Chicken piccata with mushrooms and capers in a tangy buttery sauce comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve this lemony chicken dish with noodles, potatoes, or rice.
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Mushroom chicken piccata
In the culinary world, piccata is known as cooked in a lemon and butter sauce.
The origins of piccata meat are vague, and it is not clear where the dish is coming from.
More likely, it originated in Italy and was usually served with veal.
These days, you can see this dish made with chicken (or veal) in a lot of Italian-American restaurants,
I love how quick and easy it is to make this restaurant-style dish. Thinly sliced chicken breasts are fried and then simmered in a buttery lemon sauce with mushrooms and capers.
Ingredients overview and substitutions
Please, see the recipe card below for the ingredients quantities.
- Skinless Chicken Breasts - you will need 2-3 chicken breasts sliced in two thin cutlets.
- Flour - I used white flour for coating. You can use whole wheat or even gluten-free flour. To make it keto - coat the chicken cutlets in almond flour.
- Mushrooms - I used baby portobello mushrooms.
- Capers - brined capers for that bold savory and tangy taste. If you do not have capers, you can use finely chopped green olives.
- Olive Oil - to cook the chicken. You can use avocado oil instead.
- Butter - add butter to cook the chicken and to make the sauce.
- Chicken Broth - I used low-sodium chicken broth. You will need only ½ cup. I recommend buying 8 oz single-serve cups. This way, you do not waste a whole box of broth that will more likely be forgotten in the fridge.
- Lemon Juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best taste. You can also add a half teaspoon of zest to the dish at the end,
- Salt, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper - you can also use other spices and herbs, such as thyme, basil, and parsley. But ground black pepper and garlic powder are usually good enough.
Instructions
Step 1. Slice the chicken horizontally into two cutlets. Place a chicken breast flat on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice it into two thin parts.
Step 2. Season the chicken with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Step 3. In a shallow dish, add flour. Coat chicken cutlets from both sides.
Step 4. In a frying pan, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Heat over medium heat. Once hot, carefully place floured chicken breasts in the frying pan. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked. The internal temperature needs to reach 165°F. Once cooked, remove the chicken and set it aside.
Step 4. Add the remaining butter to the frying pan and sliced mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until browned. Now, add capers and cook for another minute stirring often.
Step 5. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
Step 6. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and spoon warm sauce over it. Leave it simmering for a few more minutes on low until the chicken gets hot. Serve immediately with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan.
Recipe tips, storing and serving ideas
- Meat Tenderizer: pound the chicken cutlets with a hammer if they are uneven.
- Keep the chicken warm: while making the sauce, keep the cooked chicken warm in a preheated to 300°F oven
- To store: store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dish reheats well in a pan or the microwave oven.
- To serve: goes well with mashed potatoes, and buttered noodles or rice. Add a side of fresh salad or steamed vegetables for a complete meal.
Frequently asked questions
Piccata sauce is usually made of butter, lemon, capers, and chicken or veggie stock.
If you do not have capers, add finely chopped green olives to the sauce.
Chicken piccata can be frozen, but it is one of the dishes I do not recommend freezing. This dish will not taste as good as fresh after thawing.
Other chicken breasts recipes
- Baked Thinly Sliced Chicken Breasts
- Cast Iron Chicken Breasts
- Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Kyiv
- Air fryer thin chicken breasts
More Italian recipes
- Pasta e Lenticchie
- Risotto con funghi (mushrooms)
- Lemon Pesto
- Ragu Bolognese
- Arborio risotto with fresh fennel
📖 Recipe
Chicken Piccata with Mushrooms and Capers
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- 1 shallow dish
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- ¼ cup flour or more as needed
- 1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 Tablespoon capers, brine drained
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt, by taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally into 2 cutlets. Season well with salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper.
- In a shallow dish, add the flour. Coat each chicken cutlets with flour.
- In a large skillet, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Once hot, place the floured chicken cutlets. Cook on each side for about 4 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken and set it aside once cooked.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining butter and sliced mushrooms. Cook mushrooms over medium heat until browned. Add capers and cook for another minute or two stirring often.
- Now, add ½ cup of chicken broth and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to the skillet. Bring the sauce to boil. Add cooked chicken and simmer for a few minutes until the chicken gets hot.
- Serve mushroom chicken picatta over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- you can buy already sliced chicken cutlets.
- use meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.
- store the leftovers in airtight container for up to 3 days.
- the nutritional facts are for informational purposes only.
Karen says
Please provide exact amount of ingredients, can not see it on page
Nataliia says
It was some technical issue with the recipe card, all fixed now. Sorry for that. Somehow, the whole recipe card was deleted from the post, I just places it back, where you can find ingredients and instructions. Thank you for letting me know.
Kim says
Made it many times!! Love it!!
Always serve over pasta or egg noodles & double the sauce!!
Nataliia says
I am so happy you enjoyed our chicken piccata; it is indeed delicious, and I often make it for my family as well. Thank you for the review 🙂
Valerie Frederick says
It’s good. I have similar recipes. Fairly easy to prepare
Carl says
Simple and easy. I wasted a good bit of flour, but I'm not sure how I could have avoided that. But this was definitely a hit at the table.
Bop says
Used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs—no pounding. So delicious! Fried everything in olive oil and butter mixture. Sautéed garlic in butter and added to cooked pasta. This is a recipe I will make over and over again!
Nataliia says
I am so so happy you enjoyed this recipe and even happier it that you will be making it again. Your feedback truly made my day. Thank you!