Skillet chicken with spinach and olives
August 14, 2026 · 2 min read
One skillet turns eight chicken thighs into a Mediterranean dinner that suits two different ways of eating. Crisp-skinned chicken, burst cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and wilted spinach finish with toasted almonds and a squeeze of lemon.
It lands at about 6g net carbs a serving, low enough for keto, and it's built entirely from MIND diet staples — poultry, olive oil, leafy greens, and nuts.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 6 cups fresh spinach
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Steps
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season all over with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high and sear the thighs skin-side down 7–8 minutes until golden, then flip and cook 3 minutes more. Move them to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the sliced garlic, cherry tomatoes, and olives to the same pan and cook 4–5 minutes, pressing the tomatoes until they burst into a light sauce.
- Add the spinach in handfuls and stir until it wilts, about 2 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken back in skin-side up, spoon the sauce over the meat, and simmer 5 minutes to cook through. Scatter the toasted almonds and the lemon juice over the top before serving.
How it comes together
Makes 4 servings — read left to right; each column combines what's behind it.
PrepToast the slivered almonds in a dry pan first — raw ones miss the flavor that makes the dish.
| 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighses | Sear the chicken | Return the chicken and finish | ||
| 1 tsp salt | ||||
| ½ tsp black pepper | ||||
| 2 tbsp · 28 g olive oil | ||||
| 4 garlic clovessliced | Burst the tomatoes and olives | |||
| 2 cups · 300 g cherry tomatoes | ||||
| ½ cup · 70 g kalamata olivespitted | ||||
| 6 cups · 170 g fresh spinach | Wilt the spinach | |||
| ⅓ cup · 40 g slivered almondstoasted | ||||
| 1 tbsp · 15 g lemon juice |
Scaling adjusts quantities only — cooking times and pan sizes may need judgment. Grams are rounded for the kitchen.
Notes and swaps
Bone-in thighs give you the crispest skin and the most forgiving cook, but boneless thighs work if you cut the sear time to 4 minutes a side. No spinach? Kale or chard hold up well; give the sturdier greens an extra minute. The olives and tomatoes carry the acidity, so taste before adding salt at the end, since kalamatas are already briny.
Two apps, two ways to log it. Tell Copper Keto Companion "chicken thighs with tomatoes, olives, and spinach" and it works out the net carbs on your portion.
Following the pattern instead? MIND Diet Companion reads the same plate as poultry, leafy greens, and olive oil against your week.
FAQ
Is this chicken skillet keto? Yes. The carbs come from the tomatoes, olives, almonds, and spinach, which keeps a serving near 6g net carbs. The chicken and olive oil supply the protein and fat that make it filling.
Does it fit the MIND diet? It's built from MIND diet foods — poultry, olive oil, leafy greens, and nuts — with no red meat or butter. Serve it with a whole grain like farro or brown rice to round out the plate.
Can I use chicken breasts? Yes, though they cook faster and dry out more easily. Sear boneless breasts 4–5 minutes a side and pull them at 165°F, then rest before slicing over the tomatoes and spinach.
What sides go with it? Cauliflower rice or a green salad keep it keto; farro, orzo, or crusty bread suit a MIND-diet plate. The pan sauce is good enough to want something to soak it up.
New to low-carb cooking? Start with the keto guide. For another one-pan chicken dinner, try the crispy roasted chicken thighs, or the bean-forward Mediterranean chicken with white beans on the MIND side.