Healthy Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata Recipe | Wicked Spatula (2024)

Learn how to make EASY lemon chicken piccata in 30 minutes! See my trick for the best chicken piccata recipe ever. Plus, this is a healthy, paleo chicken piccata with natural ingredients.

by Maya Last Updated on April 1, 2020 11 Comments

Love QUICK and EASY weeknight dinners? Me, too! Who doesn’t love a gorgeous lemon chicken piccata that’s ready in under 30 minutes?! This isn’t just a healthy chicken piccata, it’s so plate licking good that I seriously think this is the best chicken piccata recipe ever – even if you don’t care if it’s healthy or not.

This easy chicken piccata recipe takes only a few simple ingredients and honestly less than 30 minutes. I think it took me around 15 or so. Perfect for busy weeknights!

Chicken piccata used to be one of my favorite meals to get at Italian restaurants, but typically it’s made with a surprisingly large amount of processed ingredients and wheat flour. That’s why I had to make my own. After some experimenting, I feel confident that I’ve perfected this paleo chicken piccata recipe. For real, it’s so good!

And if you have never tried lemon piccata, you’re in for a special treat! This is the best chicken piccata recipe I’ve ever tasted (even better than the restaurant versions I used to get!), and I’m not just saying it because I came up with it. 😉

What Is Chicken Piccata?

There are many chicken piccata recipes, but most commonly they are made by dredging chicken breasts in flour and frying them. Typically, the sauce for lemon chicken piccata has wine, lemon juice, and capers (often the star!).

To keep this paleo chicken piccata gluten-free, I skipped regular white flour and used tapioca flour instead.

The Trick To The Best Chicken Piccata Recipe

So, what’s the trick for the best chicken piccata recipe ever? The CARAMELIZED lemons! They are SO good. I could totally just whip up a batch and munch on them all day I love them that much. Talk about a boost of Vitamin C!

The caramelization imparts a wonderful lemony depth to the chicken piccata sauce that you just don’t get by throwing raw lemons into the dish. I’ve done that before, and while it’s still good, it’s not great. This lemon chicken piccata recipe is great.

How To Make Lemon Chicken Piccata

Lemon chicken piccata is exceptionally easy to make! Just a few quick steps and you just might be drooling by the time your lemon caper chicken is done cooking…

• Heat the ghee and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

PRO TIP: You don’t need to use a non-stick skillet when you make this piccata recipe. I know that’s typical, but the food that gets stuck on the pan and removed helps create the delicious gravy. It’s worth it, I promise.

• Season both sides of the chicken with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
• Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. The crust should be golden brown and the juices should be clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken and set aside.
• Add in sliced lemons, minced garlic, and coconut sugar (skip the sugar if you want this to be low carb). Cook for approximately 30 seconds on each side, until the lemons have caramelized. Remove right after.

PRO TIP: Don’t overcook the lemons. They can go from caramelized to burnt really fast if you don’t pay attention.

• Add some broth and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This is called de-glazing. Bring to a boil and season for your liking.
• Whisk together some tapioca and hot water, then add to the pan. The tapioca replaces wheat flour and helps thicken the sauce.

TIP: Tapioca flour is not low carb, so you can replace it with about 1-2 tablespoons beef gelatin powder for a low carb version. It’s still paleo friendly!

• Add fresh oregano and thyme, then simmer to reduce. Simmer until you have a thick sauce, then add in remaining ghee.
• Place the chicken back into the skillet and top with lemons.

Add capers and garnishes, and it’s dinner time!

The sauce is perfect for drizzling over roasted asparagus, which is what I served this with. You could also do some cauliflower rice, or soak up the sauce with some paleo bread. Or you can just slurp it with a spoon, no judgement here!

Should Capers Be Rinsed Before Using Them In Healthy Chicken Piccata?

Yes, they should be rinsed before adding to the healthy chicken piccata.

If you have never cooked with capers before, they can be a little scary if you don’t know what you are doing. Basically, their function is to add flavor and texture. Capers are usually packed with salt or brined. Either way, they are extra salty and if you rinse them, you’ll be able to taste their natural flavors.

Can You Make Paleo Chicken Piccata Ahead Of Time?

Yes, you can make healthy paleo chicken piccata ahead of time! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

You can store your homemade chicken piccata in the fridge for 2-3 days and the freezer up 2-3 months.

Reheat in the oven at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until hot. You can also heat chicken piccata with capers in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through, or reheat with a lid on the stovetop.

However, if you want the best chicken piccata recipe, it’s definitely best fresh!

More Paleo Chicken Recipes

If you think this is the best chicken piccata recipe, you’ll love these other paleo chicken recipes:

• Paleo Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple – A perfect one-pan paleo meal!
• Paleo Buffalo Chicken Casserole – Pure comfort food, it’s hard to believe this one is paleo.

Don’t forget the paleo side dishes to go with this easy chicken piccata recipe!