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2 thighs of rosemary honey chicken served over cauli smash in white plate
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Rosemary-Honey Chicken with Smashed Cauliflower

Rosemary-Honey Chicken with Smashed Cauliflower is a delicious comfort food dinner made with a lovely rosemary simple syrup.
Course DInner
Cuisine American, French
Keyword aip, cauliflower, chicken, gaps diet, gluten-free, paleo, rosemary
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 717kcal
Author Megan
Cost $12

Equipment

  • saucepan
  • oven

Ingredients

Rosemary-Honey Chicken

  • 3.5 to 4 lbs chicken thighs skinless, boneless (OR with skin and bone, if preferred)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup honey Use low carb honey for Keto.
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard (Omit for AIP and GAPS.)
  • 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
  • salt and pepper

Smashed Cauliflower

  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • ½ to ¾ cup pan drippings from baked chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Rosemary-Honey Simple Syrup (Do this step first, at least one hour before you intend to bake the chicken.)

  • Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Turn off heat. Add honey, stirring to dissolve. Add rosemary, and cover to steep for 1 to 2 hours. Remove any twiggy rosemary branches.
    Stir in optional Dijon mustard, until fully incorporated.
    rosemary honey simple syrup process in saucepan
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Choose a large casserole dish (with a lid for GAPS).

Smashed Cauliflower

  • Wash cauliflower and remove outer green leaves. Place whole cauliflower (uncut) into a steamer basket over simmering water. Allow cauliflower to simmer or steam until very fork-tender, about 40 minutes.
    While cauliflower steams, prep and bake the chicken.
    When the cauliflower is very fork tender, carefully transfer it to a saucepan to cool slightly.
  • Break cauliflower into small chunks with a spoon. Transfer ⅓ to ½ of the cauliflower to a blender. Set aside until the chicken is done cooking.
    When the chicken is done cooking, use the pan juices: Measure out about ⅓ (to ½) the total pan juices, enough to puree the cauliflower to a creamy "baby food" consistency. Also add ½ teaspoon sea salt to the blender. Puree cauliflower till smooth, adding more pan juices as needed.
    Stir puree back into saucepan of small cauliflower chunks, smashing some of the cauliflower with the back of a fork. Place saucepan over lowest heat to heat gently.

Baked Chicken

  • Place chicken in large casserole dish. Spoon rosemary syrup over chicken. Drizzle olive oil over chicken. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover for GAPS; otherwise, bake uncovered. Place in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until juices run clear when poked deeply with a knife.
    Remove chicken from the oven, and pour off pan juices needed for the cauliflower. Turn the oven heat down to 250℉.
    rosemary honey syrup and olive oil over chicken in casserole dish
  • Place Baked Chicken back into the warm 250℉ oven to keep it warm until you're ready to serve. Allow both chicken and cauliflower to get toasty hot, increasing heat and stirring the cauliflower, as needed. Serve with extra pan juices spooned over the top of both.
    overhead view of rosemary honey chicken

Notes

*For GAPS Introduction Diet, keep the chicken covered while it heats.

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg