Quick, easy and delicious, this Lemon Caper Chicken one pot is packed with flavor and you'll be amazed by how easy it is to make. Pan seared chicken breast is served in a silky lemon, caper and butter piccata sauce, all in under 20 minutes!
I use one of my favorite cooking hacks to keep chicken breast moist and juicy in this recipe. Before cooking I carefully slice the breast through the middle to make two thinner pieces. This ensures it cooks quickly and makes sure the meat doesn't dry out.
If you have kids (or anyone in your household for that matter) who don't like capers, just leave them out. The citrusy butter sauce will still be flavor packed.
This one pan chicken dish is based on a traditional Italian Chicken Piccata recipe, but I don't coat the chicken in flour. I find this makes the dish lighter and also means its gluten free.
Why You Should Make This Lemon & Caper Chicken Dish:
- You need just 8 simple ingredients. This makes it ideal for those busy weeknights when you want to eat well but don't have long to spend in the kitchen.
- Any chicken dish cooked in one pan is a winner for me, not only does it save you time but it cuts down on the dishes.
- Don't let the speed of this recipe fool you. There is so much flavor packed into this dish that its perfect to serve when entertaining too.
- If you love a one pan main with sauce dish as much as I do, why not try my Salmon with Spinach Cream Sauce, another quick and tasty family dinner.
How to Make Lemon & Caper Chicken:
Find the full printable recipe below.
Carefully cut the chicken breasts into two through the middle. Season well and sear on both sides in a hot skillet.
Remove the chicken and make the sauce with chicken stock, garlic, butter and lemon juice.
Stir capers into the sauce and add back the chicken to reheat.
Garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon slices then serve!
Isn't this Chicken Piccata?!
Piccata is an Italian terms meaning "to pound flat" and usually refers to the treatment of meat, usually chicken, pork or veal, which is sliced and flattened out. The meat is then dredged in flour and cooked in a sauce flavored with lemon, capers and butter.
My recipe for Lemon Caper Chicken is close to a traditional piccata, only I prefer to leave out the flour. And rather than pounding the meat I simply cut the chicken breasts though the middle to make two thinner pieces of meat. They are then seared in a hot skillet with olive oil.
How to tell when Chicken is cooked?
If you have a temperature probe you can put it into the thickest part of the chicken breast and check the internal temperature of the meat. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 160f/75c when cooked.
Don't have a meat probe? No problem. Simply insert a knife into the thickest part of the breast, remove it and if the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked. Whereas, if they still look pink then the chicken needs a little more cooking.
Variations of Lemon Caper Chicken:
Don't like capers? Simply leave them out of the sauce.
For something a little different try adding a small glass of wine to de-glaze the skillet then reduce it down before adding the remaining sauce ingredients.
If you'd like a dairy free sauce, replace the butter with some additional olive oil instead.
If you love briny ingredients, try adding some black olives to the finished dish.
Like one pan dishes that are quick and easy to make? Have you tried my Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Cream Sauce or my Creamy Skillet Tomato Spinach Chicken Breasts.
Tips For Making Lemon Caper Chicken:
- My top tip is to slice the chicken breasts in half through the middle to make them thinner before pan frying. It keeps them moist and juicy and avoids the dreaded chicken breast dry out.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet and allow it to rest while you get on with making the sauce. Resting the chicken like this allows all the juices to be absorbed back into the breast, leaving you with tasty and moist pieces of chicken.
- When making the lemon caper sauce ensure that you get all the browned crispy bits off the bottom of the pan that have been leftover from cooking the chicken. This will add real flavor to your sauce.
How To Serve Lemon Caper Chicken:
This delicious chicken dish with the lemon caper sauce is packed full of flavor so keep any side dishes simple. Here are some suggestions:
- buttery mashed potatoes
- pasta tossed in olive oil
- crusty bread to mop up those juices
- steamed greens: brocollini; green beans; spinach; kale
- roasted vegetables: asparagus; zucchini
- dressed salad with lemon vinigraitte
- Easy Quinoa Caprese Salad
How To Reheat Chicken Piccata?
Make the dish earlier in the day and set it aside until you are ready to eat. Gently heat up the sauce and the chicken until the chicken is warmed through. Take care not to cook too long as you don't want the chicken overcooking and drying out.
How to Freeze Lemon Caper Chicken?
You can freeze this lemon chicken dish. I would suggest freezing the chicken and the sauce separately. Both will store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, defrost thoroughly. Then gently warm up the sauce, before adding the chicken in to heat through.
Pin This 15 Minute Lemon Caper Chicken Breasts Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
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More Under 30 Minute Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
15 Minute Lemon Caper Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 1 clove Garlic - crushed
- 1 Lemon - juice only
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Capers
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Garnish
- 1 Lemon - sliced
- 1 tbsp Chopped Parsley
Instructions
- Carefully cut the chicken breasts in half through the middle so they are thinner and don't dry out during cooking. Season them well with sea salt and pepper.
- Get a large skillet or frying pan nice and hot over a high heat. Add the olive oil, turn the heat down to medium and sear the chicken on one side for between 3-4 minutes, until it turns a nice golden brown.
- Turn and cook the other side for between 3-4 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to do this in batches so the pan isn't overcrowded. The meat should no longer be pink inside (or if you're using a thermometer, the meat should register 165ºF)
- Remove the chicken from the pan, cover and set aside to rest.
- Make the sauce by deglazing the hot pan with the chicken stock. Add the stock to the hot pan and use your spatula to scrape any tasty bits stuck on the pan into the stock.
- Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice and the butter and let it bubble while the flavors come together.
- Stir through the capers then add the chicken back to the pan and allow to reheat for a moment or two.
- Garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon slices and serve!
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