Easy Paleo Recipe for Smothered Chicken with Celery Root Mash & Arugula

Let’s be real⁠. Most weight loss plans are all about calories and forget that you need to love your food too. That’s why I appreciate the Paleo movement—it’s making cooking and eating healthy fun and tasty, while still giving you the nutrient ratios you need to hit your goals in the gym.

This Easy Paleo Recipe for Smothered Chicken with Celery Root Mash & Arugula is my idea of comfort food. The arugula provides a fresh, peppery note that complements the nuttiness of the celery root mash and the savory flavors of pan-seared chicken breast.

Celery root is a great side dish if you’re looking for a low carb alternative to grains like rice. It cooks up like mashed potatoes (make sure to give yourself plenty of time to boil it), but one cup only has 14.4 grams of carbs, compared to 45 grams of carbs for one cup of potatoes.

To make this recipe, you’ll need a potato masher or other way to make the celery root mash. Other than that’s it’s an easy Paleo recipe that cooks up fast and delivers maximum flavor.

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Easy Paleo Recipe for Smothered Chicken with Celery Root Mash & Arugula

Chicken:

1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp garlic powder

3 tbsp olive oil

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Gravy:

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1/2 chopped onion

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Celery Root Mash:

1 large celery root (also known as celeriac)

Instructions

Chicken and Gravy

Mix the chicken seasonings together in a small dish. You only need about 3 tablespoons for the chicken so save the rest for another use. Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the chicken breasts in the 3 tablespoons of seasoning.

In a pan, heat the oil on medium high and add the chicken breast. Flip the chicken once the bottom is golden and releases from the pan easily. Cook the other side until it’s also golden. You just want a nice brown crust on the chicken. It will not be fully cooked yet.

Discard all but about 4 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook until light brown.

Add three tablespoons of tapioca flour and salt and pepper to the onion and stir for at least two minutes on medium heat. Pour the chicken broth over the onion and flour mixture little by little, stirring the whole time until fully mixed. The gravy will get thinker as it sits. Continue to stir until the gravy comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the partially cooked chicken to the sauce. Cover the pan and let the chicken cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until it registers 165 F. Stir occasionally if needed.

Celery Root Mash

Completely remove skin/hide off of celery root. Cut celery root up into cubes and place in cold water in a pot. Cook celery root until tender, up to 45 minutes. Check if it’s done by seeing if a fork can go straight through just like you would check a potato for mashed potatoes. When it’s ready, just mash up celery root with a masher and add chicken broth and other seasonings to taste.

To plate this dish, lay out some fresh arugula on a plate. Top with some celery root mash (make sure to weigh it out for tracking your macros), then the chicken and gravy. Your Paleo Smothered Chicken with Celery Root Mash is ready!