Keto Smoky Paprika Roast Chicken With Savory Green Beans Recipe
The formula for a keto dinner isn't as complicated as you might think. Protein and vegetables—especially made in the oven and dressed up with some spices, good-quality oils, and herbs—is really the winning combo, and a versatile one, too, because you can tailor it to your liking, as well as to the ingredients in season in your area. One such dinner is this classic pairing of roast chicken with green beans. Simple to make but and with a rather short shopping list, it's bursting with flavor and texture.
You'll want to admire this bird when it comes out of the oven, with its crispy golden-brown skin flecked with specks of burnt umber from the smoked paprika. This dish delivers a satisfying old-world flavor, reminiscent of a time when fat was used to flavor everything. The green beans are so savory from the butter and cottage bacon, you'll hope you've made enough for a second night of leftovers.
Nutrition: 752 calories, 54 g fat (16 g saturated), 780 mg sodium, carbs 10 g, fiber 4 g, 4 g sugar, 56 g protein
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
1 3- to 4-lb whole chicken
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage or thyme
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE GREEN BEANS
1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 Tbsp sliced almonds or chopped walnuts
1/2 coarsely chopped cottage or Canadian bacon
2 Tbsp butter, melted
How to Make It
- Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. With a paring knife, make enough shallow incisions in the chicken skin all over the body to insert a garlic slice in each. Brush chicken with olive oil. In a small bowl, combine sage, paprika, fennel, salt, and pepper; rub onto the chicken. Tie the legs together with clean kitchen string. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Roast chicken, uncovered, 75 to 90 minutes, or until drumsticks move easily in sockets and chicken is no longer pink (180ºF internal temperature). Remove chicken from the oven. Cover; let sit 10 minutes before carving.
- While the chicken is roasting, make the green beans. In a saucepan, cook the green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender; drain. Immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water until cool; drain. In a large skillet, dry-toast almonds over medium-low heat until golden; remove from skillet. In the same skillet, cook the bacon until the fat melts and the bacon is crispy. Add cooked green beans to bacon in the pan; add butter and simmer 3 minutes or until heated through. Stir in nuts.
