Flounder Piccata

This Flounder Piccata dish is made with flounder, flour, olive oil, butter, lemons, and capers.

Flounder is a flatfish species found at the bottom of the ocean. They have both eyes on one side of its head and lay on the ocean floor. Flounder has a mild-tasting fish taste with a sweet undertone. It is an excellent source of omega 3!

This recipe is similar to the Halibut with lemon and capers except for this dish, the sauce is made after cooking the fish. The reason for this is because flounder is a lot thinner than halibut and will break apart if you cook it for too long.

If you love this Flounder Piccata, feel free to try my WHITE WINE SALMON WITH BLISTERED TOMATOES and my FIDEUA!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Flounder with Lemon and Capers
• Food safety

Ingredients

• Flounder
• Flour
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Lemons
• Capers

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Pat dry the flounder and then dredge with flour. In a large skillet on medium high heat, place oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. 

Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Place the fish separately on a plate and now its time to make the juice! 

Lower heat to medium low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, lemon juice, and the whole jar of capers including the liquid. 

Hint: Flounder is typically cut thin and cooks relatively fast so be sure not to overcook.

Substitutions

• Flounder: For best quality, go to your local fish market and ask for the freshest flounder they have. 
• Flour: I used all-purpose flour. You could use almond flour if keto. The flour helps make the fish crispy. 
• Olive oil: I used good quality extra virgin olive oil. 
• Butter: I used salted butter but you could use ghee or unsalted butter and salt yourself. 
• Lemons: For best taste, use real lemons and not store bought lemon juice. I sliced the lemons and caramelized them on each side. 
• Capers: Capers are usually found in the canned goods at the grocery store, beside the pickles and jalapeños. They are lemony, briney, and salty and pair so well on this dish. 

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
• Deluxe - Check out my Lemon Butter Halibut for another white fish.
• Kid friendly - You can try breading the fish for a breaded fish piccata.

Check out this Italian Mahi Mahi for another similar recipe.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Flounder is typically cut thin and cooks relatively fast so be sure not to overcook.

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Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.