This Cheesy Marinara Chicken with Garlic Wilted Spinach is an awesome low-carb Italian dinner.
One word, BURRATA. 😍 Guys, if you haven’t tried burrata you’re seriously missing out. It’s like a mash-up of mozzarella and ricotta, semi-firm cheese on the outside, CREAMY in the middle. It’s GOOD. This Keto Cheesy Marinara Chicken is super simple. We’ve got seared chicken, burrata, splashes of marinara, and wilted baby spinach.
This is one perfect low-carb Italian meal.
The idea for this came from my grandmother who’s favorite dishes is something similar from a local Italian restaurant. We tried to recreate it with a few spins of our own, hence the burrata, and it turned out fantastic!
Need another side dish? Try this Mediterranean Asparagus! We made these on the same day and it was a winning combo.
How to make Keto Cheesy Marinara Chicken
We start by searing some chicken in lots of quality olive oil until it is nice and golden on both sides and cooked through. At the end, stir in the garlic cloves and cook another minute before removing the chicken and adding more olive oil + butter to the skillet along with the spinach.
I’m always AMAZED at how much spinach cooks down. So crazy. This spinach though is so, so good with the garlic butter…heaven.
To serve we simply plated the chicken over the spinach and added the splashes of marinara to the top along with the burrata and some fresh basil.
Let’s talk Keto Marinara Sauce options
We use a sugar-free marinara, typically Rao’s. You can also make your own really easily! Simply grab some crushed tomatoes, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and salt. Maybe a garlic clove and a pinch of red pepper flakes…
You’ll just heat the olive oil up and then add the spices and garlic to the oil and toast for 30 seconds. Add in the tomatoes and stir until combined, heat until hot. It’s super easy to make your own in a pinch!
Keto Cheesy Marinara Chicken with Garlic Wilted Spinach
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets about 1.5 lbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup marinara sauce warmed
- 4 ounces burrata sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil torn
Instructions
- Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with the salt and pepper.
- In a 10” or larger cast iron skillet, heat the ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Place the cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165° F.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Spoon half of the leftover oil and garlic over the chicken, leaving the remaining oil and garlic in the skillet.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the butter to the skillet. Add the spinach in batches allowing it to wilt before adding more. Once all the spinach has wilted and cooked down place the spinach on a serving tray and place the chicken on top.
- Top serve, top the chicken with splashes of the warmed marinara sauce, and the burrata. Garnish with basil, some flaky sea salt, and serve.
Sylvia says
What about a Homemade keto marinara recipe? Thanks
Cast Iron Keto says
You can totally do that!