Creamy Lemon Chicken Scallopini
on Apr 17, 2018, Updated Aug 25, 2020
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Creamy Lemon Chicken Scallopini is a super quick recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to put on the table and has a delicious lemon sauce that you’ll want to drink straight from the pan! Studded with capers, this dish looks fantastic and tastes great. Its gluten free, and keto friendly.

Welcome to your new favourite chicken dinner. We’ve been doing a lot of drinks, appetizers and salads lately and I realised that we haven’t done a proper dinner recipe in a while. And I’m correcting that ASAP with this super easy and creamy lemon chicken scallopini.
I know that name sounds a bit fancy but trust me, this recipe is so easy that soon you’ll be able to recite it in your sleep. The list of ingredients is small and you probably have everything lying around. Which is exactly how I like things when I’m cooking dinner.
A chicken scallopini is usually made with the chicken breasts crusted with breadcrumbs and pan fried till they are crispy brown. But I prefer skipping this step because it makes this recipe low carb, gluten free and keto friendly for all you guys who have dietary restrictions. Once the chicken is cooked, we take it out, and use the same pan to cook a delicious, creamy lemon sauce for the chicken. There is a fair amount of cream going into the recipe but don’t let that scare you off because once you calculate the actual calories, its not going to waylay that diet.

I’ve made another substitution here and that’s the white wine. Instead of white wine for the sauce, we are using chicken broth. But feel free to use some wine if you like and have some on hand. It definitely adds some oomph to the recipe.
We’ve made this a couple of times in the last two weeks since we landed in Seattle because I just can’t get over how cheap and accessible lemons are here. They are not as tart as limes and my sister usually has a couple of them lying around in the fridge, so I’m using them in everything!
The only ingredient you may not have in your pantry for this recipe are probably the capers but trust me, it would be worthwhile to make a trip to the store for them. They are special. We all love them and can’t get enough of them – especially Denver so I would absolutely urge you guys to get a small jar. It keeps in the fridge and the next time you make a lemon sauce for another recipe – like salmon piccata or chicken piccata, throw some in!
I’m usually a huge fan of chicken thighs but I like using chicken breasts for this lemon chicken scallopini. Breasts have less fat than thighs, and if you combine this with grilled broccoli or a light salad, this becomes a fabulous low carb meal.

Guys, if you try this lemon chicken scallopini recipe and love it as much as I do, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps other readers decide if they should make this recipe and also provides them feedback.
More Continental Chicken Recipes for Dinner:
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
- Bacon Rosemary Mushroom Chicken Thighs
- Spinach Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken Thighs
- Caramelized Onion Rosemary Chicken Thighs

Creamy Lemon Chicken Scallopini
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts, approx 500 grams 1 lb. (See Note 1)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth, or White Wine
- Juice of 1 1/2 Lemons, or 1 Lime
- 3 tablespoons Capers
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 cup Cooking Cream
- Chopped Parsley , for topping
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half, making four fillets. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt on both sides and rub minced garlic on them. Heat butter and olive oil in a cast iron skillet and add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook on each side for 4 or till no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken on a plate and set aside.
- You should have some residual fat in the pan, but if you don't, add a teaspoon of butter. Heat the butter and add the onions. Saute the onions for 2-3 minutes till translucent and add the chicken broth (or white wine if using). Let the broth simmer for a few minutes on high heat till reduced by half. Lower the heat to medium and add lemon juice and mix. Add the capers, cream and remaining salt to the pan and mix. Simmer the sauce for another minute and turn off the flame.
- Slide the chicken back into the sauce and spoon the sauce all over the chicken. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- I’ve realised that chicken breasts in the U.S. are humongous which is why 2 breasts for four of us were enough. However, if you are in India, I recommend using 4 chicken breasts instead of two.
- We are using chicken broth instead of white wine for the sauce. But feel free to use some wine if you like. It definitely adds some oomph to the recipe.




I LOVE this recipe!!! I have shared many times and made it for many friends and family!
The first time I made this, I thought why have I never cooked my chicken like this before?!
even without the sauce it’s a great way to prepare chicken.
Instead of the chopped garlic, I season my chicken with a little sea salt or kosher and garlic powder. I don’t always use the capers & although parsley is amazing & beautiful if I don’t have it, I leave it out. Still amazing
I usually serve with pasta for the teenage cross country runner & often double the sauce because, YUM!
Hey Lindsay, that sounds awesome. so so glad to know it’s your friends & family’s favourite. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Absolutely DELICIOUS! This recipe exceeded my expectations.
Thank YOU! 🙂
Wonderful! Very Easy and felt very Fancy! Thank you!
Tried this today!! Turned out so good!
Made this dish tonight, hubby practically inhaled it, I made a few changes, I added mushrooms and prawns,and I sliced the chicken into very very thin slices and cooked very briefly. whilst it was fabulous , I would like the sauce a little thicker and creamier next time, I served with sweet potato wedges and steamed broccoli. Thankyou for the exceptional,recipe!
The additions sound delicious! So glad you all liked it Tracey
I doubled the sauce ingredients, served over angel hair pasta. One of the best meals I’ve ever had. I added sun-dried tomatoes cuz I like them. I used 1/2 cup white cooking wine and 1/2 cup chicken broth.
Sounds delicious!! Thanks for sharing Matt!