Typically, when one goes to an Italian restaurant, I’d wager money that they’ll order a chicken dish – specifically of the Parmesan, Marsala or Picatta variety.
So, having already conquered a killer Chicken Marsala recipe I came up with, I wanted to go for the Piccata (which is essentially the same thing as a Francese just without the egg coating and with capers)!
We’re talking a thick and rich, lemony, buttery, cheesy sauce that is so full of flavor and so easy to make, it will be one of your Instant Pot go-tos forever!
Here’s How I Made It:
We are going to start by using chicken cutlets sliced on the thinner side. You can ask your supermarket butcher to slice them thinner if they come too thick in the pack or you can cut them in half or pound with a mallet.
Then, we’re going to create a flour mixture…
…so we can dredge our chicken in it…
…and then set aside on a plate.
To the Instant Pot, let’s add a little olive oil…
…and a little BUTTA! Let’s let them heat up and combine for a few.
Once hot, let’s add our chicken to the pot in batches and very lightly brown on each side for about 1 minute..
…and then flip ’em over and do the same thing to the other side.
Put the lightly browned chicken on a plate when done and set aside.
Now we’re gonna add a little garlic to the pot and let it cook in the remaining oil and butter for a few.
And then we’ll mix together some chicken broth and freshly squeezed lemon juice…
…and and that to our garlic, oil and butter in the pot.
Add the chicken back in, secure the lid and cook on high pressure followed by a quick release.
When done cooking, remove the chicken from the pot…
…and set aside in a serving bowl.
Now to the pot we’re going to hit sauté and add some half & half…
…grated parmesan and, yes, a little more BUTTA…
…and a cornstarch slurry.
Stir it up well until it bubbles and the sauce will begin to thicken.
Once thickened, pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving bowl…
…add a few capers…
…and a little parsley.
And your work here is done! I TOLD you it was a snap! Now enjoy the groveling that comes your way by anyone lucky enough to be at your dinner table. You’ve earned it.
Instant Pot Chicken Piccata
This lemony, buttery, cheesy sauce which is draped over tender chicken cutlets and topped with capers is an Italian lover's delight. Serve it over angel hair or rice.
Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken breasts, sliced about 1/4″ thick
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (with a few pinches of garlic powder, parmesan, black pepper and kosher salt mixed in), for dredging
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp of butter, divided
- 1 tbsp of crushed garlic
- Juice of 2 fresh lemons
- 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth (1 1/4 tsp of Chicken Better Than Bouillon + 1 1/4 cups of water)
- 1/2 cup of half & half or heavy cream
- 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch + 1 1/2 tbsp of water
- Dried parsley flakes
- Capers
Instructions
- Coat chicken in flour mixed with with salt, pepper, parmesan and garlic powder and set aside
- Hit “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and “Adjust” to the “More” setting and wait for it to read “Hot.” Add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter until melted and let sit for 1 minute
- Add the chicken in batches and lightly brown for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove, set aside and repeat until all chicken is lightly browned. Chicken should be lightly browned like in the video for reference
- Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until it begins to darken (but not burn!) and then add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Scrape and deglaze the bottom of the pan and stir
- Add the chicken back to the pot and layer so it covers the pot and rests on each other
- Secure the lid, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release when done
- Remove the chicken and place on a serving dish, but leave sauce in the pot, and hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Sauté” again so it’s on “More”
- Add the half & half, 2 tbsp of butter, parmesan and cornstarch slurry to the mixture right away and stir/whisk in VERY well (we don’t want it bunching up), scraping the bottom of the pan and then let the sauce cook. Do this for about 2-3 minutes as the sauce will begin to bubble and thicken very quickly and then turn the pot off
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving dish and add some capers and sprinkle some dried parsley (and some thin lemon slices if you’d like to garnish). Serve on its own or over pasta, spaghetti squash, rice and/or vegetables!
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
This recipe will make some extra of that amazing sauce and you’ll be glad it does because it’s gonna go GREAT over pasta! (I suggest a Cavatelli).
Have a big group of folks coming over for company? Double or triple it and just add another 2 minutes of pressure cooking time per 1x amount you add!
Like mushrooms and marsala? Try my Chicken Marsala recipe as well! Also to die for!
DeAun
This is my favorite thing ever. I make it at least once a month. My husband loves it too. He might like chicken masala even more. My little 6 yr old grandson has fits over it. If I say I’m making located he says no not unless I’m there. We prefer it also if we go to the Italian restaurant. But we all Agree mines better thanks Jeffery
Deirdre
So yummy! I added artichoke hearts!
Nichola
Super yummy!! It was a hit! I didn’t have any capers, so I used pickled artichoke hearts with a little of the juice and served over mashed potatoes. The sauce made a great gravy, too!
Kelly
About how much of the capers should be added? I love this dish, my daughter, not so much…. I think it’s because I go overboard on the capers. We love just about ALL of your recipes, Jeffrey!! Give me a ballpark range on the capers please!!
Da Berg
If you watch the video on this page… he calls for 1 tablespoon of capers.