Whole30 Marry Me Chicken

This Whole30 marry me chicken recipe is a dairy free, soy free, totally Whole30-compliant version of our reader favorite marry me chicken. Tender chicken breasts in a rich dairy-free cream sauce with sweet-tart sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. This'll be a staple in your Whole30/paleo meal rotation!

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Yield:6 servings

Equipment

cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet
Tongs
Plate

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado oil
4 large chicken breasts approximately 1 ½ to 2 pounds
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk or coconut cream, or plain Nutpods; see Notes
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes see Notes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½-1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonaded (see Notes), for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Liberally season each chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat avocado oil in cast iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add chicken to skillet. Sear 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and sear on other side 3 minutes. Add a little more oil if chicken starts smoking
Remove pan from heat and transfer seared chicken to plate. Add garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in broth and coconut milk, then slowly add nutritional yeast, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Return skillet to heat. Bring mixture to simmer, then return chicken breasts to skillet. Quickly flip chicken a time or two to coat in sauce, then transfer entire skillet to oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
Remove chicken from skillet and plate with desired sides. Spoon additional sauce from skillet over chicken, garnish with chiffonaded basil, and serve immediately.

Notes

Coconut Milk: For a richer, thicker, creamier sauce, place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. When you open it, you'll see the layer of thick coconut cream on top of the thin coconut milk. Scoop out the coconut cream and use that in this recipe instead. You can also use plain Nutpods if you don't like coconut milk/cream.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Make sure your tomatoes are fully compliant and don't contain any added sugars or sulfites.
To Chiffonade the Basil: Stack fresh basil leaves on top of each other, then roll tightly lengthwise. Use a small, sharp knife to slice the roll into thin ribbons. Slice perpendicular to roll.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik