As I mentioned in my last post for the Grilled Chicken Souvlaki Recipe, the oven at the lake house we’re renting acts like a furnace, so I won’t be doing much baking for the next few months until the weather cools again.
Fortunately, I made this delicious low carb baked chicken with cauliflower rice over a month ago – and I figured I’d better share it ASAP, because even with a working oven most people aren’t looking to bake their dinner in the Summertime while the grill reigns supreme.
I promise this recipe is worth a little residual heat in your kitchen though – it’s easy to throw together and tastes fantastic!
When I was a kid, baked chicken with rice was a regular meal at our house. There were 5 of us kids and we were on a very tight budget, so chicken thighs or drumsticks with rice was not only easy – it was inexpensive.
Even though the cauliflower is a bit more expensive than rice cup for cup – this low carb recipe still won’t break the bank. It also reheats well making it the perfect keto recipe for lunches all week.
Typically with chicken and rice in our house, my mom would either flavor it with orange juice or cream of mushroom soup – both of those bring back good memories, but aren’t so low carb friendly.
In my version, I used olives and lemon to give it a complex, tangy flavor. It’s comforting as chicken and “rice” should be – but also fresh and bright enough to be enjoyed in the Summertime since it’s not overly heavy.
As is, this recipe is Paleo friendly and even Whole 30 compliant – it’s dairy free, egg free, nut free, grain free, gluten free, etc. If none of those things are a concern – a little feta cheese thrown in before baking would make this recipe even more delicious.
Now if, like me, you loathe the idea of turning your oven on when it’s over 80 degrees outside, you could definitely make this in a slow cooker. The only trade off is, you won’t get the crispy chicken skin that is my hand’s down favorite part.
Still tasty though – and perfect for those busy weeknights when you want to come home to a delicious low carb dinner ready to serve.
Lastly, I love the versatility in this dish, because you can really customize the flavors in an infinite number of ways on this low carb chicken and “rice” recipe. Change out the olives, lemon and parsley for any other herbs and or veggies, maybe some tomatoes, a creamy sauce, etc. and you can eat this all year in a hundred different ways.
In fact I’ll probably be experimenting myself once I start using my oven again – I’ll be sure to post the delicious results if and when I do!
As always I love getting your feedback and comments – let me know what you thought of it and also your creative ideas on how to flavor it differently!
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
4.6 from 23 reviews
- Author: Mellissa Sevigny
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This is a fantastic low carb remake of the baked chicken with rice recipe of my childhood. It’s inexpensive, delicious, and easy to throw together. It’s also Paleo and Whole 30 compliant!
Ingredients
Scale
For the cauliflower rice:
- 7 cups finely chopped raw cauliflower
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/3 cup pitted green olives (I used Castelanata), quartered
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
For the baked chicken:
- 2 lbs chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, or breasts)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika (smoked if you have it)
Instructions
- Combine all of the cauliflower rice ingredients together in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Spread out in a 13 x 9 baking dish.
- Combine all of the chicken seasonings in a small bowl. Rub all over the chicken pieces. Place the chicken pieces on top of the cauliflower rice. Sprinkle any remaining seasoning over the top.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp. Serve hot.
- Alternatively, you could put all of this in a crockpot and cook it on low for 6 hours.
Notes
Approximate nutrition information per serving:
1 pc. chicken & 1 cup cauli rice – 345 calories, 19g fat, 5g net carbs, 34g protein
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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