This high-protein chicken dinner is a wonderful paleo one pot meal. Chicken with Cauliflower and Olives is also bursting with the gorgeous flavors of lemon and thyme.
This hearty, grain-free, savory paleo dinner recipe is a hit with our entire family, and as you can see is an all time fan favorite. I often serve this with a Spinach Salad for a filling, vegetable heavy dinner.
While we eat chicken once or twice per week, I also try to serve the boys (all 3 of them) steak each week as that is their favorite dinner. They are more than happy when I serve them grilled steak with a side of Mashed Cauliflower and Carrot Fries, which also go very well with this paleo chicken recipe.
Chicken with Cauliflower and Olives
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- zest of 1 lemon, use a microplane zester
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel
- Spread thyme sprigs evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- Place chicken over thyme sprigs and scatter cauliflower around chicken
- In a small bowl, combine shallot, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, olives and garlic
- Pour mixture over chicken and cauliflower
- Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight
- Bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and cauliflower is well browned
- Serve
I combined and adapted recipes from Real Simple and food.com to create this easy paleo chicken dinner recipe. I hope you love this dish as much as we do. It’s so festive that I think it’s perfect for the Jewish holidays. I serve it over the High Holy Days, as well as Passover. It’s a great holiday dish because it’s so easy to prepare, but makes such an impressive presentation.
Here are some of my other favorite paleo chicken recipes!
Tracy says
Have you ever tried to freeze it? Do you think if so the olives should be left out? Looking to make as a plan ahead meal.
Elana says
Tracy, I haven’t tried that :-)
JoAnn says
I made this, but used chicken thighs instead of breasts and it was absolutely delicious!!
Elana says
JoAnn, thanks for letting me know these are absolutely delicious!
Jennifer Hyjack says
Do you cover it in the oven while baking?
Elana says
Jennifer, I don’t :-)
Annie says
Hi, I’m wondering can you put the cold glass in the hot oven? Straight from the fridge? Mine started to sound as if it was cracking so I took it out. Do you need to switch pans before cooking? Thanks!
Elana says
Annie, you definitely cannot transfer glass from fridge to oven, but it’s fine for Pyrex :-)
Nicholas Parkes says
Looks nothing like the photos though ( given the instructions are to combine ie blitz the olives as a marinade)
Elana says
Nicholas, thanks for your comment. Not sure if we’re looking at the same recipe since the instructions for this one say, “In a small bowl, combine…olives and garlic,” then say to pour the mixture over chicken. Nothing about “blitzing” here :-)
Nicholas Parkes says
So combine doesnt mean blend? Whoops
Elana says
Nicholas, nope. LMK if you have any other questions, I’m happy to help!
Nicholas Parkes says
Fabulous marinade, tasted bloody amazing!!
Served with sweet potato fries (last minute addition as I didn’t make enough cauliflower).
Elana says
Thanks Nicholas!