Creamy Chicken Piccata Casserole Recipe

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This Creamy Chicken Piccata Casserole recipe is rich, comforting, and delicious. But the best part, is that it can be made ahead for a busy weeknight family dinner!

This Creamy Chicken Piccata Casserole recipe combines the elements of classic chicken piccata with the added creaminess of a casserole. It’s also great for busy families because you can make it ahead!!!

If you love the tangy and zesty flavors of traditional chicken piccata, then you will love this. It has the bright acidity from lemon juice, the brininess from capers, and the savory notes from chicken broth. The addition of the creamy sauce and parmesan cheese gives the casserole a smooth and luxurious texture. This creaminess helps balance the acidity and adds a comforting element to the dish.

Do you meal plan your dinners?  It makes weeknights so much easier!  Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Pasta Sundays!

Jump to:

• Why you Should Make Chicken Piccata Casserole
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment
• Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
• Cooking the Creamy Chicken
• Creamy Chicken Piccata Recipe FAQs
• Creamy Chicken Piccata Casserole
• Comments

Why you Should Make Chicken Piccata Casserole

Here are my 3 reasons to make this dinner!

1. Creamy Comfort Food – Chicken Piccata is a classic Italian dish where the chicken is lightly floured, then cooked in a large skillet with wine or broth, lemon, butter, and briny capers. This casserole version of Chicken Piccata adds a creamy, comforting element and the baking process enhances the flavors, melding all of the ingredients together. Then of course, you get golden brown top, adding another dimension to the dish.
2. Time-Saving Easy Meal– This casserole takes little time to assemble, but that is still TIME!  Assemble the day before or the morning of, store it in the fridge in an airtight container, then simply bake in the oven on your busy weeknight!
3. Make Double and Freeze! – This is a great casserole to freeze before cooking, so make 2 casseroles, one for this week, one to freeze for another night that your in a dinner jam.  Just check out the recipe card notes for freezing instructions.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

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• Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless – You can use chicken breasts that you cut, chicken tenders, chicken cutlets, or even boneless skinless chicken thighs. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
• Fresh Lemons – You will be using the juice from one of the lemons and then slicing the other for garnish. You do not have to use lemon in this recipe if you prefer it without.
• Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – Fresh parsley is best, don’t even bother with dried parsley. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as basil or oregano.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk in a food processor and freeze it to use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Salted Butter – Butter is used for making the roux in the gravy base. You can also use unsalted butter. You can substitute with another fat, but you do really need a fat to make the smooth thick roux. Substitutes for butter can be Ghee (clarified butter), olive oil, coconut oil, or other butter or oil product.
• All purpose white flour – This is the thickener to mix with the butter/fat.
• Chicken Broth or Chicken stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Mayonnaise – Mayonnaise brings creamy tang, but you can replace it with any combination of sour cream, greek yogurt, heavy cream, or marscapone.
• Parmesan Cheese, grated – Parmesan, either grated or shredded, adds a nice nutty and more cheesy flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t have it or substitute with pecorino.
• Capers – Capers are the traditional briny element in chicken piccata. You can find them in the grocery store near the jarred pickles and olives. You can substitute in green olives, pickles, or just some lemon zest.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Olive oil is just to help prevent sticking in the pan
• Salt and Black Pepper – I used coarse for both, but any salt and ground black pepper will do.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment

For this recipe, you don’t need any special equipment, just a large casserole dish or baking dish that’s approximately 10×10 or similar.

For roasting the chicken, you will need a sheet pan.

I love to use a Garlic Press for mincing garlic.

For the sauce, you need a small saucepan or small pot and a whisk.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

You can prepare the chicken, lemon juice, parsley, and garlic ahead. See recipe for instructions.

The sauce for this recipe starts with two separate sauces that get mixed together. One is cold ingredients and the other is a simple warm sauce made with a roux.

First warm the broth slightly in the microwave or in a pot.

Cooking the Creamy Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.

Bake the chicken for 20-30 minutes, until the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165 F. Then turn the broiler on and cook for 5 more minutes to brown the top.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with rice or pasta and garnish with remaining parsley. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Piccata Recipe FAQs

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

Fresh lemon juice is recommended for the best flavor, but if you don’t have fresh lemons, bottled lemon juice can be used as a substitute.

Can I use white wine in this recipe?

Yes, you can use dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio in this recipe to add more rich flavor. To do so you will want to allow the wine to simmer for a few minutes on the stovetop and then stir it into your thickened sauce at the end of Prep Step #3 in the recipe before mixing it into the cold sauce ingredients. This helps reduce the alcohol content and intensifies the wine flavor.

Can I prepare the casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the casserole with the piccata sauce spread over the chicken in advance and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature before baking or adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Can I freeze the casserole?

Yes, it’s best to freeze this creamy lemon chicken piccata recipe fully assembled, before baking. Store the casserole in a freezer safe, oven safe, airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Then to bake it, simply place the frozen casserole in the oven and bake it according to the recipe instructions. Note, that you will need the full 30 minutes, perhaps a little more for baking it.

What can I serve with creamy chicken piccata casserole?

This casserole is delicious served with crusty bread, over pasta, such as angel hair pasta, rice, or even mashed potatoes. A side of steamed vegetables or a crisp green salad can complement the richness of the casserole.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!