A simple keto chicken dinner ready in 30 minutes. Chicken breasts are sautéed with bacon and asparagus and topped with a robust white cheddar mornay sauce. Only 8 net carbs per serving.
Let’s kick the new year off with a crazy simple one skillet meal, shall we? I’m sure you’re all like me and ready for routines to kick back in, kids to go back to school, and Christmas trees to come down.
By the time January rolls around I am craving simplicity and structure. I want to find my groove for the new year including in the kitchen. That’s why I love simple meals like this one!
When I first started eating a ketogenic diet (in May 2017), I was afraid I would always be hungry. I mean, every other “diet” I had tried restricted me so much that I was always starving so I didn’t really see how keto would be different. I’m saying that because I’m sure you’ve looked at the recipe card below and wondered how 4 people are going to eat from 2 pieces of chicken.
Before keto I would have totally wrote this recipe off and not given it second thought. Let me assure you that this meal is h-e-a-r-t-y and f-i-l-l-i-n-g. Once you eat keto for a while and become fat adapted (read more about that here), you just aren’t as hungry as you used to be. Eating high quality fatty foods keeps you satiated in a way that carby foods just can’t. This is why individual meals can have higher calorie, fat, and protein counts because you’ll find yourself just not eating as much through the day!
This chicken and asparagus meal can be made in just about half an hour and in ONE skillet! I suggest using a nonstick skillet or enameled cast iron skillet (I use this one) for the best results.
If you’re not familiar with a mornay sauce, it is essentially a rich white cheese sauce. Traditional mornay sauces use flour and butter to make a roux but that isn’t keto friendly. I’ve improvised by using butter, cream, and cheeses. You truly wouldn’t know there isn’t flour in this sauce.
Want more one pot meals? Click here!
The chicken, asparagus, bacon pieces, and sauce truly fill you up. If you really need to, you could serve a whole piece of chicken per person but you’ll have to adjust the macros on your own. I would not advise doubling the entire recipe unless you are feeding a crowd. Complete the meal with a Caesar salad and if you’re feeling extra fancy, pour a small glass of Prosecco (that’s my go-to drink these days).
Chicken and Asparagus with White Cheddar Mornay Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts 2 large breasts
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 lb asparagus woody ends trimmed
- 3 slices bacon finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 oz diced onion
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup Extra Sharp White Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 oz cream cheese
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice them in half, butterfly style. You should now have 4 thin chicken breasts. Season each side with salt and pepper.
- Add the avocado oil to a skillet on MED HIGH heat. Lay the chicken breasts in the skillet and sear until a nice crust has formed. If you try to flip the chicken and it feels stuck to the pan, let it continue to cook. It will release easily once it is browned enough. Flip the chicken over and cook until no longer pink. Remove the chicken to plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to MED and add the bacon to the skillet. Cook until crispy and remove to the plate with the chicken. Do not drain the grease.
- Add the asparagus and onion to the skillet and sauté until tender crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the asparagus form the skillet and place on the plate with the chicken and bacon. Do not worry about removing all of the onion.
- Reduce the heat to MED LOW and add the butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, and dijon to the skillet. Whisk until combined. The sauce will be very thick. Thin it out with the chicken stock. Whisk continuously as the sauce cooks, 2-3 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, you may thin it out with more broth or water.
- Add the shredded white cheddar cheese and whisk until melted and combined.
- Add the reserved chicken, asparagus, and bacon to the skillet and toss to coat.
- Plate each with 1 piece of chicken and an equal serving of sauce.
Nutrition