Keto Garlic Chicken

This keto garlic chicken was part of a freezer meal prep I did a few weeks back. The chicken thighs can be marinated ahead of time and will be ready to be part of a delicious, healthy meal. Or just make the sauce while prepping dinner. Either way, this chicken is on repeat at our house and I know you will love it too!

What goes great with garlic chicken?

It would not be dinner at my house without at least two vegetables, sometimes three. When vegetables are seasoned perfectly, it is easy to want to fill your plate, even if you are definitely a meat eater! You will love these roasted vegetables that can easily cook in the oven along with the chicken. They only require a little prep and bake at the same temperature as the chicken. Marinated asparagus is another low carb, healthy vegetable that would be great with this meal.

How to add more flavor to cauliflower rice?

We have cauliflower rice every week. I usually take a shortcut and start with frozen cauliflower rice. It is quickly cooked in the microwave and then sautéed for about 3 minutes in a pan with a spray of olive oil and any spice you love.

A standard addition would be to add some garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. If you are feeling spicy, add some crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or paprika. And when you saute' it over medium-high heat, the caramelized color just adds to the delicious flavor of the cauliflower rice and also firms up the texture to simulate rice. Just watch the "rice" and turn down the flame if it is getting too brown.

I do this with regular white or brown rice for other family members who don't prefer cauliflower rice.

How to make keto garlic chicken:

• Chop 4-5 cloves of garlic and add to a small skillet with 2 tablespoons butter.
• Stir the butter and garlic on medium heat until butter is melted. Make sure the flame is not too high or garlic could burn and it will not taste very good in the sauce.
• Stir in ¼ cup brown sugar substitute. ( I used Swerve)
• Mix in 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite dried or fresh spice. I used some salt and pepper, dried rosemary and some onion powder. Stir sauce a minute or two until it thickens.
• Remove the pan from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
• Gently pull back the skin from the chicken thighs and with a spoon or your fingers, rub the sauce onto the thigh meat and also on top of the skin.

Not very pretty, but it is a fantastic sweet and garlicky sauce for this chicken dinner.

The thighs had been frozen with the sauce and I just defrosted in the refrigerator and spooned any extra sauce back over top. I also had some extra that I rubbed on to some breasts for lunches.

How to bake the chicken thighs:

The chicken thighs were baked in a 425°F preheated oven for about 20 -25 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 165°. If you like the skin to be a bit crispier, just place the pan under a broiler for just a few minutes. The chicken can be baked from frozen if you forget to defrost or run out of time. Just increase the cooking time by at least 50%. Always check for doneness with the thermometer.

So that is a lovely healthy meal that is full of different flavors. And a bonus that it is not sweetened by any refined sugar. I always make extra, the leftovers are fantastic!

If you like this chicken dinner, you will want to try my Keto Orange Chicken or Keto Chicken Stir Fry.