Chicken Cilantro

Chicken Cilantro takes the cake as far as cilantro-centric cookery goes. An entire bunch goes into the pot and bathes pre-browned chicken pieces until the meat is tender enough to pull from the bone with a fork.

This recipe happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and AIP-friendly.

There are so many reasons why cilantro is good for those of us with thyroid disease. I have been rekindling a long romance with it, mainly after learning about its detoxifying properties.

Did you know it can help flush the body of toxic metals like mercury and lead? Before we get cooking, I'll discuss this and some of the other thyroid-healthy highlights of this delicious, family-friendly recipe in this blog post and episode of Thyroid-healthy Bites.

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Chef's Notes:

This is an old Mexican family recipe given to me decades ago by a former client from my personal chef days. Roberto was born and raised in Mexico City, and this was a favorite meal passed down from his mother. Her name was Maria. I am forever grateful to Maria for the good fortune of adding her recipe to my repertoire.

Due to less-than-ideal farming practices and feed, it is especially important to source chicken carefully. Organic, pastured birds are the best choice. Yes, high-quality chicken costs more, but if you purchase whole birds and butcher them yourself, and then save the carcass for chicken bone broth, you’ll get the most bang for your cluck (tee hee).

Due to concerns about arsenic in rice, I highly recommend using organic white basmati from California, and rinsing the rice thoroughly before cooking. You can learn more in my article, "Is Rice a Thyroid-healthy Food?"

If you happen to be on the Paleo diet or do not eat grains, you can serve the chicken over cauliflower rice in place of the rice recipe below. If you use cauliflower rice and also omit the pepper, this recipe is also AIP-compliant.

The chicken portion of this recipe freezes well (not so much the rice). 

Further Reading: Is Rice a Thyroid-healthy Food?

Thyroid-healthy Recipe Highlights:

• Chicken is a very good source of selenium, which helps to regulate the production of thyroid hormone, convert T4 to T3, and protect the thyroid from stress. A 3-ounce serving of chicken provides 84% RDI of the essential amino acid Tyrosine, which the thyroid gland combines with iodine to produce thyroid hormone.
• Bone Broth: The bone-in chicken pieces simmered in this recipe create a rich, concentrated bone broth, which is often recommended as part of a thyroid-friendly diet.
• Cilantro: Studies have shown that cilantro can help accelerate the body’s excretion of mercury and lead. Heavy metal toxicity from mercury has been linked to an increase in thyroid antibodies.
• Garlic has many powerful healing properties, which can aid or alleviate some of the symptoms of thyroid conditions such as inflammation, cardiovascular issues, decreased immunity, and increased infection. It can also support the liver in its detoxification efforts.

Further Reading: "How Cilantro Can Help You Detox." 

Happy cooking, happy thriving, and enjoy the recipe (below)!

P.S. Need more thyroid-friendly recipe inspiration? I’ve got you covered. My Thyroid-friendly Everyday eCookbook features over 50 quick and easy, thyroid-friendly recipes your whole family will love. To take a peek at what’s inside, CLICK HERE.