HEALTHY CHICKEN RECIPES FOR WEIGHT LOSS - 15 RECIPES

1
THE BEST-EVER
OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

Southerners may grunt and grumble about the travesty of “fried” chicken not being cooked in big skillets of melted lard, but we’d bring this crispy, succulent bird to a church potluck in Savannah without batting an eye. A long soak in buttermilk spiked with hot sauce both tenderizes and flavors the meat while the spiced panko provides a layer of captivating crunch. We won’t go as far as to say you won’t taste the difference (properly fried chicken has a depth of flavor that stretches straight to your soul), but we can say with confidence that this chicken hits the spot. Try it here: Oven Fried Chicken!

2
THE ZERO BELLY
CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

This delicious recipe for a lunchtime (or anytime) soup couldn’t be easier. It’s just one of the 150+ belly-flattening recipes in the best-selling new Zero Belly Cookbook! Test panelists lost up to 16 pounds in 14 days!

3
BUFFALO CHICKEN
SANDWICH

Given the rate of wing consumption in this country, clearly hot sauce-slathered chicken and blue cheese is a winning combination for American palates. We stay true to the flavors people love—basting the chicken in hot sauce butter after grilling, topping with a yogurt-based blue cheese sauce—but manage to do what no one else out there has done yet: make Buffalo chicken into a healthy meal. Try the same technique with grilled shrimp. For the recipe, try this Buffalo Chicken Sandwich!

4
MARGARITA CHICKEN

Sizzling chicken and steak platters clutter the menus of nearly every major chain restaurant in this country, a testament to the enduring popularity of meat and melted cheese. We can’t fault people for loving it—who wouldn’t?—but we do take issue with the fact that these savory skillets rarely contain fewer than 1,000 calories, regardless of who’s holding the spatula. That is unless you are. Our version—a meal that you can have on the table in 20 minutes—contains all the same bells and whistles (Cheese! Salsa! Sizzle!) while skipping nearly 900 calories per portion. For the full recipe, click here for our Margarita Chicken.

5
CHICKEN TIKKA MARSALA

So dense is the Indian population and so ubiquitous their imprint on the country that many call tikka masala the national dish of England. It takes many years to master the complex spice art at the heart of Indian cuisine, but tikka masala is the perfect beginner’s dish—light on ingre­dients and relatively mild in flavor. Tikka masala normally involves a heavy hand with both butter and cream, but we found that the combi­nation of Greek yogurt and half-and-half gives you the same velvety texture for a fraction of the calories. Click here for ourChicken Tikka Marsala!

style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 60px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

6
KUNG PAO CHICKEN

What makes a stir-fry so incredibly comforting? It’s knowing that, after a long, difficult day, a lean and flavor-packed meal can be prepared in a single pan in under 10 minutes. A real kung pao kicks like a karate kid, loaded with dried chiles that imbue the mash-up with a capsaicin glow. But in most versions across the restaurant and takeout spectrum, the heat takes a backseat to Chinese-American food’s more dominant flavor profile: fat plus salt. This one puts the heat back in the driver’s seat. For the full recipe, click here for Kung Pao Chicken!

7
SESAME NOODLES
WITH CHICKEN

Italians might cringe in horror to hear it, but the noodle originally comes from Asia. In 2005, archeologists discovered what they believe to be the oldest bowl of noodles on record, dating back some 4,000 years. (No word yet on what type of sauce they were dressed with.) The point being that sometimes a box of fettuccine is just as appropriate for an Asian-inspired meal as it is for an Italian repast. Think of this as a salad, with the noodles sitting in for lettuce. Add some protein and as many or as few vegetables as you like, and toss the whole package with a light but powerful dressing. It’s the culmination of four millennia of noodle knowledge. (Well, maybe not, but it’s awfully tasty.) Click here for our Sesame Noodles with Chicken.

