Don’t let the long prep time or lengthy directions fool you! There’s nothing tricky or complicated about this Keto recipe. Most of the prep time is devoted to marinating your proteins, and everything can be cooked and ready for dinner in about 30 minutes. You just need some multi-tasking skills in your favor. Keto-sized chicken breasts are marinated and stewed in a pan with tomatoes and a little red pepper. The stewing process leaves the chicken with a flavorful glaze that caramelizes in the pan. Next to the chicken are plump and fresh scallops prepared in the same marinade. They’re seared in a separate pan and also stew in a brown, buttery sauce. Served on the side are crispy parmesan ‘zoodle’ nests that are baked in the oven and forgotten about until the timer alerts you. You might surprise yourself with how lovely of a meal you can prepare on the Keto diet!
### I Don’t Like Scallops
This Keto meal puts a lighter spin on classic ‘surf ‘n’ turf’. Instead of steak and lobster, you have chicken and shellfish. Scallops are very tender and delicate to work with. Cook the scallops for too long, and they quickly become tough and chewy. If you’re not a fan of scallops, your best substitute is jumbo shrimp. You can marinate and cook the shrimp just as you’re directed to cook the scallops in this recipe, so substitution is simple. Simply substitute the scallops for shrimp 1:1!
### Can I Meal Prep This Recipe?
Since this full meal includes scallops, you may want to avoid using this recipe for meal prepping, especially if you intend to take your meal prep on-the-go to work. Switching the scallops between temperatures too many times may result in food poisoning. However, you absolutely can keep the cooked scallops stored in your refrigerator for 1-2 days. Reheat them in a pan over low heat to retain the scallops’ tender texture. The chicken and zoodle nests can easily microwave for reheating.
Jessica L.
How to make Low Carb Chicken and Scallops w Crispy Zoodles
Prep the zucchini noodles in advance by using a spiralizer to make thin spirals. If you don’t own a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peel to peel long, thin slices from a whole zucchini. Spread the spiralized ‘zoodles’ out in a thin layer on a large sheet tray. Lay one or two layers of paper towels over the zoodles so they are completely covered. Place a heavy plate, second sheet tray, or glass dish on top of the paper towels to weigh them down and soak up excess moisture from the zoodles. Let the moisture extract from the zucchini for 1 hour. You’ll also need to marinate the scallops and chicken. Whisk together the chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, and chopped green onion in a small bowl. Pat dry 3 scallops and a 3-ounce chicken breast per serving with a paper towel. Arrange the scallops and chicken breasts separately in their own Ziploc bags. Pour the chicken broth marinade evenly between the two bags. Make sure the scallops and chicken are both covered in the marinade before sealing the bags and storing them in your refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour as well.
When the zoodles are ready, remove the heavy object and discard the paper towels from the tray. Turn on the oven to preheat to 350 degrees. Toss the dry zoodles with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. If the zucchini is too dry for the seasonings to stick, you can very lightly spray one layer of pan spray over the zoodles to help. When the zoodles are seasoned, use a fork to rotate them into round ‘nest’ shapes, like you would with pasta. Bake the tray of parmesan zoodle nests for at least 30 minutes. The tops of the nests with be crispy and the zoodles will have browned edges. The inside of the nests will still be tender. You may bake for longer until you see the level of crispiness you like. For extra crispy zoodle nests, turn on the broiler for a few minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on your oven to avoid burning. While the zoodles are in the oven, you can focus your attention on the scallops and chicken. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan on the stove over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, transfer the chicken to the pan and sprinkle the second amount of salt and pepper over the meat. Leave excess marinade from the chicken bag set aside for the next step. Cook the chicken for about 3-4 on both sides until it’s golden brown. Pour the chicken marinade into the pan and quickly place a lid over the pan to lock in the steam that will immediately release. When the steam dissipates after a few seconds, remove the lid and melt the first amount of butter in the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add in whole grape tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes. Return the lid to the pan and let the chicken and tomatoes stew until the tomatoes burst. While the chicken is stewing over low heat, prepare the scallops. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the scallops in one by one. Again, leave any extra marinade aside. At your discretion, you may sprinkle pinches of extra salt and pepper over the scallops to your liking. Cook the scallops for about 2 minutes per side until both sides are golden brown. Pour the scallop marinade into the pan and let the steam infuse the scallops. Then, melt the final amount of butter into the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let the scallops stew in the marinade until you see a thickened, buttery brown sauce. Turn off the heat and let the scallops rest for just a minute or two in the pan.
At this point, all components of the meal should be ready. For serving, use a fork or spatula to transfer a crispy parmesan zoodle nest to a plate. Arrange three scallops on the plate and pour some of the brown sauce from the pan over them. Place a saucy brown chicken breast on the plate with some of the burst tomatoes with extra glaze from the pan. At your discretions, you can garnish each plate with parsley flakes, extra crushed red pepper, or extra parmesan cheese.
