Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata

Kristen Kilpatrick Photography

Growing up, my favorite dish that my Mom made was her “Baked Lemon Chicken.” Oh my gosh it is good…chicken cutlets baked in a thick, rich buttery lemon sauce. I crave this dish on the reg, and I still have her make it for me when I go home. But for the days I want that nostalgic meal but a simple Whole30 version, I created this Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata!

When I am doing a Whole30 Challenge, I always crave this dish so of course, I had to recreate it to be Whole30 Approved. I have worked so hard on this recipe and I cannot tell you how excited I am to share it with you today. It is freaking perfection– if you served this to a crowd (which you should if you are entertaining) and told them it was Whole30 approved, they wouldn’t believe you. My husband didn’t believe me when I told him it was a Whole30 version because you can barely tell the difference! *applause* I should also mention that my picky 4-year-old and 1-year-old enjoyed it as much as we did! No lie!

The sauce in my Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata is what is so good about this dish, so I highly recommend you to serve it over some cauliflower rice to soak up the good sauce or even zoodles would do. It goes great with roasted potatoes and any roasted green veggie. Enjoy!

Side notes: What the heck is arrowroot flour you ask? it is a wonderful grain-free, paleo-friendly, gluten-free thickener and emulsifier. It comes from the root of the arrowroot plant. When cooking Whole30 friendly, I sub this when a recipe calls for Cornstarch and Flour. I bought mine at Wholefoods in the gluten-free baking section, or you can order it on Amazon here. I highly recommend keeping this in your pantry if you are currently doing a Whole30 Challenge.

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Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata

Serves: 4

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5 from 6 votes

Total Time40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken cutlets *see note
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons capers drained and rinsed, plus more for serving
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

• Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper and set aside.
• Pour the arrowroot starch on a large plate or in a wide bowl. Lightly dredge each individual cutlet in the arrowroot flour until evenly coated, then shake off any excess. Place the dredged cutlets on a clean plate and continue until all are complete.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as to not overcrowd the skillet, carefully add the cutlets and cook until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be completely cooked through, just golden brown. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the ghee to the skillet, and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring to prevent burning, about 30 seconds. Stir in the capers, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Increase the heat to a simmer. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

Notes

*A chicken cutlet is a chicken breast that has been butterflied so it opens like a book. You can either do this yourself, or purchase it already like this. Once you have your chicken into "cutlets" break them down so that they are cut in half, lengthwise, and no longer attached to each other, creating two separate thin pieces of chicken.