Description
Tender and flavorful Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata featuring lightly pan-fried chicken breasts simmered in a tangy lemon, caper, and butter sauce. This easy recipe combines stovetop searing and slow cooking for perfectly cooked chicken infused with bright citrus and savory notes, ideal for a comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced or halved for thin cutlets
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. butter (for pan frying)
Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp. capers, drained
Instructions
- Prepare Flour Mixture and Dredge Chicken: In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, and all purpose flour. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Reserve any leftover flour mixture for later use.
- Pan Fry Chicken Cutlets: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the floured chicken cutlets and cook until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage, just golden and seared for flavor.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Place the browned chicken pieces in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining reserved flour mixture evenly over the chicken.
- Prepare Sauce and Combine: Add 1/2 cup butter, lemon juice, chicken stock, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and drained capers on top of the chicken and flour mixture in the slow cooker. Do not stir.
- Slow Cook Chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 3.5 to 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked through.
- Serve and Garnish: Carefully transfer the chicken to serving plates. Spoon the lemon-caper sauce from the slow cooker over the chicken. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley if desired. Serve with your favorite sides such as pasta, rice, or vegetables.
Notes
- You can use chicken thighs instead of breasts if preferred—adjust cooking time accordingly.
- For a thicker sauce, remove chicken after cooking and stir the sauce with a slurry of corn starch and water, then cook on high for 15 minutes.
- Make sure to brown the chicken properly to develop flavor before slow cooking.
- If lemon juice is not fresh, consider using freshly squeezed for best taste.
- Serve over angel hair pasta or alongside roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
