Flounder Piccata

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Flounder piccata is breaded and lightly pan fried served in a lemon white wine butter sauce with capers and parsley. A delicious way to prepare fish!

Flounder Piccata

Flounder Piccata

This Flounder Piccata recipe is an excellent way to prepare fish for people who are not fond of fish. Flounder has a mild flavor and tender texture that is not overpowering like some other fish varieties. It’s also easy to prepare, making it a great choice for a weeknight dinner or special occasion. It’s one of my favorite ways to eat fish! Another popular fish dish on my site is Fish Florentine. You can use any white flaky fish available to you or make my Chicken Piccata if you prefer poultry.

flounder with lemon, capers and parsley

Is flounder a good fish to cook?

I love flounder, it’s one of my favorite white flaky fish options. Flounder is a versatile, fish fillet with a mildly sweet flavor and delicate, flaky texture that is easy to prepare.

What other white fish can you use in place of flounder?

While Flounder is a popular choice for Piccata because of its mild taste, there are several other types of fish that you can use. Choose a white fish that is mild and versatile enough to pair well with the tangy and savory flavors of the sauce. Here are a few options:

  1. Sole: Like flounder, sole is a mild and delicate white fish that works well in Piccata. It has a slightly firmer texture than flounder, but still cooks quickly and easily.
  2. Tilapia: Tilapia is a mild and versatile fish that is often used in a variety of recipes. It has a slightly sweeter flavor than flounder that pairs well with the Piccata sauce.
  3. Cod: Cod is a firmer white fish that has a mild and slightly sweet flavor that holds up well in Piccata.
  4. Halibut: Halibut is a dense and meaty white fish.

Use what’s fresh, local and in season near you.

What to serve with Flounder Piccata

Here are a few ideas for sides that would pair well with Flounder Piccata:

  1. Steamed vegetables: A side of steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, or green beans, would be an excellent choice.
  2. Broccolini: Try it with this easy broccolini recipe.
  3. Roasted potatoes: Roasted potatoes, or try these smashed potatoes as a heartier side.
  4. Baked Potato: Bake in in the oven or try this Air Fryer Baked Potato.
  5. Rice or pasta: A side of rice or pasta, such as angel hair, linguine or orzo with zucchini and tomato, would be a good choice.
  6. Salad: A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing is a refreshing and healthy side to serve with all my flounder recipes.
Flounder Piccata on a platter
Fish Piccata

More Flounder Recipes You Will Love

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Flounder Piccata Recipe

4.87 from 37 votes
5
Cals:280
Protein:36
Carbs:14
Fat:8
Lightly pan fried breaded filet of flounder served in a lemon, wine, butter sauce with capers and parsley. A wonderful way to enjoy flounder, tilapia or any white fish.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Flounder Piccata
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 piece

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 flounder fillets, about 20 ounces total
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs, or gluten-free crumbs
  • olive oil spray, about 1 tbsp worth
  • 1 tbsp whipped butter, or regular butter
  • 2 lemons, 1 juiced with squeezed lemon halves reserved, the other sliced for serving
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp capers, drained
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

  • Season fish with salt and pepper.  Heat the oven to 200F.
  • In a shallow bowl, beat the egg whites. Place the bread crumbs in another dish. Dip each fish filet in the egg whites, then bread crumbs.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the fish, and lay it in the pan, oil side down. Spray the other side of the fish generously to coat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until fish is opaque and cooked through.
  • Set aside on a platter in the warm oven until you make the sauce.
  • Over medium heat in the same pan, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Boil over high heat until the liquid is reduced to half, about 3 – 4 minutes.
  • Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and spoon the sauce over the fish; place a slice of lemon on each filet and top with fresh parsley.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 piece, Calories: 280 kcal, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Protein: 36 g, Fat: 8 g, Sodium: 366.5 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0.1 g

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118 comments on “Flounder Piccata”

  1. My husband made this recipe tonight for dinner. We loved it! Great flavor! We had some tilapia in the freezer and used that. It worked out fine. We cut back a bit on the suggested cook time and increased the capers (because I love them and could eat them by the spoonfuls). As we were eating, we kept saying, “This is so good.” Thanks for another great recipe!

  2. Perfect recipe, I serve mine with feta on the pasta. I’ve made this 3 times now. It doesn’t work well with cod but the with the flounder it’s untouchable! Love love love.

