Chicken glorious chicken! I am not a fan of chicken generally. It’s as flavorless as a meat can be without added amazingness in the form of aromatics and flavor boosters. I love balsamic vinegar, though, and garlic is a must, if for no other reason than to keep the sparkly vampires at bay.
Tip: Crispy snap peas are an amazing addition to this dish. The cool crispness of the peas works wonderfully with the moody, earthy flavors of the mushrooms and vinegar. Green beans are another perfect addition.
This recipe freaked me out a little so I took only one picture of the process (I am sorry for I am lame). I get so caught up in trying to do things the right way that I’m lost in taking notes and moving to the next step. I am such a spaz!
Tip: Since balsamic vinegar is not Atkins Induction Friendly (it contains a scant amount of sugar), neither is this recipe. It still clocks in at a low 2.9 carbohydrates.
Tip: Don’t add a gum or thickener to the sauce. It reduces on its own.
I was ‘sleepless in Denver’ last night, so excuse me while I take some liberties with this post. Things that normally don’t make me laugh are totally cracking me up at this moment. Lack of sleep has the same effect on me that alcohol used to in college: I think everything is 10 times funnier than it probably is.
Tip: Need to cover a lidless pan on the stove top? Use a cookie sheet, but be careful to use an oven mitt when handling the makeshift pan cover. It heats up faster than you’d think.
The flavor? Surprisingly mild for the balsamic and the garlic, but if you cut the chicken and get mushrooms and sauce in each bite, you’ll love life with your chicken just that bit more.
Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms
4 large chicken breasts
4 Tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp organic sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh-milled black pepper
2 cups sliced, fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 cup organic chicken broth
Rinse breasts and pat dry. Now do the same with the chicken. (Ha ha ha!)
On a cutting board, remove and discard the membranes. Slice chicken lengthwise into 3 strips. Dredge in coconut flour mixed with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a 12″ skillet on the stove over medium heat. Cook garlic until caramelized, about 1 minute. Remove the garlic to a bowl. Add the chicken to the pan. Fry for 3 minutes on each side, first on the top and the bottom, and then on each side. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, balsamic vinegar and chicken broth. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and keep covered with foil until serving. Cook the sauce until reduced, uncovered, for 5-10 more minutes. Serve over chicken.
Makes 6 servings (2 strips each plus mushrooms and sauce).
Nutritional information: Calories: 351, Carbohydrates: 3.4 g, Fiber: .5 g, Net Carbohydrates: 2.9 g, Protein: 45 g, Fat: 16 g
Here served up with lettuce for a summer salad bit of pep.
LOL!!!! Looks delicious by the way!
I am so glad you get me…
Sounds divine.
Wow! Jamie, you did it again! You are indeed a wonder!
I NEVER thought of cooking with balsamic…and you just taught me how!
Thank you!
Gladys
I love your sense of humor 🙂 This recipe looks fabulous!!
Thank you and thank you!
Jamie ~ what carb count did you use for the balsamic vinegar? I love it, but I understood that it was very carby (like, 2-3 grams/tbs)
I used the carb count from Fitday.com, and it matches perfectly your summation: 10.9 carbs for 4 Tbsp. I accounted for that in the servings for sure.
“Rinse breasts and pat dry. Now do the same with the chicken. (Ha ha ha!)”
I had to read this three times and then I had to get up off the floor. 8=)
I am glad you liked that! I laughed when I wrote it. It was a brain fart I loved too much to dismiss.
Now do the same with the chicken. Hilarious! My office mates already think I have a few squirrels in my attic, but bursting into laughter at my desk certainly reinforces prevailing opinion. Love the site, love balsamic, and may have to cheat a bit on the sugar to have this one.
I am a fan of the balsamic, but I have to still use caution when sharing that it contains some sugar. I don’t want to mislead anyone or goof up their plans. I like balsamic! I am glad you got a kick out of the breasts. It was so silly.
Too funny! And the recipe looks wonderful, also looks good enough for company, thank you!
