Lemon Caper Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Piccata

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

The only thing better than a slow cooker chicken dinner is one that's cooked on a bed of tender red potatoes, then tossed with a buttery lemon sauce that's punched up with briny capers. This piccata will win your heart not only for its bold layers of flavor, but also for how simple it is to pull together.

A Slow Cooker Meal for the Weekend

There are some set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker meals where we can go to sleep or dash out the door to work, and let it simmer away for upwards of eight to 10 hours. Chicken, though, doesn't care for quite so much time in the slow cooker. This meal comes together in about four hours, making it an especially good choice for weekend slow cooking. It's the kind of dinner I lean on when I don't want to turn on the stove or don't have the time to cook a hands-on meal, but want a meal that's comforting and nourishing.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

A French Trick for a Thicker Sauce

The shining star of piccata is, of course, the signature briny sauce. The flavors blend and build during the hours in the slow cooker, but the sauce remains thin and soupy. To create the velvety sauce we expect from piccata, we're borrowing a French technique called beurre manie. It sounds fancy, but it's nothing more than equal parts flour and softened butter that's rubbed together. When whisked into the bubbling sauce and cooked, it creates a wonderfully thick and lush sauce.

This slow cooker chicken piccata is cooked on a bed of tender red potatoes, then gilded with a buttery lemon sauce with a punch of briny capers.

shellfish-free
fish-free
alcohol-free
peanut-free
pork-free
sugar-conscious
tree-nut-free
soy-free
egg-free
red-meat-free

Per serving, based on

servings. (% daily value)

Calories 604
Fat 17.3 g (26.6%)
Saturated 5.9 g (29.6%)
Carbs 42.8 g (14.3%)
Fiber 4.4 g (17.5%)
Sugars 3.9 g
Protein 68.1 g (136.2%)
Sodium 594.4 mg (24.8%)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon
olive oil
4
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the chicken
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning the chicken
2 pounds
small red potatoes, halved or quartered if larger
1 1/2 cups
low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 3 medium lemons)
1/4 cup
capers, drained
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons
coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Liberally season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken on one side until browned, about 5 minutes.
Place the potatoes in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker, seared-side up. Pour in the broth, lemon juice, and capers.
Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the chicken is cooked through, tender, and registers an internal temperature of 165°F, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Meanwhile, use your fingers to rub the flour into the butter; set aside.
Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving dish. Pour the liquid and capers into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the butter mixture, whisking constantly until it's completely incorporated into the sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve over the chicken and potatoes, garnished with the parsley.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Kelli Foster

Food Editor, Plan & Prep

Kelli is the Food Editor for Plan & Prep content for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls , The Probiotic Kitchen , Buddha Bowls , and Everyday Freekeh Meals . She lives in New Jersey.

Follow Kelli