Author:
Kevin Curry
Low Carb Mediterranean Diet Chicken Recipe With Tabbouleh
According to US News & World report, the overall best diet for 2019 is the Mediterranean Diet; yet, undoubtedly the MOST popular diet is the ketogenic diet. So, today’s Mediterranean diet chicken recipe essentially tries to marry the two into one hearty, flavorful recipe by making it lower carb and fully loaded with fresh ingredients and herbs.
In case you’re not familiar, the Mediterranean diet is an approach to healthy eating and living based off Mediterranean cuisine and lifestyle. So, just think lots of color and lots of fresh, natural ingredients. Check out my recent YouTube video overview of the diet.
While there are no overarching guidelines that you would normally find with a restrictive diet, the Mediterranean diet does have some “central themes.”
- priority placed on enjoying fresh fruits & vegetables
- use more herbs instead of loads of salt to season to food
- mono-saturated fats OVER saturated fats
- eat poultry and fish twice a week
- red meat is scattered a few times throughout the month
- must perform regular exercise or stay physically active
For this easy Mediterranean chicken recipe, we swap cracked bulgur wheat with cauliflower to lower the amount of carbohydrates, and I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts to raise the amount of fat in the overall meal so it is slightly more satisfying.
Ingredients for 4 servings
- Chicken
- 1 1/2 lb chicken thighs, fat trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- Low-Carb Tabbouleh
- 1 lb cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1 cup (tightly packed) finely chopped parsley
- 1/3 cup (tightly packed) finely chopped mint
- juice from 1 lemon (or more/less to taste)
- pinch of sea salt & pepper (to taste)
STEPS
Step 1
Set oven to 420F/216C.
Step 2
Season chicken thighs in a large bowl. Let them rest/marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3
Spray an oven safe nonstick skillet with a little olive oil, then place on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, toss in the marinated chicken thighs. Sear on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until the outside has dark edges and is crispy. Place in the oven and bake for 6 to 10 minutes.
Step 4
Add cauliflower florets to a food processor and pulse blend to create cauliflower “couscous.” Add it a bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Fold and mix everything together and season to taste with sea salt & pepper (and any other of the ingredients EXCEPT for oil).
Step 5
Build the meals and enjoy!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Kevin
My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.
By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!