White Wine Lemon-Caper Sauce

4.4
(7)
7 Reviews

Got leftover white wine to use up? Lucky for you, using white wine for cooking can ramp up the flavor of a dish. Make this mouthwatering lemony caper sauce and drizzle it on roasted chicken, fish, halloumi or tofu. Or use it as an easy homemade pasta sauce.

By
Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD
A portrait of Breana Killeen, M.P.H., RD
Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H, RD, is a Chinese and Jewish chef and dietitian who has worked in all facets of the food world. She is a recipe developer, culinary nutritionist and marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience creating editorial and digital content for top food and kitchen brands.

EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on July 31, 2025
Reviewed by Dietitian
Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD
Headshot of Christa Brown
Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD
Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
White wine lemon-caper sauce in a stainless steel pan
Credit:

Alexandra Shytsman
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
1 cup
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Carb Diabetes-Friendly Low-Sodium Low-Fat Heart-Healthy Low-Calorie
  • The easy sauce is prepared in a single skillet, making cleanup quick afterward.
  • The lemon zest and juice are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which may help improve skin health.
  • While cooking the wine and lemon, scrape up the flavorful browned bits at the bottom of the pan.

This White Wine Lemon-Caper Sauce goes perfectly with chicken or fish. The acid from the bright citrusy lemon and dry white wine complements the pungent briny capers, while creamy butter adds a touch of richness and antioxidant-packed shallots come in with a hit of earthy sweetness. Keep reading for expert tips, including how to use this sauce.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

  • Lemon-caper sauce, with its bright, acidic flavor, pairs particularly well with salmon, shrimp, scallops or any other mild-flavored seafood. It makes a great sauce for pasta with the addition of chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan. You can also enjoy lemon-caper sauce with roasted chicken, or drizzle it lightly over mashed or roasted potatoes.
  • This recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of lemon juice for a bold lemony flavor. For a more mild lemon flavor, you can cut back a little if you wish.
  • You can make lemon-caper sauce ahead and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop over low to medium heat.

Nutrition Notes

  • Lemon zest and lemon juice add some vitamin C and antioxidants to this sauce. Regularly including lemons in your diet might give you a glowing complexion and reduce your risk of kidney stones.
  • Capers are flower buds that grow on the caper bush, a plant native to parts of Asia and the Mediterranean region. Capers offer powerful antioxidants, but lose up to 60% of their antioxidant content after being pickled. Pickled capers also add sodium to any dish they're in. If you are watching your sodium intake or want to reduce the saltiness of this sauce, rinse the capers under running water before adding them in.
  • Shallots are in the same family as onions and, like onions, contain antioxidants that have been linked to fighting heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The fiber in shallots feeds your gut's beneficial bacteria, helping them thrive.
  • While it doesn't really add any health benefits to this recipe, white wine adds some acidity and depth. The health benefits of regularly drinking wine—or any alcohol for that matter—are up for debate. There is some evidence that regularly drinking wine in moderation—emphasis on moderation—may have some heart health benefits, due to the antioxidants in wine grapes.
White Wine Lemon Caper Sauce
Alexandra Shytsman
Ingredients for the white wine lemon-caper sauce recipe

Alexandra Shytsman
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • ¼ cup minced shallot (about 1 medium)

  • ¼ cup dry white wine

  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 cup unsalted chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon, divided

  • 1 tablespoon chopped capers

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 1 minute. Add wine, lemon zest and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth, capers, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is reduced by about half, about 4 minutes.

    Ingredients for the white wine lemon-caper sauce reducing in a stainless steel pan

    Alexandra Shytsman

  2. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon broth with cornstarch in a small bowl. While whisking, add the cornstarch slurry to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are capers?

    Capers are little flower buds (technically a fruit) that grow on the Flinders rose, which is found along the Mediterranean Sea. Once harvested, they're pickled to be used as a spice, and open jars last about 9 months in the fridge or three years unopened in dark pantry. They have a salty, briny, tangy taste, similar to green olives. Capers can be combined with creamy ingredients like mayonnaise or sour cream to carry their flavor. They pair well with acidic ingredients, especially lemon.

  • What dry white wine is best for cooking?

    When a recipe calls for white wine, opt for a dry, crisp white such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, and avoid using oaky or robust wines. If a recipe requires only ¼ cup of wine, like this one, feel free to just use a wine you enjoy—it's not necessary to spend a lot of money on wine for cooking. If you prefer not to buy a 750-milliliter bottle, consider purchasing a 4-pack of smaller bottles.

Originally appeared: EatingWell Magazine, November 2019; updated September 2022

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

47 Calories
3g Fat
3g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Serving Size 2 Tbsp.
Calories 47
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g 1%
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Vitamin A 146IU 3%
Vitamin C 3mg 4%
Folate 4mcg 1%
Sodium 116mg 5%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Magnesium 3mg 1%
Potassium 51mg 1%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by
Carrie Myers, M.S.,
Carrie Myers
Carrie Myers, M.S.
Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
Hilary Meyer,
Hilary Meyer
Hilary Meyer
Hilary Meyer is a recipe developer, tester, and content creator. After graduating from culinary school, she started working the EatingWell Test Kitchen in 2006, developing and testing recipes.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
and
Linda Frahm
Linda Frahm
Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines