Easy Lemon Caper Chicken is a bright, flavorful skillet dinner made with tender chicken cutlets, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and tangy capers. Ready in just 24 minutes, this simple lemon caper chicken recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you want a homemade meal that feels a little special.
The combination of fresh lemon and briny capers gives this dish its distinctive flavor. A light coating of seasoned flour helps the chicken develop a golden exterior, while chicken broth and garlic create a savory sauce that complements the citrus.
Similar to chicken piccata, this recipe features thin chicken cutlets cooked in a skillet and finished with a lemon-based pan sauce. However, it uses olive oil rather than the butter commonly found in traditional piccata recipes. A splash of half-and-half is optional if you prefer a slightly creamier finish.
Start by combining flour, kosher salt, black pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning. Lightly coat three chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, then sprinkle them with half the fresh lemon zest.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for approximately seven minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through. The thickest part should reach 165°F.
A heavy-bottomed stainless steel skillet on Amazon works well for browning chicken and preparing flavorful pan sauces.
Remove the chicken to a clean plate. Whisk together the lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, minced garlic, and remaining lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the skillet and stir to incorporate the flavorful browned bits.
Add a splash of half-and-half if desired, then return the chicken to the pan and heat through for approximately two minutes.
Spoon the lemon caper sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley.
Serve with Lyonnaise Potatoes, Oven Roasted Broccoli, or Roasted Asparagus.
This Easy Lemon Caper Chicken combines simple ingredients, fresh citrus flavor, and quick skillet cooking for a satisfying dinner any night of the week.
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Lemon Caper Chicken
- Total Time: :24
- Yield: 3 1x
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 chicken cutlets
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 finely minced cloves garlic
- 1 splash half-and-half (optional)
- Parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- On a flat dish, combine kosher salt, pepper, lemon pepper and 2 tbsp of the flour. Coat chicken cutlets in flour mixture and place on a plate. Sprinkle half of the lemon zest over cutlets.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken until cooked through, about 7 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a fresh plate.
- In a bowl, whisk lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, garlic and remaining zest until smooth. Pour into skillet with drippings and whisk until combined. Add half-and-half, if desired. Return chicken to pan and heat through, 2 minutes. To serve, spoon sauce over cutlets and garnish with parsley, if desired.
Notes
- If capers aren’t available or not your thing, olives are the next best choice. They are both brined and provide a similar salty piquant taste. Use green olives, then thinly slice or chop them into smaller pieces. Kalamata would work as well for this dish.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: :09
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
They’re similar. Both feature chicken cutlets and a lemon-caper sauce, but this recipe uses olive oil and optionally half-and-half rather than a traditional butter-based piccata sauce.
Yes. The published recipe suggests chopped green or Kalamata olives as alternatives.
The recipe lists 15 minutes of preparation and nine minutes of cooking, for a total of 24 minutes.
No. It uses chicken broth for the sauce, with an optional splash of half-and-half.