8
THAI
CHICKEN CURRY

Redolent of ginger and lemongrass, chiles and coconut milk, Thai curry brings all of the classic flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine—salty, sour, bitter, hot—together in one dish.What’s more, it derives all of its flavors from ingredients packed with powerful antioxidants. Even coconut milk contains lauric acid, among the healthiest forms of fat you can consume. The flavors may be exotic, but the tender chicken, the bouquet of vegetables, and the rich coconut milk will all taste wonderfully familiar. Read on for our Thai Chicken Curry!

9
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

It’s French in name, but it feels American, right down to its molten cheese core. Normally, this chicken is stuffed, breaded, then deep-fried into submission. But our testing found that a high-heat oven provides all the crunch we want without all the calories we don’t. If honey mustard feels a bit like gilding the lily, it is, but at 350 calories for the whole dish, why not? Visit here for the full-on Chicken Cordon Bleu!

10
HUMMUS-CRUSTED
CHICKEN

Serves: 4
Nutrition: 384 calories, 18.2 g fat (3.8 g sat fat), 346 mg sodium, 6.2 g fiber, 3.6 g sugar, 39.6 g protein

Who knew you could crust your chicken with hummus? This ingenious blogger. The stats here include all the veggies, chicken, and hummus, so you can polish off your plate guilt-free.

Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 60px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">

11
LIGHTER KUNG
PAO CHICKEN

Serves: 4
Nutrition: 240 calories, 9.9 g fat (2.2 g sat fat), 755 mg sodium, 1.9 g fiber, 4.2 g sugar, 26.7 g protein

Before you assume this takeout classic done at home will have you in the kitchen at least a solid hours, hear us out: This recipe takes a mere 30 minutes. And we didn’t scrimp on the ingredients, either. The nutrition stats we calculated are based on using three chicken breasts instead of two.

Get the recipe from Creme de la Crumb.

12
MINI CHICKEN
MEATBALL SOUP

Serves: 6
Nutrition: 429 calories, 13.8 g fat (4.2 g sat fat), 514 mg sodium, 3.4 g fiber, 3.6 g sugar, 35 g protein

Winter isn’t over quite yet, so there’s still time to whip up a soothing batch of this soup. Chicken meatballs keep calorie counts in check while adding the heft you need to brave days out in the icy weather.

Get the recipe from How Sweet Eats.

13
BALSAMIC KALE AND
CHICKEN SAUSAGE PIZZA

Serves: 4 (2 pieces per person)
Nutrition: 600 calories, 15.9 g fat (8 g sat fat), 909 mg sodium, 7.7 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 32.5 g protein

Some nights you just need a slice of pizza and any old slice will do. Other nights, you want something tastier than a dollar slice. This recipe fit the bill perfectly. Balsamic, chicken sausage, and kale make for a thoroughly satisfying slice like none you’ve tasted before.

Get the recipe from Real Food by Dad.

14
SKINNY HONEY
LEMON CHICKEN

Serves: 4
Nutrition: 433 calories, 16.3 g fat (4.1 g sat fat), 970 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 13.6 g sugar, 50.3 g protein

We get it: Sweet and sour is addictive. It’s just a shame the ‘sweet’ part of the equation comes with so many extra calories. Next time a craving strikes, whip up this lighter version at home. You’ll get enough sauce to feel satisfied but only the amount of sugar you’ll find in an average pot of yogurt. Feeling extra virtuous? Serve it over quinoa instead of brown rice for added protein.

Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.

15
GREEK
CHICKEN TACOS

Serves: 4 (2 tacos per person)
Nutrition: 413 calories, 21.5 g fat (4.8 g sat fat), 305 mg sodium, 4.6 g fiber, 2.9 g sugar, 29.9 g protein

Fusion cuisine isn’t just for the confines of the restaurant. This recipe takes the healthy—but flavorful—elements of the Mediterranean diet (think briny olives, sweet bell peppers, and tangy feta) and wraps them up like a taco. It’s a new take on taco night your taste buds and waistline will love.

Get the recipe from Creme de la Crumb.

Source: eatthis.com