Keto Chicken Piccata is a healthy low carb take on the classic Italian dish. Golden brown chicken tenders topped with a glorious lemon butter caper sauce, it’s a must-make!
Some classic dishes just beg for a low carb makeover, and this Keto Chicken Piccata is just such a recipe. It has all the right flavors and textures, with a buttery lemon sauce you just want to drink out of the pan. I won’t lie, I did spoon a little straight into my mouth!
This is actually an update on an older recipe I made years ago. I’ve tweaked it a little, making it even healthier but just as rich and delicious as it always was. I will be revisiting this one often!
Just like my Keto Chicken Marsala, this dish is an easy gourmet meal. And no one will believe it’s low carb and gluten-free!
Why you will love this recipe
We often think of lemon for sweet recipes like Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars. But that bright, tangy flavor also makes savory recipes like Lemon Garlic Baked Halibut absolutely shine.
I first learned how to make Chicken Piccata from a copy of Cook’s Illustrated many years ago. It was pure heaven! So when I set about to make a keto version, I used a few key tips from their method, such as simmering the broth with slices of lemon.
But to make it lower in carbs, I subbed almond flour for the wheat flour. I’ve also made this recipe with hazelnut flour, and pecan flour would be delicious too! A little glucomannan or xanthan gums helps thicken the sauce without the use of starches.
The flavor of this Keto Chicken Piccata is absolutely heavenly, especially over grilled zucchini or cauliflower rice. And it has 26g of protein but only 4g net carbs per serving! Now that’s something to rave about!
Reader reviews
“This chicken was so flavorful, I liked the almond crust much better than traditional flour breading! Thank you!” — Emily
“This was delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe! So easy!!” — Eden
“Made it tonight it was good. This is my first time cooking with almond flour and is actually very yummy.” — R
Ingredient notes
- Nut flour: I originally created this recipe using hazelnut meal and love the flavor from it. But it works just as well with almond flour or pecan flour.
- Parmesan: Finely grated parmesan helps make a lovely golden crust on the chicken.
- Chicken: Chicken tenders are perfect for Keto Piccata because of their smaller size. You don’t have to cut them or pound them flat. But you can also use chicken breasts and cut into smaller portions.
- Lemon: You will need lemon juice and slices of fresh lemon.
- Egg white: This is used as the binder and glue for the nut meal to adhere to the chicken.
- Butter: Piccata has a wonderful lemon-butter sauce, so butter is a must.
- Shallot and garlic: Minced savories like shallot and garlic add depth to the sauce.
- Capers: These little balls of salty goodness are another staple of the piccata recipe. Use capers in brine, drained You can skip it if you don’t like capers, or you can add olives instead. .
- Pantry staples: Chicken broth, salt and pepper.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the coating: In a shallow bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the nut flour, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Dredge the chicken: Pat the chicken tenders dry. Dip each into the egg white, then dredge in the nut flour mixture. Place on a waxed paper lined plate.
3. Cook the chicken: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine 1 ½ tablespoon of olive oil with half a tablespoon butter. Once hot, add half of the tenders and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and repeat with another 1 ½ tablespoons of oil, half a tablespoon of butter, and the remaining chicken tenders.
4. Add the broth: Add the shallot and garlic to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth and lemon slices and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened and reduced by half, another 7 minutes or so.
5. Finish the sauce: Add the lemon juice and capers, then add remaining butter in 3 pieces. Stir until melted and smooth. If you want a thicker sauce, whisk in ¼ teaspoon glucomannan or xanthan gum. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve: Serve the chicken over lightly steamed zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
Expert tips
I suggest wiping out the pan between batches of chicken, as the nut flour left in the pan can burn as it cooks a second time. Add more oil as needed between batches.
If using chicken breast, lay the breast on a cutting board and slice horizontally through the middle to create two thinner cutlets. Then slice into strips or use the cutlets as is.
If you don’t have shallot, try using 1 tablespoon of minced onion.
Store the leftover chicken tenders and sauce separately, to keep the chicken from getting too soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Piccata is a flavorful chicken dish with a rich buttery lemon sauce. The sauce is made by simmering lemon, garlic, and shallots in either wine or broth. The added butter helps thicken the sauce and make it silky. And capers add flavor and tanginess.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. My keto chicken piccata also freezes well. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Classic chicken piccata contains flour and cornstarch and has about 20g of carbs per serving. However, this Keto chicken piccata recipe has 6g of carbs and 2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4g net carbs per serving.
