Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken - AIP elimination compliant

Some nights you have 20 minutes and nothing left over. This is the dinner for those nights: chicken, a lemon, 5 cloves of garlic, and the Instant Pot doing the part that would otherwise take your attention.

Garlic's allicin is linked to antimicrobial activity and liver detoxification support, and 5 cloves here is a real amount, not a garnish. The lemon juice's vitamin C is involved in collagen synthesis, part of the gut-lining repair work the AIP elimination phase asks of you.

Slice the chicken, spoon the sauce over it, and sit down before it goes cold. You made something that works for your body tonight, and that counts.

Ingredients

• 1-2 lb chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp avocado oil, lard, or refined coconut oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (homemade or clean-label AIP-compatible)
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• Juice of 1 large lemon (or more to taste)
• 3-4 tsp arrowroot flour dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water

AIP swaps made: paprika omitted (nightshade); white cooking wine omitted (alcohol).

Method

Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the oil and let it heat for a minute. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

Season the chicken on both sides with sea salt. Nestle the chicken into the pot over the onion and garlic. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the dried parsley and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine.

Seal the lid and set to high pressure - 10 minutes for breasts, 12 minutes for thighs. Allow a natural pressure release for 5 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

Open the lid and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Switch the Instant Pot to saute. Stir in the arrowroot slurry and cook the sauce, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens. Taste and adjust salt or lemon.

Slice or serve the chicken whole, spooning the sauce over the top.

Stovetop variation

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, add the garlic, then push everything to the edges. Season the chicken and add it to the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temperature 165F). Remove the chicken. Add the broth, parsley, and lemon juice to the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the arrowroot slurry and cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan to coat. (Times estimated - verify before publishing.)

*Adapted from predominantlypaleo.com*