If you’ve been looking for a restaurant-quality keto chicken dinner to make at home, you definitely need to try this keto chicken piccata recipe! Chicken cutlets are pan-fried with an almond flour parmesan breading and then topped off with a rich, lemony sauce. You need to try this great keto recipe, you won’t believe how amazing this dish tastes!
WHAT IS CHICKEN PICCATA?
If you’ve never had chicken piccata in the past, you might not be familiar with the classic dish. It generally refers to chicken that has been sliced thin, dredged in flour, and then pan-fried in butter or olive oil. After cooking the chicken, the pan drippings are combined with lemon juice, broth or white wine, and capers.
Though it’s most commonly made with chicken in the United States, in Italy (and certain regions of the US) veal is often used instead.
HOW TO MAKE KETO CHICKEN PICCATA
To make a keto version of this classic dish, the only thing that you really need to do is modify the flour for dredging. While the amount of flour used is relatively minimal, most keto followers prefer to stay away from white flour altogether.
Because of that, we’ve created this keto version to use almond flour and parmesan “breading”. All you need to do is mix together some almond flour and freshly grated parmesan and pulse it in a food processor a few times (to better incorporate the parmesan). It’ll look like this:
Once all the almond flour and parmesan and been mixed together, then you’ll press your chicken cutlets into that mix, and pan-fry the chicken.
When the chicken is cooked through, the rest of the dish is prepared similar to classic versions. You’ll add a little broth and lemon juice along with some capers, and cook it down for a few minutes. Then you’ll whisk in some butter to finish off the sauce, and serve it over the chicken.
I’m convinced the keto chicken piccata tastes even better than the traditional version (dare I say?!) because you get hints of salty parmesan in the chicken that pair so well with the tart and buttery lemon sauce. My wife says it’s one of the best dishes we’ve made for the site here (and for dinner) and I would say she’s accurate in that statement.
FAQs
Here are some helpful tips and answers to common questions that may arise when you prepare this recipe:
If find that a large one-pound chicken breast can be easily cut into four thin cutlets. Of course, you can also buy chicken that’s already cut into cutlets, it just tends to be pricier.
Most definitely! Just substitute veal and follow the rest of the recipe as-is.
If you’re using really finely grated parmesan, you probably can skip the food processor step. But I buy parmesan that’s pretty thickly shredded, and the “breading” works much better if you process the parmesan with the almond flour for the best texture. If you try to use it with big shreds of parmesan, they can stick to the pan and it makes it tougher for the breading to stick.
Yes, you can freeze this chicken piccata by placing it in a freezer-safe bag or container after cooking. Then reheat when you’d like to enjoy it again. That said, it definitely has better texture when you cook it and eat it fresh that day.
MACRONUTRIENT BREAKDOWN
This meal is wonderful for those who are following a keto diet. It clocks in at 383 calories, with just 3.5 grams of net carbs. That leaves you additional net carbs for your veggie side dish. Also, keep in mind those facts include one piece of chicken and 1/4 of the sauce. That’s probably more sauce than you’ll actually need just to coat the chicken, so you can use the extra to drizzle over your side dish.
Here’s the macronutrient breakdown:
- 64% fat
- 4% carbs
- 32% protein
SIDE DISH SUGGESTIONS
Obviously, the classic pasta or rice side dish that might be served with this is not going to fly on a keto diet. But there are still a ton of delicious side dishes that pair well with keto chicken piccata. Here’s a few ideas:
- Mashed cauliflower – This is my personal favorite to serve alongside. I don’t have a recipe posted here yet for this, but we just boil the cauliflower until tender, then add a little heavy cream, unsweetened almond milk, salt, and pepper. Process it with an immersion blender and it’s so creamy and delicious. Plus, it tastes amazing with the sauce on top.
- Cauliflower rice – While I’m partial to homemade mashed cauliflower, it would be easy to pop a bag of frozen cauliflower rice into the microwave to serve with this dish too. (Or make some cauli rice from scratch).
- Zoodles – Some fresh sautéed zucchini noodles are another great vessel to absorb some of that extra sauce.
- Spinach – Some fresh spinach sautéed in a little butter with fresh garlic is a wonderful way to add leafy greens to your meal and keep your total carb count in check.
- Roasted radishes – They’re not exactly the same as roasted potatoes, but they do take on a somewhat similar texture and flavor when roasted – with a fraction of the carbs. I bet they would taste delicious drizzled with some of the extra sauce!
- Asparagus – Sauté or roast the asparagus until it’s tender, then add some sauce from the chicken on top. Easy and delicious.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to give it a try, definitely leave a comment or recipe rating below. And if you’re looking for more keto chicken recipes, check out our low carb chicken wings (the most popular recipe on the site!) or keto Italian marinated chicken.
Keto Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 lb chicken breast sliced thinly into four cutlets
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 5 tbsp butter divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp capers
Instructions
- In a small food processor, combine the almond flour and parmesan cheese. Pulse several times until the parmesan is well incorporated into the mixture. Pour the “breading” onto a plate and set aside for now.
- Once the chicken breast has been thinly sliced into cutlets, season it with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Dredge the chicken in the almond flour parmesan breading on both sides, then place it in the pan with the oil, working in batches of two pieces of chicken at a time. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Before starting the second batch, add an extra 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil.
- When the chicken is done, set it aside on a plate for now, and prepare your sauce. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and capers to the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced a little (as a heads up, it will stay thin though). Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Add the chicken back to the pan just to reheat for a minute or so. Serve the chicken topped with additional sauce. Enjoy!