Sole Piccata

Dinner in 20 minutes! Sole piccata will become your go-to piccata recipe. Simple sole fillets, dusted in flour and sauteed in olive oil with white wine and lemon juice, make an irresistible piccata.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 30, 2022
Elise Bauer
Sole Piccata recipe
Elise Bauer

Don't you love petrale sole?

Such a lovely light and delicate fish. I couldn't resist picking up a few fillets today at the market.

What Is Piccata?

A classic piccata is a great way to prepare sole, or any small flat fish, such as flounder or fluke.

Just lightly dust the fillets in seasoned flour, fry them on both sides until nicely browned, and serve them with a sauce made with white wine, capers, butter, and parsley. Enjoy!

sole picatta with lemon sauce
Elise Bauer
Featured Video

Dredging Options for Sole Piccata

The flour adds gluten to this recipe. Some people use no flour at all to make it gluten free, but the use of tapioca flour, almond flour, or a gluten-free all-purpose flour also work.

How to Make Sure the Coating Sticks

  • Pat the fish dry before dredging.
  • After dredging, refrigerate for an hour to set the flour.
  • Sufficiently heat the pan before adding the fish. A little pinch of flour sprinkled on the hot oil in the pan should sizzle.
  • A good nonstick skillet helps.

Want More Piccata Sauce?

Easy. Simply double the sauce ingredients. The sauce may take longer to reduce, but that's the only change.

What to Serve With This Piccata Recipe

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Sole Piccata

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings

This recipe calls for petrale sole, but any small flat fish fillet will work. Other good choices are flounder, fluke, small walleye or perch, rock cod, catfish, or crappie. The recipe will work best with fillets that are 3/8- to 1/2-inch thick.

Have everything ready before you start cooking the fish, as the recipe comes together very quickly.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thin, skinless fish fillets

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1/4 cup small capers

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Method

  1. Dredge the fillets in flour:

    Rinse the fish in cold water and pat them dry. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. Then place the flour mixture in a long shallow bowl or dish. Dredge the fillets in the flour so that both sides are lightly coated.

    dredging fish for piccata
    Elise Bauer
  2. Fry the fillets until golden:

    Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stick-free saute pan.

    When the oil is hot (add a little pinch of flour to the oil, and if it sizzles immediately, you're ready), work in batches and place the fish fillets in the pan in one layer and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Add more oil to the pan if needed.

    Filet of sole recipe
    Elise Bauer
    sauté sole picatta
    Elise Bauer
  3. Remove the fish to a paper towel-lined plate:

    Once browned on both sides, remove the fish fillets from the pan, set them on a paper towel-lined plate (or keep them warm in a 200°F oven).

    easy sole picatta
    Elise Bauer
  4. Deglaze pan with wine:

    Add the white wine to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

    deglazing pan for picatta sauce
    Elise Bauer
    reducing piccata sauce
    Elise Bauer
  5. Add the lemon juice and capers:

    Let the wine boil furiously for a minute or two, until greatly reduced, then add the lemon juice and capers. Boil another minute.

    adding capers to piccata sauce
    Elise Bauer
  6. Swirl in the butter:

    Turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, swirling it constantly. When it melts, repeat the process with the other tablespoon of butter.

    finish piccata sauce with butter
    Elise Bauer
  7. Serve:

    Stir in half of the parsley and pour it over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining parsley. Serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
317 Calories
22g Fat
10g Carbs
16g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 317
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 1118mg 49%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 6mg 32%
Calcium 42mg 3%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 255mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.