work well with thus dish.. Plate up raw baby spinach, place chicken on top of the spinach and then spoon on lemon sauce. Take your tongs and place on lemon slice on the center of the chicken, sprinkle with basil and serve. Want to make it a full meal.. add a side of saffron rice with roasted tomatoes and garlic and your family will love it!! Good Luck! Spence

This was excellent. The flavors were just perfect with just the right amount of lemon. I used a lemon pepper seasoning from Weber to add a little zest to this and increased the garlic some, but other than that made as written. Served with Jasmine rice, sliced tomatoes from the garden and garlic bread. Thanks for a great recipe :)

This was awesome! I did use white wine in place of the chicken broth. I also doubled the recipe as my hubby brought home way more chicken than I asked him to pick up! Since I doubled the liquid measurement the sauce had a hard time reducing so I added some corn starch and omitted the lemon juice from the sauce. *As a someone else suggested, I removed the lemon slices after 7 minutes. I served this over pasta (linguini). The family raved about this but I did notice the missing lemon juice so I had everyone squeeze fresh lemon over their serving on their plate. The difference it made? My son said I was amazing! LOL *I also added a small can of sliced mushrooms, next time I might add a can of artichokes chopped up

This is a great recipe, I couldn't get enough of the chicken the flavor was perfect.

Would definitely recommend using only half of a lime and not put any pieces into the broth to simmer. The first time I made it, I had to dump the whole thing out and start over (brother). It was sooooooo bitter and way toooo sour for our taste. The second time came out much yummier. should also add some salt and pepper to the sauce. Hopes this helps someone.

Delicious. I followed directions except I left out the lemon slices and added artichokes. Served with grilled asparagus and angel hair pasta. This is one of the best dishes I've made in a long time.

I did not like the lemon rind in the sauce. It made it too bitter. I cut the bitterness with a little sugar. I served this over angel hair pasta that was tossed with some olive oil, parm. cheese, and parsley. My husband liked it, the kids did not. He said it tasted just like the dish he has had at the restaurants. I will definitely make this again and eliminate the lemon slices. This isn't all that healthy so we won't eat it often.

Yum! I have been testing chicken recipes to use when I cater a Christmas party for 30 in two weeks. This recipe is the definite winner. The only change I made was to add flour to the pan drippings for thickening and doubled the sauce. I have prepared the chicken in advance and frozen it. I will make the sauce the day of the party.

Excellent - followed a few tips -- more garlic -- mixed the chicken broth with half chardonnay --used lemon zest rather than slices --and added lots of onions & mushrooms with the garlic -sautéed 5 min in olive oil and butter mix -then added the broth/wine mixture; lemon zest & parsley -chicken back in pan to cook - covered- for 20 minutes- low simmer. Served over white rice --- Very Very delicious!!!

Very good. I used half broth and half white wine and increased the lemon juice. Because I was cooking for two people I only needed half a pound of the chicken breast. I added lemon slices early in the cooking process. Everyting was tasty; just the right amont of flavoring. I ate this dish with, "Lemon Thyme Rice," also from this website. I will definitely make this again.

This was great! I have been making a version of this for some time and not having to pound out the meat is such a time saver.....I will be cooking this more often now. I did use 1/2 cup of white wine and a full cup of chicken broth because I used 4 chicken breasts...and I did use a less amount of lemon per other reviewers since I was feeding it to some pickier palates. I actually placed the chicken back in the pan with the sauce and it thickened up nicely and coated the chicken perfectly. I think I might take other reviewers advice and add some mushrooms next time. Thanks for the recipe!

I would definitely make this again. I just love piccata, and this sauce has just the right amount of lemon and capers. I however, did not put the lemon slices in the sauce, as I did not have enough for the juice, but it was still delicious. Next time I will make sure I have 2 lemons.

Added some white wine, extra chicken bouillion and heavy cream for a thicker sauce. Loved it!

This was delicious. I read some of the reviews and made sure to watch out for the white part of the lemon peel to avoid bitterness. I overindulged on capers (love them!) and it turned out a little too salty (my fault). Also, I only had bone in chicken thighs on hand so I browned them in a skillet and then put them in the oven on a low temp to finish cooking through as I finished the rest of the mean/sauce. I would recommend the breast over the thighs but it all still worked out and tasted great.

I had been looking forward to this but was dissappointed with the bitterness. I'm sure it was from simmering the lemons & pith (only use juice). I liked the sauce from "Chicken Piccata and Angel Hair Pasta" better than this one, it also uses wine. The sauce didn't thicken for me either but I'm sure with a few minor adjustments this recipe would be good!

Well, I made this meal tonight and it wasn’t a hit, a little too lemony. I will try one more time with less lemon.