  3. Wow! This recipe was so easy and so flavorful! I only had vegetable broth so I used more white wine and less broth … I can imagine using this recipe for other fish as well, but the flounder was awesome.

  4. I finally made this one, usually choose any fish recipe without a breading as I am not good at getting it to stick. I used seasoned panko and the first piece of fish it didn’t stick to at all. ( maybe should use finer crumbs? not sure, I turned temp down, recipe says “medium low” for second piece and it was much better. So anyone –keep temp lower might help! Sauce bright and good. Will do again. Husband loved it. I did a suggested side dish of Orzo with zucchini and added more veggies and herbs to that. It was good too.

  5. This did not turn out right. The coating fell off during cooking. Not sure what went wrong. I followed directions as it said.

  6. The flounder piccata recipe was easy and delicious. The fish was flavorful and not at all greasy. The recipe is a keeper!

  7. My husband, who doesn’t like capers….loved this recipe. He asked me to make it again tonight and to put it in the regular rotation. Thank you for a very tasty recipe.

  8. Easy and quick! My husband who does not care for fish loved it. Used tilapia and breads crumbs seasoned with pecorino and Romano cheese.

  9. Awesome..only made one flounder fillet but cut the sauce in half so I had extra sauce to put on to spaghetti it was really good..want to make again soon

  10. This was delicious! Only made 1 flounder fillet as I live alone but I made 1/2 the sauce since I made some linguine to go with and used the rest of the sauce on that. This is a keeper.

  11. This tastes just like my favorite seafood restaurant dish!!!! And the best part is my three kids LOVE it and are always asking me to make it again. So good! Thank you for another amazing dish that makes mom life way easier!

  12. This was easy and delicious. I used wild cod. I really like making the sauce separately then poring over the fish instead of crowding the pan.

  13. Beyond amazing! My meat and potatoes loving boyfriend said he could eat this every day! We are lucky enough to live in Alaska and made this with flounder we caught ourselves this morning! 10 ++++ stars!

  14. Just perfect!
    My side was ST tomato galette.
    Thank you Gina for the two wonderful recipes….we definitely had a delicious dinner!

  15. Avatar photo
    Kristin Piller

    I made this recipe and my husband “tolerates “ fish. Well, he loved it. But almost every weekday night I make a skinnytaste recipe!! They are always so tasty and healthy!

  16. This was easy and absolutely delicious! My husband is not a big fan of fish, but enjoyed this. I easily halved the recipe for just the two of us.

  17. Easy recipe, the best cod fish we have ever eaten, light anf falvorfull. Definetely a keeper!!!!! Plus love the WW points that you display now!
    Thanks

  18. Avatar photo
    chris chambers

    Gina, is there any chance you could provide full nutritional information, such as saturated fats?

  19. Avatar photo
    Sherry Gualano

    How do you convert this with the new WW plan? I don’t see the button where it takes you to the converted points

  20. Delicious! I will be making this yummy dish again. I think 1/2 of a squeezed lemon is sufficient instead of 1 lemon.

  21. Could this be made in an air fryer and if so what temp/time do you recommend? I have the Cusinart oven style – Thanks! Your recipes have become  a mainstay in our house

  22. Avatar photo
    Melanie Guest

    OMG!  This was amazing.  I used frozen flounder fillets from Costco!   So flavorful  and easy.  Will be a mainstay in my house now. 

  23. This my third time making this recipe – delicious!!! I have made it twice with tilapia and tonight I made it with cod.  I use the juice of 1/2 lemon instead of the whole lemon so it is not to overpowering.  One of my favorite recipes – thanks Gina!!

  24. Loved this, super easy to make and such a light delicate flavor!  My husband lived this one too, it will definitely stay in the rotation!

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  27. I tried this tonight. The flounder was very good. I’m not a fish person, but I’m trying. The piccata was very bitter to me, almost to where I couldn’t eat it. I added a little more salt and it was better. What did I do wrong?

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  29. The recipe was delicious, it tasted like a restaurant dish.  It was quick and easy to do!  My only issue was that my fish stuck to the pan. I ended up using more oil than just the spray as the recipe calls for. Any hints to avoid this in the future? 

  30. We had this with the Grilled Fennel with Parmesan and lemon. They were both amazing recipes and worked well together.   We used Italian bread crumbs; substituted white wine vinegar for the white wine; and because I had fresh Cilantro (not mention I’m addicted) we substituted that for the Parsley.  I would caution not to overdo the Capers – a little goes a long way.
    I also had fresh Pineapple that I needed to use so we Grilled that as well.  Not something I would have thought of pairing with this meal but it all worked.  It would also be good with Cauliflower Rice.  This is going become a regular at our house.

