Plain chicken breast is where good intentions go to die. These easy healthy chicken recipes are the fix: sheet pan dinners that cook in 25 minutes, crockpot shredded chicken that feeds you all week, big salads that are actually a meal, stir fries and lighter versions of the takeout you would have ordered anyway. I cook mostly for myself now and my adult kids invite themselves over with no notice, so I want recipes that scale down to one or two and up to six without a rewrite. Most of these do. You will find lemon and garlic in about six different arrangements, because it works, and a handful that are on the table in under 25 minutes. Perfect for meal prep Sunday, a Tuesday with nothing planned, or the night you open the fridge and find chicken and not much else!
1. Fajita Chicken Kebabs
A pound of chicken in a marinade of canola oil, the zest and juice of a whole lime, chili powder, cumin, garlic, a chopped jalapeno and salt, then threaded onto skewers with red and green pepper and red onion. Six to eight minutes on a medium high grill. Cutting the vegetables into three quarter inch chunks matters, because anything smaller cooks through before the chicken does. Soak wooden skewers 20 minutes first unless you enjoy setting things on fire.
Get the full tutorial at Well Plated.
2. Healthy Sesame Chicken Skillet
Takeout sesame chicken without the deep fryer. Two pounds of chicken tossed in three tablespoons of flour, browned in toasted sesame oil and olive oil, then finished in an oven safe skillet at 400F in a sauce of chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and white vinegar. Thirty five minutes. The flour is doing the work a batter usually does, so do not skip it, and use toasted sesame oil rather than plain or the whole thing tastes like nothing in particular.
Get the full tutorial at How Sweet Eats.
3. Butternut Squash Green Chile Chicken Soup
One pot, 40 minutes, four servings. Garlic, white onion, green bell pepper and cilantro go in first, then a four ounce can of green chiles, four to six cups of cubed butternut squash, cumin and oregano, then four cups of broth and a pound of chicken thighs to simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Pull the thighs out and shred them with two forks rather than trying to cut them in the pot. The lime juice at the end is what makes it taste finished.
Get the full tutorial at Ambitious Kitchen.
4. Healthy Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls
Twenty five minutes and four bowls, built on two cups of cooked rice with chicken tenderloins, thin sliced poblano and red pepper and onion cooked in a tablespoon of fajita seasoning. The corn and black beans go into the same skillet afterward with the remaining seasoning, so they pick up the browned bits instead of arriving cold from a can. Use tenderloins rather than whole breasts and they cook in three or four minutes a side.
Get the full tutorial at Yellow Bliss Road.
5. Easy Chicken Piccata
Thin chicken cutlets dredged in flour, pan fried, and finished in a lemon butter caper sauce, about 20 minutes in one skillet. Pounding the cutlets to one even thickness is the step that decides the whole dish, and a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy skillet works as well as a mallet. Leave the pan messy after the chicken comes out, because what is stuck to the bottom is the sauce. Capers and lemon are what make it piccata rather than lemon chicken.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY (original).
6. Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice One-Pan Skillet
Garlic and onion soften in olive oil, a pound of diced chicken breast goes in, then two cups of broth, a cup of long grain white rice, parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sliced lemon goes on top, lid on, 30 minutes on the lowest heat setting. The uncooked rice absorbs everything the chicken left behind, which is the entire argument for cooking it this way. Resist lifting the lid to check on it.
Get the full tutorial at Lexi's Clean Kitchen.
7. Easy Crockpot Whole Chicken and Vegetables
A whole four pound chicken in a crockpot over carrots, onion, celery and five or six gold potatoes, so the bird and the sides cook together and there is one pot to wash. Softened butter mixed with ginger paste, garlic paste, lemon zest and juice gets pushed under the skin, not just rubbed on top, which is the difference between seasoned skin and seasoned meat. It serves a family and the leftovers become the shredded chicken for half this list.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
8. Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Two and a half pounds of chicken thighs marinate in a cup of Greek yogurt, half a cup of lemon juice and half a spice blend of allspice, oregano, garlic powder, cinnamon and cayenne, then cook in a slow cooker on high for two hours or low for four. Here is the part that makes it: discard the cooking liquid, shred the chicken, then toss the second half of the spice mix through it dry. That is where the shawarma flavor actually comes from.
