Coconut Lime Chicken (With Low Carb Cauliflower Rice)

Yes, I did say Low Carb

Now and then I do venture into the Keto type meals and look at all the strange things that people do in the name of “the body you want”. I do quite a bit of research on eating and health. My solemn vows have always been, firstly never to make three different meals for dinner. To cook healthy and yummy food that my kids will eat and to have balance in everything.

With that in mind, we eat whatever we want in moderation. I stick to that. Having to look after my fibromyalgia, I do avoid sugar and other inflammatory foods but I never deny myself anything to the extent that I would feel guilty for eating it.

Anyway, SuperDad decided that he wanted to try and lower his carb intake in order to counter the fact that his pants seemed to have shrunk in the wash. So I obliged and we dabbled a bit in the low carb meals. I must tell you I have hundreds of photos of meals and very little time to post them here. It’s on the to-do list. Promise.

Inspiration

I had seen this coconut lime chicken come across my screen a few times but always kept it on the “to cook sometime” list. Until one day I was looking for something to serve with cauliflower rice and this just seemed to fit perfectly. Since it was summery and hot at the time, Thai inspired coconut and lime chicken sounded light and refreshing. Candlelit dinner on the beach type stuff!

It did not disappoint! The boys practically inhaled their dinner and not a trace was left. In the famous words of Blake, “Mommy, you need to make this again tomorrow. It’s the best food ever.”.

Print

Low Carb Coconut Lime Chicken

Course Dinner

Cuisine Low Carb

Keyword chicken recipes, easy dinner, Family friendly, Gluten free

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breast fillets
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp lime juice about 1 lime
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 whole red chilli finely sliced (optional)
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut cream

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of cling wrap and flatten them to even thickness. Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium high heat on the stove. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. Then remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. Wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove brown bits.

3. Add a little more oil into the pan along with the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes to soften. Add the chili, if using. Sauté another minute. Add the chicken stock, lime juice, parsley and chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to let it simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce. Add the coconut milk and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. 

4. Add the chicken back into the sauce, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is to your liking.

5. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice with the sauce spooned over the top.

6. Add an extra sprinkling of parsley & chili for garnish and serve!

Recipe Notes

Note that the sauce is not meant to be thick and will be a creamy consistency.

You could buy ready made cauliflower rice from a grocery shop or make your own (which is much better) using the following method:

Cut the cauliflower into pieces and place into a food processor. I find that I get a nice even size when I do this in small batches. Blitz up the cauliflower to rice sized bits. If your cauliflower is very watery, use a sieve and lightly squeeze out the excess moisture.

Add butter or coconut oil to a pan over medium high heat and fry/toast the cauliflower for a few minutes. It needs to keep some firmness, so as not to be mush. Season with Ina Paarman Vegetable Spice.

This may not be the prettiest looking dish, but it makes up for that in taste! Try the recipe, save it, share with your friends!