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This easy pork piccata recipe is the pork chops version of an Italian American classic! It’s a 25-minute dish with a bright and buttery lemon and caper sauce.
You may also enjoy my Easy Chicken Marsala or Marry Me Pork Tenderloin next.
Why you’ll love it
You know and love Chicken Piccata, and that delicious sauce is perfect with pork chops too. The other white meat is tender and juicy when cooked right, and it lends itself perfectly to the zesty and lemony piccata sauce here. It’s simple, lick-your-plate goodness!
The splash of cream is optional, but it really takes the dish to new heights, in my opinion. Garlic powder and chicken broth give the sauce tons of savory flavor, and it’s got the perfect amount of tangy lemon juice. This pork chop piccata is restaurant quality!
What you’ll need
- Pork – you’ll want to go for thinner chops between 0.75″ to 1″. I use boneless.
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, it seasons the pork directly
- Flour – to thicken the sauce and give the meat a nice golden crust
- Butter and olive oil – for pan searing and the foundation of the sauce
- Chicken broth – or use white wine for a fancy-schmancy touch! I like a dry pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
- Lemon juice – plus zest for a lot of lemony flavor
- Capers – to add that signature briny quality
- Heavy cream – it gives a luxurious, silky texture
- Parsley – a pop of freshness and contrast
Helpful tips
- Pork is liable to dry out, so don’t overcook it! A bit pink inside is fine. It’s totally safe at 145F. And tender. And juicy.
- If using larger bone-in chops, you may want to work in batches to avoid overcrowding.
How to make pork piccata
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Season the pork with salt & pepper and the garlic powder, then coat in flour. Heat up the olive oil and half of the butter. Sear the chops on both sides until golden, then transfer to a plate. Take the pan off the heat, then add the broth, lemon juice/zest, remaining butter, and capers.
Stir in the cream, and return the skillet to the heat. Let it bubble, then add in the pork. Continue simmering until the pork is cooked to 145F. Serve with chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I highly recommend an instant read thermometer for pork to get that expertly cooked 145F meat that’s never chewy or overcooked.
- Here’s my trusty cast iron skillet, and I love these salt & pepper mills!
- Making a salad with it? You need this salad spinner.
Substitutions and variations
- I recommend omitting the cream entirely vs. using something like half-and-half because the sauce is likely to curdle and not thicken as well. Increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup to make the sauce without cream.
- Tuck a handful of fresh baby spinach under the pork chops during the last couple minutes of cooking so it wilts to get some greens in.
What to serve with piccata pork chops
- I like to spoon the sauce over a big pile of my Garlic Mashed Potatoes or rice.
- For vegetable sides, this Stovetop Asparagus or Roasted Green Beans or Garlic Butter Broccolini are great choices.
- Complete the meal with my fabulous 10-minute Homemade Caesar Dressing, romaine lettuce, freshly grated parm, and Garlic Parmesan Croutons for the best salad ever.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat on the stove slowly over a low heat carefully to ensure the pork doesn’t overcook.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
If you made this pork chops piccata, please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! I am excited to hear from you. Or tag me in Instagram stories!
Pork Chops Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour (for dredging)
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon brined capers drained
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Garnish (optional) chopped parsley and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Season the pork chops generously with salt & pepper and sprinkle with garlic powder. Coat the pork in flour.
- Add half the butter plus the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the pan's hot, add the pork. Sear the pork chops for 3-5 minutes/side or until golden (3 minutes for thinner chops and 5 minutes for pork chops up to 1" thick), then transfer them to a plate.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining butter, and capers. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the cream and return the skillet to the heat. Once it's bubbling again, add the pork back in.
- Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has reduced to your liking (turn down the heat a bit if it's bubbling a lot).
- Serve with chopped fresh parsley and/or parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- To make this recipe without cream, increase the chicken broth to 3/4 cup.
- I use boneless pork chops. If using larger, bone-in chops, you may need to fry them in batches so the skillet isn’t crowded.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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