Get the full tutorial at Well Plated.
9. Lemon Basil Chicken
Twenty minutes, four servings, one skillet. A pound and a half of chicken breast browned with onion and four cloves of garlic, deglazed with two tablespoons of soy sauce, then five cups of baby spinach wilted in a few handfuls at a time. Off the heat go lemon zest, lemon juice and two full cups of fresh basil. Two cups sounds excessive and is not, because basil collapses to almost nothing the moment it touches a hot pan.
Get the full tutorial at Well Plated.
10. Apple Cheddar Grilled Chicken Salad
The honey apple cider vinaigrette does double duty as the chicken marinade and the dressing, which is the trick worth taking away from this one. Half a cup each of olive oil, honey and cider vinegar with a quarter cup of mustard, shaken in a jar, half set aside. Grilled chicken over romaine and kale with thin sliced apple, aged white cheddar, dried cranberries and almonds. Twenty five minutes, four servings, and a real dinner rather than a side salad.
Get the full tutorial at Averie Cooks.
11. Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
Four chicken breasts, eight ingredients, 35 minutes. The chicken bakes naked at 400F for ten minutes first, then the sauce of a quarter cup of honey, a quarter cup of Dijon, half a cup of broth and a tablespoon of cornstarch goes over the top for another 15 to 20. Pouring the sauce on late is what keeps the honey from scorching, and the cornstarch is what turns it into a glaze rather than a watery puddle. Pull it at 165F.
Get the full tutorial at Salt & Lavender.
12. Healthy Chicken Chickpea Chopped Salad
Five minutes, no cooking, four servings, assuming you already have cooked chicken. Two romaine hearts, a cup of pulled chicken breast, a can of chickpeas, halved grape tomatoes, three quarters of a cup of corn, goat cheese and cilantro, with diced avocado and BBQ dressing added at the very end. Grill the corn if you have five spare minutes, because that char is the difference between a fine salad and one people ask about. This is the best argument on the list for cooking chicken on Sunday.
Get the full tutorial at Ambitious Kitchen.
13. One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies
Twenty three minutes, which is faster than most delivery. Italian dressing, three tablespoons of balsamic, honey and red pepper flakes get whisked together and used in two stages: half on the chicken tenderloins while they cook, half in the pan with the asparagus, matchstick carrots and grape tomatoes afterward. Splitting the sauce is the whole method, because it seasons twice and reduces into a glaze at the end instead of steaming everything.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking Classy.
14. Easy Chicken Taco Soup
Onion and red bell pepper soften in olive oil, then garlic, four cups of broth, two cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, corn and a full round of chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika and oregano. Two cups of cooked shredded chicken go in at the end, which means a rotisserie chicken or last night’s leftovers do the work. Stovetop or crockpot, both work. Half a cup of sour cream stirred in makes it a meal.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
15. Healthy Chicken Ramen Bowl
Thirty minutes, one pot and a saucepan. Chicken breasts poach directly in four cups of broth with soy sauce, then come out to be shredded and go back in with the ramen noodles for three to five minutes. Cabbage and shredded carrot go in off the heat so they stay crunchy. The eggs cook separately by the covered off-heat method, which is what gives you a soft set yolk rather than the chalky grey ring. Chili oil to taste at the table.
Get the full tutorial at Simple Healthy Kitchen.
16. Creamy Roasted Garlic Chicken
An entire head of garlic, cloves left in their skins, goes dry into a hot skillet for 15 minutes until soft and mellow, and that is the flavor the whole dish is built on. Then chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into cutlets, get sautéed and set aside while a white sauce of butter, flour, two cups of milk and half a cup of Parmesan comes together in the same pan. Thirty minutes, four servings, and it tastes like far more work.
Get the full tutorial at Kevin Is Cooking.
17. Easy Lemon Garlic Chicken
Two pounds of chicken thighs, seared four to five minutes a side in an oven safe pan, then built into a pan sauce with onion, three cloves of garlic, three sprigs of fresh thyme, a whole lemon and a cup and a half of chicken stock, with two heaping cups of spinach stirred in. It finishes in a 400F oven. Forty five minutes, serves four. Thighs are the right call here because they do not dry out while the sauce reduces.