  31. I made this tonight but left the wine out since my boyfriend is allergic to it. I also realized that I forgot to put the butter in the sauce. Everyone liked it anyway. The saice was much better than the jarred lemon caper sauce from Wegmans.

  32. Yummie! I've always loved piccata but never thought about making it with fish. My husband loved it and said I could make it again and again. We have a new go to fish dish. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I've tried several of them and haven't been disappointed. I love serving delicious food that tastes better than restaurant food and is also way healthier than restaurant food. Thanks again for sharing!

  33. Looks amazing – but what do you consider "light butter"? Can you give any name brand ideas? I have bought what I consider "light butter" before but it didn't melt right in the pan. It usually stuck to the pan.

  34. In a word…Delicious!!! I will be making this again soon and this time, doubling the recipe ( I love leftovers ) Thank you for sharing the wonderful recipe!!

  35. This came out delicious, but the breading didn't get very browned… maybe I should have sprayed a bit more cooking spray on them. 🙂

  36. Avatar photo
    Kristen Dunham

    This sounds so good!
    I actually have some flounder in my fridge 🙂
    I ordered it online here: fresh flounder. Has anyone else tried ordering stuff like this online before? This will be my first try. Cross your fingers for me!

  37. Avatar photo
    Nicole Sheridan

    I made this recipe tonight and it was Yummy! You could really use any white fish and it would taste great! It was easy to make too!

    Thank you for your awesome cooking inspiration Gina! = )

  38. I had Bronzino Picata in a restaurant recently and loved it, so will def try this recipe to recreate it! Can I do it without the breadcrumbs?

  39. Gina,

    Excellent, so nice to find a fish dish that is so tasty!! We loved it and will put it in the rotation for dinners.

    Thanks for sharing-:)

  40. I have to start of by telling you i originally started off with wanting to make your broiled Thai tilapia BUT could not find curry in my local super market. So in searching your site i found this recipe and WOW I'm glad i did. the flavor was amazing your recipes do not disappoint thanks 🙂

  41. This recipe was so easy and delicious. I agree that it was better than any restaurant and with so less fat. I have made several recipes from this site and look forward to more!

    I would definitely make this again but invite friends!

  42. This was so good! My husband said it was like the sole served at Macaroni Grill! I will make this again and again!

  43. I LOVE this recipe. Made it last night and it was amazing. I agree with the previous writer . . . it rivals anything from a restaurant. My husband who is not a big fan of fish raved about it. I recently found your website and I love it! Thanks for the recipes with great descriptions and photos . . . you make it so much easier to eat healthy – you rock!

  44. I made this last night, and it is absolutely delicious! This rivals something I would order in a restaurant. My husband is busy in medical school and rarely has time to eat loved it as well. He even brought some for his lunch today, and everyone at the hospital wanted to know what restaurant he ordered it from, lol. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, and the countless others on your website! I've already forwarded your site to family and friends, so they can try out your recipes!

  45. I made this the other night and my Fiance said it's the best thing I've ever made, and he's a bit of a snob about food! I too used the panko crumbs and they didn't adhere as well, but thinking for next time either to put them in food processor for a couple seconds, or use regular crumbs. it was yummy!

  46. Hi Gina… another great hit from your wonderful recipes. I changed up the bread crumbs a little. I had panko, so I used the panko with some some kosher salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. Unfortunately, I couldn't get flounder tonight, so I substituted Tilapia instead. One tip is when you use tilapia you need to really press the filet into the panko to really coat it well. I love my Olive Oil spritzer which I purchased earlier from another one of your recipes. It works brilliantly. Another tip I have is with the sauce, you need to keep an eye on it since when it starts reducing it goes quick! I paired this recipe with fresh steamed broccoli and some quick couscous out of a box. As an appetizer I added your wonderful Tomato Bisque. A fantastic meal. Wifey was amazed how well the fish cooked without oil in the pan, but the generous spritz makes it cook wonderfully. Thanks again!

  47. Gina, I made this last night and it was great. I cannot believe how good the fish was without using a lot of oil. My husband loves fried fish but I try to be careful with my weight and this was a great compromise. Thanks again! I am trying another re ripe tonight. Frances a

  48. Just wanted to let you know, I just made this with roasted cauliflower and sauteed beet greens. It was delicious – and at only 7 points+ a bargain! Thanks!!

