Description
This Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Skillet is a flavorful and wholesome one-pan meal featuring tender boneless chicken breasts cooked to golden perfection, simmered in a rich homemade creamy sauce made with almond milk and gluten-free flour, and complemented by tender broccoli florets. It’s a quick, easy, and comforting dish perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sauce and Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or any other milk)
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (or any other flour)
- 1 medium broccoli head, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges, optional for serving
Instructions
- Season the Chicken: Rub the 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts with kosher salt, ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning evenly on all sides to ensure maximum flavor.
- Prepare the Sauce Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of almond milk and 1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps, then set it aside.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook each side for about 6-7 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover to keep warm.
- Sauté Garlic: In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic cloves and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously to avoid burning and to release its aroma.
- Add and Thicken Sauce: Slowly pour the prepared almond milk and flour mixture into the pan, stirring constantly. The sauce should begin to thicken almost immediately as it heats up.
- Cook Broccoli: Add the chopped broccoli florets to the pan with the sauce and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is tender but still crisp.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the pan, nestling them into the sauce and broccoli mixture. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes to heat the chicken through and meld the flavors.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from heat and garnish with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for an optional fresh citrus brightness.
Notes
- If using thick chicken breasts, slice them horizontally into thinner pieces to ensure even cooking and reduce cooking time.
- This dish may taste less creamy when using almond milk; feel free to substitute whole milk or canned lite coconut milk for a richer sauce.
- Italian seasoning is suggested, but you can customize the chicken seasoning with paprika, onion powder, or other favorite herbs and spices.
- Fresh garlic is preferred; however, garlic powder can be used in a pinch.
- Olive oil is used here, but any cooking oil such as avocado, vegetable, or grapeseed oil works well.
- Broccoli provides a great texture and flavor, but you can substitute with other vegetables like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, green beans, or zucchini.
- You may substitute boneless chicken thighs in place of breasts; note that nutritional values will change slightly.
- Any type of flour works to thicken the sauce, including gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour.
