This Lemon Chicken Piccata is a quick dinner that consists of pan-seared breast smothered in a lemony, buttery, caper sauce. The chicken breast is tender, and the sauce is perfectly tangy. Serve this family-favorite meal topped with silky sauce or on top of zucchini noodles.
My family enjoys low-carb meals, and this chicken piccata is both keto-friendly and ready in just 20 minutes.
- What is Chicken Piccata?
- Is Chicken Piccata Keto?
- Why You’ll Love This Chicken Piccata Recipe?
- Ingredients For Keto Chicken Piccata
- How to Make The Perfect Keto Chicken Piccata?
- Making The Sauce
- Tips For Making The Best Chicken Piccata
- What Type of Chicken Should I use?
- What are Capers?
- How to Serve Chicken Piccata?
- How Many Carbs in Chicken Piccata?
- How To Store Leftovers?
- What is The Difference Between Chicken Piccata and Chicken Francese?
- Looking for More Delicious Chicken Recipes? Try these:
- Easy Chicken Piccata
Also, this is a one-skillet meal which is all about fewer dishes to clean, especially on busy weeknights; that’s a blessing.
It’s a chicken recipe, and there are tons of ways to make chicken taste unforgettable. You can find so many keto chicken recipes online.
But this one is different than my keto lemon chicken recipe, but at the same time, it is equally easy to make. With a side of roasted veggies, you have a complete weeknight dinner. And the leftovers? Even more flavorful the next day.
What is Chicken Piccata?
You might be wondering what Chicken Piccata is all about. Piccata isn’t a word you’ll come across very often outside of a recipe or two. In Italian cuisine, the term “Piccata” means “to be pounded flat”. It consists of a small slice of breaded, sauteed veal. Originally, Piccata is made with veal, but chicken and pork work well.
The thin slices of chicken are dredged in flour, then fried in butter or oil until crispy. The meal is finished by a lemony sauce made with capers, chicken broth, and white wine.
It’s loaded with an explosion of zesty flavors, super versatile, and the best choice for a special weeknight meal that’s super tasty.
The flour-covered chicken cutlets are pan-fried and served with a creamy, velvety sauce made with lemon juice, stock or wine, butter, and capers.
Is Chicken Piccata Keto?
The traditional recipe requests for dredging the chicken in all-purpose flour, browning it, and serving it with mashed potatoes or spaghetti – all of which are heavy in carbohydrates and not keto-friendly.
To make low carb keto chicken piccata, just replace the all-purpose flour with almond flour or tapioca flour and serve with creamy cauliflower mash or roasted vegetables.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Piccata Recipe?
- Easy to make in under 30 minutes with minimal prep and few ingredients.
- Delicious flavors from the lemon and capers are sure to impress everyone.
- Super versatile as it can be served with healthy side dishes such as roasted cauliflower or baked asparagus.
Ingredients For Keto Chicken Piccata
If you love chicken, then this quick and easy low carb chicken piccata is perfect for you. Here are all the ingredients you’ll need:
- Chicken – You can use chicken breasts, tenders, veal, or pork.
- Almond Flour – This is one of the essential ingredients! It is used for breading the chicken and helps it become golden brown. Another alternative to flour is to use coconut flour or tapioca flour, which is gluten-free and paleo-friendly.
- Parmesan – Any shredded cheese will do, including the sort in the shaker container.
- Butter – Always use unsalted so you can adjust the quantity of salt in the meal since the capers are also salty.
- Olive Oil – Or any other oil with a mild taste. Avocado oil is a great option.
- Garlic and Onion– I like to sautee them before making the sauce because they add a unique flavor.
- White Wine – Any dry white wine would work. You don’t need to use an expensive wine as the flavor is mostly lost while simmering the sauce.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – I like freshly squeezed lemon juice for this dish, although bottled lemon juice it’s perfect to use.
- Capers – They’re full of flavor and will make the meal even better.
How to Make The Perfect Keto Chicken Piccata?
To make this delicious Keto Chicken Piccata, you have to follow some easy steps.
Preparing the Chicken
Cut the chicken in half, length-wise, and pound them until 1/2 inch thick.
Make the keto breading by mixing the almond flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Bread the chicken – Pour oil over the chicken, and then coat with the flour mixture. Shake off the excess. To make sure that the almond coating sticks to the chicken, I recommend placing it in the fridge.
