Chorizo Smothered Chicken

I think one of the most common questions I see on the various keto Facebook groups is something along the lines of “What do I get when I go out for Mexican food?” The general response is usually something along the lines of “Get a plate of fajitas, don’t eat the tortillas, beans, or rice, and maybe get some guacamole to put on it.” I do this all the time when I’m at a Mexican place. But chorizo is my first love. Most places have a dish that’s a mixture of chicken, chorizo, and queso or ranchero sauce, and it’s delicious, but I like having the fajita veggies too. This meal combines those two things, and I think it turned out great.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need two skillets for this one, an enameled cast iron skillet for the chicken, and a non-stick one for the chorizo and veggies. Start by chopping your vegetables. You’ll need half of a red bell pepper, half of a green bell pepper, half of a yellow bell pepper, and half of an onion, all sliced into strips, and two jalapeños, finely minced. Put those in a bowl and set them aside for now. For your chicken breasts, you’ll want four medium-sized ones, about a pound and a quarter or so. Season those with two teaspoons of Mexican seasoning and an extra half-teaspoon to a teaspoon of salt.

Put both skillets on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of avocado oil to the cast iron skillet. When they reach the proper temperature, put a pound of chorizo in the non-stick skillet and the seasoned chicken breasts into the cast iron. Once the chicken breasts are in there, start breaking up your chorizo into chunks with a spatula, then add the vegetables to the pan. By this point, the chicken should be close to flipping.

While the other side of the chicken is cooking, add 6 ounces of cubed cream cheese to the pan with the chorizo, stirring it until it melts, then add a quarter cup of heavy cream. Stir it until it creates a creamy sauce with a uniform texture. Turn off the two skillets, and pour the chorizo sauce over the chicken breasts in the cast-iron skillet. Top it with a cup of shredded cheese of your choice. I used 3 ounces of chihuahua cheese and an ounce of cheddar, because that’s what I had in open bags in my fridge. Queso blanco or pepper jack would also be awesome. Pop the skillet into the preheated oven for 10 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and the chicken to finish cooking. I served this over cauliflower rice, but honestly, it didn’t really need it. It would have been fine on its own.

Chorizo Smothered Chicken

A Mexican keto dish with sauteed chicken breasts covered in a creamy, cheesy chorizo sauce.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 701 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 4 medium chicken breasts about 1.25 pounds
• 2 tsp Mexican spice blend see notes above
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 lb Mexican chorizo
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1/2 medium yellow onion sliced into strips
• 2 jalapeño peppers
  
  minced
• 6 ounces cream cheese cubed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded cheese see notes above

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a nonstick skillet and an enameled cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with the Mexican spice blend and the salt to taste. Put the oil in the cast iron skillet. Add the chorizo to the nonstick skillet and the chicken to the cast iron skillet.
• Break the chorizo up with a spatula as it cooks, then add the peppers and onions. Flip the chicken after five minutes and set a timer for another five minutes. After flipping the chicken, add the cream cheese to the chorizo mixture and stir until it melts, then stir in the cream.
• When the chicken has cooked for five minutes on both sides, turn off the heat on both skillets and pour the chorizo sauce over the chicken. Top with the cheese and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
• Macros per serving: 701 calories, 7 grams net carbs, 57 grams protein, 48 grams fat.

Keyword chicken, chorizo, easy, high protein, keto, lchf, low carb, Mexican

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