Crispy Garlic-Herb Chicken with Parmesan Cauliflower Rice

A double dose of parmesan, lemon, garlic, and herbs?

Count me in.

Do you ever crave a meal where the varying ingredients echo each other? Say, strawberry pie with strawberry ice cream? Garlicky steak with garlicky mashed potatoes?

Raises hands and smiles thinking of mashed potatoes.

Don’t get me wrong. For the most part, I dig when flavors bebop from one taste bud to another. Like in Asian cuisine, for example, where salty, sour, savory, and sweet notes are often weaved together.

Take Pad Thai.

Wait, don’t take it. I haven’t had lunch yet.

Pad Thai is a bebopper. In this traditional pan-fried noodle bowl, you’re met with a melody of tart tamarind, funky fish sauce, and caramel-like palm sugar. The result is like putting your tongue in an electric socket then squeezing lime on your head.

Just another Saturday night.

Here’s what I’m getting at. With Pad Thai, each component has a different flavor profile that balances the others.

But when all I want is for the elements of my meal to reflect each other, I reach for this crispy chicken and cauliflower rice.

In case you’re still not picking up what I’m throwing down—let me confuse you even more by moving along to Middle Eastern food. When I’ve got Greek grub on the brain, there are several ingredients I’ll undoubtedly stretch through every fragment of my kitchen concoction.

Among other things, the tender lamb kebabs will be marinated in lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs (likely dill, parsley, and oniony chives—thank you for asking). The cool, creamy tzatziki sauce loaded with cold shredded cucumber will also be infused with lemon, garlic, and herbs. To
go alongside: a crisp, refreshing veggie-packed salad that will most definitely be dressed with—you guessed it…

Cargo pants!

Just kidding.

Garlic, lemon, and herbs will once again make an appearance. While it might seem repetitive, this is a lesson in lending flavors to create harmony. And when it comes to harmonies, I could listen to lemon, garlic, and herbs make beautiful music all day long.

Throw parmesan into the mix, and it’s game over.

Speaking of endings—the moral of this convoluted flavor fairy tale comes back to my original point. Occasionally, your palate is looking to be taken on a wild ride, while sometimes—it merely longs for similar flavors strung together.

Though this recipe isn’t Middle Eastern, it does include those dynamic aromatics I rambled on about earlier. Along with sharp, salty parmesan—lemon, garlic, and herbs are present and prominent in every delicious forkful of this easy dish.

Not only do they cling to the cauliflower rice, but they’re mirrored in the chicken whose gloriously golden-brown crust came about thanks to encouragement from the cheese.

Also, cauliflower is a vegetable (not a carb-heavy starch), so don’t be shy about second helpings. The rice is delicate, fluffy, nutty from the parm, and bright from the lemon. When huddled together with that herby, pungent, crispy chicken—happiness is simply unavoidable.

Did this long-winded message make you happy and hungry? Good. Me too.

Chef’s Tips

• Can’t find those convenient, already-thin chicken cutlets at your local market? Bring home regular boneless, skinless breasts and lay them flat on your cutting board. One at a time, place your palm on top of the chicken and, with a very sharp knife parallel to the board, slice horizontally through the center of the breast to create two thin pieces. Congratulations, you just made cutlets!
• Be careful flipping your parmesan-crusted chicken in the pan as the coating is delicate and can come off easily. For a thicker crust, go with a traditional breading station (flour, egg wash, then the panko-parm-garlic mix).
• Turn any plain leftover riced cauliflower into low-carb Chinese fried rice. Toodle-oo Sunday night takeout costs!

Detailed Instructions with Photos:

Step 1 – Chop the Aromatics and Season the Chicken

Preheat the oven to 300° F.

Chop the oregano, thyme, and parsley and mince the shallots and garlic.

Season the chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of the red pepper flakes.

Step 2 – Bread and Sear the Chicken

In a shallow bowl, combine ½ cup of the parmesan with the panko, oregano, thyme, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and the garlic powder. Dredge the chicken breasts in the parmesan-garlic-herb mixture, pressing to adhere.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet like a cast iron over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil. When the butter begins to foam and sizzle, add the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown and almost entirely cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack and bake until cooked through about 5-8 more minutes.

Step 3 – Rice and Cook the Cauliflower

Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and swirl to coat the pan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute.

Add the riced cauliflower and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring often, for 1 minute and then add the chicken broth, lemon zest, and juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed.

Step 4 – Add the Parmesan and Serve

Stir in the remaining ¼ cup parmesan cheese and season to taste for additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Evenly divide the parmesan cauliflower rice among plates, top with crispy chicken, garnish with the remaining parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

All About Aromatics.

From onions to citrus to floral, fresh herbs—aromatics are the flavorful backbones of a dish that wake up your senses. Basically, things that make you go mmm.

And when it comes to those yummy game changers, I have just as much fun playing around on my palate as I do keeping it simple. Don’t feel like overlapping the savory garlic and parmesan in both parts of this recipe?

Give your chicken some sweet and spicy notes instead with an apricot jam, butter, and cayenne glaze. Giddyup!

Looking for more chicken-friendly concepts that marry marvelously with rice? These recipes will do the trick:

30-Minute Thai Chicken Coconut Curry
Creamy Indian Butter Chicken
Savory Authentic Peanut Chicken Curry