Cooking the Chicken
Pan sear chicken – Heat oil and butter in a non-stick pan, and fry until golden on both sides. Make sure that the pan is heated because otherwise, the chicken may stick to the pan.
Making The Sauce
Place the olive oil and butter into the pan. Saute the onion and minced garlic, then add the wine and let the sauce reduce by half.
Add butter, lemon juice, and capers to the sauce and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
Add the chicken back to the pan and cover with plenty of sauce.
Tips For Making The Best Chicken Piccata
- You may reduce the carbs in this recipe even further by omitting the almond flour. If you don’t want to use almond flour, season the chicken with salt and pepper and pan-sear it in a skillet.
- Instead of white wine, you may use chicken stock or, even better, chicken bone broth. This dish was wonderful when prepared with dry sherry wine.
- Use a rolling pin to pound the chicken slices to even slices to ensure proper cooking.
- Cook the chicken in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan, resulting in super crispy chicken.
- Serve hot with a side of vegetables or pasta.
What Type of Chicken Should I use?
You are free to use any kind of chicken you want. I used chicken breasts, but if you want keto chicken piccata thighs, go ahead!
What are Capers?
Capers are the unripened buds of a Mediterranean-native perennial plant. After that, the bud is pickled in wine, vinegar, or brine.
How to Serve Chicken Piccata?
This is such a versatile chicken recipe, and we may serve it with a simple fresh green salad, but here are some tasty suggestions:
- Cauliflower Rice – It’s essential to know that cauliflower rice pairs perfectly with this lemon chicken.
- Roasted Veggies – With this chicken piccata, any of your favorite roasted vegetables will be a success.
- Mashed Cauliflower – Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes is a recipe that is very tasty on its own but amazing when enjoyed with other foods.
- Keto Bread – Dip your favorite low-carb bread into the sauce and enjoy. It’s extremely delicious!
How Many Carbs in Chicken Piccata?
The carb content in chicken piccata varies slightly depending on the ingredients used. Usually, the chicken is dredged in flour, so that adds a few carbs. A regular chicken piccata serving (4-6 ounces) along with a few tablespoons of the sauce, comes to about 8-10 net carbs.
How To Store Leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
What is The Difference Between Chicken Piccata and Chicken Francese?
Chicken piccata and chicken Francese are two classic Italian-American chicken dishes that are similar in many ways, but they have a few key differences.
One of the main differences is the method used to coat the chicken. In chicken Francese, the chicken breast is typically dipped in flour first, then into a beaten egg mixture, before being cooked. This way, the coating is light and delicate yet crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. In contrast, chicken piccata is first coated in egg, then in flour. This creates a slightly thicker coating that is crispy and golden brown.
Another difference is the sauce used in each dish. Both dishes are simmered in a lemony butter sauce, but chicken piccata also includes capers, which gives it a tangy and slightly salty flavor.
The side dishes that accompany each dish also differ. Chicken piccata is typically served with a side of pasta or vegetables, while chicken Francese is often served with mashed potatoes or rice.
Looking for More Delicious Chicken Recipes? Try these:
- The Best Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Easy Creamy Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa
- Easy Creamy Chicken Florentine {Low Carb, Keto}
Easy Chicken Piccata
Description
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken breast halved horizontally and pounded to 1/2″ thickness
- 1/2 cup almond flour or coconut flour to dredge
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
For the Lemon Sauce
- 1 small onion minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup white wine
- 1/4 cup capers drained
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum optional to thicken
Instructions
- Halve the chicken breast horizontally and pound the chicken until 1/2 inch thick. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and set aside.
- Place the almond flour, parmesan, salt, and pepper on a shallow plate.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mix and press with your fingers to stick.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil.
- Once the butter is melted, fry the chicken breast for 2-3 minutes per side, or until completely cooked.
Chicken Piccata Sauce
- Sautee the onion and garlic until fragrant for 2 minutes.
- Add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, then add 2 tablespoons butter, capers, lemon juice. Stir to combine and simmer for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Return the chicken and cover it with sauce.
- Serve the chicken piccata with lemon sauce poured over the top and sprinkle with some fresh parsley if desired.
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
Definitely a keeper! I made it for the second time tonight, and used ground up pork rinds rather than the almond flour. The chicken was crisper than when I used almond flour the first time.
Also didn’t have white wine, so I just used chicken broth.
Love this and will make it often!
Delicious! Used just chicken broth instead of wine. So flavorful served over cauliflower rice!