1. Healthy Chicken Recipes
Chicken is a vigorous fowl food, even better if you know how to prepare and cook
them properly. You can start your healthy chicken recipes right at the
supermarket—choose specialized free range or organic chicken, which are raised
without antibiotics and given organic feeds such as a mix of whole corn, wheat,
barley, oat groats, peanuts, bran and more.
When you get home, clean the chicken and remove the fatty parts including the
chicken skin which is high in fat and calories. There are healthy chicken dishes when
the skin is not wanted and the mean is the emphasis. Select the thinner cuts such as
the breast meat, legs, thighs and wings.
When cutting the chicken, target also for portion control, especially for casseroles,
stews, and braises when the dish can be stretched with the addition of vegetables
and tomato-based sauces. Large, individual pieces can be made into fried chicken
but to make it healthier and still retain the crunch of the chicken, dip in breading,
assemble on a baking dish and then bake.
It’s possible to still make your favorite chicken recipes, just use low-fat cooking
techniques, such as stir-frying, braising, poaching, grilling, boiling, and baking. When
stir frying chicken, use a non-stick pan, so you don’t have to add as much oil. Use
healthy oils (but carefully, if possible) such as safflower, canola, and olive oil when
pan-frying or stir-frying.
Steer clear of rich sauces (mostly from cream, milk and butter) in your chicken
recipes because they will markedly increase the fat content of your meals. Add flavor
to healthy chicken recipes with ground herbs and spices as well as lemon zest.
Knowing how to make chicken meal in a healthy way in the beginning will aid you
with your healthy chicken recipes. Grilled chicken breast, for example (minus the
2. skin), can be cut into strips and sprinkled into a bowl of baby greens, cherry
tomatoes, and olive oil vinaigrette for a hearty salad. Cooking chicken with
vegetables and grains is a good idea. Serve grilled chicken on a bed of couscous and
bell peppers, tomatoes, and olives.
Shred boiled chicken breast and sprinkle it on salads, pastas, or as filling for pita
bread pockets or shawarma sandwiches. Add some sautéed mushrooms and onions,
low-fat cheese, and whole wheat tortilla and you have yourself a healthy quesadilla.
Prepare a salsa out of cucumber, jicama and watermelon to serve on the side.
Want to try some more exciting and interesting recipes that will soothe your picky
tongue? Choose from these fabulous Chicken Recipes.
3. Grilled Mustard Chicken Breasts
Servings: 4-6
Preparation Time: 5 minutes, plus 2-4 hours to marinate
Cooking Time: 6-8 minutes
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup coarsely ground mustard, 1/4 cup German mustard,
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest, 1/4 cup white
vinegar, 1/3 cup apple juice, 1 shallot, peeled and sliced, 1 small clove garlic, minced,
1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 1
lb. total)
Preparation Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together, except the meat, in a shallow bowl. Add chicken and
turn once or twice to coat. Cover bowl and chill for 2-4 hours to marinate, turning
occasionally. When ready to grill, remove chicken from bowl. Discard marinade.
Place chicken on lightly oiled, preheated grill. Cook until meat is no longer pink
inside, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
4. Grilled Whole Chicken
Servings: 5 to 12
Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, Olive oil, 5 to 10 garlic cloves, Freshly ground pepper, Salt,
Preparation Instructions:
Prepare and preheat the grill. Wash the chicken and pat dry. Place in a disposable
aluminum pan. In a small bowl, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil. Mince the garlic
cloves and add to the oil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Add more oil, if
necessary, to make a paste. Rub the paste on the meat of the bird, under the skin.
Rub any remaining paste on the skin of the bird. When the coals of the grill are
coated in gray ash, divide the coals in half and place each half to one side of the fire
grate. Place the pan with the chicken on the center of the grill. Cover, leaving the top
and bottom vents open. Cook the bird until an insta-read thermometer reads 185
degrees F., about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remove the chicken and before carving, place it on
a platter for 10 minutes, tenting it with foil.
5. Chicken traditionally prepared in
the Backoffen
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, 6-8 hours for the lemons
Cooking Time: 75 minutes
Recommended Wine: Arbois blanc, vin de Moselle
Ingredients:
For the base and foundation: 1 chicken (approximately 2.2 pounds, prepared), 3/5
cup Alsatian white wine, 1 2/5 cups chicken stock, salt, pepper For the garnish: 1 lb.
potatoes, 0.9 lbs. (14.4 oz.) small artichokes, 0.3 lbs. (4.8 oz.) small onions, 1 oz. (2
tablespoons) butter, salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, preserved lemon,
tomatoes, garlic For the dough: 2 cups flour, 3/5 cup hot water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1
egg yolk
Preparation Instructions:
When making this dish, it’s very important to hermetically close the terrine. Prepare
a dough ahead of time using flour, warm water (to make the dough elastic), and an
egg. Also, preserve the lemon ahead of time. Peel and seed the tomatoes. Cut them
into quarters. Peel the garlic. Place the small artichokes in a frying pan with a little
oil. Do the same with the grated potatoes, coloring them lightly. Season the chicken
with some salt and pepper. Distribute the potatoes and artichokes around the
chicken. Add the small onions, the cloves of garlic, tomato, lemon, and two rosemary
branches. Add the equivalent of a good glass of Alsatian white wine, the same
quantity of fowl stock, and the fowl gravy. Close the terrine with a lid. Wrap the
dough, shaped in a long rectangle, once around the pot, pressing down firmly. Place
in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. Remove the dough from around
the lid and serve.
