Healthy

53 Best Healthy Chicken Recipes

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

April 13, 2020

Add this to your goto healthy chicken recipes. Who can resist seasoned ground chicken with herbs and lettuce wraps

Looking for healthy chicken recipes to add to your weeknight rotation? We rounded up 53 of our best takes on everybody's favorite lean protein, from foolproof grilled chicken to garlicky baked chicken to chicken zoodle soup. We've even got a rendition or two of that old classic: the whole roast chicken. (Just one note before we get started: "Healthy," of course, means different things to different people. Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian and nutritionist for the diet that’s best for you.)

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
1/53
Grain Bowls With Chicken, Spiced Chickpeas, and Avocado
Store-bought rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken) helps this nourishing grain bowl come together in a snap. Use whatever cooked grains you've got on hand: quinoa, farro, barley, or brown rice.
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Photo by Chelsie Craig
2/53
Easiest Chicken Adobo
For adobo that’s sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky, and ready in a fraction of the time, don’t peel and slice each garlic clove: Just cut open a whole head and simmer it in the sauce.
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Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
3/53
Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and sambal oelek give this larb just the right balance of spicy, pungent, salty, and sweet—serve it with lime wedges to get that sour note, too. This dish comes together in minutes.
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Photo by Gentl & Hyers
4/53
Turmeric-Ginger Chicken Soup
Chicken noodle soup never gets old. If you don’t have udon for this recipe, use rice noodles or regular old spaghetti. A small knob of fresh turmeric can replace the dried type.
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Photo by Nicole Franzen
5/53
Tandoori Chicken and Vegetable Sheet-Pan Supper
No tandoor oven, no problem. This veg-packed rendition of an Indian classic can be cooked on a single sheet pan in a regular home oven.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
6/53
Spiced Chicken with Spaghetti Squash, Pomegranate, and Pistachios
Spice-rubbed chicken legs get roasted alongside spaghetti squash and onion for an easy sheet-pan dinner that’s bursting with bright, comforting flavors.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
7/53
Lemony Chicken Soup With Farro, White Beans, and Kale
Enhance the flavor of store-bought chicken broth by simmering it with vegetables and the bones saved from a previously cooked chicken—and then enhance it further by giving it a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
8/53
Freeform Chicken Meatballs With Carrots and Yogurt Sauce
Shaping meatballs into perfect spheres is too fussy for a weeknight meal. Instead, drop dollops of spiced ground chicken onto a sheet pan and roast with carrots until both are golden brown.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege
9/53
Grilled Chicken Salad With Romesco Sauce
Purée grilled bell peppers, almond butter, sherry vinegar, and garlic into a delicious smoky-sweet sauce that pairs perfectly with a crunchy grilled chicken salad.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
10/53
Gingery Chicken Soup With Zucchini “Noodles”
Not only is this soothing chicken soup just as comforting as your grandma’s, it's also gluten-free, thanks to the spiralized zucchini “noodles.” Garnish with freshly grated ginger for a kick.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
11/53
Grilled Chicken With Lemon and Thyme
Grilled chicken you can make ahead—and that you don't need to marinate for hours? We've got you covered. The key to this healthy chicken recipe is skin-on, bone-in breasts, finished with lemon, olives, and olive oil.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
12/53
Lentil and Chicken Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Escarole
A half hour is just about all it takes to turn leftover chicken (or store-bought rotisserie chicken) into healthy chicken soup—which gets a dose of brightness from lemon and fresh dill.
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Photo by Izabella Wentz PharmD.
13/53
Grilled Chicken Skewers
Not just chicken, though: After marinating in citrus, garlic, and thyme, the meat is threaded onto kebabs with zucchini, red onion, mushrooms, and pineapple. They can be broiled if you don't feel like firing up the grill.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
14/53
Roast Chicken Legs with Lots of Garlic
If you have time, salt the chicken the night before and let it rest uncovered in the fridge. Drying the skin out a bit helps it get a crisp, golden finish in the oven.
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