Fennel Spiced Chicken with Roasted Veggie Salad

Jump to Video · Jump to Recipe

I've got the perfect low carb meal prep for lunch recipe that can be eaten cold and will make your co-workers jealous! Fennel spiced chicken thighs with a keto approved roasted cauliflower and broccoli salad.

This recipe is , , with main ingredient
lunch meal prep

274 Shares

You guys asked for it, so here you go! Healthy lunch keto meal prep  you can bring to work and school. Not everyone can warm up their lunches at work and school, so this low carb lunch recipe can be eaten cold, and it is monster on flavor! This roasted veggie salad could be the tastiest way to get more low carb veggies in your diet, and it does not hurt that they are tossed in a creamy avocado mayo.

Make sure to also check out my easy lunch recipe for chicken salad and keto cloudbread along with my best ever curry chicken salad.

Low Carb Chicken Lunch Meal Prep

Start off this keto lunch recipe with 10 boneless and skinless chicken thighs and dust them with a generous pinch of salt, fennel powder, paprika, and cumin. Allow the chicken to sit for 20 minutes so the marinade can go to work and remember that we never put cold chciken in a hot pan. I like to use a grill pan for this recipe because it makes those cool grill marks on the chicken thighs, but you can use a cast iron pan or non-stick pan.

Cook the chicken thighs for 5 minutes per side and remove from the pan. Chicken thighs has more fat than breasts, making them perfect for the keto diet. Allow the chicken to rest under some tin foil for 5 minutes before eating so the juices can redistribute.

To make the low carb roasted veggie salad, cut the broccoli and cauliflower into large florets and roast in a 450 degree F oven for 30 minutes. I like to roast at a high temperature so the outside of the veggies gets deeply browned and the inside gets so creamy. Whip up the mayo dressing by adding full fat mayo, avocado, lemon juice, garlic, and hot sauce to a food processor and blending until smooth.

Toss the roasted veggies with the dressing and add some chopped almonds, pickles, and celery for crunch. The lemon juice will prevent the mayo dressing from turning brown and oxidizing.

chicken lunch meal prep
Fennel spice crusted and grilled chicken thighs for lunch meal prep

What Are Keto Lunch Recipes I Can Take To Work?

If you don’t have access to a microwave at work or school, this meal prep recipe is created to be eaten cold. The low carb veggie salad actually gets better the next day and the chicken can then be sliced and mixed with the salad. Think of this keto recipe like a creative take on chicken salad. You could even pair it with my keto fat bread and make a sandwich.

This lunch recipe will last for 5 days in the fridge. Only the chicken can be frozen for 2-3 months. You can buy a hot logic mini to heat up your meal prep recipes at work. It’s really handy and avoids having to use a microwave.

keto vegetable salad
Low carb roasted cauliflower and broccoli salad.

Make sure to check out my other lunch and keto recipes:

274 Shares

amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "flavcity05-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "a2ec29eeacaebca00bd1525891b3aecc"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B01B8CY982,B000G0KJG4,B00AHUSEK6,B01LZIHVTC";

lunch meal prep

Keto Chicken & Veggie Lunch Meal Prep

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli, cauliflower, chicken thighs, keto, lunch, meal prep
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 633 kcal
Author: Bobby Parrish

This low carb lunch recipe is perfect to bring to work and be eaten cod. Fennel spiced chicken thighs with keto roasted veggie salad dressed in avocado mayo. The meal prep makes 5 servings for the week, and tastes great.

Print

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 large head of cauliflower
  • 12 ounces broccoli florets
  • ½ cup no sugar added pickles chopped
  • ½ cup celery chopped
  • ¼ cup almond chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
  • Avocado or grapeseed oil
  • Kosher salt & fresh black pepper

For the dressing:

  • ¾ cup mayonnaise no sugar added
  • ½ a large avocado
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce no sugar added
  • ¼ teaspoon salt & fresh pepper

For the chicken:

  • 10 four once chicken thighs boneless & skinless
  • 1 heaping teaspoon each of fennel powder sweet paprika, & cumin
  • Avocado or grapeseed oil
  • Kosher salt & fresh black pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the spice rub for the chicken by combining the fennel, paprika, and cumin in a small bowl, mix well. Season both sides of the chicken with a generous pinch of salt and the spice rub. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the chicken and allow to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, start on the veggies by pre-heating the oven to 450 F. Cut the cauliflower into large bite size florets, trying not to use too much of the stalk. Place the florets on a sheet tray along with the broccoli florets and season with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of pepper. Give the sheet pan a good shake and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the veggies are well browned.
  3. Make the dressing by combining everything in a blender or food processor, and blend to combine. You may need to add a splash of water if the dressing is too thick. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
  4. Slice the red onions and place them in a small bowl of ice water for 5-30 minutes, this will remove the raw flavor. Once the veggies are ready, add them to a large bowl along with the pickles, celery, almonds, parsley, and drained red onions. Add enough dressing to coat and mix well, adding more dressing if needed. Check for seasoning, you can add more dressing or lemon juice if needed.
  5. To make the chicken, pre-heat a grill pan or cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes(non-stick pan will also work). Add 1 tablespoon of oil if using a flat bottom pan and add half the chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes, flip and repeat. If the chicken sticks to the grill pan, let it cook another minute or use a spatula to help flip. Repeat this step with remaining chicken. Serve chicken with salad and enjoy!
  6. Everything will keep in the fridge for 5 days, you can freeze the chicken but you can’t freeze the veggie salad(will get watery & nasty). This meal prep is designed to be eaten cold.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Macros per serving of cauliflower salad, makes 5 servings:
121 calories
5.5 grams of net carbs
6.6 grams of fat
6.2 grams of protein
4.4 grams of fiber

