Sesame Chicken Skillet with Spinach and Onions. A one pan meal that is naturally gluten free, low carb and Whole30 friendly!
Did you see that Turmeric Cauliflower Rice with Coconut I posted the other day? Well, this Sesame Chicken Skillet with Spinach and Onions was made to go with it.
Now, you don’t need to eat them together but the flavors really compliment each other. Added bonus – between the cauliflower in the “rice” and the spinach and onions here, there are plenty of vegetables in the combined dishes so no need to make another side dish for the meal.
I bought bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and removed the thigh bone (instructions in recipe) because they were much cheaper. This adds a bit more time to the prep work and can be skipped if you can find boneless, skin-on chicken thighs at your market. Or, better yet, ask the butcher to remove the bones for you, BUT tell him you want them in a separate package. Save those for making chicken stock!
If you want to leave the bone-in, you will need to adjust the cooking time (increase) for the chicken.
Lastly, I used coconut amino’s to keep this Whole30 compatible and soy-free. I give instructions below to swap GF Tamari.
NOTES:
- If you want to substitute gluten free Tamari for the Coconut Aminos, use 2 T + 2 T water as Tamari tends to be slightly stronger and more concentrated than the aminos.
- I recommend a 12″ cast iron skillet. A 12″ frying pan would also work but you may need to add additional oil.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Sesame Chicken Skillet with Spinach and Onions. A one pan meal that is naturally gluten free, low carb and Whole30 friendly!
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 1 extra large yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 pounds skin-on chicken thighs bones removed, fat trimmed
- kohser salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 pound organic baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 inches piece ginger root peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos + 1 tablespoons cold water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
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Peel onion, cut in half and thinly slice.
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Use a kitchen shears to remove any chicken fat or skin that is hanging over the thigh meat.
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Flip chicken thighs over, skin side down, and use kitchen shears to gently cut thigh bone out to remove it. Make sure to remove any cartilage as well (You can save these bones to make stock).
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Generously spinkle each chicken thigh (both sides) with salt and pepper.
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Finally, sprinkle each side with the ground turmeric and rub in to disperse.
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Roughly chop baby spinach.
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Peel ginger and finely chop.
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Heat a 12" cast iron pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil and then sliced onions along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and edges are beginning to brown.
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Remove onions to a bowl and add remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to pan, reduce heat to medium. Add chicken thighs, skin side down and cook on each side 7 to 8 minutes.
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Remove chicken thighs to a dish. Return onions to pan along with spinach, ginger, coconut aminos and water. Mix until well combined and coconut aminos are beginning to bubble, about 1 minute.
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Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce and onion mixture. Cook an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
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Top with toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Serve and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Looks like such a great meal after a long day!
Thanks Brandy!
Alyssa, I made the chicken and the cauliflower rice and both are definitely in the rotation. thank you so much!
Yay! So glad to hear it Barbara – thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Looks great! I like the additions of onions with the spinach, yummm!
Thanks Colleen!
I love the chicken thighs! They never seem to come out dry. Can’t wait to cook this up!
Hope you love it Ashley!
I love the suggestion to make this Whole30! yum! I bet it’s awesome with the Turmeric Cauliflower Rice too!
They go great together!
Aren’t coconut aminos amazing?! I have to buy them from the US and end up paying like $15 a bottle including shipping but I NEED them. 😉 And this looks super yummy!
Whoa! That is so much. I saw that on Amazon they have a huge jug that’s a lot cheaper – maybe that would save some $?
I love recipes like this! Flavorful and easy, not to mention great looking. Inspired stuff — thanks.
Thanks so much John!
This sounds delicious and the thighs are a great choice, they have so much more flavor than white meat!
Yes! I prefer thighs as well.
I was just thinking when I saw the first photo how well this would go with your cauliflower dish…love the idea! This looks fantastic!!
Thanks Lora!
It would have been nice for those of us not paleo or Whole30 or any other limiting sort of eating plan if you had mentioned that coconut aminos are a substitute for soy sauce. I get a bit frustrated having to google the ingredients in a recipe. Sorry if I’m just out of touch.