Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Bowls with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Grilled Chicken & Broccoli Bowls with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Low carb • Sugar-free charred chicken, broccoli, garlic cream — 25 minutes, four bowls
These are grilled chicken and broccoli bowls with creamy garlic sauce, not a rice bowl. Charred chicken pieces sit on steamed broccoli with a pale garlic cream poured over, like the spoon in the photo. Twenty-five minutes. No rice, no sugar sauce.
Four bowls. Get real color on the chicken. Keep the sauce off a hard boil.
Why you’ll love these bowls
- 36g protein per bowl — chicken that is not empty
- 6g net carbs — broccoli and cream, not rice
- About 25 minutes, one pan plus a pot
- Charred chicken, green broccoli, garlic cream, like the photo
- No boxed mix, no sugar
- The sauce clings if you keep it off a boil
Health notes
- Protein: Chicken. That is what lands 36g.
- Lower carb than a rice bowl: Broccoli instead of rice. Not keto-zero. 6g net is the broccoli and garlic cream.
- Four bowls: Macros are per bowl, not the pan.
- Rice or a flour sauce will jump the carbs. Stay with broccoli and cream.
Key element — dry chicken, real char, cream off the boil
Wet chicken steams. Pat it dry and leave it in a hot pan until the edges blacken in spots, like the photo. Steam the broccoli just tender. Warm garlic in butter, then stir cream and Parmesan off a hard boil so the sauce stays pale and pourable.
Ingredients
Bowls (4)
- 1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs or breast, cut in chunks
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 5 cups broccoli florets
Creamy garlic sauce
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Swaps
- All thighs: Same weight. They stay juicier under the char.
- Cauliflower: Swap the broccoli for the same cups of florets.
- Rice or a flour slurry: Skip them. That is how carbs jump.
Instructions
| 1 | Chicken. Pat the chicken dry. Toss with oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. |
| 2 | Char. Sear in a hot skillet 4 to 5 minutes per side until cooked through and blackened in spots, like the photo. Set aside. |
| 3 | Broccoli. Steam or microwave the florets 4 to 5 minutes until just tender. Drain well. |
| 4 | Sauce. Melt butter in the same skillet. Cook garlic 1 minute. Take the pan off a hard boil. Stir in cream and Parmesan until pale and glossy. |
| 5 | Bowl. Broccoli, chicken, sauce over the top, parsley. One quarter is one serving. |
Pro tips
- Pat the chicken dry. Wet pieces will not char.
- Do not move the chicken for the first few minutes. That is how you get the black spots.
- Drain the broccoli. Water thins the sauce.
- Cream off the heat. A boil can split it.
- No rice. That is how 6g net stays 6g net.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per bowl (1 of 4) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 420 |
| Protein | 36g |
| Net carbohydrates | 6g |
| Total carbohydrates | 9g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Total fat | 26g |
| Sodium | 540mg |
Estimates with chicken, broccoli, cream, and Parmesan. Rice or a flour thickener will raise carbs. This is a lower-carb bowl, not zero-carb.
Variations
Lemon
Squeeze 1 Tbsp lemon juice into the sauce at the end.
Spicy
Add 1/4 tsp chili flakes with the garlic.
Mushroom
Sear 1 cup sliced mushrooms after the chicken, then make the sauce.
Cauliflower rice
Add 1/2 cup cooked cauliflower rice under the broccoli if you want more bulk. Adds about 2g net.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eat now | Best | While the chicken is still charred and the sauce is glossy |
| Refrigerator | Up to 3 days | Keep sauce separate. Reheat gently |
| Freezer | Chicken only | Freeze cooked chicken. Make sauce fresh |
FAQ
Test your knowledge
5 quick questions about these bowls
1. Protein per bowl?
2. Net carbs per bowl?
3. How many bowls in a batch?
4. Why sear the chicken until it chars?
5. Why skip rice and a flour sauce?
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