LEMON GARLIC BUTTER CHICKEN GREEN BEANS SKILLET
One of my favorite meals to cook up for Sunday dinner is hands down my Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Green Beans Skillet! Not only is this dish seriously flavorful, but also a delicious comfort meal— which is perfect for a Sunday evening. For me, making a ‘balanced’ meal that includes a savory protein and yummy veggies is how I like to start off my meal prepping for the week.
What I also love about this meal is that it’s super easy to make and takes literally no time. This dish is also pretty budget friendly. It’ll cost you no more than $20, if that, for all of the ingredients it takes to prepare it. Depending on how many pieces you make, it can give you plenty of left overs to have again the next evening or to take for lunch.
Cooking chicken in the skillet is something I’ve always tried to perfect. For this recipe I chose bone-in skin on. The bone helps the thigh retain moisture and because chicken thighs are reliably tender and flavor-packed it’s easily my favorite alternatives. Although they are higher in fat and calories than breasts, because of the dark meat in the thigh, there are methods for keeping the fat and calories to a minimum. This method is Paleo, Low Carb (360 per serving), and Keto-friendly if that’s your thing.
INGREDIENTS:
3-6 Chicken thighs
1 pound of Green Beans
3 Tablespoons of Butter ( I used Earth Balance soy free butter spread)
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
Juice 1/2 lemon + slices
125ml of Chicken or Veggie Stock
Chili Pepper flakes
Parsley
DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Season chicken thighs with the spice mixture. Set aside while you prepare your green beans.
Arrange green beans in a microwave-safe dish with 125ml water. Cook in microwave for 8-10 minutes, until almost done but still crisp.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Lay the seasoned chicken thighs in one layer in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes then flip and cook another 5-6 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
In the skillet, lower the heat and melt the remaining tablespoon butter. Add parsley, garlic, red crushed chili pepper flakes, and pre-cooked green beans and cook for 5 minutes, until cooked to your liking. Deglaze with lemon juice and chicken stock and reduce the sauce for a couple of minutes, until slightly thickened.
Add cooked chicken thighs back to the pan and reheat quickly. Adjust seasoning with pepper and serve the lemon garlic butter chicken thighs immediately, garnish with more crush chili pepper, fresh parsley, and a slice of lemon if you like.
Enjoy!
I’ve linked some of my kitchen essentials in this post. Sometimes it’s good to update your cooking utensils and tools. It makes all of the difference when preparing your meals.
Let me know if you end up trying this meal!
