Description
A quick and flavorful Chicken in Lemon Butter Caper Sauce recipe featuring tender, pan-seared chicken cutlets served over angel hair pasta with a tangy lemon butter sauce enriched with capers and Parmesan.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or use cutlets)
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- â…“ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for frying
Pasta
- 8 oz angel hair pasta, cooked and drained
Sauce
- 12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, divided
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- â…“ cup Pinot Grigio wine
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup capers, rinsed
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Butterfly the chicken breast halves by cutting them horizontally and then pound each piece with a meat hammer until they are ¼-inch thick. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coated chicken cutlets and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a plate, and cover with aluminum foil. Keep warm in the oven while preparing the sauce.
- Prepare Sauce Base: In a medium pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze and Reduce: Pour in the Pinot Grigio wine and fresh lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid reduces to about 2 tablespoons, approximately 5 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: Lower the heat to the very lowest setting. Gradually whisk in the remaining butter pieces one at a time, allowing each piece to melt fully before adding the next. Season the sauce with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the rinsed capers.
- Serve: Place the cooked angel hair pasta on serving plates or pasta bowls. Top with the cooked chicken cutlets and generously spoon the lemon butter caper sauce over the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For thinner chicken cutlets, pounding the chicken is essential to ensure even cooking and tenderness.
- Using cold butter for the sauce helps create a silky, emulsified texture.
- If Pinot Grigio is unavailable, a dry white wine can be used as a substitute.
- The sauce should be kept warm but not boiled to prevent butter separation.
- Capers add a tangy, briny flavor; rinsing them helps reduce excess saltiness.
