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Keto Chicken Piccata

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Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 4.9 from 15 reviews

This Keto Chicken Piccata recipe is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner. Yet so flavorful that it will taste like you spent hours in the kitchen. Tender, juicy chicken thighs, seasoned and pan-seared to perfection until the skin is nice and crispy, paired with a bright, citrusy lemon-caper butter sauce. It's a delicious one pot meal that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

cast iron skillet full of crispy chicken thighs, lemon, capers, and fresh herbs
Table of Contents show

Ingredients Notes

Ingredients laid out for chicken piccata - chicken thighs, lemon, butter, capers, spices
  • Chicken: I went a less traditional route with this keto chicken piccata recipe and used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. There is nothing quite like perfectly crispy chicken skin. You can also use chicken breasts, tenders, or cutlets. (more low carb chicken recipes)
  • Lemon: Lemon is the start of the show for a classic piccata recipe. It's bright fresh, acidic flavor pairs perfectly with the savory flavor of the chicken.
  • Capers: It wouldn't be a chicken piccata recipe without a healthy dose of briny capers. If you do not have any capers on hand, artichoke hearts or green olives make a great substitution.
  • Butter: For this low carb chicken piccata recipe, I used salted butter. To make this a dairy free, paleo, or whole30 chicken piccata recipe, you can substitute butter flavored coconut oil.

Step by Step Instructions

Left - raw chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper - right - chicken thighs skin side down in a skillet

How to make Keto Chicken Piccata

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. 

STEP 2: Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down.

Left - crispy chicken thighs in a skillet - Right Crispy chicken thighs in a serving bowl

STEP 3: Cook for 5 minutes, or until the skin is nice and crispy. Flip the chicken thighs over to the other side and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

STEP 4: Transfer the skillet back to the stovetop. Remove the chicken from the pan, set aside, and cover to keep warm.

Left - skillet with melted butter, lemon, and capers - Right - skillet with Crispy Chicken Piccata

STEP 5: To the same skillet, add the butter, lemon juice, lemon slices, and capers, and using a rubber spatula, scrape up and mix in any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

STEP 6: Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

cast iron skillet full of crispy chicken thighs, lemon, capers, and fresh herbs

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating: I recommend reheating this Crispy Chicken Thigh Piccata recipe in the oven, in a skillet, or in an air fryer to help get the chicken skin crispy again. (This is the air fryer I have)
  • Make it saucier: For more sauce, add ½ cup of chicken stock and 2 to 3 additional tablespoons of butter to the pan after removing the chicken. (recipes made with delicious pan sauces)
  • Change the protein: For this recipe, I used chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts or chicken cutlets. You can even switch up the protein entirely and make this with pork, shrimp, or fish.
  • Add artichokes: This keto chicken piccata is also delicious with artichokes added.
cast iron skillet full of crispy chicken thighs, lemon, capers, and fresh herbs

Serving Suggestions

white plate full of keto chicken piccata - crispy chicken thighs, lemon, capers, and fresh herbs

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make Whole30 Chicken Piccata?

To make this Chicken Piccata recipe Whole30 compliant, simply swap out the butter for ghee or butter flavored coconut oil.

What do capers taste like?

To me, capers taste like a little mustardy, lemony olive. They are very small, but pack an intense burst of flavor with each bite.

white plate full of keto chicken piccata - crispy chicken thighs, lemon, capers, and fresh herbs

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Crispy Chicken Thigh Piccata | Peace Love and Low Carb

Crispy Chicken Thigh Piccata

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 15 reviews

  • Author: Kyndra Holley
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Diabetic
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Description

Keto Chicken Piccata - Tender, juicy chicken thighs, seasoned and pan-seared to perfection until the skin is nice and crispy, paired with a bright, citrusy lemon-caper butter sauce. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I get all my organic, free-range chicken here)
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (I use this brand) code kyndraholley for $5 off
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • 1 lemon, sliced into wheels
  • chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
  2. Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. 
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the skin is nice and crispy.
  4. Flip the chicken thighs over to the other side and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
  5. Transfer the skillet back to the stovetop. Remove the chicken from the pan, set aside, and cover to keep warm.
  6. To the same skillet, add the butter, lemon juice, lemon slices, and capers, and using a rubber spatula, scrape up and mix in any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 
  7. Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over top. Garnish with fresh parsley. 
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Chicken Recipes
  • Method: Pan-Searing
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 Chicken Thighs

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Meg C says

    Super easy and flavorful! Served with sautéed spinach and zucchini.

    Reply

  2. Holly says

    Just made this tonight for dinner and it’s amazing!!!! So delicious!!!!! We had it with zucchini and asparagus. My family loves it. Even my picky son loves it. This will definitely be on our dinner menu. We love your recipes

    Reply

  3. Molly says

    How many Net Carbs is this dish- it was delish, but not knowing the carbs makes me nervous when we need to watch them. Did I miss where you listed them? Thanks!

    Reply

  4. Serena says

    Very tasty and an easy recipe. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs…still tasted superb!

    Reply