Pork Piccata (30 Minute Easy Recipe)

30-Minute Easy Pork Piccata makes a quick weeknight dinner, but it’s also elegant enough for a dinner party at home. The lemon, garlic, butter sauce will have you licking your plate!

This post was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2022 to add new photos. The recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

For years now, my Chicken Piccata has been my go-to recipe. Both kids and adults love it served with pasta, rice or even mashed potatoes. And although I’m not sure that I’d ever get tired of that recipe, today I’m mixing things up a bit by swapping pork for the chicken.

It’s super easy to make this Pork Piccata and it comes together quickly, in under 30 minutes.

And that sauce!

The white wine, lemon juice, and those delicious briny capers are just lick-your-plate worthy!

Ingredients for pork piccata labeled on tray.

📋 How Do You Make Pork Piccata?

I started with a pork tenderloin and sliced it into about 6 pieces. Then, I flattened them to about ¼-inch thickness by placing them between two sheets of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet.

Pork cutlet being flattened with mallet.

You can also use thin cut pork cutlets, or thick cut pork chops that you slice into thinner slices.

Once the cutlets are prepared, dredge each of them in flour, making sure to shake off the excess.

Pork cutlet dredged in flour.

But, where this dish really nails it is the sauce. That sauce! It’s tangy, buttery, and briny.

I pretty much lick the skillet clean every time I make this Pork Piccata.

One word of caution – Be sure not to overcook the garlic or it can become bitter. It helps to make sure that the heat is on medium before adding the garlic to the pan. Also, be sure not to cook the garlic for any longer than 30 seconds.

Piccata sauce ingredients in skillet.

🌟 Can we talk about the capers? 🌟

I had to hold myself back on this recipe. I’m a bit obsessed with them. If I were eating this dish alone, I may just add in a whole jar of capers into this Pork Piccata.

Suffice it to say, this sauce is a bit heavy on those briny little guys. If you’re not into them, feel free to cut back on them a bit. Or, throw caution to the wind and just go for it – caper it up.

Pork piccata in skillet.

ℹ️ What Can I Use Instead of White Wine to Make Piccata?

  • I often get asked what you can use in place of wine when making Piccata. You can easily swap in some chicken broth for the white wine. It may have a bit less acidity, so you may want to add a bit more lemon juice to the finished dish.

🍽 What to Serve with It

🍷 Wine Pairings for Pork Piccata

  • Chardonnay has hints of butter and citrus that pair amazingly well with this Piccata.
  • Sauvignon Blanc has bright citrus and herbal notes that pair nicely with the lemon and parsley found in this dish.
  • Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc are a nice match with their crisp minerality and citrus notes.
  • For something unexpected, and budget friendly, try a Vinho Verde.
  • READ MORE —> The best wine pairings for pork.
Pork piccata slices on white plate with glossy sauce.

More 30 Minute Recipes

More Piccata Recipes

More Pork Recipes

Did you try this pork piccata?

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Pork piccata slices on white plate drizzled with lemon caper sauce.

Pork Piccata Recipe

This 30 Minute Easy Pork Piccata makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner, but it’s also elegant enough for a dinner party at home. The lemon, garlic, butter sauce will have you licking your plate every time!
4.98 from 39 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin (or boneless cut pork chops, or thin pork cutlets)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • ¼ cup white wine (or dry vermouth)
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 Tablespoons capers (drained)
  • 2 Tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  • Slice pork tenderloin into eight 2-inch thick slices. Place each slice between two pieces of plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to flatten to ¼-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Place the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the pork in it. Shake off the excess.
  • In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbsp. of the oil.
  • Place half of pork slices in the pan and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm under a tent of foil. Warm the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in the pan and repeat to brown the remaining pork. Place that pork under your foil tent as well.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in the pan. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the vermouth, lemon juice and broth, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter, the capers and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Drizzle the sauce over pork and serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 630mg | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 9.6mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 2.4mg

40 thoughts on “Pork Piccata (30 Minute Easy Recipe)”

  1. Looking forward to trying this. Just wanted to point out an editing issue. You stress using corn oil but in step #3, olive oil is in the instruction…just thought you might want to make note of that…

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    The only change I’d recommend is adding salt and pepper to the flour dredge – otherwise the pork was a bit bland. The sauce doesn’t need salt with the capers, but I thought some fresh cracked pepper was also good there. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
    • Thanks for that suggestion Jordan! I didn’t initially add salt to the dredge, since I find that pork can vary so much in sodium. But that is definitely a good way to add in extra flavor!

      Reply
    • Hi Ruth – It’s definitely best made the day of. But if you do need to reheat it, it would be best to reheat in a 350 degree oven, covered with foil, until just warmed through, about 10 minutes.

      Reply
  3. I tried this recipe last week and really liked how tasty a relatively simple recipe could be! Making for my girl friends tonight. Thanks

    Reply

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