coconut butter chive chicken, oven-baked chicken breasts finished with a coconut butter and chive crumble

Plain chicken breast for the fourth night this week is its own kind of exhausting, and reaching for a bottled sauce that is not compliant is a real temptation on a night like that. This recipe gives you an actual reason to keep saying yes to the chicken breast instead: 5 extra minutes turns it into something you want to eat, not just something you are allowed to eat.

There is real selenium in chicken breast, a mineral tied to how well your thyroid converts its own hormones, work that matters if you are managing an autoimmune thyroid condition. The coconut butter finishing crumble earns its place past flavor too. Its fats include medium-chain triglycerides, an energy source the body can put to use quickly, without leaning on dairy to get there.

Let the finished plate look like something before you sit with it: a drizzle of the warm coconut butter, the chives scattered for color, something green alongside. A few settled breaths before the first bite change how the whole meal lands, on the elimination phase and any day after it.

Ingredients

• 4 medium skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut butter
• 2 tsp dried chives

Method

Heat the oven to 400 F.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them in a baking dish. Rub them all over with the coconut oil, then drizzle with the lemon juice and season with the salt.

Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the breasts, so check the thickest one. An instant-read thermometer should reach 165 F at the center.

While the chicken bakes, stir the coconut butter and dried chives together in a small bowl. If the coconut butter is firm, warm it gently until it is soft and spreadable.

When the chicken comes out, let it rest for a few minutes, then spoon or crumble the coconut butter and chive mixture over each breast so it softens into the warm meat. Serve right away.

*Adapted from lichenpaleolovingaip.com*