This one-pan Pork Piccata recipe is packed with flavor and super easy to make. Traditionally, Piccata is an Italian dish made with veal or chicken, coated in flour, and fried with a zesty lemon caper sauce. We’ve skipped the flour to keep it lighter but kept all the tangy goodness of the sauce. You’ll love how quickly this delicious dish comes together—in just 30 minutes!

Why I Love This Recipe

Pork Piccata hits my top 4 favorite things in a main dish:

• Ready in 30 minutes
• Uses just one pan
• Sauce with lemon
• An option my kids will eat

Lemon makes everything better. It’s so fresh, bright, and tangy. Lemon mixed with briny capers and white wine offers the perfect combo of flavors.

If you have a picky kid (or partner), this recipe allows you to leave the sauce off their portion. So you can enjoy the blissful delight of a gussied up main dish, without complaints of dinner-time discontent.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my Artichoke Chicken recipe too.

Pork Piccata Ingredients

Pork Chops

Be a price cautious shopper and buy a boneless pork loin at a big box store. We got one on sale a few weeks ago for $16. Cut it up as thick chops or a little thinner for this dish. Vacuum seal and freeze so you don’t get sick of pork. We can typically get 4 or 5 meals out of one. That’s a cheap protein!

If your chops are a little too thick, cover in plastic and smack with a meat mallet until about 1/2″ thick.

If you like pork chop recipes, you’ll love my Goat Cheese Topped Pork Chops.

White Wine or Chicken Broth

Wine adds to the complexity of the dish and the alcohol cooks out of the sauce. However, if you don’t want to buy a bottle, use chicken stock instead.

The best wines to use in piccata are:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Chardonnay
• Pinot Grigio

These wines have citrus notes and complement the lemony sauce quite nicely.

Lemon Juice

Bright and delightful lemon juice makes this dish sing. Lemon juice is also packed with vitamin C.

Capers

These briny little berry-like pearls are much like olives, only richer.

A Healthline.com article written by Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD had this to say about the health benefits of capers:

“According to test-tube studies, capers are an especially good source of antioxidants like quercetin and rutin. Both of these compounds have been well-studied for their ability to alleviate inflammation, enhance wound healing, and promote healthy blood sugar levels.”

While capers contain antioxidants, they are also high in salt. So, watch the added salt you put in this recipe.

What Else Can I Use Capers In?

• One of my favorite ways to eat capers is with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Whether it’s on toast or rolled up in this Lox & Cream Cheese Pinwheel.
• Another option is to mix capers into softened cream cheese for a spread on crackers or a sandwich.
• Capers are also tasty on pizza or salads.

Garlic & Herbs

Let’s face it, garlic is good in just about any savory dish. One or two cloves are the right amount for this meal. One thing to remember about garlic, it cooks fast, and no one likes burnt garlic. It only takes about 30 seconds for garlic to be done.

Herbs are optional; however, they do bring a bright color to the plate. Parsley or thyme are good choices in this piccata recipe.

How to Make

Making Pork Piccata is easy! Read on for step-by-step instructions.

Cook the Pork

1. With kitchen mallet, pound out your pork chops to about 1/2″ thick, if needed.
2. Using paper towels blot excess moisture from chops, and season each side with a sprinkle of salt.
3. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté each side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and temp at 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Remove from pan and place on plate with a foil tent over them to stay warm.

What if the pork is very browned but not to 145 degrees?

This has happened to me before because I forgot to pound the chops thinner. Place the pan (if cast iron or oven safe) into 350-degree oven until internal temp is at 145 degrees.

Make the Sauce

1. Reduce heat to medium (be sure pan has had time to cool down slightly), add 1 tablespoon of butter and garlic. Cook garlic for no more than 30 seconds.
2. Deglaze pan with white wine, scraping brown bits in pan.
3. Add Lemon juice, capers, and herbs (if using). Remove from heat & add 1 tablespoon of butter to finish the sauce.

Finish the Dish

Place the pork back into the pan to heat up. For picky eaters, keep their portion out of the caper sauce. Sprinkle a little more herb on top of plate for garnish and enjoy!

What to Serve with Pork Piccata

Piccata in all varieties is usually served with pasta. That delicious sauce needs something to be soaked up with. However, there are a few other options besides pasta:

• Spaghetti Squash– few carbs and a slightly sweet flavor, this squash would make a great stand in.
• Roasted or mashed Potatoes- still full of carbs, but with more vitamins and minerals. Easily roast potatoes in your air fryer.
• Carrot Ribbon Salad– easy to through together and the nutty flavors go great with piccata.
• Asparagus or broccoli
• Pesto Spinach Salad– also full of flavor, this salad never disappoints.

Thanks for reading along. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you would like more healthy recipes like this one sent right to your inbox, please sign up for my Recipe Drops. They’re always FREE.

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