Paleo Chicken Piccata (keto, low carb, Whole30)

This Paleo Chicken Piccata is an easy and flavorful weeknight dinner!

Juicy boneless chicken breasts are coated in a buttery, garlicky lemon and caper sauce – all made in one pan!

Plus this healthy chicken piccata recipe is keto, low carb and Whole30 friendly.

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Paleo Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata usually contains chicken that’s lightly floured and then cooked in a sauce of white wine, butter, lemon and capers. Some recipes add more ingredients such as garlic, shallots or red pepper flakes.

It doesn’t seem to have originated in Italy, though. It most likely was created by Italian immigrants in the U.S. around the 1930s.

But what’s most important is that it’s a fast, flavorful dish full of affordable ingredients that are usually pretty easy to find (most grocery stores carry jars of capers in the Italian section).

To make a paleo version, I cut out the flour, white wine and butter.

Instead, chicken cutlets are coated in arrowroot flour/starch or cassava flour.

Note: this isn’t the typical kind of breaded chicken recipe, where you dip the chicken in eggs and then flour. We’re not going for a thick breaded coating, so no eggs are used.

Out goes the butter – instead, this recipe uses ghee, which is clarified butter (meaning the dairy solids have been removed, although it’s not technically dairy-free).

And this gluten-free chicken piccata recipe cuts out the white wine entirely. Since the lemon juice adds so much bright acidity, you don’t need to replace the white wine with anything.

While all of these ingredients add up to a flavorful dish, I couldn’t help myself – I had to throw some garlic in there too!

What you need

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless breasts
• 5 tablespoons arrowroot flour/starch – you could also use tapioca flour/starch as it’s very similar; I also found the same amount of cassava flour works really well, but it’s more expensive than arrowroot
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or use your own homemade bone broth, but note that it might add more salt)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice – from about 2 medium/large lemons
• 1/4 cup capers, drained – these add a briny, tangy kick of flavor
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 4 tablespoons ghee, divided
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more if necessary
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if necessary
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Equipment:

• a cutting board
• a chef’s knife
• a large skillet (12″)
• measuring spoons
• a measuring glass
• measuring cups
• a sieve to drain the capers
• a citrus juicer
• cooking tongs
• a wooden or silicone spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• a whisk
• a pie pan or other dish for the arrowroot
• a dinner plate
• a serving platter

How to make Paleo Chicken Piccata (with step-by-step photos)

Step 1

Lay the chicken breasts on the cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board and, with your other hand gently holding the top of the breast in place, slice through the breast to create two cutlets.

Pat the cutlets dry with paper towels.

Step 2

Add 3 tablespoons ghee to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat.

Step 3

Add the arrowroot to a pie pan or other dish. Stir in the 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Step 4

Once the ghee is melted and rippling across the pan, dip one cutlet in the arrowroot. Make sure both sides get evenly coated. Shake off any excess coating and add the cutlet to the pan. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.

Cook on each side for 2-4 minutes, depending on their thickness. You’re not looking for a dark golden brown color here – they might be lightly golden at most. They also might not be fully cooked but that’s okay, they’ll finish cooking later.

Step 5

Remove the chicken to a dinner plate and set aside.

Step 6

Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for 30-60 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden brown.

Step 7

Add the broth, juice and capers. Scrape up any brown bits in the pan – this will not only add flavor to the sauce but make the pan easier to clean later.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium so it simmers.

Step 8

Add the chicken and any juices on the plate back to the pan. Coat the cutlets in the sauce by either flipping them in the sauce or spooning the sauce over the top.

Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked completely (about 165°).

Remove the chicken to a serving platter.

Step 9

Add one more tablespoon ghee to the sauce and whisk it in until fully blended, again scraping any brown bits from the pan into the sauce.

Taste the sauce and add more salt, if necessary.

Step 10

Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle over chopped fresh parsley and more black pepper, if desired, and serve!

FAQ’s

Other recipes you might like:

1. Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Paleo, Whole30)
2. Creamy Lemon Chicken, Olives and Artichokes (Paleo, Whole30)
3. Turkey Meatballs with Parsnip “Spaghetti” (Paleo, Whole30)
4. One Pan Creamy Mustard Pork Chops with Asparagus (Paleo, Whole30)
5. Spiced Butter Baked Cod with Green Beans (Paleo Whole30)

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