The 99% Cooking Club

The 99% Cooking Club

One Pot Chicken Picatta Orzo

Your new favorite way to Picatta.

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The Recession Chef
Sep 27, 2026
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If you haven’t felt the shift, I am currently aiming for the most bang for your buck with my recipes. I’m doing my damndest to maximize your dollar without sacrificing flavor. The good thing is, there are a lot of ways to make delicious food on a budget. So I’m revisiting some of the classics and revamping how we do them.

Chicken piccata is an Italian-American classic highlighting capers, lemon, butter and flavor. It is a simple favorite that hits the spot every time you have it. This recipe embodies all of the things you love about piccata but in a more cost-effective and efficient way.

The goal is to maintain a high standard of flavor while saving money and time. Guess what? Mission accomplished. This dish boasts a HUGE flavor profile and since we use chicken thighs (unless you're a big baby and can’t eat dark meat), orzo, broth and lemon which are all relatively cheap ingredients.

Are there ways to plus it up a bit? Sure, but I promise by keeping it simple I would argue it actually makes the dish better.

Sometimes (most of the time in my opinion) simple is better. Because simple doesn’t mean not complex, it means getting the most out of less.

Low-to-high U.S. estimate. Prices vary. Learn more here.

Estimated Time: 30-45 min

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

  • 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided

  • ½ tsp black pepper

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1½ cups dry orzo

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 2 tbsp capers, drained

  • 2 tbsp butter

  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan

  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley, optional

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