Lemon Artichoke Chicken Skillet

Inspired by the Italian classic chicken piccata, Lemon Artichoke Chicken stars thinly-sliced, tender chicken covered in a light and lemony sauce. Zesty, softened artichoke hearts add extra bite and a slightly sweet flavor that’ll whisper to your tastebuds, “psst, it’s spring!”

To be honest, you don’t even need chicken for this simple skillet dinner. Sure, it appears in the title and tops the ingredients list, but the sauce is really the main attraction. It nudges those plain chicken pieces out of the way with a vibrant taste that borders on too lemony, tamed by a generous gob of butter, briny capers, and plenty of fresh parsley. Something for dipping into the sauce is strongly encouraged. Chewy, bouncy bread, al dente strands of spaghetti, or a scoop of nutty rice are all welcome partners.

Because woman cannot live off bread dipped into things alone (although my teenage self would disagree), there’s chicken. Boneless, skinless breasts offer heaps of protein and heft, and they cook in under 10 minutes. So perhaps I’m not giving the bird enough credit. It lends meaty richness to the sauce while the sauce seeps into the chicken like soft butter on hot toast. The two elements complete each other, and the fact that they cook in the same skillet is a weeknight dinner win.

this recipe

How to make lemon artichoke chicken

If your chicken is thicker than 1/2-inch after slicing it in half, pound it to 1/2-inch thickness. Or, leave it thicker and add a few minutes to the cooking time.

Set up a workstation: put all of your chicken on the left on a cutting board; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the middle, place the flour in a wide, shallow dish. On the right, place another plate to put your floured chicken. Gently toss each chicken breast in the flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot enough by splashing a bit of water in there; it should crackle and sizzle immediately. When oil is hot, add half the chicken. Cook 4-5 minutes on the first side until it’s golden brown and crisp, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil and repeat with remaining chicken.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over low heat (you might need to turn the skillet off to let it cool down, you don’t want the garlic to burn). Add garlic, artichoke hearts and capers and cook until garlic is softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes

Increase heat to medium and add lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer 4-6 minutes or until liquid has reduced slightly, it should look thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in parsley and butter until it has melted and emulsified into a sauce.

Turn off heat, taste and season the sauce as desired. If it’s too lemony for your tastes, add another splash of water and adjust seasoning as needed.

Add chicken back to pan and flip to coat it in the sauce. Re-heat the chicken with sauce for 1 minute. Transfer to plates to serve, or eat straight from the skillet, with a piece of bread or cooked pasta for dunking.

More weeknight chicken recipes:

• Sheet Pan Chicken And Potatoes With Feta, Lemon And Dill
• Sheet Pan Chicken Scarpariello
• Sheet Pan Chicken With Broccoli, Carrots and Ranch

Print Recipe

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

(24 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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Dinner – American

By Samantha – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 25 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

This one-skillet dinner is for serious citrus lovers, featuring a bright and lemony sauce scattered with capers and fresh parsley. Serve with bread, pasta, or rice for soaking it all up.

Ingredients

• 1-1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise through the middle like slicing open an English muffin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Canola oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 12 oz jar quartered, marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 Tbsp capers, drained
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 Tbsp butter

Instructions

1

If your chicken is thicker than 1/2-inch after slicing it in half, pound it to 1/2-inch thickness. Or, leave it thicker and add a few minutes to the cooking time.

2

Set up a workstation: On the left, put all of your chicken on a cutting board. Pat it dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the middle, place the flour in a wide, shallow dish. On the right, have another plate ready for your floured chicken. Gently toss each chicken breast in the flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.

3

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons canola oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot enough by splashing a bit of water in there; it should crackle and sizzle immediately. When the oil is hot, add half of the chicken. Cook 5-7 minutes on the first side until it's golden brown and crisp, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a rapid simmer in the oil. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan if it seems dry and repeat with remaining chicken.

4

Turn the heat to low and add garlic, artichoke hearts and capers. Cook until garlic is softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer 4-6 minutes or until liquid has reduced slightly. Reduce heat to low and stir in parsley and butter until it has melted and emulsified into a sauce.

5

Turn off heat, taste and season the sauce as desired. Add chicken back to pan and flip to coat it in the sauce. Re-heat the chicken with sauce for 1 minute. Transfer to plates to serve, or eat straight from the skillet, with a piece of bread or cooked pasta for dunking.

Nutrition

• 405 Calories

Notes

My favorite type of artichoke comes marinated in olive oil, which you can find in jars near the capers. You can use canned or frozen if that’s all you’ve got. Feel free to add more vegetables such as steamed broccoli or baby spinach. Just add additional lemon/butter to make sure your sauce stays saucy. A light, fruity rosé from Provence would compliment the piquant flavors of this dish. You could also match the lemon in this dish with a crisp, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.