Golden chicken thigh fillets, asparagus in orange juice and toasted flaked almonds, with a sauce thickened with almond butter rather than flour.
The chicken sizzles and browns, the asparagus softens in orange juice and the flaked almonds add crunch just before serving. This dish pairs chicken thigh fillets and seasonal asparagus in a cream and almond butter sauce, with no flour needed to thicken it. Allow 20 minutes in total for two servings, including cooking time. Find this recipe among my keto main dishes.
What is chicken with asparagus?
The name says it all: chicken and asparagus take centre stage, brought together by a sauce. Thigh fillets replace the drier breast meat, as they stay tender and juicy and leave flavourful juices in the pan when seared. The asparagus spears are cooked whole if the pan is large enough, or cut into pieces otherwise, first sautรฉed and then simmered in orange juice and pulp. The recipe shares its chicken and almond base with almond chicken.
The sauce is built on the chicken pan juices and almond butter, gradually loosened with cooking cream. It stays glossy and thick enough to coat the ingredients. Paprika, sage and fennel add gentle spice, a herbal touch and an aniseed aroma, while toasted flaked almonds provide the finishing crunch.
The idea behind the dish
Chicken with asparagus rests on a simple foundation: golden chicken, seasonal asparagus and a cream and almond sauce that brings everything together without making it heavy. The combination plays on clear contrasts between tender chicken, firm asparagus and the mellow richness of almonds.
Orange gives the asparagus a fruity freshness and fragrant cooking juices, while almond butter thickens the sauce without flour. The dish is served on its own, without a starchy side, keeping the carbohydrate content low for a main course.
The main ingredients
Chicken thigh fillets form the base. Organic and free-range, they provide juicier meat than breast; searing browns the surface and creates the pan juices that give the sauce depth, a principle also used in a Chinese chicken stir-fry. Asparagus, about 400 g for two people, adds a gentle vegetal sweetness and a delicate texture: wash the spears, peel them if using white asparagus, then trim about 1 cm off the base.
The oranges provide their juice and membrane-free pulp, which envelop the asparagus as it cooks, subtly recalling orange chicken. Two tablespoons of almond butter thicken the sauce and add a mild flavour without flour. Cooking cream, poured in gradually, loosens the almond butter and adjusts the consistency.
Paprika gives the chicken colour and a spicy note, dried sage balances the richness of the sauce, and ground fennel seeds lend an aniseed note. Toasted flaked almonds retain their crunch for the finishing touch. For cooking, avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil helps with browning, and butter works too.
Cooking tips and serving
Success comes down to the sear. The chicken should sizzle and brown on both sides, then finish cooking over moderate heat for just over fifteen minutes, until the thickest part is cooked through. The asparagus needs two minutes in the pan, turning as it cooks, then ten minutes covered in orange juice: the spears should yield to a fork without falling apart, with the tips intact. The sauce is made with the orange cooking juices, chicken pan juices and almond butter, with the cream added gradually for a smooth, coating consistency.
To serve, plate the chicken and asparagus together, spoon over the sauce and add the toasted almonds at the last moment. Cool any leftovers quickly, then refrigerate in a sealed container, keeping the almonds separate; reheat gently, covered, without bringing to the boil. A Japanese cabbage salad or a green salad makes a good accompaniment while keeping the meal low in carbohydrates. For more quick ideas, see these meals ready in 20 minutes.
You can find more dishes like this among my low-carb recipes.
Chicken with Asparagus
Ingredients
- 400 g asparagus
- 2 chicken thigh fillets organic, free-range
- 2 oranges
- 100 ml cooking cream
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons sage dried
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
- avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil for cooking; or butter (from grass-fed cows), for cooking
Instructions
Preparation
- Use the large frying pan to toast some almonds ahead of time. They will be used as a garnish later.2 tablespoons flaked almonds
- Crush or grind the fennel seeds. I usually use a small coffee grinder for this.1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Mix the ground fennel seeds with the sage and paprika.2 teaspoons sage, 2 teaspoons paprika
Chicken
- Season the chicken with the spice and herb mixture.2 chicken thigh fillets
- Heat the smaller frying pan and add oil or butter. Sear the chicken on both sides. Then lower the heat slightly and cook the chicken for a little over 15 minutes.avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil
- If the fillets have skin, score it lightly (2 cuts per fillet are enough). Cook skin-side down first. The rendered fat adds extra flavour to the chicken and, later, to the sauce.
Asparagus
- Meanwhile, wash the asparagus. Handle it gently so it does not break. The tips, in particular, can contain a lot of sand.400 g asparagus
- Peel with a vegetable peeler (lay each spear flat, place a finger under the tip, then peel from the tip towards the base in long strokes). Cut off about 1 cm from the base.
- Heat the large frying pan and add oil. Sautรฉ the asparagus on all sides for about 2 minutes. For two servings, the asparagus will probably fit in your largest frying pan. For several servings, it may not fit comfortably. In that case, cut the asparagus into pieces as well.
- Squeeze the oranges and add the pulp to the juice as well. Remove any membranes, using a small strainer if necessary.2 oranges
- Add the orange juice to the asparagus. Lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer the asparagus for another 10 minutes.
Creamy Almond Sauce
- Remove the chicken from the pan and wrap it in aluminium foil to keep it warm.
- Scrape up the browned chicken juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the almond butter.2 tablespoons almond butter
- Pour in the juices from the pan containing the asparagus and stir.
- Then pour in the cream. Do not add it all at once; hold a little back. This lets you judge how much you need. It depends somewhat on how runny the almond butter is and how much juice the oranges contain.100 ml cooking cream
Finishing
- Arrange the asparagus and chicken on plates and spoon the sauce over them.
- Garnish with the toasted flaked almonds.
