01.03.17

Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata

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

Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata
Serves: 4
Print
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.

27 Comments

  • Reply
    Haylie
    April 21, 2022 at 12:28 am

    Im having a hard time getting on the arrowroot starch “train” every time I use it in your receipes it get gummy and gelatinous . Any tips?

  • Reply
    Lauren W.
    April 20, 2022 at 12:00 am

    5 stars
    I’m not whole30 and this is my first time making a defined dish recipe, but, this was probably one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever made. I just got the comfortable kitchen cookbook so I wanted to incorporate some alternative flours without buying all of them. I started with tapioca flour and so subbed the arrowroot starch for that. Besides that followed the recipe to a T and served with the comfortable kitchen cacio e pepe israeli couscous. Both PHENOMENAL. Also the couscous says 2 servings but for me I consider it about 4+. Thanks, Alex!!

    • Reply
      Alex
      April 20, 2022 at 2:45 pm

      So glad you gave this a try. And what a great addition to the Cacio e Pepe — yum!

  • Reply
    Deborah
    November 26, 2021 at 1:21 am

    5 stars
    I have made this dish so many times. It’s quick, easy and incredibly tasty. I have made it for guests and it always goes down well, and leaves me feeling like I know what I’m doing in the kitchen!

  • Reply
    Grace
    September 19, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    This is a go-to DD entree. My parents eat paleo, recently made it for them and they loved it. Non-paleo friends love it too, and it’s an easy healthy dish for dinner parties!

  • Reply
    Liz T.
    April 24, 2021 at 3:37 am

    5 stars
    So darn tasty & so quick and easy! Another DD dish for the win!

  • Reply
    Milana
    March 22, 2021 at 12:56 am

    This was so easy! It was restaurant quality . I add some drained artichoke heart to it too. I served it with spinach and coconut lime and cilantro cauliflower rice. Thank you for sharing this one.

  • Reply
    Lindsey
    February 3, 2021 at 3:26 am

    This recipe is so good! My husband and I love it! Easy to make and the taste is just right. Thanks for a great recipe!

  • Reply
    Sydney
    February 3, 2021 at 1:18 am

    5 stars
    So delicious and I felt so proud when I made this! Chicken piccata always seemed too fancy for something I could ever make! Thanks Alex!

  • Reply
    Sam
    January 20, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic! I love chicken piccatta, and I made this following the recipe as is, and it was perfect! Served with zoodles and broccoli and it was a great Whole30 dinner treat. Luxurious, and satisfying – thanks for the recipe.

  • Reply
    Sarah
    January 12, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    What is a substitute for arrowroot? Can you use tapioca flour?

    • Reply
      Alex
      January 12, 2021 at 11:42 pm

      yes you can here for sure!

  • Reply
    BRS
    January 4, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    Can you post the calories and breakdown of the carbs, fat and protein for this dish?

  • Reply
    Kathryn
    July 31, 2017 at 2:18 am

    I, too, found you during your whole 30 takeover and now you are one of my favorite bloggers! I cook a lot of chicken piccata- this has become my favorite- you don’t miss the white wine at all! Thanks for the amazing recipe.

    • Reply
      Alex
      July 31, 2017 at 12:32 pm

      Thank you so much, kathryn!! I am so glad you enjoy it as much as my family does 😉

  • Reply
    Lemon-Basil Chicken Skillet – The Defined Dish
    July 30, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    […] you haven’t made it yet, my Whole30 Skillet Chicken Piccata is a dream of a weeknight meal and definitely the recipe I make the most in my home of all my […]

  • Reply
    Missye
    July 26, 2017 at 12:12 am

    I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious!! Everyone loved it!! And it was easy to make. Yay! Can’t wait to make it for my son who is away at camp right now. He will love it too! Thank you.

    • Reply
      Alex
      July 26, 2017 at 4:09 pm

      Oh good!!!

  • Reply
    Currently – The July Edition – L is for Lucy
    July 20, 2017 at 1:07 pm

    […] detail the way I altered my Whole30 so I didn’t lose my mind.  But I did fall in love with this quick, Whole30-compliant, Skillet Chicken Piccata and everyone should make […]

    • Reply
      Emily
      January 9, 2022 at 2:30 am

      Hubby and I are doing Whole30 this month, and we made this recipe for dinner tonight with a side of garlic & olive oil zoodles. It was super yummy, and I plan to keep it in my dinner rotation beyond the end of the 30 days!

  • Reply
    Sara
    June 5, 2017 at 9:01 pm

    I made this last night and it is my new favorite Whole30 meal! I paired it with your mashed potatoes and some sautéed zucchini. Amazing! I will make this a thousand times over. Very comfort-foody. Love it! Thanks!

    • Reply
      Alex
      June 6, 2017 at 8:43 pm

      Hooray!! So glad!

  • Reply
    Skillet Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Chicken – The Defined Dish
    May 15, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    […] of my favorite Whole30 dishes that we eat often is my Skillet Chicken Skillet Piccata. I wanted to change things up last week so I gave it a little tweak and turned it into a spinach […]

  • Reply
    Constance Thakker
    May 3, 2017 at 1:36 am

    I just started following your blog because I was so impressed with your recipes when you were the guest on Whole30. I have thought about starting the program but could never find recipes that I liked. Your recipes look sooo yummy- it inspired me to start! I made this tonight and it was fantastic-even better than my classic picatta. My whole family loved it- even my 3 year old. I served it with steamed green beans and smashed red potatoes with chives and evoo. Thanks for such a great recipe- this will definitely be made again.

    • Reply
      Alex
      May 3, 2017 at 12:46 pm

      Constance, thank you so much for your sweet message!!! I am so happy my recipes will help you get through your first Whole30!! I love this recipe so much and I am glad your family does, too!! 🙂 Best of luck during your Whole30! You got this!

  • Reply
    April G
    January 8, 2017 at 1:12 pm

    I tried this recipe last night and it was yummy! Thank you! This is my first time using arrowroot flour. I have used yuca flour for a few Whole30 recipes and I have found them both a little difficult to work with. The flour seems to absorb the moisture so easily (like cornstarch) and not coat the protein (fish or chicken) well and then sticks in the pan when browning. Just wondered if you find this and if you have any tips for success.

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