Only made one small change added fresh sliced mushrooms and let them cook down with the second reduction. Served with rice and broccoli this made a nice easy light meal that the kids ate up!

First time I made this dish it had a bit too much lemon for me and my husband. Second time I made the dish I thinly sliced half the lemon and then gently squeezed the remaining half into the dish. It was perfect. I love capers, so I add an extra spoonful or two right at the end.

Wonderful recipe. My family loved it! Some ratings said theirs was a little bitter, I think maybe they didn't rinse the capers good enough. I used fresh lemons from our Uncle's tree so that really made it great. We served it with spaghetti noodles. A recipe to definitely try.

This recipe is very similar to a recipe in "The New Basics" cookbook. The cookbook, however, does not recommend adding the lemon slices until the very end. I think the early addition of the lemon slices with the peel on is the cause of the bitterness. This has been a hit in my house since the early '90s.

We really like this recipe after following reviewers advice - doubled sauce - still is pretty minimal - used 1/2 chicken broth and 1/2 white wine - added diced mushrooms with capers - we love capers so added extra - kids really liked also - will definitely make again

was very disappointed, the sauce was extremely bitter and had to throw it out and make a different sauce.

WAY too much lemon

My family LOVED this-- couldn't eat it fast enough! Perfect, lemony taste. They said, The Best Chicken Ever award. Used the recipe as is.

Way too lemony, bitter, salty, had to doctor it up just to be able to eat it for dinner

This was absolutely amazing. My favorite recipe that I've gotten on Allrecipes by far.

This recipe would be fantastic if you left out the lemon slices. Cooking lemon slices adds WAY too much tartness to the flavor. It wasn't even edible. Instead add fresh lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. Also, I added fresh mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Once you do that, it is fabulous!

LOVE this recipe! Everything about it is delish, the only problem is the sauce. It's a little bit unpredictable. Sometimes it comes out with a strong bitter lemony flavor and sometimes it's just right. I guess it's a matter of figuring it out. I will definitely make it again, probably less lemon juice in the sauce, maybe add a little bit of heavy cream to thicken it up.

The chicken was excellent but the sauce was very bitter, everyone was right. Cut the lemon juice in half. It also wasn't enough sauce for three whole chicken breasts and it was a lot of work to not get very much.

Yumo!!! I love this! I like a little more sauce so up the liquid a little and stir in a tablespoon of corn startch at the end. Luv It/1

too acidic

too bitter

Amazing dish!!! My kids devoured this. NO leftovers whatsoever. I paired it with Sarah's Rice Pilaf from this site. Couldn't have been better. Thanks!!

Delicious. I left out the capers, because I'm not a big fan of them. I probably added a bit more lemon juice (I didn't measure, just reemed). The sauce was amazing. Will definitely make this again - maybe even with pork or veal. Thanks!

Oh this is so good! I'd give more stars if I could. Thanks for sharing your recipe

Ugh. This was not good at all. I'm being generous with my rating ONLY because my hubby didn't think this was as bad as I did.... I must admit, I was a bit concerned about bitterness after reading the first page of most helpful reviews on here. Oddly enough, that isn't the reason I dislike this so much. For me, it's the overpowering, mouth puckering, lemony aftertaste. Chicken piccata (at least what I have eaten) should have a very subtle "hint" of lemon to it. Some piccata recipes include capers (as this does), artichokes or mushrooms to add substance / texture and sometimes a splash of white wine for an extra level of sophistication (which I added with my broth), but they all have one thing in common - they NEVER taste sour or bitter. Belle's version managed to do both (my gosh)! My hubby asked me earlier this week if he should make dinner resies at Maggiano's for New Year's Eve. I was so eager to try to make an Italian meal at home, I said no. Now I'm SOOOOO regretting my decision. :( Served wtih bada bing bada banged potatoes (CJ McD) and buttered Italian bread, this was a terribly mediocre meal (my potatoes were a disappointment too). Oh well. You can't win them all! Thanks for sharing anyways, BellesAZ. :-)

This was really good! I did use low sodium chicken broth but other than that, made it as written. A great dish :)

Wow, very flavorful and fairly simple to make. I will definitely be making this again:) I did take into consideration some of the other users suggestions: I added lemon zest after taking out the lemon slices about half way through. I also used half broth and half sherry cooking wine.

I'm sorry but this was not to my liking. I made it exactly as written and the lemon taste was overwhelming, and not in a good way! It was extremely tart so I had to add in a little sugar to try to make this taste better. It helped, but man, this was not to my liking I will definitely not be making this again!! The hubby was sweet and didn't say much except "I'm glad you can say when a recipe isn't good". HAH! That was his hint ;)

Easy flavorful dish!! Perfect for a busy weeknight meal. The only thing I did different was in the way I prep the chicken. I cut the chicken breast horizontally and then pounded the chicken out until it was about 1/4in thick. Got this advice from America's Test Kitchen cook book. And I didn't have any parsley on hand so I left it out; still a great dish.