6. Chicken Breasts in Wine Sauce
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Recommended Wine: 1/4 cup white wine
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, 3 whole chicken breasts - skinned and boned, halved, 3 cups
chicken stock, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 dash black pepper, 1 1/2 cups carrots – sliced,
1 cup sliced mushrooms
Preparation Instructions:
In a large saucepan melt the butter. To this add the chopped chicken breasts and fry
until brown on both sides. In a separate bowl mix chicken stock, wine, and pepper;
pour over fried chicken breast. Stir in carrots and mushrooms on low heat. Cover and
allow to boil until chicken is tender. (Optional)Serve with hot cooked rice.
7. Chicken supreme with anchovy and
rosemary
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Recommended Wine: Arbois blanc, Julienas
Ingredients:
1 fatted chicken from Bresse, about 3 2/3 lbs., 4 anchovy fillets, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2
spoons fowl fond, 2 dippers cream, butter,; 1 ½ tablespoons rosemary
Preparation Instructions:
Start by preparing the chicken supremes. Use a small knife to cut 5 or 6 slits into the
meat. Place the anchovy pieces inside. Peel the carrot and onion and cut into small,
round slices. Brown the supremes in a cocotte pan with 1 oz. butter. Add the carrot
and onion pieces, 2 spoons fowl fond, and 2 dippers cream. Allow it to cook on a
medium flame for about 15 minutes. Store warm. Add the rosemary into the sauce
and reduce until obtaining a smooth consistency. Strain. Salt, pepper and season, as
desired.
8. Chicken Cooked in Ale
Servings: 4
Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
1 chicken (2 ½ to 3 lbs.), 4 tablespoons butter, Salt, Freshly ground pepper, 1
tablespoons chopped shallots, ½ cup gin, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ lb. fresh mushrooms,
diced, 2 cups ale, Cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation Instructions:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven. Add the chicken and sauté until
golden. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken with tongs and cover with a tent of foil to keep warm. Add the
shallots to the Dutch oven and sauté until golden. Place the chicken back in the
Dutch oven. Pour the gin over the chicken and carefully flambé. Add 1 tablespoon
butter, 2 tablespoons cream, and the mushrooms. Add the ale and season with salt,
pepper, and some cayenne pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. When chicken
is cooked through, cut it into 4 pieces. Keep warm. Add the remaining cream to the
Dutch oven. Boil until thickened. Season, if needed. Remove the Dutch oven from
the stove and add the remaining butter, allowing it to melt naturally in the hot
cream sauce. Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over it and parsley sprinkled
over the whole.
9. Chicken Braised with Wine
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
¼ lb. salt pork, diced, 3 tablespoons butter, 4 small shallots, 8 small white onions, 1
garlic clove (sliced), 1 carrot, sliced, 1 frying hen, cut into pieces, 2 tablespoons all
purpose flour, Sea salt, Pepper, freshly ground, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, 1
tablespoon minced fresh chervil, 1 bay leaf, 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 cup red
wine, 1 tablespoon brandy, ¼ lb. mushrooms
Preparation Instructions:
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt pork pieces and
sauté until slightly golden. Add the shallots, onions, garlic, and carrot. Sauté until
tender. Do not brown. Remove the vegetables and pork with a slotted spoon. Add
the chicken and cook until browned. Sprinkle the chicken with the flour, salt, pepper,
parsley, chervil, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the previously cooked vegetables back to
the pan. Add the wine and brandy. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. In the last 5
minutes of cooking, add the mushrooms.
10. Spanish Chicken Wings
Servings: 4
Cooking Time; 15 minutes
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
8 chicken wings, 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon
paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, Lime wedges
Preparation Instructions:
With a paring knife, make 2 small slices in each chicken wing’s skin. Slip a slice of
garlic clove into each slice. With a pastry brush, coat the wings with oil. In a bowl,
combine the paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken wings
and toss until well coated. Grill the wings for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
Serve with lime wedges.
11. Crock Pot Chicken
Servings: 6
Cooking Time: 10 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Ingredients:
2 potatoes (sliced), 2 carrots (sliced), 2 onions (sliced),2 celery stalks (sliced into 1 in.
pieces), 1 (3 lb.) chicken, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground), 1
teaspoon dried basil, ½ cup white wine or chicken stock
Preparation Instructions:
Pour the vegetables into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the chicken on top.
Add the salt, pepper, basil, and wine or stock. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
12. Oven-fried Chicken
Servings: 4-6
Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes
Difficulty Level: Average
Ingredients:
2 1/2 – 3 lb. fryer chicken pieces, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup flour, 1
tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Put
butter and oil in 13x9 casserole dish. Place dish in oven just long enough to melt the
butter. Remove from oven. Mix together flour, paprika and pepper in a bowl. Dredge
chicken pieces through the flour, one at a time, and place in casserole dish. Bake
chicken 30 minutes. Remove from oven, rotate chicken pieces, and bake an
additional 20-30 minutes, or until the thickest chicken pieces are fork-tender.