Healthy Chicken Piccata in the Instant Pot (Whole30, GF, DF) – with video
Posted: 10/09/2017
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This healthy chicken piccata isn’t breaded or fried, but it still has all the flavor of the original. As a bonus, it’s ready in less than 30 minutes using your pressure cooker or Instant Pot!
I bought an Instant Pot awhile ago and while I mainly use it for making boiled eggs, I also frequently cook chicken in it. I should probably branch out, but I tend to be a creature of habit. Chicken with salsa verde, chicken with regular salsa, and Shelly’s chicken piccata. We love Shelly’s chicken piccata.
Since I was doing Whole30 and I was still craving chicken piccata, I decided to make it compliant to the program and also lighten it up a bit (it’s not a super heavy recipe to begin with but this recipe is lower calorie, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Ben and I both loved this version, and truthfully, it’s easier too since it eliminates a couple of steps.
There I go again, making things easier and healthier. It’s kinda what I do.
This healthy chicken piccata is ready in 30 minutes, which is probably one of the reasons it is one of my go-to recipes. You’ll find that it’s full of flavor thanks to garlic, lemon, chicken broth, oregano, and basil. The capers add a nice salty bite that keeps you coming back for more.
Tip: If you’re following the Whole30 program, make sure you’re reading labels! Many store-bought chicken broths and chicken stocks contain sugar or honey.
I usually serve chicken piccata with rice (try making brown rice in the Instant Pot!) topped with the delicious sauce from the pan. We always have vegetables with it. Asparagus and green beans (try these Parmesan roasted green beans!) are my favorites with this healthy chicken piccata. It’s also great with pasta – you could slice the chicken and serve it over a bed of pasta with the sauce that you find in the Instant Pot when it’s done cooking.
If you keep capers stocked in your pantry like I do, this recipe uses all ingredients you’re likely to have on hand!
Enjoy!
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
If you love this recipe, I’d love to share a few more with you! Try:
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala (one of our favorites!)
- Southwestern Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta (cheesy ranch perfection)
- Instant Pot Honey Sriracha Chicken — serve this one with steamed broccoli and rice, so good!
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta — the pasta and chicken cooked in one pot!
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili — always a crowd pleaser.
- Instant Pot Salsa Chicken with Lime – from Pressure Cooking Today
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Healthy chicken piccata isn't breaded, but it still has all the flavor of the original. Plus, it's ready in less than 30 minutes using your pressure cooker!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock (see note)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 jar (4 oz) capers, drained
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot to Saute and add oil. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and add to hot Instant Pot. Brown chicken for about 4 minutes on each side and then remove to a plate.
- Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add broth, lemon juice, oregano, and basil and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot. Return chicken to Instant Pot and sprinkle capers on top.
- Put cover on (make sure vent is turned to “seal”). Set Instant Pot to Manual (or Pressure Cook, depending on the model) for 10 minutes.
- Once done, quick release the pressure. Use an instant read thermometer and ensure chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve chicken with sauce in pan.
Notes
Note: Many chicken broths and stocks contain sugar or honey. If you’re doing Whole30, make sure to read the label and find one that is compliant. Making your own is always a great option, too!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1of 4, Calories: 413kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 71g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 193mg, Sodium: 346mg, Sugar: 1g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Dennis says
I just started the Whole 30. Doing it with my teenage daughter and my attitude is that if I can keep the dishes tasting good then the diet becomes more of a life style. This recipe did it…absolutely fabulous.
Rachel Gurk says
Oh that makes me so happy! I’m glad you liked this recipe – thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Melissa Park says
I was looking for a healthy no cheese no pasta no cream recipe for chicken. Came upon this one and tried it. LOVED it! Although I would cook for 1-2 minutes less next time, which there definitely will be. I took the left over chicken and chopped it up and put some in soup and some on a salad. Wonderful! I would LOVE more instant pot recipes like this.
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it means a lot to me! If you liked this one, you might also like my Instant Pot Chicken Marsala. I’ll keep them coming! :)
Cathy says
Hi, I have thin cut chicken breasts. Should I reduce cooking time?
Rachel Gurk says
Yes, I would reduce cooking time to 5 minutes under pressure. I haven’t tried it, but that’s my best educated guess. :)
Emily says
Is it high or low pressure? Thanks
Rachel Gurk says
High pressure!
Michelle Masson says
Delicious! I used 2 Meyer lemons cut into wedges. Sliced the rinds up after cooking and they were lovely and tart. This was so good but I might Cook the chicken breast just a little less next time.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! Now I want to try it with Meyer lemons!