We loved the flavor. I added a few sprinkles of sugar when the sauce started to get bitter and that fixed the problem. The chicken was a bit dry for how they said to do it though. Hence 4 stars instead of 5.

Not that great.

I dont know what I did wrong, usually I get great results, but this was just nasty, way too bitter for me.

Almost perfect! Instead of just rolling the chicken in flour, I beat 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and rolled the chicken in that first, then put them in the seasoned flour. Fried them in a pan with olive oil and butter. Wonderful turn out! Then used the browned bits in the pan to make a sauce with chicken broth, lemon juice and capers. Added a tablespoon of cornstarch. Simmered, boiled pasta. Poured sauce over chicken then tossed pasta in pan with left over sauce. Awesome!

Perfect Chicken Piccata!! The only BIG thing I would recommend changing is to thoroughly rinse the pan after you cook the chicken and before making the sauce. I know she mentions to take any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. But, the sauce comes out much, much better if you just rinse the skillet entirely with water, slightly dry it, then add some cooking spray and a teaspoon of vegetable oil before moving on to step #3/before making the sauce.

Very good! I will definitely double the sauce next time. It was a hit!!

First let me say I am rating THIS recipe. Not the one I made changes to. I tried this recipe 2 times. The first time exactly as directed with the lemon slices. It was very bitter. The second time with my changes. The second time around I added 1/3 cup of chopped shallot when cooking the garlic. I also added 1/2 cup sauvignon blanc wine and 1/2 cup chicken broth I then grated the lemon rind of one large lemon into the sauce instead of adding the slices also I added sliced portabella mushrooms and doubled the lemon juice. ***Make sure you rinse the capers as they are usually stored in a vinegar brine***. My family gave my dish (the second time around) 5 stars

I really like this recipe, the chicken was tender and flavorful. The sauce was simple and delicious. I really like lemon but next time I think I will add a bit less lemon and a bit more garlic otherwise I was very pleased.

AWESOME! Rave reviews at my dinner table. Definite must.

this was wonderful! the only changes I made was used 2 T butter and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice in the sauce and it was still outstanding. My husband raved about it through dinner as he gobbled it up and went for seconds :) This would also be a great dinner for company. Definitely a keeper!

Yummy! Added about 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice...I like it very tart. Really easy and delicious...served with rice and veggies.

My sause was sooo bitter. I wish I would have read the other reviews and tried taking the lemon slices out after the first 7 minutes.

I skipped the flour step. And we do not care for capers so those were skipped as well. This was delicious.

this recipe was quick and delicious. i doubled the sauce and put it over angel hair pasta. i did add 1T of flour to the lemon juice and added it to the skillet to thicken it some. my neighbor asked for the recipe the next day because i raved about it so much ! very nice presentation if you're trying to impress. will make it again soon!!

Fantastic. I used 4 breasts ( for leftovers) and pounded them pretty thin. I also used 1.5 cups chicken broth for the extra chicken and 2 cloves of garlic. I cut the chicken into around 1 inch pieces. I cooked them in 2 batches. I sliced the half lemon very thin. After the butter was mixed in I added the chicken back to the pan to reheat as I didn't use the oven to keep warm. I served this with Vermicelli. I will definitely make again. Thanks!

This is the best Chicken Piccata I have ever had and that includes restaurants. Don't change anything. Yes it needs all the butter. Watch carefully when reducing the sauce.

Made it for dinner last night and there was no left over!! It was very delicious!! Thanks!

This is absolutely delicious! My husband, who is a meat-and-potatoes guys, loves this recipe. I altered it a bit: I pounded the chicken breasts to at least 1/2" thick and seasoned each breast liberally with salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder then dredged in flour and browned each piece. I deglazed the pan with the chicken broth and capers, added the lemon juice and butter then cooked the chicken, uncovered, again for about 5 minutes. Delizioso!

Nummy and quite quick. Nice with cal rose rice drizzled with lemon.

This was really good. I didn't have fresh lemons, so I only used the 1/4 cup juice from a bottle..I also added about 1/4 cup white wine that I wanted to use up. We really enjoyed this Piccata.Very much like what is served in restaurants.

This was awesome.... the family said it was a keeper and I had all incredients at home....

Rats, I didn't take others advice about the lemon slices. I love the sauce except there is a really bitter flavor at the end which is obviously from the lemon peel. Next time, no slices. I can't wait!

