Instant Pot Chicken Piccata
This chicken piccata has all the flavor of the original, but it cooks in less than 30 minutes using your Instant Pot pressure cooker.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ to 2 pounds total)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (another type of cooking oil can be used)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (see note)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth or water
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half as though you were going to butterfly it (opening it like a book), but cut all the way through to make two thin flat pieces (4 total).2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Mix the flour, salt, and pepper on a plate. Dredge both sides of each piece of chicken in the flour mixture until well-coated. Reserve plate.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Heat Instant Pot to Sauté. When it’s hot, add oil. Add two pieces of chicken to the pan, brown for 3 minutes without disturbing, flip it over, and brown the other side for 3 minutes more. Chicken won’t be completely cooked through. Transfer to reserved plate, and brown the remaining 2 pieces of chicken, adding more oil if needed. When chicken is browned, remove it from the Instant Pot and set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil
- After you've browned the chicken, add minced garlic to the Instant Pot, and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute or until fragrant.1 clove garlic, minced
- Add broth, lemon juice, oregano, and basil to the Instant Pot, and scrape any brown bits off the bottom. Return chicken to Instant Pot, and sprinkle the capers on top.¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ¼ cup capers, drained
- Put cover on, making sure valve is sealed. Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (or Manual, High Pressure depending on your model) for 4 minutes.
- When timer goes off, quick release the pressure. Carefully remove lid. Using an instant read thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken (it should be at least 165°F).
- Remove chicken from the pan. Turn Instant Pot to Sauté. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon additional broth or water. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the pan, cooking and stirring constantly until sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. For a richer flavor, stir in butter, if desired.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon chicken broth or water, 1 tablespoon butter, optional
- Serve chicken on pasta, if desired, spooning sauce over the chicken and pasta.
Video
Notes
- Chicken: Instead of butterflying your chicken, you could buy four chicken cutlets (sometimes labeled thin cut). I usually cut my own because it's less expensive and not difficult to do.
- Chicken broth: I use reduced-sodium broth. Homemade broth is excellent too if you happen to have it on hand! If you don't use reduced-sodium, you may want to decrease the salt in the recipe.
- Storage: Store the chicken piccata with the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: If you need to freeze this recipe, store the chicken cutlets with the sauce in an airtight container or freezer bag. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm up the leftovers in a skillet set over medium heat or heat them in the microwave. Try not to overheat the chicken.
- Recipe Changes: This recipe was retested and revised 7/2025. The original recipe didn’t have cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but the sauce is very thin without it. The original recipe also included more capers. The amount of capers you add is really up to you. I think you'll love this new and improved recipe!
Nutrition
Serving: 1chicken cutlet and sauce | Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 862mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
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