Get the full tutorial at Life As A Strawberry.
18. Healthy Sriracha Shredded Chicken Tacos
Nine ingredients, one pan, 30 minutes. A quarter cup of sriracha, two tablespoons of coconut aminos and two teaspoons of garlic get mixed, and about two tablespoons are held back before the rest coats a pound and a half of chicken breast for 25 to 30 minutes at 375F. Shred it and stir the reserved sauce plus the pan juices back through. Red cabbage, feta and lime finish them. The heat is entirely yours to dial up or down.
Get the full tutorial at Jar Of Lemons.
19. Citrus Chicken Quinoa Salad
A make ahead lunch that holds for five days in the fridge, which is rarer than it sounds for anything with avocado in it. A pound and a quarter of chicken cooked with smoked paprika, a cup and a half of cooked quinoa, shredded red cabbage, two oranges in segments and sliced avocado, under a dressing of lime juice, cilantro, orange juice, honey, olive oil and Dijon. Add the avocado to each portion as you eat rather than all at once.
Get the full tutorial at Sally's Baking Addiction.
20. Skillet Chicken with Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
The order of operations is what makes this one. A pound and a half of chicken sears six to seven minutes in an ovenproof skillet, then the pan comes off the heat before the broth, three tablespoons of lime juice, red onion, cilantro and red pepper flakes go in, and only then back on to scrape up the browned bits. Cream and a quarter cup of butter finish it in a 375F oven. Pound the breasts even first or half of them overcook.
Get the full tutorial at Sally's Baking Addiction.
21. Pistachio Pesto Chicken With Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Pesto made with a cup of shelled pistachios instead of pine nuts, which is both cheaper and, to my taste, better. Ten torn basil leaves, parsley, a clove of garlic and a third of a cup of pecorino romano go into the food processor with the nuts, then olive oil in a stream. Four chicken breasts are seared and finished at 375F and a pound of whole wheat spaghetti goes underneath. Thirty five minutes, four servings.
Get the full tutorial at How Sweet Eats.
22. Spiced Eggplant, Chicken + Chickpea Salad
A warm grain salad rather than a leafy one, built on two cups of cooked bulgur. The chicken is tossed with cumin, smoked paprika and olive oil and sautéed with half the garlic, then the Japanese eggplant goes into the same pan in half moons with the rest of the garlic. Chickpeas, the juice of a lemon, parsley and crumbled feta finish it. Fifty five minutes, four servings, and it is just as good the next day at room temperature.
Get the full tutorial at The Clever Carrot.
23. Healthy Chicken Piccata
The lighter version: a pound of chicken cut into eight thin cutlets, dredged in a quarter cup of flour, browned two to four minutes a side, and a sauce of a cup of broth, a quarter cup of white wine, four teaspoons of capers and both the juice and the slices of one lemon, thickened with the leftover dredging flour rather than butter. A whole sliced sweet onion goes in too. Thirty minutes. Do not crowd the pan or the cutlets steam.
Get the full tutorial at Healthy Seasonal Recipes.
24. Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast
Eight ingredients, and the filling comes out of whatever survived your last big salad: low fat mozzarella, one artichoke heart, sun dried tomatoes and basil leaves, with garlic, curry powder, paprika and black pepper. The note that matters is to buy the artichokes packed in water and the sun dried tomatoes not packed in oil, which is what keeps this in the lean column. Boneless skinless breast only, since thighs will not hold a pocket the same way.
Get the full tutorial at Diabetes Strong.
25. Easy Chicken Breast with Mushroom Pan Sauce
Nine ingredients and 35 minutes, and it is a lesson in pan sauce more than a recipe. Pat the chicken properly dry, oil it, salt it hard, and cook four to five minutes a side to 165F. Then butter and eight ounces of sliced cremini go into the same pan with garlic, two tablespoons of flour and a cup of stock. Everything stuck to the bottom of that pan is the sauce, which is the only thing you really need to learn here.
Get the full tutorial at Laughing Spatula.
26. Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
Thirty minutes, four servings, and the vegetables come out first. Carrots and broccoli cook four minutes, then get removed and the pan is wiped clean and cranked to high before a pound of chicken goes in, in a single layer, in batches if it needs them. The sauce is broth, soy, three tablespoons of honey and two teaspoons of cornstarch. Wiping the pan sounds fussy and is the difference between browned chicken and grey chicken.
Get the full tutorial at Dinner at the Zoo.
27. Healthy Chicken Meatballs
No breadcrumbs at all. A pound of ground chicken breast bound with half a cup of almond meal, half a cup of parmesan, an egg, parsley and garlic powder, rolled into two inch balls and baked at 425F for 15 to 20 minutes, then broiled three to five minutes to get a crust. That broil is the step that makes them look and taste baked rather than boiled. Sautéed zucchini rounds go underneath. Gluten free and paleo friendly, four servings.
Get the full tutorial at A Sweet Pea Chef.
28. Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad
A lightened BBQ chicken pasta salad where the dressing is a third of a cup of Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of BBQ sauce, vinegar and brown sugar instead of a cup of mayonnaise. Butterfly the chicken into thin cutlets so it grills in four minutes a side. Rinse the cooked pasta in cool water and drain it properly, because warm pasta will turn the yogurt dressing thin. Smoked cheddar, avocado, cilantro and red onion go in cold.
Get the full tutorial at Salt & Lavender.
29. Healthy Chicken Stroganoff
Thirteen ingredients and 30 minutes, with sour cream standing in for the usual heavy cream. The instruction that changes the outcome is to brown the mushrooms in two or three batches rather than all at once, because half a pound of cremini crowded into one pan will steam and go grey. Half a cup of white wine, a tablespoon of Dijon and a cornstarch slurry build the sauce. Serve it over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes, four servings either way.
Get the full tutorial at Primavera Kitchen.
30. Healthy Baked Cheddar Ranch Chicken
Pound four chicken breasts to an even half inch, coat them in sour cream mixed with ranch seasoning, and let them sit at least an hour, or overnight if you are organized. Then a panko crust with sharp cheddar and parmesan goes on and it bakes at 400F for about 30 minutes. It serves eight because each pounded breast splits in two. The marinating hour is not decoration, it is what keeps a lean breast from going dry.
Get the full tutorial at Organize Yourself Skinny.
31. Traditional Chicken Cacciatore
Six bone in skin on thighs seared three minutes a side, then simmered 25 minutes uncovered in 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes with onion, ten ounces of mushrooms, bell pepper, red wine, oregano, rosemary, olives and a teaspoon of unrinsed capers. Leaving the lid off is deliberate, that is how the sauce thickens, so use a splatter screen. An hour total, four to six servings, and it is better reheated the next day than it was the first night.
Get the full tutorial at Feasting at Home.
32. Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Four chicken breasts with a pocket cut into the side, filled with four ounces of cream cheese, a quarter cup of parmesan, two tablespoons of mayonnaise, a cup and a half of chopped spinach, garlic and red pepper flakes, then baked at 375F for 25 minutes. Thirty five minutes total. Cut the pocket with a small sharp knife and stop well short of the far side, and if any filling escapes it browns on the pan and nobody complains.
Get the full tutorial at That Low Carb Life.
33. Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken
Nine ingredients, four of them seasonings, and about 40 minutes. Sixteen ounces of chicken breast in a baking dish, four teaspoons of lemon juice spooned over, then lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder and paprika, with a teaspoon of butter on each piece. It bakes uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes to 165F. Spoon the pan juices back over before serving. This is the one for a night when you want dinner handled without thinking about it at all.
Get the full tutorial at The Dinner-Mom.
34. Healthy Sesame Chicken with Broccoli
Twenty minutes and gluten free. A pound of cubed chicken gets tossed in an egg white with two tablespoons of cornstarch and salt, which is a velveting technique and the reason it comes out golden and tender rather than tough. Broccoli steams first in the same pan under two cups of water. The sauce is a quarter cup of tamari, toasted sesame oil, two tablespoons of honey and sesame seeds. Cook the chicken in one even layer and leave it alone.
Get the full tutorial at Feed Me Phoebe.
