Lemon Caper Chicken and Garlic Spinach

Low on effort, but high on flavor. This is how I’d describe this recipe for lemon caper chicken and garlic spinach.

Anytime I can get a bunch of green vegetables in my mouth easily, I’m all for it. Spinach is great for this because – even though this recipe calls for 6 cups of those baby green leaves – it will wilt down so small that it won’t be hard to eat.

Add in the fact that there is no lack of garlic and garlic makes everything better. That’s the truth.

What’s so great about spinach? Well, first of all, it’s loaded down with vitamin C. Vitamin C is great for the immune system. It’s also got vitamin K, folate, fiber, and magnesium. In fact, it’s one of the best dietary sources of magnesium.

I have a couple of favorite ways to get more spinach in my diet. The first being to scramble it up in some eggs. This is a go-to for me almost every morning. The other being to throw a bunch of it in a smoothie.

Cooking it up in a pan with a good chunk of protein is also a great way to get it done. This recipe is pretty dang easy too. As always, even though this recipe is written for 2 servings, you can double or triple it if needed to feed your whole family.

An important part of this recipe (and one you shouldn’t skip) is to make sure you pound out your chicken breasts with a meat mallet. This is to ensure that the pieces are even thickness and will cook thoroughly at similar times. I’d also recommend letting your chicken come to room temperature before cooking it so that the whole piece of meat is the same temperature throughout – to avoid the outside cooking before the inside.

Season the chicken thoroughly with salt and pepper and cook it in a cast-iron (or a heavy-bottomed) skillet until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

At that point, you’re going to turn the heat down and squeeze in the lemon juice and add the capers. Give that 5 minutes or so to mingle together.

Then remove the chicken from the pan, add in more oil, and throw the garlic in and saute for 30 seconds or so. It should start smelling pretty good at this point. Get that spinach in there and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Then, you’ll plate the spinach and add the chicken breast on top. This dish is good as is but would also be great alongside some sweet potatoes or white rice.

Print

Lemon Caper Chicken and Garlic Spinach

Capers add a ton of flavor to this dish without any bad stuff, and when paired with garlicky spinach, this becomes an amazing meal.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine AIP, Paleo

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 256 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 6 cups baby spinach
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until they are an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat half the oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet and add the chicken. Cook until chicken easily releases from the pan with a spatula and flip. Add the lemon juice and capers to the pan.
3. Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes.
4. Remove chicken from the pan, and add the remaining oil. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the spinach to the pan as quickly as you can and cook until wilted.
5. Serve the spinach with the chicken.

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Caper Chicken and Garlic Spinach

Amount Per Serving

Calories 256 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 23g46%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.