One Pan Creamy Chicken Piccata and Gnocchi

Perfect Dinner In

I love chicken piccata with all my being. The lemony caper sauce hits some of my favorite flavors in the entire world. It’s tart and citrusy, salty from the capers, and savory from the pan sauce. Paired with pasta or potatoes and I have a meal made in heaven. In this one pan chicken piccata gnocchi, you get the best of both worlds with potato gnocchi. You get the taste and feel of pasta and potato all in one!

This dish is rich and so special feeling. It would make a perfect dinner at home with minimal dishes (which is what we all want for a nice night in). I like to pair this lemon chicken gnocchi with green beans, broccolini, or a side salad for a complete meal!

Frequent Questions When Making Chicken Piccata with Gnocchi 

Q: How do I cut chicken breasts into chicken medallions?

A: To slice your chicken into medallions, first turn the breast upside down and identify the line where the tenderloin is, that long piece found underneath the breast. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the tenderloin from the breast. Turn the breast back over and slice it at a sharp angle through the center, cutting into 3 pieces. Place the pieces between two slices of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin or heavy pan to carefully pound each piece into a thin medallion.

Q: Can I buy chicken medallions pre-cut?

A: If making your own chicken medallions isn’t your jam, most grocery stores will sell them pre-cut!  Look for the “thin cut chicken breasts” in your meat department. These should be ready to use right out of the package.

Q: Can I use fresh gnocchi on this dish?

A: If you have fresh gnocchi available to you, you should absolutely use it! To adjust the recipe slightly, let the broth simmer on it’s own for a couple minutes before adding the gnocchi. Let it cook for only 2-3 minutes, until cooked through, and then finish the dish.

Chicken Piccata Gnocchi Recipe Tips

When you make this chicken piccata gnocchi recipe, here are a few tips to make sure it’s delicious:

• When working with a heavy-bottomed pan, like cast iron or stainless steel, be sure you give the pan 4-5 minutes to heat up before adding your oil and butter. This allows the pan to heat up entirely and to have even heating throughout the cooking process.
• Keep your eyes on the pan while you’re frying the chicken and switching to making the pan sauce. If you notice that any bits of flour left in the pan are starting to burn, use a wooden spatula or flat bottomed spoon to scrape them off to stop them from burning.
• The longer the dish sits before you get to enjoy it, the more the gnocchi will absorb the pan sauce. If the sauce begins to look dry, add another ½ cup of low sodium chicken broth or stock and stir into the sauce.

Recipe Details

Pan Fry the Chicken

To start out this recipe, you’ll pan fry your chicken breasts in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Coat each piece of chicken with a mixture of flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Melt some butter with olive oil in the pan and then fry each piece of chicken, about 2-3 minutes per side, until the chicken is cooked through and the coating on the outside is a golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan, cooking any remaining pieces of chicken the same way.

Make the Piccata Sauce and Gnocchi

Once your chicken is all cooked, you can get a start on the piccata sauce. First, saute some chopped shallots in the remaining oil in the pan, until they are cooked through and soft. As you cook the shallots, scrape up any bits of flour that are stuck to the bottom of the pan as they release from the moisture given off from the shallots. Add the minced garlic to the pan and let it cook with the shallots, until very fragrant, about 30 seconds.

After the aromatics have cooked, carefully pour in the chicken stock or broth, being careful not to splash yourself with the hot oil in the pan. Bring the stock to a simmer and then add your potato gnocchi. Use a wooden spoon to break up any pieces of gnocchi that have stuck together. Let the gnocchi simmer until cooked through and the stock has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.

Finish the Sauce and Serve

Reduce the heat all the way to low and then finish up the lemony piccata sauce with a bit of butter, heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and capers. Stir to combine everything together and melt the butter. Slide the chicken pieces back in to the pan to coat the pieces in the piccata sauce and to warm back up, just a few more minutes.

Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese over the top and thinly sliced fresh basil. Add some greens on the side and enjoy right away!

Save any leftovers in an airtight container. When reheating, add a splash of water or chicken stock to the dish to recreate the sauce, which will have thickened as it rests in the fridge. Enjoy any leftovers within 3 days.

I hope you love this one pot chicken piccata gnocchi recipe as much as I do!

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One Pan Creamy Chicken Piccata and Gnocchi

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: One Pot Cuisine: Italian Courses: Main Course

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 40 mins

Servings: 4

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Dietary:

N Nut Free

Description

This creamy chicken piccata gnocchi comes together in one pan with a creamy, lemony pan sauce. Topped with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and lots of caper berries, this dish is a complete meal in one or pairs well with a green vegetable or salad.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 2 lb chicken breasts, cut into medallions and pounded thin
• ³⁄₄ cup all-purpose flour
• ¹⁄₄ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp pepper
• 6-7 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup low sodium chicken stock or broth
• 1 lb potato gnocchi
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp heavy cream
• 3 tbsp capers
• Fresh basil for serving

Instructions

Pan Fry the Chicken Medallions

1. In a shallow bowl, mix the all purpose flour, grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Dredge each chicken medallion in the flour mixture, completely coating each piece by pressing it in, then shaking off any excess flour. Discard any remaining flour left in the bowl.

2. Preheat a heavy bottomed pan (like cast iron or stainless steel) over medium heat. Once hot, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Once the butter is almost completely melted, add the chicken medallions to the pan, working in batches as necessary to keep at least 2 inches between each piece. Fry on the first side for 3 minutes. Flip each medallion on to the second side until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, another 2-3 minutes. Set aside on a plate or tray.

4. Cook the remaining batches of chicken medallions in the same manner, adding more butter and oil to the pan 1 tablespoon at a time if the pan looks dry.

Start the Sauce and Boil the Gnocchi

1. To the same pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the minced shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. While stirring the shallots, scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan so they don’t burn. 

2. Add the minced garlic and continue to saute until aromatic, about 30 seconds more.

3. Carefully pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the gnocchi once it’s at a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gnocchi is cooked through and the stock has reduced.

Finish and Serve

1. Reduce the heat under the pan to low. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, the heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and to melt the butter.

2. Add the chicken back into the pan to coat with the sauce. Let the chicken reheat for 3-4 minutes until rewarmed.

3. Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese and thinly sliced fresh basil. Enjoy on it’s own or with a green vegetable and a slice of garlic bread.