35. Clean Eating Chicken Tenders
The assembly line is the recipe: whole wheat flour in the first bowl, two beaten eggs in the second, whole wheat breadcrumbs with parmesan, basil and parsley in the third. A pound of chicken tenderloins goes through in order and bakes at 425F on parchment. Fifty minutes, four three ounce servings. Keep one hand for the dry bowls and one for the egg, or you will end up with breaded fingers and bare chicken. Kids will eat these without negotiation.
Get the full tutorial at The Clean Eating Couple.
36. Easy Healthy Chicken Lo Mein
Twenty minutes and 237 calories a serving, because the noodles are shirataki rather than wheat. The step people skip and then complain about is drying them: rinse, drain, then press them properly with a paper towel, because shirataki hold water and will thin your sauce to nothing. The sauce is soy, a tablespoon of barbecue sauce, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar and cornstarch. Celery, red pepper and scallions all go in sliced thin on the diagonal.
Get the full tutorial at Andie Mitchell.
37. Healthy Crockpot BBQ Chicken
Three ingredients. A pound and a quarter of chicken breast, a quarter cup of broth and a cup of low sugar BBQ sauce, on low for six to eight hours or high for three to four, then shredded right in the crockpot with two forks. That is the whole recipe, and it is the one I would put on a Monday morning before work. It feeds four across sandwiches, wraps, bowls and salads, and it freezes without complaint.
Get the full tutorial at Skinnyfitalicious.
38. Healthy Buffalo Chicken Bowls
Six chicken breasts with a cup of buffalo sauce and a tablespoon of minced garlic in the slow cooker, six hours on low or three on high, then shredded over a base of corn, black beans, halved cherry tomatoes and diced avocado. It makes ten servings, which is why this is a meal prep recipe rather than a dinner recipe. Two tablespoons of ranch is all the drizzle it needs. Keep the avocado separate until the day you eat each portion.
Get the full tutorial at Pretty Providence.
39. Healthy General Tso's Chicken
No deep fryer. The chicken is tossed in two teaspoons of cornstarch and seared in a very hot wok in a single layer to build a crust, and the broccoli steams separately under half a cup of water for two minutes first. The sauce is soy, rice vinegar, honey, garlic chili sauce, broth and a teaspoon more cornstarch. Twenty five minutes, four servings. Let the pan cool slightly before the garlic and ginger go in or they burn instantly.
Get the full tutorial at Steamy Kitchen.
40. Healthy Quinoa Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups
Chicken breasts pounded thin, spread with a quinoa filling, rolled and baked, which is the technique to learn if you are bored of flat chicken. Rolling gives you a portion that looks like it came from a restaurant and slices into rounds. Pound between two sheets of plastic and work from the middle outward so you get an even sheet rather than a torn one. Chill the rolls for ten minutes before baking and they hold their shape.
Get the full tutorial at Verywell Fit.
41. Low Fat Chicken Broccoli
Fifteen minutes, one pan, and about as short an ingredient list as a stir fry gets. Onion and garlic go in first, then a pound of cubed chicken breast with a tablespoon of fresh minced ginger, then soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and optional hot sauce. The broccoli goes in last with a splash of water and the pan gets covered for about a minute so it steams tender. Add extra hoisin or oyster sauce if you want it saucier.
Get the full tutorial at Best Recipe Box.
42. One Pot Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice
Bone in skin on chicken thighs baked over basmati rice with turmeric, cumin and curry, all in one cast iron skillet. Rinse the rice before it goes in, because the excess starch is what turns a dish like this gluey instead of fluffy. Broth rather than water is the other thing worth doing. It is naturally gluten free, reheats well for meal prep, and a squeeze of fresh lemon and chopped parsley right at the end is what lifts it.
Get the full tutorial at EV Seats.
43. Crock Pot Mexican Chicken
Four chicken breasts, about two and a half pounds, with a homemade spice blend of cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, coriander, salt and pepper, plus broth, two limes, cilantro, onion wedges and a sliced jalapeno. Three to five hours on low, then shredded. Eight servings. The advice that saves the batch is to strain the cooking liquid and pour some back over the shredded meat, so it does not dry out sitting in the fridge.
Get the full tutorial at Good Life Eats.
