Quick Takeaway
Yes, chicken piccata is an easy low oxalate dinner that feels fancy. Pan seared chicken in a bright lemon and caper sauce comes together in under 30 minutes and stays comfortably in the Low tier. New here? Start with our Low Oxalate Foods List.
Chicken piccata is one of those dishes that feels fancy but takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, pan-seared chicken cutlets in a buttery, lemony, caper-flecked sauce that you’ll want to spoon over rice or pasta until the last drop. This version uses a rice flour dredge instead of wheat flour, which keeps it gluten-free and naturally low in oxalates without giving up the golden, crispy crust that makes piccata so satisfying.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-quality dinner in under 30 minutes. Pan-seared chicken in a bright, briny sauce, done faster than takeout.
- Naturally low oxalate. Rice flour and cornstarch replace the traditional wheat flour dredge.
- Bold, balanced flavor. Lemon, capers, garlic, and butter, the whole sauce comes together in the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
- One simple technique unlocks the recipe. Once you know how to slice a chicken breast into cutlets, the rest is easy.
- Pairs with anything. Rice, pasta, mashed cauliflower, or a simple side salad.
What Is Chicken Piccata?
Chicken piccata is a classic Italian-American dish with roots in Italian veal piccata, thinly pounded meat dredged in flour, pan-seared, and finished in a sauce of butter, lemon juice, white wine, and capers. The word “piccata” loosely translates to “pounded flat,” referring to the technique of flattening the meat so it cooks quickly and evenly. Stateside, chicken became the standard stand-in for veal, and the dish turned into a weeknight favorite for good reason: simple ingredients, fast technique, big payoff.
Ingredient Notes
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- Chicken breasts. Boneless, skinless. You’ll slice each breast horizontally into two thinner cutlets so they cook in 4 to 5 minutes per side. Plan on 1½, 2 pounds to feed 4.
- Rice flour and cornstarch dredge. Rice flour gives the chicken a delicate, crispy crust without wheat. Cornstarch helps the coating brown deeply and adds extra crunch. Together they keep the recipe gluten-free and naturally low in oxalates.
- Avocado oil. A neutral, high-smoke-point oil that won’t scorch at medium-high heat. Ghee or olive oil work as substitutes.
- White wine vinegar. Stands in for the dry white wine traditionally used in piccata, same brightness, no alcohol. A splash of dry white wine works if you’d rather use it.
- Capers. Briny, salty little flavor bombs that are essential to piccata. Don’t skip them. Drain before adding to the sauce.
- Fresh lemon juice. Use real lemons, bottled juice tastes flat in a sauce where lemon is the lead flavor.
- Butter. Finishes the sauce with richness and helps it cling to the chicken.
How to Make Chicken Piccata
The full ingredient quantities and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below. Here’s the big picture so you know what you’re walking into:
- Slice the chicken into cutlets. Lay each breast flat, hold it steady with one hand, and slice horizontally with a sharp knife to make two thinner pieces. Thin cutlets cook fast and stay juicy.
- Dredge in the rice flour mixture. Combine rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper in a bowl. Coat the cutlets right before they hit the pan, if they sit too long after dredging, the crust gets gummy.
- Pan-sear in avocado oil. 4 to 5 minutes per side over medium-high heat until golden and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Build the sauce in the same pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add chicken broth, white wine vinegar, pressed garlic, lemon juice, capers, and butter. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the sauce. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes so the sauce coats the chicken and the flavors meld.
- Serve immediately over rice, pasta, or mashed cauliflower.
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Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Piccata
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken breasts (1.5–2 lbs)
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp capers
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Place a chicken breast flat on a cutting board. With your non-dominant hand flat on top to hold it steady, position your knife at the thickest side of the breast, parallel to the cutting board. Slice horizontally through the center using long, smooth strokes to create two thinner cutlets. Repeat for all the chicken.
- Dredge the cutlets immediately before cooking — if you wait too long, the chicken will get soggy. Pat the cutlets dry. In a bowl, combine the rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Coat all sides of the cutlets in the flour mixture by turning them over in the bowl until completely covered.
- Drizzle avocado oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated for about 30 seconds, add the chicken to the skillet. Cook for 4–5 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through and has a golden crust. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken broth, white wine vinegar, pressed garlic, lemon juice, capers, and butter. Simmer for 1–2 minutes. Add the chicken back into the sauce and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- Serve over rice, pasta, or mashed cauliflower. Enjoy!
Pro Tips for the Best Chicken Piccata
- Cutlets, not whole breasts. This is the technique that makes piccata work. A full-thickness breast won’t cook through fast enough without drying out the outside.
- Pat the chicken dry before dredging. Damp chicken makes for a clumpy, gummy crust.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Cook in two batches if your skillet is smaller, overcrowding steams the chicken instead of searing it, and you lose the golden crust.
- Press the garlic, don’t mince it. Pressed garlic distributes more evenly through the sauce and infuses faster.
- Taste the sauce before serving. Capers add salt; you may not need to add any more.
What to Serve With Chicken Piccata
- White rice, soaks up the lemon-caper sauce beautifully
- White rice spaghetti or chickpea pasta, low-oxalate alternatives if you want a more traditional pasta-style serve
- Mashed cauliflower, lower-carb option that pairs well with the buttery sauce
- Boiled asparagus, boiling helps reduce its oxalate content
- A kale, arugula, or lettuce salad with lemon vinaigrette
- Roasted zucchini or winter squash for an extra vegetable side
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The sauce thickens as it cools.
- Reheating. Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce. Microwaving works in a pinch but tends to dry the chicken.
- Freezing. Not recommended, the rice flour dredge and butter sauce don’t hold up well after thawing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use white wine in place of the white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of dry white wine (sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) for a more traditional finish.
- Add fresh dill or chives at the end for a brighter, herbier finish.
- Top with extra lemon wedges for guests who want more acidity.
- Use ghee in place of butter for a slightly nuttier flavor and a dairy-free option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “piccata” mean?
“Piccata” is an Italian word that loosely means “pounded flat”, a reference to the technique of flattening meat into thin cutlets so they cook quickly and evenly. The dish typically pairs that pounded meat with a sauce of butter, lemon, and capers.
Is chicken piccata low oxalate?
Yes, when made with this recipe. The rice flour dredge keeps it gluten-free and low in oxalates, and serving it over white rice or mashed cauliflower keeps the whole meal gentle on an oxalate-sensitive system. A traditional wheat-flour breading or a pasta side would push the oxalate count higher.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
You can, but the flavor difference is significant. Fresh lemon juice has brightness and aroma bottled simply can’t match, and in piccata, lemon is front and center. If you only have bottled, use it sparingly and add a squeeze of fresh at the end if you can.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, the rice flour and cornstarch dredge replaces wheat flour, so the recipe is naturally gluten-free as written. Just double-check that your chicken broth is gluten-free (most are, but always verify).
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