I served chicken piccata at my wedding because it's one of my favorite sauces - buttery, lemony, with those briny capers. When I moved to Portugal and started cooking seafood weekly, I knew I had to create the perfect fish piccata.
This is it. Golden, crispy-crusted fillets that stay moist inside, with a glossy lemon-caper sauce that comes together in under 5 minutes. I've tested this recipe enough times to know exactly how much breading you need (less than most recipes call for) and the one technique that makes the sauce foolproof every time.
If you've never made piccata before, this is forgiving enough for a first attempt. If you've made it dozens of times, the beurre manie trick for thickening the sauce will make you wonder why you ever did it any other way.
If you love lemony caper sauce with seafood, try my Pan-Seared Black Cod (sablefish) next!
Ingredients for Fish Piccata:
Fish: Sole, flounder, haddock, or any thin white fish fillet works beautifully here. For thicker fillets like cod or halibut, you'll need to add a couple extra minutes per side.
Breading station: Flour, eggs, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, and Parmesan. The combo gives you a crispy exterior while keeping the fish moist inside.
For the sauce: White wine (or substitute with extra broth and lemon juice if you prefer cooking without alcohol), vegetable stock, butter, capers, fresh lemon slices, and parsley.
Pro tip: Fresh lemon slices in the sauce soften and become almost candy-like. They add incredible flavor and look gorgeous on the plate.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
What's the best fish for piccata?
Dover sole and grey sole are classic choices - their delicate texture and mild flavor are perfect for this preparation. Flounder works well for the same reasons. Haddock, grouper, and even tilapia are solid options, though these fillets will be a little thicker, requiring about a minute more cooking time.
Can I use frozen fish for piccata?
Yes, but thaw it completely in the refrigerator overnight first. The critical step is drying the fillets thoroughly with paper towels before you bread them. Frozen fish holds more moisture, so be extra diligent here - pat them dry, let them sit on paper towels for a few minutes, then pat dry again.
How to make fish piccata
1. Set up dredging station
Three shallow dishes: flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second, and a mixture of breadcrumbs and Parmesan in the third. Season your fish directly with salt and pepper before breading. This assembly-line approach makes breading multiple fillets quick and tidy.
3. Coat fish
Dry your fillets thoroughly with paper towels. Dredge each fillet lightly in flour, shake off the excess, dip in egg, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Pan-fry until golden
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Non-stick is most forgiving, but stainless steel or cast iron work great too.) Cook fillets without crowding - work in batches if needed. Give them 3-4 minutes on the first side until almost cooked through and deeply golden, then flip for just one more minute. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
Why the long first side? Thin fillets like sole cook fast. By leaving them presentation-side down longer, you get maximum crust and minimal risk of overcooking.
4. Make lemon caper sauce
Wipe out any excess crumbs and oil from your skillet. Add butter, lemon slices, and wine - let it bubble and reduce by about a third. Add broth and capers, cook for 2 minutes. Here's where the magic happens: whisk in your beurre manie (the tablespoon of butter mixed with flour) and the remaining butter. The sauce will thickens beautifully in 2-3 minutes. Finish with fresh parsley.
5. Serve
Pour that glossy sauce over your crispy fish.
Can I make piccata without wine?
Absolutely. Replace the wine with an equal amount of vegetable broth (or chicken, for meat-eaters) and add an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice for acidity. The sauce won't have quite the same depth, but it's still delicious - the butter, capers, and lemon do most of the heavy lifting.
What should I serve with fish piccata?
I love this dish with simple steamed broccolini and parmesan polenta. This fish with a golden crust is also delicious with Garlic Lemon Seasoned Green Beans and a cool summer salad like Gazpacho Salad or Mediterranean Tossed Salad.
This fish piccata delivers everything I loved about that wedding chicken piccata - the crispy crust, the glossy sauce, those bright pops of lemon and caper - but it comes together faster and feels lighter. After years of making this weekly, I can promise you'll nail it on your first try.