Richard says
If I were to cook 4 chicken breasts instead of the 1.5 that you have in your original recipe , should I double all the other ingredients?
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Richard! The recipe calls for 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken breasts, which is typically 3-4 chicken breasts, so no need to double anything. I hope you love the recipe!
Kimberly says
WOW! Love this recipe! It’s easy and truly delicious, Whole30 compliant and instapot friendly! Chicken fell apart, moist and flavorful. I doubled sauce ingredients….what can I say, I’m a saucy girl. Will make again and again! Thank you!
Rachel Gurk says
So glad to hear that, Kimberly! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it means so much to me!
Jonelle says
Is this recipe for a 6qt or 8qt? I have an 8qt and wondering if I would need to add more liquid. Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
This recipe is for a 6qt. Not sure if you’d have to change it for a 8qt – my guess is it would be fine, but I haven’t tested it.
Joyce Brown says
I just got an Instant Pot and planned to try this recipe. But the instructions that came with the Instant Pot say to use at least 18 oz. of liquid. Since your recipe doesn’t call for that much, is it safe to make? My Instant Pot is 6 qt.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Joyce! Is it an Instant Pot brand or a different brand? That’s strange….I cook all the time with less than 18oz of liquids. When I do “baked” potatoes and “boiled” eggs in it, I only use a cup of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. I want to say it’s totally fine, but I recommend that you contact the manufacturer of your Instant Pot to make sure — safety first!
Tracey Pred says
Excellent recipe and I never comment on recipes! Full of flavor. I used a tablespoon of arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce and it was perfect. Served it over roasted riced cauliflower for a true low carb dish. Superb!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear you liked this! I’m going to try arrowroot next time I make it, I just recently bought some. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment – it means so much to me!
Celeste says
I made this for the first time today, after my friend Coleen (commenter up above ^^) recommended it to me. I am a busy mom of 5 year old twins, so cooking healthy quick meals is important, but tough to do do every night – night after night. This was super easy!! I thought I defrosted enough chicken, turns out I didn’t, so I started with some frozen ones. I just upped the cooking time and it turned out fine. In fact a little too fine, lol! I couldn’t stop pigging out! The kids loved, the hubs loved it – it will definitely go on heavy rotation in my house. There’s just something about lemon + garlic + capers that is like crack! :-) I made spaghetti, tossed with butter and some of the sauce, and green beans (cooked in the pata water) and honestly I felt like Rachel ray and one of her 30 minutes meals shows! Thanks for such an easy tasty meal.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Celeste! I’m so glad you and your family liked this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! It means so much to me. :)
Jen B says
This was delicious! I used boneless, skinless thighs because that’s what I had and I doubled it. I also thicked a smidge with arrowroot. Turned out great. The whole family enjoyed it.
Rachel Gurk says
So happy you liked this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Toni C. says
While this dish was quite tasty, both the capers (and canned artichokes that I added) were overcooked, losing their texture and color. Now I add only half the capers and artichokes to the Instant Pot, heating the other half separately in a small pan and adding them to the IP just after the dish is finished cooking . Perfecto!
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Toni,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I didn’t feel as though the caper were overcooked, but I’ll have to give it a try your way! Thanks for the feedback!
Margaret says
A friend made this recipe and shared some with us.
We cooked spaghetti to go with. Added a little butter, olive oil, black pepper, Parmesan cheese and parsley to the pasta. Tossed in a couple spoonfuls of the pasta water. Sorry I don’t have measurements; I was eyeballing it.
Verdict? Starting with the chicken piccata…will make agian!
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Margaret! I’m so glad you liked the chicken piccata! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Jessica Hinckley says
Hi! How would I adjust this recipe so that I could include uncooked pasta to he instapot?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested it that way yet so I can’t make any promises, but if I was going to try it, I’d start with a half pound of pasta and and an additional two cups of liquid (chicken broth). I would worry that the pasta would overcook in the time it takes to cook the chicken, though…it might be best just to cook it on the stove separately for this recipe. Let me know if you try it though, I’d love to hear what you try!
Jessica says
I used frozen chicken and it worked great. I also sauteed an onion with the garlic and increased the amount of broth. Was easy and delicious. I didn’t increase the cook time, but I did let the pressure release naturally and it sat briefly on the warmer. It was like shredded chicken it came apart so easily. Thanks!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad you liked it, Jessica! My husband doesn’t love garlic, but if it were up to me, I’d up the garlic too. ;) Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!