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The bright burst of lemon and the saltiness of the capers make this One Pan Chicken Piccata meal a dish that your family will remember!
Chicken Piccata is my absolutely favorite meal. Like, death row, last meal kind of favorite meal. I love the lemon, the creaminess and the capers. It’s just this amazing burst of flavor that really wakes your palate. This is almost always what I order at my favorite Italian restaurants, and I’ve made similar dishes at home, but this one is the closest I’ve come to that delicious flavor.
Since we all know that I love One Pan Meal, I took this Lemon Chicken Piccata, which can be time consuming to make, to task. The result was this ultra creamy, lemony-tart, salty, amazing sauce. To save time, I opted to not bread the chicken. Chicken pieces are sauteed in olive oil just until they are browned and then combined with chicken broth, water, heavy cream, garlic, lemon juice and zest and the pasta.
Now, there are 2 ways you can cook your one pan meals. There’s the fix it and forget it (cover the pan and simmer for 20-25 minutes) or stand and cook it (cook and stir uncovered at a higher heat for about 10 minutes). So, really, depending on the time you have you can choose the method you prefer. I’ve come to prefer the stand and cook it method because 1) it’s quicker, 2) the chicken sometimes comes out a little dry with the covered method, and 3) I can constantly monitor the doneness and stop cooking when the pasta is perfect.
To step up the “creaminess” factor I added some soft cream cheese at the end, just before stirring in the Parmesan and capers. It just put the whole dish over the top.
If you’re a fan of Lemon Chicken Piccata like me, you definitely need to give this a go. I promise you won’t regret it!
One Pan Lemon Chicken Picatta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 breasts)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice divided
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 1/2 cups small dry pasta, like penne
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Flat leaf parsley
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1 1/2" cubes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil plus a tablespoon of the lemon juice in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet in a single layer.
- Brown chicken on all sides (about 1 minute per side). Chicken does not need to be cooked through.
- Stir in cream, chicken broth, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, pasta and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Continue to boil, stirring often, until pasta is tender; about 11-13 minutes (depending on the type of pasta this time could vary - a good rule of thumb is to follow the time on the box and add a minute or two). *If the water seems to evaporate too quickly, add another ½ cup of warm water to the pasta. You can always drain it if necessary.
- When the pasta is tender, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese until combined and smooth. Stir in capers.
- Divide into bowls and serve hot. Garnish with fresh chopped flat leaf parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Want more One Pan Meals? Try these:
One Pan Lemon, Ricotta & Kale Pasta
One Pan Cheesy Chicken and Rice
For all one pot meals go HERE, for all main dishes go HERE and for the recipe index go HERE.
Made this for dinner tonight, excellent!!! Very easy and very tasty! Thank you for the recipe! 5 stars!
Love that it’s all in one pan! 😉