Print
Fish Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Crispy-crusted fish fillets with a buttery, lemony, caper-studded sauce that tastes like you ordered it at an Italian restaurant. Easier than it looks and ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
4 5-6 oz fish fillets (sole, flounder or similar)
2 eggs
⅓ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil (enough to coat bottom of skillet)
5 tablespoons butter (4 tablespoons for sauce, plus 1 tablespoon mixed with ½ teaspoon AP flour for beurre manie)
⅓ cup white wine
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons capers
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, diced
Instructions
- Dry fish fillets with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Set up your dredging station. Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour in a shallow dish. In a second dish, beat two eggs well. In the third dish, mix ⅓ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
- Coat each fillet lightly in the flour. Gently shake off any excess before dipping into the beaten eggs, then into the breadcrumb and Parmesan mixture, ensuring the cheese and breadcrumbs thoroughly coat both sides of the delicate fish fillet.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (I used stainless steel in the photos, but non-stick is the most forgiving option for beginners. Cast iron works great too if you want an extra-crispy crust.) Add the breaded fish fillets, but don't overcrowd the skillet. (You will likely need to pan sear the fish in two batches.) Leave the fish on the first side for 3-4 minutes, until the fillet is almost cooked through. This will give you a beautiful golden brown crust of breadcrumbs and Parmesan on the presentation side. Carefully flip the fillets and cook for another minute, just until the fish has a firm texture and is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil until ready to serve.
- Wipe out skillet from any crumbs and most of the oil, then return to the burner over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 3-4 lemon slices, and wine to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture reduces by about ⅓. Add the veggie broth and capers, cooking for another 2 minutes to reduce. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter along with the butter-flour mixture (beurre manie) and whisk into the pan juices until the butter melts and the sauce thickens, 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and add diced parsley.
- Pour sauce over crispy fish fillets. Garnish with lemon slices and more parsley.
Notes
- Flounder and sole are generally fairly thin fillets, so monitor the heat and the fish closely as you cook to ensure they don't overcook.
- Substitute haddock, grouper, or any flaky white fish fillet for flounder or sole, if needed.
- For thicker fish fillets like cod, add a few minutes of cooking time to each side to ensure the fish is cooked through.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
christina toth
okay! this one looks amazing! It’s definitely on the menu this week.. totally fancy looking but do-able, even for me!
Will let tou know how it turns out!
Christina
It's amazing - I hope you love it as much as I do! Flounder is "linguada" in Portugal, but if sea bass (robolo) is easier to find - it's just as delicious! Let me know what you think.
christina toth
okay! this one looks amazing! It’s definitely on the menu this week.. totally fancy looking but do-able, even for me!
Will let tou know how it turns out!
Lisa A.
I first made this when I made a fish dinner for Christmas Eve last year. I was a big hit and now I make it several times a month. Cooking the fish in the cast iron skillet really gives it a crisp crust. This has become one of my favorite recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Christina Jolam
I love hearing this, Lisa. It's one of my husband's all time favorite meals and similar to a dish we served at our wedding...so it has all the good memories attached to it 😉 So glad you loved it! And I appreciate you coming back to leave such a helpful review!
Jan Rickey
Hi! I will be making this tomorrow night using red snapper. Do you think I can make the burre manie with cornstarch instead of flour? I have one guest that is gluten sensitive and I will use gluten free panko for the breading. I’m just wondering about the thickener.
Christina Jolam
Absolutely. My sister is gluten sensitive and I've done that for her! The texture is slightly different but still lovely. Just be sure the butter / cornstarch mix is well combined and smooth when adding it to the butter sauce. Enjoy!
Jan Rickey
Thank you!
Jan Rickey
Oh my goodness! The cornstarch worked perfectly and the whole dish was amazing!
Christina Jolam
Love to hear this, Jan! Piccata never fails us, does it? 😉 Thanks for coming back to leave a lovely review.