One of the most exciting parts about the holidays is the food we’re going to share with friends and family. From mouthwatering ribs to delicious sides, like pasta salads and mashed potatoes, there are just a lot of dishes to enjoy! And once we get off from the eating spree, we’d need to get back to a healthier diet as well.
Besides fish, one of the best sources of protein is chicken. In this article, we’ll share protein packed dinner ideas including clean eating chicken recipes.
Clean eating chicken recipes: Spice-rubbed grilled chicken
One of the biggest challenges for chicken is flavor.
If you’re looking for flavor-packed 30 minute chicken recipes, here’s one below.
Ingredients:
- Oil, As Needed
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
- 3/4 teaspoons Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Pepper
- 2 pounds Skinless, Boneless Chicken Thighs, Trimmed
- 2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
Instructions:
For step-by-step instructions, check here.
Chicken Marsala
A classic Italian dish that is sure to satisfy any person’s tastebuds.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 Pounds Chicken Cutlets (or buy your own chicken breast and slice them thinly)
- 1 10 Oz Package of Crimean Mushrooms
- 1 Shallot, Chopped Small
- 2 cup Marsala wine (or a sweet wine such as a Sherry)
- 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1/2 cup half and half (optional)
- Salt and Pepper
- Diced tomatoes for garnish
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Olive oil for sautéing
Instructions:
Check here for step-by-step instructions.
Baked cayenne-rubbed chicken with avocado salsa
While it may not initially be eye-catching, this recipe is sure to give your chicken consumption a much-needed boost.
Salsa, most especially, is one of the healthy sauces for chicken.
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus additional for salsa
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, plus additional for salsa
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (4 to 6 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided (approximately from 1 lime)
- 1 avocado, diced
- Cooking spray
Instructions:
For step-by-step instructions, check here.
Greek style Lemon chicken skewers
Chicken recipes for a crowd? Why not skewers?
This recipe is cool not only because you have an excuse to fire up the grill, but also because of the taste and simplicity of the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely minced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 pounds chicken breast, skinned removed and cut into medium pieces
- 1 & 1/2 cups whole milk greek yogurt – use the good stuff
- 1/3 cup fresh mint, finely minced
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- lemon wedges
Instructions:
For step-by-step instructions, check here.
Spicy Asian chicken and noodle soup
Here’s a way to spice up the classic chicken and noodle dish.
For those who need ideas for soup, this recipe is perfect for you.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken breast
- 1/2 cup carrot, grated (about 1 medium carrot)
- 1/2 cup snow peas, thinly sliced
- 3 tsp Sriracha (hot chile sauce) (2 tsp for less spice)
- 2 tsp soy sauce (I use low sodium)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
- 3 ounces uncooked wide rice noodles (rice-flour noodles)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, cilantro, and green onion for garnish
Instructions:
For step-by-step instructions, check here.
Hawaiian chicken and pineapple
Pineapple and chicken, what more could you want in a meal?
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Sriracha, optional
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For the pineapple:
- 1 large peeled pineapple and cut into 8-10 wedges
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
Instructions:
For step-by-step instructions, check here.
Takeaway
These dishes can also be converted into healthy shredded chicken recipes when they turn into leftovers. And while chicken and mixed vegetables are our go-to recipe, it’s good to know that we can make them better with just a few adjustments on the spice and cooking style.
Try these clean eating chicken recipes out for yourself and tell us what you think!