This recipe was fantastic! My family loved it. My chicken got a little soggy, but the sauce was perfect.

This was delicious. I made the recipe exactly as written and served over thin spaghetti. My husband thought it was a little too much lemon flavor so I will probably use a little less the next time I make it. Thank you for sharing.

Absolutely delicious!!! This tastes better than the chicken piccata that some restaurants make. Excellent. The whole family loved it.

Wow, wow, wow!! This was indeed tasty and tender, and somewhat easy. However, after reading the recipe and a few reviews regarding bitterness, I made some very slight changes. I've cooked with capers and thought 2 tablespoons sounded a bit much, so I reduced the amount to 1 tablespoon (in the future I might even bring it down to 1/2 tablespoon). Also, rather than using lemon slices I simply zested the lemon, avoiding the bitterness. This is definitely a make-again recipe!

Did not enjoy this...very bitter. I took out the sliced lemon after tasting the sauce, because it was so tart. Will not be making this again.

This is exceptional! My husband thinks I'm the best cook ever. The sauce is awesome. I did add a little more chicken broth but everything else was just as the recipe called for. He's a big fan of veal piccata - at our favorite Italian restaurant- but loved this just as much. Thanks for the recipe.

This dish was amazing! It's very simple to prepare, but it does take a little time to fry the chicken in batches. The breast meat stays really moist. I skipped the lemon slices, and just used the juice, which gave it plenty of tang. This is definitely a keeper and something suitable for company!

This was a terrific and not overly complicated meal to create that is of restaurant quality. I will be making this again to wine and dine my friends with! I would highly recommend this.

So good and easy, will make again and again. Carolyn

I made this exactly as directed. This was edible to say this least, but I am not a huge fan of this dish.

This was good, but quite acidic. I added some honey at the end, which helped cut the acidity a bit. Next time, I may use less lemon juice.

This dish is a staple in my cooking repertoire. Sometimes I add artichokes and thicken the sauce with flour because my boys ask me to, but my five stars are for the wonder of this dish as is. I serve it over garlic mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, or couscous and it's still delightful. I will probably elect to eat this as my final meal in this lifetime!

This is sooo good! one thought.. add 1/2 cup white wine... and forget the low sodium chicken broth when making the sauce!! I have been meking this recipie a for years!!!..and dipping italian or french bread into the sauce.. YUM!!!

Absolutely amazing! Perfect! Didnt change a single thing. MMM!

Had everything but the capers, and it was a real hit with my whole family! I used the sauce to coat some angel hair pasta and wow! This will have to be a weekly special here. Thanks so much for the recipe!

Excellent and pretty simple to prepare. The only change I made was to use 3/4 C chicken broth and 1/4 C dry white wine. I served it with white rice cooked with a bit of chicken broth and 1 tsp lemon juice. Very nice with the lemon sauce over the chicken and rice. Definitely better restaurant quality.

This was really good and had a fabulous lemony flavor. Even my extremely picky 5 year old ate it up.

This was so amazing...we made it twice in one week!

This would be a better recipe with less lemon. It was overpoweringly tart.

Made it as the recipe called for and it was delicious! The kids loved it, I loved it and hubby loved it! This one is a keeper!

I ended up pounding the chicken before cooking it cooked faster. I read so many reviews about the lemon, that I wished I put more in. I put in 2 lemon slices for 5 min as well as some of the rind, then put in the lemon juice but it didn't taste as lemony as I had hoped so I just squeezed lemon juice on it at the end. I held back on the lemon based on the reviews that it was too bitter. I mixed the dish with angel hair pasta, it was a little drier than I wanted so maybe i will make more sauce next time if mixing with pasta. I also did half white wine/half chicken broth. served with green beans. Will definitely make again!

Its a hit! And so easy! Perfect!

I have made this at least 12 times, several times as a buffet offering served on top of pasta. It is wonderful and I think it's perfect , needs no changes. Sandy from New Hampshire

This recipe was pretty easy to make and we really loved the flavor of the chicken. I did modify a bit: 3 cloves garlic and I doubled the lemon juice amount (lemon fans in this household). I would make this again in a heartbeat. Thanks for the recipe!

This was good! I read the reviews about too much lemon, so I just added lemon to taste (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons). We will be making this again!

I love this. Honestly been making it for YEARS, I am so glad I am not the only one that does not use the Wine. However if you do decide to use wine in this don't skimp or youll regret it. I love Capers, someone was talking about the bitterness, what people have to realize is that a Caper is part of the olive family and has a bitter lemon Flavor that I just love; However if it is something you can't handle them omit them and add a touch more lemon. Its great.

I added slice mushrooms to this -- put them in at the same time I put the capers in. My family loved it!