Lemon Caper Artichoke Chicken Piccata – a refreshing and elegant twist on the classic with the addition of lemon, capers, and artichokes. Make this quick one-skillet chicken dinner in less than 20 minutes and serve it with pasta or a salad for a simple, yet impressive meal!
This lemon caper artichoke chicken piccata recipe is an easy 15-mins chicken dinner bursting with zesty citrus flavors! Light, healthy and a crowd pleaser every time, whether you’re serving it with salad, pasta, rice, potatoes or a loaf of crusty bread—you’ll be sure to make an amazing one-skillet meal!
This Chicken Piccata is sort of an offseason recipe, I know. It feels anything but lemony zesty fresh right now—but I needed to make this regardless of the season, in hopes of brightening up the gloomy rainy weather. Well guess what, it actually worked!
Why you need to try this Lemon Caper Artichoke Chicken Piccata recipe:
Chicken Piccata is just one of those 15 min meals that lift you up on a gloomy day, or save you when you’re rushed on time—and puts a smile on your face.
I also love making this lemon caper artichoke chicken piccata because it reminds me of a little restaurant I used to go to a long, long time ago. I had a pharmacy job and would feel anything but excited by the end of the day.
So my closest friend and I would go after work to treat ourselves to a hearty meal after a bad day.
We always ordered the same thing: a nice plate of lemon chicken and a plate of Alfredo pasta. Pure comfort with a fresh twist.
If I ever go back, I would visit the same little place and order the same thing today. This lemon caper artichoke chicken piccata reminds me of that lemon chicken I ordered years ago.
It was lemony, garlicky, with a faint sauce that’s light and tangy. Pasta was my side dish of choice back then, but now, I would pick a nice loaf of crusty bread to mop up all the lemon sauce! Potatoes, rice, or a salad would make perfect sides too.
How to make this Lemon Caper Artichoke Chicken Piccata recipe:
Chicken Piccata is really a no-fuss recipe, simple, fresh and quick. No harsh spices or sophisticated cream sauces, no long list of ingredients.
We start making this Chicken Piccata with a dusting of flour to cover the chicken, which is then seared in butter on both sides. That flour coating on the chicken sticks to the skillet and helps thicken up the lemon sauce magically.
Now, the chicken gets removed and more butter goes into the skillet, along with plenty of garlic, some lemon slices, artichoke slices and fresh thyme.
After a quick round of sauteing, the chicken goes back in with some lemon juice and stock on medium heat for 3 mins. A secret ingredient finished off and rounds up the flavors—Greek yogurt!
It adds a hint of creamy feel with a nice zesty tangy note that perfectly compliments the lemon, the chicken, the capers, the artichokes – everything!
More artichoke recipes wanted?
For more incredible artichoke recipes, try my lemon artichoke garlic roast chicken with salsa, this bright kale artichoke walnut pesto and my shrimp kale artichoke pesto pasta.
Tips for success:
- If you’re not a fan of artichokes, skip them completely.
- Feel free to add some spinach to have some more healthy veggies with your chicken piccata.
- Make this even more Mediterranean by adding some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, feta, olives, or make this a seasonal spring dish by adding some green asparagus, some more yogurt, and lemon.
Lemon Caper Artichoke Chicken Piccata
Lemon Caper Artichoke Chicken Piccata - a refreshing and elegant twist on the classic with the addition of lemon, capers and artichokes. Make this quick one-skillet chicken dinner in less than 20 minutes! Serve it with pasta or a salad for a simple, yet impressive meal!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 pieces
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour seasoned with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 4 large frozen artichokes (or jarred), sliced
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat and add in the butter.
- Coat the chicken generously with the seasoned flour and shake off any excess.
- Sear the chicken in the butter for 2 mins per side until nice and golden.
- Remove the chicken on a plate and add in the remaining butter to the same skillet without washing it.
- Add in the garlic, lemon slices, fresh thyme, capers, artichokes and medium-high for a minute.
- Add in the lemon juice and stock, then place the chicken back in the mixture and let it cook over medium-high heat for about 3-5 mins (depending on the thickness of your chicken).
- Add in the yogurt and take the skillet off the heat. Mix the sauce to blend, season and serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you're not a fan of artichokes, skip them completely.
- Feel free to add some spinach to have some more healthy veggies with your chicken piccata.
- Make this even more Mediterranean by adding some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, feta, olives, or make this a seasonal spring dish by adding some green asparagus, some more yogurt, and lemon.
Very refreshing
Thanks! Enjoy 🙂
I did it and the hubby and I couldn’t stop eating. The chicken breasts were moist and teasty. Thank you dear xoxo
Yaaay!! So happy you made this and the hubby approved 😉
I don’t understand this. Never seen that in a store. I have a a large jar of artichoke hearts (Costco) in oil. Will that do? And, if so, what amount? They are in pieces–not whole. I’d also prefer weight measures.
4 large frozen artichokes (or jarred), sliced
Hi Allen, frozen artichokes are in the freezer section..but the artichokes packed in jar work just as well–just keep in mind if they’re packed in a vinegar solution, this taste will show in the recipe. the 4 frozen artichokes when sliced would make 1 measuring cup..hope that clears out everything? Please let me know 🙂
There was too much thyme.Was that a typo ??
Hi Gabriella, No actually it’s a little less than a tablespoon of fresh thyme per chicken breast. Fresh herbs are not as strong as dried herbs. If you’re substituting dried herbs, then use half this amount.
Good evening,
I’m curious how the macros were calculated. The recipe calls for 2lbs of chicken, serves 4, yet only has 7g of protein per serving. At half pound of chicken per person, even when cooked down, the protein count should be significantly higher (as should calories per serving). Am I reading something incorrectly? The recipe looks incredibly delicious, though!
Thanks,
Nicole
Hi Nicole, Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. The data was calculated previously on 4 pieces of chicken and not the whole 2 pounds cut up into 4 pieces. So I just fixed that and you can check the updated values. Hope you make this recipe soon, it’s really good! Thanks again! 🙂
Can i substitute sour cream for the greek yogurt?
Absolutely!
Wow I love chicken piccata and with lemon and artichokes! WOW what a great idea and I sure would love to make this soon. ITs on my to do list for sure!
Made this dish and it was just incredible! The lemon and capers were so delicious, and the chicken was tender and juicy!
What a wonderful combination of flavors and ingredients. Love this. I can never have enough chicken for dinner recipes. Adding this to my master list. Looks very tasty.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. This will be perfect to make for my family since we love chicken for dinner. I absolutely love the addition of caper and artichoke. Sounds and looks really delicious.
What a great flavor combo! I love anything with artichoke and am happy I found a great meal to make
I love elegant twists on favorite recipes. I have been enjoying chicken piccata for quite a while now so really excited to try mixing things up a bit – yum!