Chicken Piccata with Spaghetti Squash

SERVES 4 Ingredients For the Chicken: • 8 (3 oz / 85g each) boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, trimmed (total 24 oz / 680g) • 0.25 cup (60 ml) (4 tbsp (60 ml)) tapioca or arrowroot flour (for dredging) • 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil • 2 tsp (10 ml) coconut oil • Sea salt and pepper, to taste For the Sauce: • 2 tbsp (30 ml) capers, rinsed • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) tapioca or arrowroot flour • 1.5 cups (360 ml) Chicken Broth or Stock • 0.75 cup (180 ml) dry white wine • 4 (2-inch) strips lemon zest • 4 tsp lemon juice • 1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil For the Squash: • 8 oz (227g) Spaghetti Squash, cooked and prepared • 0.5 tbsp (8 ml) olive oil • Sea salt and pepper, to taste Preparation 1. Spread the 0.25 cup (60 ml) of flour in a shallow dish. Pat the chicken cutlets dry with paper towels, season them with sea salt and pepper, then lightly dredge one side of each cutlet in the flour. 2. Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of coconut oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of the cutlets (4), floured side down, and cook until golden on the first side, about 3 minutes. 3. Flip the cutlets and continue to cook until no longer pink, about 1 minute. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining 2 tsp (10 ml) of coconut oil and the remaining 4 cutlets. 5. Add the capers and garlic to the fat left in the skillet. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the remaining 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) of flour. 6. Whisk in the broth, wine, and lemon zest strips, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer the sauce until it is slightly thickened and has reduced to approximately 1 cup (240 ml), which should take about 5 minutes. 7. In a separate pot, mix the prepared spaghetti squash with 0.5 tbsp (8 ml) olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the squash to 4 individual plates. 8. Return the chicken cutlets and any accumulated juices to the skillet with the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 30 seconds. Arrange the cutlets on top of the spaghetti squash on the plates. 9. Remove the skillet from the heat. Discard the lemon zest strips. Whisk in the lemon juice and the final 1 tbsp (15 ml) of coconut oil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and squash, and serve immediately.

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Chicken piccata with spaghetti squash brings the bright lemon-caper classic to the paleo table. Thin cutlets cook in minutes and finish in a pan sauce of white wine, lemon zest and capers. The squash twirls underneath like pasta, ready to catch every drop.

Pro Tips

• Dredge only one side of each cutlet — they're thin and cook in about 4 minutes total, so half the coating is all the crust they need.
• Cook the cutlets in two batches so the pan stays hot; four at a time drops the temperature and the chicken steams instead of browning.
• The lemon zest strips perfume the sauce as it reduces — pull them out at the end and add the lemon juice off the heat so it stays bright, never bitter.
• Let the sauce reduce to about one cup in roughly 5 minutes before the chicken goes back in; that concentration is what makes it cling.
• Finish the sauce by whisking in the last tablespoon of coconut oil off the heat — it gives the piccata its signature glossy sheen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why dredge only one side of the cutlets?

The thin cutlets cook in minutes, and a single floured side gives the sauce enough body to thicken without a heavy, pasty coating.

What do the lemon zest strips do?

They infuse the reducing sauce with pure lemon aroma without the sourness of juice. The fresh juice goes in at the very end, off the heat.

Is spaghetti squash traditional here?

It's the paleo swap for the pasta that usually catches the piccata sauce — tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, it does the job beautifully.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of cutlets?

Cutlets are best — thin pieces cook in minutes and stay tender. If using breasts, pound them to cutlet thickness first.

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