An easy weeknight chicken dinner recipe with a simple lemon butter sauce with capers for the perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and salty. Perfection!
Chicken piccata is a classic American- Italian recipe that is easily adapted for both the keto and gluten-free diets. Traditional chicken piccata is made with a flour dredge and pan-fried for a crispy crust.
I love this recipe for so many reasons but here are just a few:
- Low carb and keto- friendly, this a high protein, high fat recipe with less than 7 grams of net carbs
- Gluten free
- Can be made dairy free by subbing our favorite Earth Balance butter
- Perfect for a quick weeknight meal and is ready in about 20 minutes (Be sure to check out our other 30 minute dinners!)
Please read the entire post for tips and tricks to ensure a perfect recipe every time. And don't forget to tag @peelwithzeal on Instagram so we can admire your creation!
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We recently tried out the keto diet for a few weeks in our house. While it wasn't for me, my husband really enjoyed it and saw great results. Luckily for us the keto diet and my need to eat gluten-free are complimentary!
We have a few more keto recipes coming up but in the meantime check out our new keto breakfast casserole! It is creamy and delicious, and vegetarian! But for now, let's get on with the chicken piccata show.
🧾Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe contains easy-to-find ingredients and only requires one pan.
- Boneless Chicken Breast- You can use chicken fillets, but they can be hard to find. I prefer to use chicken breast that I filet and pound thin.
- Eggs
- Almond Flour- If you aren't worried about being low carb and want to keep it gluten free then chickpea flour or a cup for cup style gluten free flour blend both work well.
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- White Wine- Use what you have on hand, but a dry white wine such as a Pinot Gris or Chardonnay work best.
- Chicken Stock
- Capers- The best deal on capers I have seen is at Trader Joe's. If you have one nearby they will be by far cheaper than a regular grocery store. Capers are typically found in the Italian aisle near the roasted red peppers.
- Butter- You want it to be cold so leave it in the fridge until you need it.
- Lemon- We are going to use both the zest and the juice so organic is best. Be sure to wash the lemon before zesting.
- Fresh Parsley
⏲️How to Make Keto Chicken Piccata
This recipe comes together fast so I recommend prepping all your ingredients ahead of time. This will make the dish come together faster and ensure nothings burns.
Prep the Chicken Filets
If using chicken breasts rather than fillets you will need to cut the chicken down and pound it thin. Start by laying the chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your non-dominant hand (i.e. not your knife hand) flat on the chicken breast and press down. Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breasts horizontally into to evenly thick fillets.
Place your four cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap. Beat with the flat side of a meat mallet until the chicken is an even thickness of about ½" thick or less.
Make a Keto Dredge for the Chicken
We are going to use the basic dredge method of an egg wash and coating with seasoned flour. You will need a shallow bowl and two large plates.
In the shallow bowl, beat the eggs with ½ teaspoon salt. On the first plate, mix the almond flour with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and spread the mixture on the plate.
Dip each chicken cutlet in the egg, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then coat the chicken with the almond flour. Place the coated chicken on the third plate.
Fry the Chicken
In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown it, turning once for 5 to 6 minutes total. Do not overcrowd the pan. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Almond flour that has fallen off the chicken has a tendency to blacken. It likely won't taste burnt but I suggest whipping out the pan and adding more oil if you cook in batches.
The chicken will be nearly cooked through but not entirely so no snitching! And safe raw meat handling practices, please.
Make the Piccata Sauce
In the same skillet, wipe out any burnt pieces of almond flour. Make sure there is at least 1 tablespoon of oil left in the pan. Adding more if needed.
Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until golden brown stirring constantly. This will take 2 to 3 minutes, max.
Stir in the wine, stock, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. Whisk in the cold butter cubes until combined.
Finish the Chicken in the Sauce
Return the chicken to the skillet and let the sauce come to a gentle simmer. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with the freshly chopped parsley and serve.
🥘Tips and Tricks
- Remove the tender from the chicken breast. You can pound them flat and cook them up for a smaller portion size. Perfect for kids!
- I am a sauce person, the more the better. You can double the stock and lemons to make extra. Perfect for spooning over your side dish.
- For a special touch try adding a dollop of basil pesto on top when serving.
💭 Recipe Variations
Creamy Chicken Piccata
Once you have reduced the sauce down, right before you add the chicken, quickly stir in ½ cup of heavy cream. This addition is perfect for the keto diet, adding an additional 10 g of fat and 1 g of carbs.
Chicken Piccata with Artichokes
My favorite variation of this recipe uses artichokes. Dice up 1 -15 oz can of artichoke hearts and add with the chicken stock and lemon juice.
Seafood Piccata
Make a seafood version by substituting a flaky white fish or shrimp for the chicken. I batter the fish but not the shrimp.
🥗What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
It may be tempting to serve your chicken piccata with a starch such as rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta. But the flavor of this sauce compliments many lower-carb and keto-friendly vegetable side dishes.
I like to keep it simple and let the chicken do the talking. Typically we serve over zoodles, but here are a few of our other favorites.
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📖 Recipe
Keto Chicken Piccata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts about 1 ½ lbs
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoon drained capers coarsely chopped
- 4 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts in half crosswise into 4 cutlets and lightly pound each piece between sheets of plastic wrap until an even thickness (about ½" thick or less).
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with ½ teaspoon salt. Toss the almond flour with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and spread the mixture on a large plate. Dip each chicken cutlet in the egg, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then coat the chicken with the almond flour.
- In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown it, turning once, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan. Chicken will be nearly cook through.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine, stock, capers, lemon juice and zest. Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. Whisk in the butter until combined, then return the chicken to the skillet and let it gently cook through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken with the parsley and serve.
Notes
- If you cook the chicken in batches, I recommend wiping out the pan and adding additional olive oil to prevent the almond flour from burning.
- Leftover chicken can be stored covered in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
C.Crable says
I made the chicken tonight and doubled the sauce. The only wine I had was rose, and it still worked beautifully. The flavor was bright and balanced. I made roasted eggplant as the side dish and would do it again for sure! Easy and delicious!
Jen says
Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving a review.