Keto Approved Garlic Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

This flavorful garlic chicken with roasted cauliflower packs a mouthwatering meal for any night of the week. Roasting the cauliflower takes this cruciferous vegetable from a shy background actor to a complex star of the show. And paired with the pungent garlic-rubbed chicken with the nutty aroma of pan-toasted walnuts, you won’t believe the flavors you’re able to create with such a simple but delicious keto-approved recipe.

Read on after the recipe for some great nutrition facts, plus our best tips on keeping cauliflower al dente and how to bake perfectly moist chicken breast every time!

Keto Friendly Garlic Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 4

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 377 / Fat: 13g / Protein: 57g / Carbs: 7g

Garlic Chicken With Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients

4 8-oz Skinless Chicken Breasts
16 oz Cauliflower, trimmed
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
5 t Olive Oil
1/2 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Salt
1 oz Dried Walnuts

Garlic Chicken With Roasted Cauliflower Instructions

For Chicken:

Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit.
If desired, prepare your chicken using the first three steps of the B.B.R.R.R. method. (See below!)
Place chicken on baking sheet.
Spread 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic onto each breast.
Bake uncovered until done, about 15-18 minutes.
Remove from oven and cover with foil to rest.

For Cauliflower:

Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
Heat a skillet over medium and toast walnuts for 1-2 minutes, and then chop them into pieces.
Wash and trim cauliflower into larger bite-size florets.
In a bowl, combine cauliflower, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread out the cauliflower evenly over a baking pan and cook in oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Toss the cauliflower with the walnuts and serve with the chicken.

Is Roasted Cauliflower Healthy?

Cauliflower is one of the best low carb vegetables out there, making it a great addition to any keto diet. But it’s not just its low carb quality that makes cauliflower great. Did you know that cauliflower is packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals? In fact, just one cup of cooked cauliflower contains about 80% of your daily recommended vitamin C, plus plenty of vitamin K, vitamin B6, and folate, among others! It also contains much-needed antioxidants.

Cauliflower is a super versatile veggie that’s easy to add to any healthy diet. It’s a great low-carb way to switch out breads, buns, and pizza crusts. It’s also simple to cook in a variety of ways to keep you coming back for more.

Why Is My Roasted Cauliflower Mushy?

So what if you’ve tried roasted cauliflower before and ended up with something more like mush than a beautifully textured vegetable? Well, this garlic chicken with roasted cauliflower is made all the better by a perfectly toothsome bite. So how do you get it?

Avoiding mushy cauliflower is easy—just don’t add too much oil and don’t overcook it! These are common mistakes with roasted vegetables that leave you with greasy mush, which absolutely no one wants. The 5 teaspoons of olive oil called for in our garlic chicken roasted cauliflower recipe is just the right amount for one pound of cauliflower. If you’re ever preparing less, or preparing vegetables with greater water content, cut back on the oil and cooking time and you’ll end up with that satisfying al dente bite each time.

How Do You Cut Cauliflower for Roasting?

Preparing and cutting cauliflower is super simple. Just rinse and core the head of cauliflower first. Then either break or cut off the larger cauliflower florets with a sharp knife and cut them down into bite-sized pieces. You’ll just want to make sure the sizes are fairly consistent so you get even cooking throughout.

How Do You Cook Chicken Without Drying it Out?

There are several great ways to cook chicken without drying it out. But the number one dry chicken culprit? Overcooking. Dry or even rubbery chicken is any food lover’s worst enemy, whereas a juicy chicken breast that has retained all its own liquids is enough to make you swoon.

We discovered a great method for ensuring you keep chicken moist in the oven using the acronym B.B.R.R.R., which stands for Brine, Brush, Rub, Roast, Rest. So once you’ve brined (if you want to) your chicken breast, brushed and rubbed in your flavorings (like the garlic in this recipe), you’re ready to roast. We suggest high heat for a shorter amount of time in order to get that incredible crispy crust and really lock in those to-die-for juices! Then, once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven, cover with foil and rest it while you complete the remainder of the dish.

Perfectly juicy chicken breast in the oven every time!

What Is Healthier—Baked or Grilled Chicken?

Both grilled and baked chicken are healthy ways to prepare this common protein. Some may argue that they take to the grill to remove the necessity of added fats like butter or oil but keto dieters will disagree. Adding healthy fats to your keto diet is important for remaining in ketosis, which means that butter and olive oil are a positive addition to your baked chicken in this garlic chicken roasted cauliflower recipe.

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