More popular keto chicken recipes
Keto Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 large egg white
- ¾ cup almond flour pecan flour or hazelnut flour
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ¼ lbs chicken tenders (or sliced chicken breast)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoon butter divided
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅔ cup chicken broth
- ½ medium lemon cut crosswise and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon capers drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the nut flour, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
- Pat the chicken tenders dry. Dip each into the egg white, then dredge in the nut flour mixture. Place on a waxed paper lined plate.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, combine 1 ½ tablespoon of olive oil with half a tablespoon butter. Once hot, add half of the tenders and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and repeat with another 1 ½ tablespoons of oil, half a tablespoon of butter, and the remaining chicken tenders.
- Add the shallot and garlic to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth and lemon slices and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened and reduced by half, another 7 minutes or so.
- Add the lemon juice and capers, then add remaining butter in 3 pieces. Stir until melted and smooth. If you want a thicker sauce, whisk in ¼ teaspoon glucomannan or xanthan gum. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the chicken over lightly steamed zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
Kymberly Bartlett says
Really good recipe I love the tartness from the lemon juice and capers. I used chicken breast, sliced up like tenders.
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
Zhenya says
I loved this recipe. The flavor was great, and I would definitely use this technique for other breaded chicken recipes. I put too much Xantham gum in the sauce to thicken it. I put two pinches instead of just one. A tiny bit goes a long way here.
Lori says
Delicious!! Served over lightly sautéed spiraled zucchini and it was perfect! Hubby said it is in his top ten!!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Sabrina says
Alternative ingredient: Pork rind crumbs instead of almond flour (rest of instructions same).
Also, if you bake the chicken pieces at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 mins or until brown, the pork rinds make it crispy when you put the sauce over them! I also like to chop up a small amount of (raw) tomatoes over the top as garnish.
Suzy says
The almond meal made this so delicious! We loved it and will be adding this to our dinner rotation!
Emily says
This chicken was so flavorful, I liked the almond crust much better than traditional flour breading! Thank you!
Eden says
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe! So easy!!
Krissy Allori says
I love Bob’s Redmill flours. This is another great recipe using one of them.
Sara Welch says
This is my kind of dinner recipe! Looks amazing! I will be adding this to my dinner line up for the week!
R says
Made it tonight it was good. This is my first time cooking with almond flour and is actually very yummy. Next time I’ll add some garlic salt to the flour. I added mushrooms to the sauce and a little white wine. Healthy and tasty.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
Oh, that does look absolutely delicious!!! And what a fun behind the scenes tour of Bob’s Red Mill. I have just recently tried a few of their products and have loved every one!!
Patti says
The recipe and photos are outstanding! Looks scrumptious. I didn’t know Bob’s Red Mill was such a big operation. Sometime please show how you make those zucchini noodles? Thanks!
JulieD says
This chicken looks amazing!
Liz@HoosierHomemade says
This looks delicious! What a fun tour that must have been!
And those zucchini noodles – those are just cool!
~Liz@HoosierHomemade
Judith says
I have a heightened respect for Bob’s now, thanks to you, Carolyn. I love the west coast for the abundance of organic/fresh food. Even here in Chico, which is a little more inland, the availability is outstanding……and it seems that most everything grows here.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Holy moly that looks good! You made me laugh with your “run of the mill” pun.
Carolyn says
Hey! you got it!!! 🙂 Sometimes I am not sure if anyone reads the actual blog post.
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
I’m so jealous of your mill tour, ugly hairnet and all! LOL. That rich lemony sauce looks absolutely divine. Beautiful photos, too!
Rachel Cooks says
How neat to get a behind the scenes tour! And this chicken!!!! Total perfection.
Karly says
Ooooh, I want this for breakfast right now! Looks absolutely amazing!
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
Oh my gosh, I want this for dinner ASAP!!! Such a stunning looking meal 🙂
Lila says
Does the hazelnut flour have the bitter after taste that some of the flours have? I can’t seem to find a flour to use for a coating that tastes good. HELP
Carolyn says
I don’t find it it be bitter at all!
Lila says
Great!! I am a big fan of Bob’s Red Mill and will get some next trip to Portland.