This gluten free chicken piccata is easy to make and delicious served over your favorite gluten free pasta. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and perfect for date night or a family favorite dinner.
Chicken piccata has always been one of my favorite dishes, so it’s a mystery why it’s taken me so long to get a gluten free chicken piccata on the site!
It’s hard to find a chicken piccata that’s gluten free at any restaurant since it’s usually coated in flour, so homemade is the way to go if you have allergies like me!
It’s crispy, healthy, packed with flavor, tangy from the lemon and perfectly salty from the capers. If you love this recipe, try my lemon chicken pasta, gluten free pizza or gluten free chicken noodle soup next.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- Crispy & packed with flavor
- Family friendly
- Great with pasta, quinoa or veggies
Key ingredients
CHICKEN. I used two very large chicken breasts that I cut into smaller pieces to make them easier to work with. You need about 1 1/4 pounds, but you can use larger breasts or smaller tenders.
TAPIOCA. To keep this gluten free chicken piccata, we’ll coat the chicken in tapioca starch then pan fry it in butter to get a crispy coating.
If you don’t have tapioca on hand, you can use regular gluten free all purpose flour, but you will likely need closer to 1/2 cup since it is less concentrated/absorbent than pure tapioca starch. I love buying these pantry staple items from Thrive Market.
SALT/PEPPER. A generous amount of both salt and pepper will add lots of flavor to this recipe!
LEMON. Chicken piccata is a traditionally pretty lemony dish, so be sure to use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. You can also add in lemon zest to take it up a notch.
CHICKEN BROTH. Chicken broth will make the sauce, well, saucey! I suggest low sodium.
CAPERS. Capers have a lemony, olive like flavor that round out everything else in this dish. You need 1/4 cup to really pack in the flavor.
SHALLOT/GARLIC. We’ll saute some shallot and garlic to add lots of flavor. If you’re in a pinch, you can sub the shallot for onion.
How to make gluten free chicken piccata
Pound the chicken until abut 1/4 inch thick. I used two very large breasts that I cut half so I had 4 pieces total.
Add the tapioca starch and half of the salt and pepper to a small dish and whisk together. Heat a skillet (I used a cast iron skillet) with the butter over medium heat.
Dredge the chicken in the tapioca, then add to the hot skillet. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
To the same pan, add the shallot and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, adding extra butter if needed.
Add in the chicken broth, lemon juice and capers. Whisk together. Add the chicken back in and let simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
The tapioca from the chicken will thicken the sauce, but if you notice it’s not thickening enough, you can make a slurry with 1 1/2 teaspoons of tapioca plus 2 teaspoons of water and add that to the pan.
Once thickened, garnish with the parsley and serve as is or with your favorite gluten free pasta.
Serving suggestions
Gluten free chicken piccata is often served with pasta, but it’s also delicious with rice or just as is. I used Jovial brown rice spaghetti.
If you’re looking to add some veggies, my personal favorites are asparagus and arugula, but spinach or kale is also delicious.
For a different route, try it with my healthy mashed potatoes and herby risotto.
Does it keep?
Once prepared, this gluten free chicken piccata will keep for 3 days in the fridge. I suggest reheating on the stove to get some of the crispy exterior back!
You can also freeze this recipe! let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container. I suggest separating each piece with parchment paper to ensure it doesn’t stick and then you can reheat what you need.
It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, just let thaw in the fridge, then reheat on the stove or in the oven until warm through the center.
Make it dairy free!
Chicken piccata traditionally uses butter because it adds such a nice rich flavor and crisps up the outside really well. However, you can easily sub for dairy free butter like Earth Balance or use olive oil for a dairy free option.
More chicken recipes you’ll love!
- Gluten Free Orange Chicken
- Chicken Bolognese
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
- Peanut Chicken
- Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation!
Gluten Free Chicken Piccata
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds chicken breast
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- ⅔ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup capers
- ¼ cup parsley
Instructions
- Pound the chicken until abut 1/4 inch thick. I used two very large breasts that I cut half so I had 4 pieces total.
- Add the tapioca starch and half of the salt and pepper to a small dish and whisk together.
- Heat a skillet (I used a cast iron skillet) with the butter over medium heat.
- Dredge the chicken in the tapioca, then add to the hot skillet.
- Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Set the chicken aside on a plate.
- To the same pan, add the shallot and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, adding extra butter if needed.
- Add in the chicken broth, lemon juice and capers. Whisk together.
- Add the chicken back in and let simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
- The tapioca from the chicken will thicken the sauce, but if you notice it's not thickening enough, you can make a slurry with 1 1/2 teaspoons of tapioca plus 2 teaspoons of water and add that to the pan.
- Once thickened, garnish with the parsley and serve as is or with your favorite gluten free pasta.
Annabell says
My whole family’s new favorite dinner recipe. So quick and SO flavorful. Thanks Claire!
Claire Cary says
Agreed, it’s one of my favorites! So glad you enjoyed it!