Hip hip hooray, I’ve finally got a new recipe for you!! Sorry for the radio silence around here… it’s been an extra busy season of life these past few months. Beside all the ordinary craziness of pandemic parenting (if you know, you know!!), my husband was also away for an extended period of time with work which made for some interesting times single parenting 😉 … and after that we bought a house and moved (just locally at least!). Never a dull moment I tell you!
Now that things are starting to return to a new normal around here I’m finally finding a bit of time to get back to posting new recipes, yay!! If you’d like to see more day to day content, be sure to follow me over on Instagram for lots of kitchen tips and recipes. Now who’s ready for a fun new chicken breast recipe?!!
Something I’ve missed since we began eating dairy free, is a rich, creamy, chicken dish. Something warm and comforting for the colder months that’s packed full of flavour and creamy goodness. I set out to create something that checked all these boxes while being gluten and dairy free. Let me tell you, we have a real winner on our hands here!
Full fat coconut milk (do not bother with “lite” coconut milk) is an excellent stand in for the typical heavy cream. It adds a slightly unique taste to the dish without tasting “coconut-ty”. Chicken broth (I like to use bouillon for small amounts, like in this recipe) adds a depth of flavour and nutritional yeast provides that cheese-y finish you’d usually get with parmesan cheese. Plenty of garlic and a good measure of spinach round out this surprisingly simple, but oh so delicious skillet dinner. If you aren’t dairy free, you can easily swap in the standard dairy ingredients for an equally delicious dish. There’s no compromise in flavour either way, I promise!!
I’m excited to hear what you guys think about this one. If you give it a try, be sure to leave me a comment down below how it went for you and what you served it with! It’s so fun hearing how you guys make these recipes your own. I hope you are all are safe, happy, and warm this new year, it’s good to be back 🙂
Creamy Spinach and Garlic Chicken (Gluten and Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 3-4 Large boneless skinless chicken breasts, portioned into 6-8 pieces total*
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp fat of choice ghee, coconut oil, vegan butter, or butter if not dairy free
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 400ml can full fat coconut milk or 1 1/2 cups cashew cream or heavy cream if not dairy free
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast sub grated parmesan cheese if not dairy free
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with Italian seasoning, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper.*See how I portion chicken breasts here.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until nicely browned. Sear in batches if necessary. Remove chicken to a plate (it will not be cooked through).
- Reduce heat to medium low. Melt fat of choice in the pan and saute the minced garlic for 1 minute, careful not to burn.
- Add chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the spinach and stir to wilt. Add chicken and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until sauce is slightly reduced/thickened and chicken is cooked through. Be sure to taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary. Salt will bring out more flavour, pepper adds heat, more nutritional yeast will add a cheese-y flavour.
- Serve chicken with plenty of pan sauce spooned over top. Garnish with crushed red chili flakes and/or fresh green herbs like parley, basil, or chives, if desired. Enjoy!
Featured in This Post:
This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!
Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Pan – My everyday go to, most used pan. I keep it on the stovetop because I use it so often there is no point in putting it away. I keep it nicely oiled and it is better than any non-stick pan I’ve ever had. It gives the best sear and I am happy knowing there are no weird chemicals or coating potentially going into our family’s food. The size is perfect for our large family. This is probably my number one staple piece of equipment in the kitchen.
Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk– This is my go to brand for making whipped coconut cream. The other brands just don’t seem to be as creamy or solidify when refrigerated – such a disappointment when you open the can in the morning ready to whip up some cream. This brand has never failed me!Â
Nutritional Yeast – You’ll hear me talk about this a lot, and that’s because I put this stuff on just about everything! Nutritional Yeast is high in B12 vitamins (which boost your mood and give you energy), as well as protein. It is low in calories and carbohydrates and has a delicious salty/savoury flavour. It is a great dairy free substitute to give that “cheesy” flavour to your dishes. I love sprinkling it on my pasta, omelettes, salads, soup, etc. Think of it as a superfood replacement for your typical “shaker” parmesan cheese.
This was delicious!!
So glad to hear it!!
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and wasn’t disappointed. I’m a coeliac and eating dairy and soy free while breastfeeding. It’s challenging to find flavour some meals- this was a winner! Will become a regular in my household.
That is so nice to hear, Eloise, thanks for taking the time to leave a review!