Macros for all the avocado-may dressing:
1361 calories
2.89 grams of net carbs
144 grams of fat
3.8 grams of protein
6.5 grams of fiber

Macros per serving of chicken, two thighs make one serving:
312 calories
0 net carbs
13.6 grams of fat
48 grams of protein
0 fiber

Nutrition Facts
Keto Chicken & Veggie Lunch Meal Prep
Amount Per Serving (1 meal)
Calories 633 Calories from Fat 441
% Daily Value*
Fat 49g75%
Carbohydrates 13.4g4%
Fiber 6g25%
Protein 18.4g37%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

MORE RECIPES

chicken salad sandwich and cloud bread

Chicken Salad & Cloud Bread

low carb keto breakfast ideas

Keto Breakfast Sandwich & Chia Pudding

Keto chicken meal prep

Low Carb Chicken Stew with Keto Cauliflower Rice

curry chicken salad recipe

Low Carb Curry Chicken Salad

This recipe is: , ,

37 thoughts on “Fennel Spiced Chicken with Roasted Veggie Salad”

  2. Molly

    I made this yesterday and had it today for lunch and wow is it amazing!! Keeps me full and satisfied for a long time. I love the salad and will now add it to my recipe book. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

    Reply
  3. Kelly

    Couldn’t find ground fennel in my grocery store; do you think it’ll be ok with just the cumin & paprika? Or can you suggest a substitute for the ground fennel? Thanks for all the great recipes!

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      No worries Kelly, either leave it or use 1/2 teaspoon coriander. There is no real replacement for fennel 😉 Enjoy!

      Reply
    2. Debi

      Kelly,
      I couldn’t find ground fennel either so I got the seeds and put them in my mini copper and just kept processing it till it was ground?

      Reply
  4. Diane

    My question is about the macro’s in your notes. The Cauliflower Salad has one set of nutritional info and the Avocado Dressing another. Is the dressing stats included in the salad stats? (i.e… salad: 121 calories x 5 servings = 605 total. Add dressing calories of 1361 + 605 = 1966 total calories for both salad & dressing. Divide this by 5 = makes each serving of the salad 393 calories not 121 calories). True?

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      hi Diane, the salad stats are assuming it is undressed, that way you can figure how much dressing you want to put on. So 121 calories per serving of the salad is correct..then add the dressing and figure how much cals based upon how much you used.

      Reply
  6. Lyn

    Hi, I want to make this, but I have a question. How much is a serving for the salad? 1 cup … 1/2 cup? Also how much is a serving of dressing? 2 tlbs… or more?

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      hi Lyn, you need to take the total quantity of the salad and divide by 5, that will give you the serving size. I would say that 3-4 tablespoons of dressing is enough to coat one servings of chicken.

      Reply
  7. Natalie Andreici

    Delicious recipe!!! I don’t really like cauliflower but i really enjoyed it in the salad. The dressing is a real flavor hit and it pairs with the chicken beautifully. Keep these great keto meals coming!!!

    Reply
  8. Debi

    Wow this dish is amazing I totally love the roasted veggies who would have thunk?You did obviously. I omitted the pickles and added 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to the dressing. I will put this dish in my rotation for sure. This is also something i would make for company or the salad for a potluck. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Greay job using the ACV instead of the pickles Debi..this dish is great for pot lucks and summer get togethers!

      Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      olive oil or avocado oil mayo from the store, just make sure there is no sugar added..Costco has one, but it has a touch of sugar

      Reply
  11. Lisa

    All of the ingredients in the salad had me scratching my head, but they all worked together beautifully! It was like a party in every bite. Loved it.

    Reply
  13. Nicky

    Made the Avocado-Mayo-Dressing today for a mixed spinach salad. The dressing is legit. So awesome tasty and versitile to use. I will try it next on baked cauliflower and broccoli.

    Reply
    1. Dessi Parrish

      I would not recommend cooking the chicken in the microwave. You could reheat the chicken in the microwave, but the chicken will get no color if you cook it in the microwave. A grill pan will afford much better results…..a conventional oven would work far better than a microwave.

      Reply
  15. anni

    I’m confused with nutritional data, if 2 thighs are 48 gr protein, why a serving of whole meal is only 18.4 gr, it should have over 48, I am missing something?

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      The macros written in the “recipe notes” are fine (48g per serving of chicken) however, the “label” at the bottom has some issues (18.4g) (sorry)

      Reply
  16. Brittney

    This recipe was delicious. I just have a few notes. It was really good when it was fresh but the next day the salad tasted bland and I didn’t like the chicken cold. The following day before I packed my lunch I hit the salad with a little more mayo and lemon and heated up the chicken before I ate lunch and it tasted great again.

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Glad you loved the dish! Thanks for letting me know the tweaks you made to get it “just right” for your leftovers. Keep on cookin’!

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top
274 Shares