Comfort food. Savory, rich, melt in your mouth comfort food. That is what fall is all about. This Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée is the best kind of comfort food; the healthy kind! This platter meal is perfect for the family, but it’s also so delicious and beautiful you could serve it at any dinner party.
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A close up of Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée sprinkled with pomegranate seeds on a wood platter

 

Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée: with A Whole30/Keto Option!

My oh my this chicken is flavorful! Crispy skin and tender chicken breast infused with lemon and thyme, roasted to perfection and served with my favorite maple cauliflower purée.The combination of flavors here is just out of this world! This delicious recipe is Paleo and can easily be adapted to be Whole30 and keto compliant by subbing butter for ghee and omitting the maple syrup.

Golden Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée drenched in butter!

Chicken Prep:

Pro tip- if you have time, I always recommending brining chicken breasts so they are extra moist and tender. Simply place 1/3 cup sea salt or kosher salt in a large bowl with six cups warm water, stir and place chicken in the salt water for 30 minutes. You can skip this step, but I highly recommend it!

To get that hint of lemon and herbs simply slide a slice of lemon and sprig of thyme under the skin of the chicken breast. Then brown the chicken in a large skillet and pop in the oven to finish! While the chicken roasts, make the cauliflower purée.

Raw chicken breasts stuffed with lemon slices and thyme in preparation to make Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée with a Whole 30 Option

The Cauliflower Purée:

So creamy and decadent, like mashed potatoes but healthier! Simply steam cauliflower until soft, pour into a food processor with butter (or ghee) and a little maple syrup and process until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor you can use a hand held potato masher.

A close up of Cauliflower Purée drenched in melted butter

Use Those Drippings and Garnish!

After roasting the chicken, remove from the pan and set on top of cauliflower purée. Then melt a little butter (or ghee) with those pan drippings and spoon them over the chicken and cauliflower! Garnish with pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries. That beautiful buttery sauce has just a hint of lemon, honestly, this is my new favorite meal.

Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée on a wooden platter next to a black cast iron skillet

The Recipe: Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée

What you will need: a large cast iron pan, a food processor or potato masher. If you’d like another side dish, serve with my green beans.

Paleo Roast Lemon Chicken with Maple Cauliflower Purée
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

A meal the family will love, but fancy enough to serve at dinner parties too! Paleo and Whole30 options offered.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy dinner recipe, Paleo recipes, Whole30 recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Linda Spiker
Ingredients
For chicken: NOTE- if you have time, I always recommending brining chicken breasts so they are extra moist. Simply place 1/3 cup sea salt or kosher salt in a large bowl with six cups warm water, stir. Set chicken in water for 30 minutes. Pat dry and follow directions below.
  • 4 medium sized chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  • 4 slices of lemon
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 small shallots peeled and sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter or ghee
For Cauliflower Purée:
  • 6 cups cauliflower florets
  • 1/4 cup butter (or ghee for my W30 friends)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (Whole30/keto peeps can skip it)
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons parsley and pom seeds, or dried cranberries for garnish, if desired
Instructions
  1. Prep all ingredients before starting
For chicken:
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place oven rack in center position
  2. Use your finger to separate one side of the skin from breast, leaving the opposite side connected (see photo)
  3. Insert lemon slice and sprig of thyme under skin and pull skin back into place
  4. Season both sides of chicken with sea salt and pepper to taste
  5. Place a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on med/high heat
  6. When pan is hot add olive oil. When oil is hot gently place chicken, skin side down, in pan

  7. Cook for six minutes or so, until skin is nicely browned. Add sliced shallots to pan

  8. Place pan into preheated oven, set timer for 20 minutes, when timer goes off, flip the chicken over and cook skin side up for 15 more minutes. While chicken cooks, steam cauliflower
Cauliflower prep:
  1. Steam cauliflower in steamer until soft (10-12 minutes)
  2. Place cauliflower. butter (or ghee) maple syrup, and sea salt, into a food processor and process until smooth.

    If using a hand held potato masher, allow a minute or two extra to get cauliflower pureed. When chicken is ready, place cauliflower mash onto a platter.

Finish chicken:
  1. When chicken is ready remove from oven, place chicken on top of cauliflower puree. Add 2 Tablespoons butter (or ghee) to pan and stir until melted, scraping any chicken bits off bottom of pan. If using cranberries instead of pomegranate seeds add to pan as well. When butter is melted, spoon drippings over chicken and cauliflower. If using parsley and pom seeds, sprinkle over chicken. Serve.

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