Creamy Baked Chicken and Asparagus
Quick and tasty chicken with asparagus bakes in the oven and is ready to serve in about 30 minutes! This easy one-pan meal pairs boneless chicken breasts and fresh asparagus spears with a lemony, creamy pan sauce. Serve with pasta or all by itself for a low-carb dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts ((about 1¾ pounds))
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped (or ¼ cup chopped yellow onion)
- ¼ cup dry white wine or fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ pound fresh asparagus (trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces)
- ½ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or tarragon (plus a teaspoon chopped herbs for serving)
Directions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425 (220 C) degrees.
- 2
Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the flour and flip to coat both sides.
- 3
Place a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the oil and butter. When the butter is melted and starts to bubble, add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook until one side is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side.
- 4
Add the shallots to the pan, stirring them into the fat. Cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Pour in the wine or lemon juice and let it bubble for 30 seconds. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
- 5
Scatter the asparagus pieces around the chicken breasts. Spoon blobs of creme fraiche evenly around the chicken. If you're using cream instead, pour it over the chicken. Put the herb sprigs on top.
- 6
Bake the chicken 15 minutes, or until the pan juices are bubbling and the chicken is firm and cooked through. Remove the herb sprigs.
- 7
Sprinkle the chicken with chopped thyme or tarragon and serve.