Let's celebrate warmer weather with the perfect Spring recipe: Lemon Chicken Piccata with Roasted Asparagus!
Seared lemons and garlic, pan-fried chicken breasts, a simple pan sauce, and capers fill this recipe with bright color and nourishing flavor. Asparagus is the perfect match for bright, citrusy lemon!
Yes, words like "piccata" make this sound rather involved. But this chicken recipe is actually pretty dang simple. Plus, it's a paleo, Whole30, low carb, and keto recipe!
What the heck is piccata, anyway?
If you're anything like me, you get a little turned off by recipes that throw around terms you don't know. (Yes, even as a food blogger, I assume a recipe with words I'm not familiar with is super complicated.)
But by and large, I find that when I actually read through the recipes that initially seemed too challenging, it seems a lot simpler. And once I try it out? I wonder what the heck I was worried about.
So let's start off this healthy lemon chicken piccata recipe with a breakdown of the word you're likely thrown off by — piccata.
Piccata refers to food cooked in a lemon and butter sauce, often with capers or parsley.
Yeah, that's it. Simpler than you thought, right?
Really, just consider how I initially described the recipe. Pan-fried chicken, a pan sauce. Break it down like that, and "piccata" no longer seems like something unfamiliar and challenging.
How to make easy lemon chicken piccata
Trust me, lemon chicken piccata is easier than you think. Ever pan-fried chicken breasts before? Ever made a pan sauce after? There you go — you already have the basics mastered.
But if you haven't pan-fried chicken breasts, let me give you a quick run-down.
- Pound your chicken breasts down so they're an even thickness before cooking. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP. It ensures the chicken cooks evenly, which means tender, moist chicken all the way through. No dry stuff!
- Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. (Cast iron, anyone?)
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook them for 3-5 minutes on each side...and that's it!
Honestly, once you get pan-fried chicken breasts down, so many more recipes suddenly become simpler. Pan-frying isn't only useful for lemon-chicken piccata, but for almost any one-skillet chicken recipe.
After you cook the chicken breasts, you make a quick and easy pan sauce. And you're done!
One last thing. Pan-fried chicken breast recipes make for excellent meal prep eats! And this one is no different.
Divvy up any leftover chicken and asparagus (or just prepare extra) to fuel your lunches for the next few days.
More paleo chicken recipes
- Baked Garlic Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Baked Sesame Chicken Meatballs with Honey Sesame Sauce
- Skillet Pizza Chicken
- One Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- BBQ Chicken Smothered Sweet Potato Fries
📖 Recipe
Lemon Chicken Piccata with Roasted Asparagus
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Pan-fried
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Whole30 Lemon Chicken Piccata with Roasted Asparagus is ready to serve after only 20 minutes of cooking! Serve it with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower, if desired, for a full and nourishing plate.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Chicken Piccata:
- 2 small lemons, cut into thin rounds
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and halved
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¾-inch thickness
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons ghee or grass-fed butter, divided
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 oregano sprig
- 1 thyme sprig
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cassava flour
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the Oven-Roasted Asparagus:
- 1 lb asparagus
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- First, make the asparagus. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place asparagus on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until done.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to skillet, cooking or 4 minutes on each side and working in batches if necessary. Remove chicken to a plate to rest.
- Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the skillet. Add the lemon slices and garlic, ensuring the the lemon slices all have contact with the skillet surface (again, work in batches if necessary). Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, then remove lemon slices and garlic to a bowl.
- Add ½ tablespoon ghee, minced garlic, oregano sprig, and thyme sprig to the skillet. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the cassava flour and broth, whisking to combine in the skillet. Bring to a boil, then cook until reduced by about half. Discard oregano and thyme. Stir in remaining ghee until pan sauce is smooth. Top each chicken breast with lemons, capers, and pan sauce. Serve with roasted asparagus.
Keywords: lemon chicken piccata
Roslia Santamaria says
It looks very yummy.Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.
Chelsea says
Thank you, Rosilia!