Tender, lemony pan-seared chicken cutlets finished in a silky butter-lemon-caper sauce with bright parsley and briny caper pops; best spooned over rice, pasta, or steamed vegetables.
Bright, Buttered Chicken with Capers
Thin, pan-seared chicken cutlets finished in a lemony, buttery-caper sauce that comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect over rice, pasta, or steamed vegetables.
This is the kind of weeknight solution that tastes like effort even when it isn’t. Slicing or pounding chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch makes every bite tender and ensures a quick, even sear; the shallow-fry step creates a golden crust that stands up to the saucy finish. The finishing sauce—garlic, lemon, chicken broth, a few spoonfuls of capers and lots of butter—turns those simple cutlets into something silky and bright in minutes.
A light dredge in flour gives the cutlets a little body and helps the sauce cling, while searing in olive oil plus a touch of butter adds those slightly nutty brown edges. Once the chicken rests, the skillet gets a quick rinse of flavor: melted butter, a brief hit of garlic, a splash of chicken broth and lemon juice, then the capers for those briny pops. Swirl the sauce until glossy, nestle the cutlets back in, and spoon everything over your starch of choice so no drop of lemon-butter goodness goes to waste.
Practical notes: work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, keep cooked cutlets warm on a plate under foil, and taste the sauce before salting—capers bring a fair amount of saltiness. This recipe is great for make-ahead components too: you can have the cutlets pounded and floured and the sauce mostly made before dinner, then finish them together for a quick table-ready meal.
Serve with a scattering of chopped parsley and a lemon wheel for bright contrast. The result is crunchy edges, tender meat, silky sauce and little caper bursts—comforting enough for weeknights, polished enough for guests, and straightforward for cooks avoiding nuts or complex prep.
Ingredients
How to Make Chicken Piccata Caper Tray
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally to make 2 thinner cutlets or place whole breasts between plastic and pound to about 1/2 inch thickness; pat dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides of the cutlets with 3/4 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper, then dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter; when shimmering, add chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and sear until golden, about 3–4 minutes per side; transfer cooked cutlets to a warm plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and once melted stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20–30 seconds without browning.
- Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon; bring the sauce to a simmer and let reduce gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stir the capers into the sauce and taste; add remaining 1/4 tsp salt and up to 1/4 tsp pepper as needed, then return the chicken cutlets to the pan and spoon sauce over them, simmering 1–2 minutes to rewarm and coat.
- Remove skillet from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley and top with lemon slices; let rest a minute, then serve the cutlets spooned with extra sauce.
Recipe Card
Chicken Piccata Caper Tray
Tender, lemony pan-seared chicken cutlets finished in a silky butter-lemon-caper sauce with bright parsley and briny caper pops; best spooned over rice, pasta, or steamed vegetables.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally to make 2 thinner cutlets or place whole breasts between plastic and pound to about 1/2 inch thickness; pat dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides of the cutlets with 3/4 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper, then dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter; when shimmering, add chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and sear until golden, about 3–4 minutes per side; transfer cooked cutlets to a warm plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and once melted stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20–30 seconds without browning.
- Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits from the pan with a wooden spoon; bring the sauce to a simmer and let reduce gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stir the capers into the sauce and taste; add remaining 1/4 tsp salt and up to 1/4 tsp pepper as needed, then return the chicken cutlets to the pan and spoon sauce over them, simmering 1–2 minutes to rewarm and coat.
- Remove skillet from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley and top with lemon slices; let rest a minute, then serve the cutlets spooned with extra sauce.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 13
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Sodium
- 805
- Fiber
- 1
- Unsaturated Fat
- 13.5
- Protein
- 54
- Fat
- 21.5
- Cholesterol
- 170
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 482
- Sugar
- 1