Low Carb Harissa Chicken Thigh Sheet Pan
10.7g
Net Carbs
36.3g
Protein
50.1g
Fat
3.1g
Fiber
648
Calories
Cooking tip: One of our favorite parts of this recipe is the crispy chicken skin. If you want to add a little more color and crisp to your thighs, place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end of the cooking period. We also have a few tips on ingredients for this recipe. Look for harissa seasoning blend with the dry herbs and spices in the grocery store. While you can use harissa paste in this recipe, it will have more net carbs so be sure to adjust for that. In addition, although you only need a tiny little one pound spaghetti squash, if you can’t find that size use the smallest you can find, and be prepared to enjoy leftovers!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound raw spaghetti squash
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1 tablespoon dry harissa seasoning blend
- 2 teaspoons brown style erythritol-stevia sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon minced or pressed fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 small (70g) red onion
- 1 cup (149g) cherry tomatoes
- 1 small (74g) red bell pepper
- 1 small (74g) yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Directions:
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Pierce the spaghetti squash twice with a small knife to allow steam to vent. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the squash skin dents when pressed firmly. Remove from oven and allow to cool until it is comfortable to touch, 5-10 minutes. Slice in half and scrape out the seeds. Scrape the flesh of the spaghetti squash into a bowl, you should have about 2 cups cooked squash (310g).
- While the squash is baking, in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, harissa seasoning, sweetener, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, garlic, cumin and pepper.
- Pat chicken thighs dry, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and season each thigh with about 2 1/2 teaspoons of the harissa mixture, covering all the sides of the chicken and spreading some under the skin. Arrange chicken skin side up, evenly spaced around the baking sheet.
- Toss 1/2-inch thick red onion slices with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Arrange around the chicken thighs and roast in the 400°F oven for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is beginning to roast, toss cherry tomatoes and 1/2-inch square chunks of red and yellow bell pepper with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- After 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan, add the cherry tomatoes and bell peppers around the chicken, and roast for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is between 165° and 185°F, the tomatoes have burst, and the bell peppers are tender. Remove from oven and move the chicken and vegetables to one side of the pan. Gently tilt the pan to allow the juices to accumulate on the other side of the pan and stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the pan drippings. Taste and season with additional salt if desired. Tilt the sauce back to the side of the pan with the chicken and vegetables, sprinkle with feta crumbles, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest. Serve with warm spaghetti squash.
- One serving is one cooked chicken thigh (about 162g), one quarter of the cooked vegetables (73g), 1 tablespoon feta (9g), 1 tablespoon cilantro (1g), a pinch of lemon zest and a quarter of the pan sauce (about 1 teaspoon), over 1/2 cup (77g) cooked spaghetti squash.
