The Best Way to Use Up Meyer Lemons? Bright and Bold Chicken Piccata!
I love when vibrant citrus pops up in the middle of winter—especially Meyer lemons! But let’s be real—when they’re sold by the dozen, figuring out how to use them all can be a challenge
That’s exactly why I adore this Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata—finally, a savory way to enjoy them that isn’t a dessert or drink!
This quick one-pan dinner has everything you love about classic chicken piccata—juicy, golden cutlets and a buttery lemon-wine sauce—just with a seasonal citrus upgrade. Meyer lemons add a floral, slightly sweet brightness, while still delivering that signature briny, buttery goodness.
And the best part? It couldn’t be easier—8 ingredients, 30 minutes, 1 skillet, and dinner is done. Perfect for busy weeknights, entertaining, and everything in between, this is the all-purpose winter dish to soak up your peak-season citrus! 🍋
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
3 foolproof secrets to low-fuss, flavor-packed dinners, learned from years working in restaurants.
Key Ingredients
Meyer lemons are a cross between lemons and tangerines, with a slightly sweeter, less acidic juice and a soft, orangey hue. Their fresh-squeezed juice adds natural sweetness to the classic buttery, briny piccata sauce, balancing the acidity beautifully. You’ll typically find them in stores between December and March, but regular lemons work just fine in this recipe, too!
🚫 Prefer not to cook with wine? ⇢ While the lemon wine sauce is a staple in chicken piccata, you can easily swap the wine for chicken broth to make an alcohol-free version—still just as delicious!
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Once you start cooking, this one-skillet chicken piccata comes together fast—a total weeknight dinner dream!
👩🏻🍳Prep Tip ⇢ A little prep goes a long way for a smooth, stress-free cook. Before you start, chop the garlic and capers, slice the butter into small pieces, and measure the lemon juice and white wine.
👩🏻🍳Dredging Tip ⇢ I like to designate one hand as a “wet” hand for handling the chicken and the other as a “dry” hand for dredging in flour—it helps keep things neat and tidy!
Serving Suggestions
Saucy, golden chicken cutlets practically beg for a cozy carb. 🤤 I love serving them over a pile of spaghetti (pictured), linguine, or angel hair—the light, buttery sauce clings beautifully to long, thin pasta.
For a low-key weeknight, Meyer lemon chicken piccata is fantastic on its own, but you can round it out with a Fresh Mixed Greens Side Salad and a warm loaf of Garlic Lover’s Garlic Bread for an effortless Italian-inspired feast—perfect for date night or girls’ night!
I can’t wait for you to try this Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata! It’s quick, easy, and makes any winter dinner feel a little more special—a true celebration of winter citrus. 🍋🍊
If you give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking! ♡
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Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata (Easy 30-Minute Dinner)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop, Skillet
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
An Italian-American classic with a winter citrus twist: Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata!
This easy recipe has everything you love about classic chicken piccata—golden chicken cutlets, a buttery white wine sauce, and briny capers—just with slightly sweeter Meyer lemons for a touch of seasonal brightness.
The ultimate one-pan dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2 pounds), sliced in half lengthwise
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
- 2 Meyer lemons, juiced (approx. ⅓ cup juice)
- ½ cup dry, unoaked white wine
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
*Prep note: Meyer lemon chicken piccata comes together quickly once you start cooking, so take a few minutes to get everything prepped before turning on the stove. Roughly chop the garlic and capers, slice the butter into 1-tablespoon pieces, and measure the Meyer lemon juice and white wine into a liquid measuring cup—together, they should total between ¾ and 1 cup of liquid. Set everything aside within arm’s reach of the stove for easy, streamlined cooking.
- Cut and pound the chicken into cutlets: Carefully butterfly each chicken breast, slicing it in half lengthwise. Use a meat mallet to lightly pound each piece of chicken into uniform thickness. (If you do not have a meat tenderizer, drape a piece of parchment paper over the chicken and pound it out with a rolling pin.)
- Dredge the chicken: Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place the flour on a large plate or in a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- Brown the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Make the Meyer lemon pan sauce: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chopped garlic and capers to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. While stirring, carefully pour in the Meyer lemon juice and white wine—it will sizzle on contact. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Once the sauce starts bubbling, add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring constantly until fully melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Serve immediately: Drizzle the Meyer lemon sauce over the chicken cutlets. We love serving Meyer lemon chicken piccata with long, thin pasta or garlic mashed potatoes. A side of garlic bread never hurts either. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Meyer lemon substitute: Meyer lemons are like a cross between a conventional lemon and an orange or tangerine, with a slightly floral, sweeter flavor than conventional lemons. If you can’t find Meyer lemons, substitute with the juice of 1 conventional lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons) and increase the white wine to ⅔ cup.
- Dietary restrictions: Easily make this dish gluten-free by swapping the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Make dinnertime even easier by prepping the chicken in advance. Pound it out as directed in Step 1, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. At mealtime, all you have to do is dredge and cook—easy!
Storage and Reheating:
- While chicken piccata is best fresh, leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
I have made this one several times, as written and using the alternate method when I had regular lemons on hand. I always double the sauce for extras, and leftovers! So good!
This is one of those recipes that it seems to taste even better the next day!!
We totally agree, some recipes are PERFECT as leftovers! So glad you enjoy this Chicken Piccata as much as we do, Sarah! 🙂
My wife and daughter loved this recipe …5 stars. It didn’t do it for me …probably the capers. So I highly recommend this recipe to people who like capers.
BobB
Hi Bob, this is definitely a caper-heavy recipe so we definitely recommend it for people who like those flavors! So glad to hear your wife and daughter loved it, and we hope you try another (non-caper!) PWWB recipe soon! 🙂 Thank you for the review!
What a wonderfully light and flavorful dish to make in the middle of winter! The sauce is amazing over the chicken and a bed of pasta. This is the best chicken piccata I have ever had! I highly recommend this recipe!
Thank you for sharing Danyelle! We are SO glad to hear you loved it!
Made this tonight! It was so simple and tasted amazing. As always I love that you explain so much and give pics of the process. Whole family enjoyed the meal. Look forward to making this again soon
Thanks Lauren!! So glad it can be a new winter staple the whole family can enjoy! 🙂
Super easy and very delicious! My husband is a picky eater and was weirded out by capers, but went back for 3rds! Winner winner, chicken dinner 😆 I definitely should have listened to the note to have everything ready to go to make the sauce, instead I was scrambling a bit, it came together very quickly.
Haha! Capers can take some getting used to if you’ve never had them before but so glad he came around to them! We’re so glad to hear that it was a hit, thank you for taking the time to comment Catharine!