Thank you, Nancy. You da best.
Another recipe I have to try!
Looks so delicious I can’t imagine that a question of being healthy or not will even come up — just “Can I have more?”
Sounds amazing!! I’m going to make this over the weekend…Does the coconut flour add anything? I was thinking of ommiting it, but if you think it’s worth it….
The coconut flour helped me brown the chicken just the littlest bit. It didn’t add anything discernible in terms of flavor. Good question!
Another fab recipe. Only a matter of time before food sites post as their own. I still see red when your pizza crust is posted without ant mention of you. You are very generous.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I think a lot of my recipes hit other sites and people don’t realize where they came from because they’ve been online since 2008! I am proud that my work is a standard, even though I’m no longer often receiving the credit.
Couldn’t get past step one when my hubby walked into the kitchen and wanted to help–Ha Ha!
Seriously, though, I had it in the back of my mind that balsamic vinegar was a possible no-no for those needing to eat gluten free–probably because of the caramel coloring. I did a little research online and the consensus seems to be that caramel coloring is gluten free: “gluten-containing ingredients are no longer used to make caramel coloring in North America” source–
https://celiacdisease.about.com/od/celiacdiseasefaqs/f/Caramel_Coloring.htm
And, that balsamic vinegar was also gluten free. The balsamic vinegar I did toss out a few years ago was imported from Italy, so it may have been a problem.
Wow! I never knew that! It never occurred to me that balsamic vinegar could contain wheat of all things (I’m glad you looked and confirmed it doesn’t). How crazy is that? It seems to be in everything! Thanks for the reminder to double check ingredients, just in case. I know once I read that even Twizzlers contain wheat!
Balsamic vinegar is *not* a favorite in my house, so I substituted tarragon vinegar, and the recipe was a big hit for tonight’s dinner! Will make this again, maybe trying apple cider vinegar next time. Thanx Jamie!
I love your substitution, Giselda! You rock. I appreciate you sharing what works for you and what the outcome was!
I did this recipe on Fri night keto style with a little coconut oil and heavy cream in the sauce. Really tasty. But I adore garlic so anything garlic and you’ve got me. LOL
Garlic is absolutely amazing! I love it. The heavy cream would be a bonus as well. I love it, Danni!
Jaime, you are making me look like a gourmet cook to my husband. haha…Thanks ever so much.
You did all of the heavy lifting. I’m glad I could help!
Hi Jamie
I made this dish last night with some mashed “mock” caulitaters and brocolli w/alonds.. OH my gosh.. so good.. I thougt I was eating mash potatoes and chicken with gravy… Thank you.. you are my LOW carb Queen
You are so sweet! You don’t have to make me queen. I’d settle for Grand Duchess…
I am so glad the recipe came out as you hoped it would!
I am new to eating low carb meals, I ran across your website on pintrest. I am making this chicken right now, I am so excited to try your recipes.
Hi! It’s so nice to meet you! I hope you love this recipe.
Thought you’d be interested in knowing that balsamic (w/o added sugar) is now allowable on the Atkins diet induction phase. Here’s the link to their site: https://www.atkins.com/Science/Articles—Library/Nutrition-News/Spring-Clean-Your-Kitchen–Low-carb-tips-for-an-At.aspx
This dish was wonderful! I just recently started the low-carb regimen and have tried a number of recipes from other resources. The result was disappointment that left me wondering if this way of eating is sustainable. Thanks to you, I believe it can be!
I didn’t have coconut flour, so used almond flour instead. I also substituted half of the oil with coconut oil. And then I threw in some heavy cream at the end. I’m not a fan of balsamic, but this was amazing. Tasted like a red wine reduction. And it got rave reviews.
All I can say is thank you, thank you!
Thoroughly rinsed and patted dry breasts are important for every good cook. And for chicken recipes, too. LOL When I laughed, my husband asked why. I read it to him. He didn’t get it. Guess he needs to be rinsed and patted? Sounds like fun!
HAHAH!!