South American garden chicken with cauliflower rice

South American garden chicken with cauliflower rice

This South American saucy chicken dish is perfect over cauliflower rice. Usually made with potatoes, peas, and carrots, We’ve traded these classic ingredients for less starchy low carb counterparts while maintaining the authentic flavor. Make this in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) or on the stove.

South American garden chicken with cauliflower rice

This South American saucy chicken dish is perfect over cauliflower rice. Usually made with potatoes, peas, and carrots, We’ve traded these classic ingredients for less starchy low carb counterparts while maintaining the authentic flavor. Make this in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) or on the stove.
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

Garden chicken
  • 3 tbsp 3 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
  • 1 (4 oz.) 1 (110 g) yellow onion, dicedyellow onions, diced
  • 4 (523 oz.) 4 (160 g) celery stalk, dicedcelery stalks, diced
  • 2 2 bay leafbay leaves
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp fine salt, more to taste
  • 2 tbsp 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped or fresh oregano
  • 1½ lbs 650 g boneless chicken thighs, skinless
  • ¾ cup 180 ml pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup 240 ml chicken broth
  • 6 oz. 170 g pitted green olives
  • 1 1 lemonlemons
Cauliflower rice
  • 1 lb 450 g cauliflower
  • ½ tsp ½ tsp salt
  • 2 oz. 55 g butter or coconut oil
This recipe has been added to the shopping list.

Instructions

Garden chicken

  1. Heat your pressure cooker on sauté mode.
  2. Add in the oil, onion, celery and bay leaves. Sauté for 8 minutes, or until tender.
  3. Add in the salt, herbs and chicken thighs. Cook for another 8 minutes, turning the chicken over occasionally to brown the thighs.
  4. Add in the pumpkin puree, broth, and drained olives. Mix well.
  5. Cancel the sauté function of your pressure cooker. Close the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 25 minutes.
  6. Once the pressure has released, open the lid, use two forks or tongs to shred the chicken.
  7. If you want to reduce the liquid, you can set it to sauté mode again and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. Squeeze the lemon into it, stir and serve hot!

Cauliflower rice

  1. Using a grater or grater attachment on a food processor, shred the entire cauliflower head.
  2. Melt butter or coconut oil in a skillet. Add the cauliflower and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until the riced cauliflower has softened a bit. Add salt while frying. You can also cook the grated cauliflower in the microwave. Put it in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave it for 5-6 minutes. Mix in the butter or coconut oil and let it melt.

Make it on the stove top

This garden chicken recipe can easily be made stove top by following the instructions up to the browning and then instead of pressure cooking, simmering over low heat for 45 minutes.

Recommended special equipment

Pressure cooker

DD+ MEMBERSHIP
Healthy meal plans
Meal plans that work

Want to lose weight and improve your health? Try a ketogenic (keto), low-carb, or high-protein diet. Stay on track by following our nutritionally reviewed meal plans.

Low-carb recipes
1,333 💙 Low-carb recipes

Whether you’re looking for high-protein, strict keto, or liberal low-carb recipes, here you’ll find tons of tasty recipes to choose from. Discover our wide range of healthy recipes.

The Diet Doctor food policy
Our food policy

There are many thoughts and ideas about what foods are and aren’t part of a healthy diet. Learn more about what foods you can expect from our recipes.


💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

6 comments

  1. Victoria
    This is (was) great. I subbed capers for olives as I was out of olives. I also added some fresh tarragon and rosemary along with the fresh thyme. To spice it up a bit, I added a few organically home grown and smoked chili peppers. This recipe is a keeper and perfect for a snowy eve.
  2. Sylvia
    Great and delicious! I didn't have a pressure cooker so just cooked on stove!
  3. Mariyam
    Can you please suggest a substitute for pumpkin puree
    Replies: #4, #5
  4. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    Can you please suggest a substitute for pumpkin puree

    We have not tested this recipe with substitutions for the pumpkin.

  5. Denise P
    carrot or any root veg puree (except beets)
  6. euodia.roets
    I used 650g of chicken thighs on the bone and deboned after cooking. This was really good, zesty and saucy, the combination of bay leaf, lemon juice and fresh thyme works well. My husband also really enjoyed it. Oh and I didn't use a pressure cooker, just a pot on the stove.

Leave a reply

Reply to comment #0 by