Lemon Thyme Chicken
with cauliflower rice / asparagus
For this elevated chicken dinner, chicken is simmered in a broth that gets big flavor from pancetta, fresh thyme and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The no-fuss pan sauce that results is great spooned over cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower, small - 1 head , florets chopped
- Butter - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Onions, small - 1/2 , chopped
- Garlic - 3 cloves , chopped
- Pancetta (sub bacon) - 2 oz , chopped
- Lemons - 1 , wedges
- Chicken thighs, boneless (with or without skin) - 1 1/2 lbs
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1/2 tsp
- Stock, any type - 1 cup
- Thyme, fresh - 4 stalks
- Cauliflower rice (ingredients listed separately) - ~1 1/2 cups
- Pancetta (sub bacon) - 2 oz , chopped
- Asparagus - 1 lb , trimmed
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Butter - 1 Tbsp
Prep
-
Onions / Garlic / Pancetta (for both the chicken and asparagus) - Prep as directed. Combine onions and portion of pancetta for chicken in one container. Store garlic and pancetta for asparagus in two separate containers. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Cauliflower rice - Double if making Wednesday’s meal. Pulse florets in a food processor until broken up into ‘rice’-sized bits. Watch this video for the full how-to on cauliflower rice. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
-
Lemon / Asparagus - Prep as directed. Store in separate containers. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
-
Chicken - Season with salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
Try for freeLearn More
Make
-
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add cooking oil. When oil is hot, sear chicken until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
-
Return skillet to heat and reduce to medium heat. Add pancetta (just the portion for the chicken) and onion. Saute until onion is soft, ~3 minutes. Add garlic and paprika and saute until fragrant, ~1 minute more. Add stock and thyme sprigs, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer.
-
Return chicken thighs to pan and reduce heat to low-medium. Cover with a lid and simmer on low (don't let the liquid boil or the meat will turn tough) until chicken is cooked through, ~8 minutes (internal temperature will be 165F / 74C).
-
While chicken cooks, heat a second skillet or large frying pan with butter (the portion for the cauliflower rice) over medium-high heat. Saute cauliflower rice in heated butter for ~5 minutes, until tender but still crunchy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish and return pan to heat.
-
Add olive oil and the rest of the pancetta to hot oil. Saute until pancetta is beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter (the portion for the asparagus) and asparagus to pancetta. Cook, turning asparagus every couple minutes until asparagus is cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes (depending on thickness of spears).
-
Squeeze a couple lemon wedges over chicken and asparagus (serve remaining lemon wedges with the finished dish). Taste and season both dishes with some salt and pepper.
-
Serve chicken over cauliflower rice with asparagus on the side. (If you made double the cauliflower rice, remember to reserve half for Wednesday.) Enjoy!
Reviews
Ratings
0 reviews