Chicken asado is a simple yet tasty dish originating from the Philippines. Asado combines garlic, chili, and a mix of other spices to create a succulent dish that’s packed with protein and other goodness. Our recipe combines all of the flavors of a traditional chicken asado, but with a few small changes, it transforms into a keto-friendly dish that’s a perfect addition to a keto diet.
The star of this dish is the succulent chicken thighs that are covered and cooked in a beautiful mix of spices and then served with a dash of fresh lemon juice to enhance the flavors.
While the chicken gives you a great source of protein, asado chicken pairs magnificently with spinach. Spinach is low in calories but high in nutrients, ensuring you receive all the good stuff without adding much to your daily calorie count. All you’ve got to do is add the spinach to a pan and sauté it down for a couple of minutes before serving.
This recipe can be conveniently cooked in one skillet to reduce clean-up time, and it uses ingredients that you’ve most likely already got in your pantry. Packed with flavor, this chicken and spinach dish is perfect for lunch or dinner straight out of the pan or reheated the next day!
Yields 4 servings of Keto Asado Chicken with Spinach
The Preparation
- 16 ounce boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, plus more
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced + divided
- 6 cup spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
The Execution
1. Measure out and prepare all of the ingredients.
2. In a bowl, mix together the chicken stock, lemon juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and half of the minced garlic.
3. Add the chicken thighs into the bowl with this marinade. Make sure all of the chicken gets coated with this mixture. Cover the bowl and let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. While the chicken is soaking up the marinade, add olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add in the other half of the minced garlic and the spinach. Sautee for 2 – 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Set this aside when done.
5. In the same frying pan, add olive oil and cook up the marinated chicken thighs over medium heat. Save the extra marinade! Cook for about 10 – 12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F.
6. Over low heat, cook the extra marinade in the same frying pan for about 2 – 3 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken thighs with the sauteed spinach, lemon slices, and extra marinade. Enjoy!
This makes a total of 4 servings of Keto Asado Chicken with Spinach. Each serving comes out to be 312 calories, 24.3g fat, 3.4g net carbs, and 21.5g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 16.00 ounce boneless, skinless chicken thighs | 649 | 40.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76.9 |
| 0.25 cup chicken broth | 4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| 0.25 cup lemon juice | 10 | 0.1 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 3 | 0.3 |
| 0.25 cup olive oil | 477 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1.00 tablespoon smoked paprika | 19 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1 |
| 2.00 teaspoon cumin | 15 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| 2.00 teaspoon oregano | 7 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| 0.50 teaspoon onion powder | 4 | 0 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| 4.00 teaspoon fresh garlic | 17 | 0.1 | 3.8 | 0.2 | 3.5 | 0.7 |
| 6.00 cup spinach | 41 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 5.4 |
| 0.50 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes | 3 | 0.2 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 0.00 none salt and pepper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 1247 | 97.3 | 23.1 | 9.4 | 13.6 | 85.9 |
| Per Serving (/4) | 312 | 24.3 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 21.5 |
Asado Chicken with Spinach
Ingredients
- 16 ounce boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup lemon juice plus more as needed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 4 teaspoon fresh garlic minced + divided
- 6 cup spinach
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Measure out and prepare all the ingredients.
- In a bowl, mix together the chicken stock, lemon juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, and half of the minced garlic.
- Add the chicken thighs into the bowl with this marinade. Make sure all of the chicken gets coated with this mixture. Cover the bowl and let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is soaking up the marinade, add olive oil to to a frying pan over medium heat. Add in the other half of the minced garlic and the spinach. Sautee for 2 - 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Set this aside when done.
- In the same frying pan, add olive oil and cook up the marinated chicken thighs over medium heat. Save the extra marinade! Cook for about 10 - 12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Over low heat, cook the extra marinade in the same frying pan for about 2 - 3 minutes.
