I picked up a container of bocconcini cheese on sale and came up with this keto-friendly recipe based on other ingredients I had available at the time. The result? Perfectly seared, moist chicken breasts paired with simple yet flavourful stewed tomatoes, chunky bacon pieces, melty cheese balls with a pop of fresh basil. This recipe out perfectly on its maiden voyage, if I do say so myself.
Keto Chicken Bacon Bocconcini with Stewed Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs (with skin if possible)
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 5 slices bacon, cooked and cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 10 oz. bocconcini cheese (if using larger balls, cut them in half)
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Pat the breasts dry with paper towels, then dry-brine them by sprinkling them with salt and pepper. Refrigerate them, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from fridge, allow to come to room temperature then pat dry with paper towel one more time.
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat a large oven-proof skillet to medium-high heat then add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and spread around the pan. Add chicken to skillet and sear 2-3 minutes each side (depending on thickness). Add second tablespoon of avocado oil then flip and sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. It’s best not to disturb them while searing. You want to get them close to the colour you want when eating. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Lower heat to medium-low and stir garlic in the skillet, cooking until fragrant. Stir in dried basil and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar (and a splash of water if necessary) using a wooden spoon to scrape off any baked on pieces of chicken, etc. Stir in tomatoes. Cook, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon, until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and return chicken to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink (or to an internal temperature of 160F). It should take around 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
Set your oven to broil on high. Scatter bocconcini and bacon pieces throughout the skillet. Return skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2-3 minutes (watch carefully to see that it does not burn). Garnish with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan (if desired) and serve.
Did you give this keto skillet chicken recipe a try? If so, let me know how it went. I’m pretty pleased with this recipe and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Or if you share pics on Instagram, tag me so I can see your creation. :)