  49. Avatar photo
    dinahinthekitchen

    If making along with pasta, I frequently use some of the pasta water as a substitute for wine in sauces.

    1. Understand completely regarding being in recovery, you are aware when you cook with wine you are cooking the alcohol out of the wine. On the other hand, if you cannot have alcohol in the house then like other folks said, omit it.. although it will be less rich.

    1. I used her wonderful Tomato Bisque as an appetizer and then paired the dish with Far East box Couscous and steamed broccoli florets… perfect combination…

  50. I am very excited to try this recipe. I am planning to make it this evening. I am wondering if anyone has made it in the oven and if so, what temp and how long? Also, was it still crispy? Thanks for all your great recipes, Gina!

  51. This was amazing. I made this with tilapia and my 13 year old daughter came back for a third serving. This was delicious… I think I used a little too much lemon, but it was still wonderful.

  52. I dont usually comment, but we made this last night but with tilapia (and real olive oil instead of spray) and it was, hands down, one of the best things i've made in a long time.

    Seriously, amazing.

    Thanks!

    1. Kristen, have you tried purchasing an Olive Oil Sprayer.. they are fairly inexpensive.. 10-20 bucks, and work wonderfully. I have found many uses since I purchase mine a few months back.

  53. I love all of Gina's recipes and have made quite a few. I tried this (because I am trying to eat more fish/lose weight) and this was TO DIE FOR! I made mine with Panko bread crumbs and Tilapia and I wouldn't have changed a thing. AWESOME recipe!

  54. Wonder if this would be less calories and Points+ if made w/Panko.

    Now need to know what to do in the "COMMENT AS" section!?? I'm confused, not familiar w/that…

    Irenerg0110@comcast.net

  55. I made this two nights ago and it was a hit! will definetly do it again! Thanks for the great recipe!

  56. This recipe looks delicious! My husband is a chicken only kind of guy. Just the thought of seafood makes the guys stomach turn. I love seafood so to be able to make the same recipe with chicken and fish filets is perfect for this household. Can't wait to try this one! Thanks for sharing!

  57. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Katheryn, I'm elated I can help you!! Thanks for leaving a comment!

    Elaine, chardonnay or Pinot gridgio would work, sa e the rest in the fridge for other recipes.

  58. This looks great! However, I don't drink and am not sure how to choose a wine to cook with. Any suggestions?

  59. Hi Gina, I'm posting on this thread somewhat randomly, as I've been meaning to just say THANK YOU for all your fabulous, WW-friendly recipes. I joined WW back in August, stumbled on your site by accident soon after, and have been grateful for it ever since. Everything of yours that I've made has been uniformly delicious (from spinach lasagna rolls to chicken ropa vieja to pumpkin crepes) and has come out perfectly. I've passed along your site to countless WW and calorie-watching friends. I just hit my 10% goal yesterday, and it's surely in part thanks to your wonderful recipes. As a food-lover I was so afraid I'd have to give up so much on joining WW, but thankfully it's been quite the opposite: I'm eating even more deliciously than ever. So… thank you once again, and have a wonderful holiday season!

  60. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    The flounder wasn't salty at all, strange that you had that experience.

    This should work out fine in the oven too.

  61. This looks great. I love anything with lemon and capers. I'm thinkin' you can do this with baked fish without the breading for even lower Points Plus.

  62. Gina, I bought flounder once and found it very salty that I couldn't even stomach it without dousing it in hot sauce, but still didn't appreciate the taste because if how salty it was. Do you find flounder very salty or was it just me??

  63. Avatar photo
    London Accountant

    Your blog is the saving grace of a holiday season filled with high fat food and loads of excuses to eat all kinds of junk – but well-made, healthy, and delicious food like this (though I can't help but imagine Flounder from the Little Mermaid on my plate!) is the answer.

  64. This looks soooo delicious!
    Love your blog!
    Nice finding you!
    Visit me at my-greek-cooking.blogspot.com

  65. I'm a huge Chick Picatta fan using Giada's recipe. This sounds like such a nice change! Will try.

  66. Avatar photo
    Heather of Kitchen Concoctions

    We always do fish for Christmas Eve and I am in need of new ideas! Perfect timing, thanks for sharing!

  67. This looks great. A must try with all the holiday food I have been eating lately.
    Cannot wait to make it.
    http://inthekitchenandonthecouch.blogspot.com/