Paleo diet rules

CHICKEN PICCATA

My mom makes this dish all the time, so apart from the fact that it tastes great, I love it because it reminds me of her. Traditional chicken piccata is usually dipped in a flour batter and topped with cheese, but this recipe is simpler, with sautéed chicken and lots of delicious, buttery mushrooms and bright lemon juice. It also scales up easily, so it would be perfect to make for a crowd. SERVES 2

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 25 minutes

1 pound (454 g) thinly sliced chicken breast or tenders

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon (15 ml) grass-fed butter

1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided

¼ cup chicken broth, divided

1 tablespoon (15 ml) capers, drained, divided

10 ounces mushrooms, white button or baby bellas, sliced

1. Lay the chicken out on a plastic cutting board, and cover with plastic wrap. Pound the pieces out to get them as thin as possible. Remove the plastic wrap, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil. When it is hot, quickly sauté half the chicken in a single layer until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Add half the lemon juice, half the chicken broth, and half the capers. Cover the pan and let cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken from the pan to a serving dish.
3. Repeat step 2 with the remaining chicken.
4. Finally, sauté the mushrooms in the same pan for about 5 minutes.
5. Pile the cooked mushrooms on top of the chicken, and serve.

VARIATION 1 PALEO CHICKEN PICCATA WITH ARTICHOKES: Add a can of artichoke hearts to the mushrooms, and sauté them together.

VARIATION 2 GREEN BEAN CHICKEN PICCATA: In a small saucepan, boil about 10 ounces chopped green beans for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water to stop them cooking. Serve with the chicken piccata.

PALEO PAIR: Serve with zucchini noodles. If you don’t have a spiralizing tool or vegetable peeler, just julienne the zucchini with a knife. Quickly sauté the noodles in a teaspoon of hot olive oil, and they’re ready to eat!

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• Preparation

This chicken piccata pounds chicken thin, sautes it in butter and olive oil, then brightens the pan with lemon juice, chicken broth, and capers. Buttery mushrooms piled on top finish the plate. No flour and no cheese - just the bright, savory flavors that make piccata a classic.

Pro Tips

• Pound the chicken as thin as possible between plastic wrap. Thin cutlets cook in about 4 minutes per side and stay tender.
• Cook the chicken in two batches so every piece browns in a single layer. Crowding the pan just steams the meat.
• Add half the lemon juice, broth, and capers with each batch so all the chicken gets evenly sauced.
• Cover the pan for the final 2 minutes. The steam finishes the chicken gently without drying it out.
• Saute the mushrooms in the same pan at the end so they soak up every bit of the lemony pan flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chicken piccata paleo?

This version is - no flour batter and no cheese. Just chicken, butter, olive oil, lemon, broth, capers, and mushrooms.

Can I make this dish for a crowd?

It scales up easily. Keep cooking the chicken in single-layer batches and simply double the pan sauce.

What should I serve with chicken piccata?

Zucchini noodles are the paleo pairing here. Julienne or spiralize them and give them a quick saute in hot olive oil.

Can I add artichokes?

Yes - a can of artichoke hearts sauteed right along with the mushrooms is a delicious variation.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

CHICKEN PICCATA

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast or tenders
• 1 tbsp grass-fed butter
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
• ¼ cup chicken broth, divided
• 1 tbsp capers, drained, divided
• 10 oz mushrooms, white button or baby bellas, sliced
• Lay the chicken out on a plastic cutting board, and cover with plastic wrap. Pound the pieces out to get them as thin as possible. Remove the plastic wrap, and season with salt and pepper.
• Pile the cooked mushrooms on top of the chicken, and serve.

Method

 

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil.
2. When it is hot, quickly sauté half the chicken in a single layer until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes on each side.
3. Add half the lemon juice, half the chicken broth, and half the capers.
4. Cover the pan and let cook for 2 minutes more.
5. Transfer the chicken from the pan to a serving dish.
6. Repeat step 2 with the remaining chicken.
7. Finally, sauté the mushrooms in the same pan for about 5 minutes.

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