Pan seared chicken, tender-crisp broccoli and a quick creamy Alfredo sauce served over cauliflower rice. Tasty and ready in 30 minutes.
We love chicken. It’s our favorite ingredient. Low in calories and packed with protein, chicken is a staple in our low carb diet. And who, besides George W. H. Bush, doesn’t like broccoli? It’s full of vitamins and minerals for strong healthy teeth and bones, not to mention fiber.
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Since chicken and broccoli are low in calories and fat, a creamy Parmesan Alfredo sauce adds flavor, mouth-feel, and the needed fat that fuels our keto diets. The three combined make this chicken broccoli Alfredo a great tasting meal.
This dish does require some multi-tasking, but it’s easy. You’ll need a microwave or another pan in which to cook the cauliflower rice while you make the sauce. Since chicken cooks fast in a pan or skillet, dinner is on the table pronto.
NOTE: A bonus to pan-seared chicken is that it cooks to golden brown, leaving fond or residual caramelized bits in the pan. Fond becomes the base for wonderful pan sauces for any number of dishes.
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Cooking Procedure
Get ready to multi-task:
The procedure for this low carb Chicken Broccoli Alfredo is simple.
- Brown and cook the chicken completely. Remove to a plate and tent with foil to rest.
- While the chicken cooks, cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the broccoli and a little water. Cover with foil or lid to steam. Remove broccoli to plate with chicken.
- Saute the garlic with remaining butter in pan. Then make the sauce.
- Heat cauliflower rice in another pan or in the microwave. Season with salt and pepper. (See note below for fancier cauliflower rice and how to handle frozen cauliflower rice.)
- While the Alfredo pan sauce cooks, arrange the chicken and broccoli over the cauliflower rice and spoon the sauce over all. If you want, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
NOTE: Not everyone likes cauliflower rice. I usually saute minced onion in butter or bacon fat, then add the cauliflower and cook. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I add chopped parsley and fresh lemon zest, which brings an underlying brightness that plays nicely with the rich Alfredo sauce.
TIP: Frozen cauliflower rice is soggy. Thaw completely and squeeze out the excess water. Then fluff-up the grains with your fingers or a fork and cook.
More Great Keto Chicken Recipes
After trying this tasty keto Chicken Broccoli Alfredo recipe, try these other great low carb chicken recipes:
All have great flavor with lick-your-plate-clean sauces. The first two are ready in 30 minutes and the third can be with some advance planning.
Keto Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Equipment
- knife, tongs, stirrer for pans
- cutting board
- 10-inch frying pan with lid (or use foil)
- 8-inch frying pan
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts ( 6 oz each)
- 2 tbsp butter divided use
- 1 cup broccoli
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cauliflower rice
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preparation
- Let the chicken come to room temperature 20-30 minutes before cooking. This prevents shocking the protein, which makes it tough. Then, pat the chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. In the meantime, gather the ingredients and equipment for the recipe.
- Mince the garlic. Chop the broccoli into florets. If using frozen cauliflower, thaw in the microwave, squeeze-out the excess water with your hands, then fluff. If using fresh cauliflower, measure 1 cup slightly packed.
Method
- Place 2 teaspoons of butter in a 10-inch frying pan and place over medium-high heat. When the butter melts and foaming stops, swirl to coat the pan and add the chicken "pretty-side" down. Turn the heat down to medium and cook 4-5 minutes each side or until the chicken is firm to the touch and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. The chicken is done when it reaches 160F. Remove the chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
- Stir the broccoli florets and water into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and steam for 2 minutes. When crisp-tender, remove to the plate with chicken and tent with foil.
- Add 2 teaspoons of butter and the garlic to the pan. Stir and cook to soften. Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring and cooking slowly until the cheese melts. Add water as necessary to keep the sauce from becoming too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- While the garlic cooks, put the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter in the other pan and place over medium heat. After the butter melts and stops foaming, add the cauliflower rice and stir. Cook until heated through for frozen cauliflower rice or cook until tender for fresh cauliflower rice. Salt and pepper to taste.
Plate
- Serve the chicken and broccoli over the cauliflower rice and pour the sauce over all.
The alfredo sauce on this recipe is wonderful! My husband licked his plate clean!
We make this all the time. It’s become one of our favorite go-to recipes.
Hi Kim, I’m a huge fan. I made this dish last night and everyone LOVED it. Thanks for another great recipe.
This was creamy and quite good. I saved the leftover portion for lunch and it was just as good the second day. Easy recipes like this keep me on track. I’ve lost 15 pounds so far!
Mouth watering keto chicken recipe and I like this recipe so much. Thank you for your support.
Fantastic! So glad you loved it.