Easy Weeknight Meal: Keto Coconut Lime Chicken

We can’t think of many things more valuable than a super simple, healthy weeknight meal that our family will happily eat—a reliable and reasonable babysitter, maybe? This One-Pan Coconut Lime Chicken from Keto Your Way, a new cookbook from Keto Made Simple blogger (and Utah-based mom of four kids) Julie Smith, is one of those go-to meals you’ll turn to repeatedly. “This dish is bursting with flavor! I also love that you don’t have to dirty a bunch of dishes for this recipe—one pan and its done,” says Smith, who likes to serve this to her family over cauliflower rice.

One-Pan Coconut Lime Chicken

MAKES 4 servings     PREP TIME: 10 minutes    COOK TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 ounces each)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• ¾ cup diced red onions
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like it spicy
• 1 cup chicken bone broth
• 1½ cups coconut cream
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. While the oil is heating, place a chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken to an even thickness. (If you don’t have a meat mallet, a rolling pin works like a charm!) Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. This step isn’t 100 percent necessary, but it will help the chicken cook more evenly.
3. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the hot skillet and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. It does not need to be cooked all the way through at this point. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the diced onions and bell pepper to the hot skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the bell pepper is soft.
5. Add the lime juice, cilantro, xanthan gum, and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
6. Stir in the broth, then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
7. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the coconut cream and turmeric, and bring to a boil again. Once the sauce is boiling, return the chicken to the pan.
8. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through, 5 to 7 minutes.
9. Add some more lime juice and garnish with cilantro before serving.
10. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet.

Nutritional information (per serving)

Calories: 469
Fat: 31g
Protein: 44g
Total Carbs: 7g
Fiber: 1g
Net Carbs: 6g