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33+ Best Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes for Weight Loss

Getting sick of cooking the same old boring chicken recipes? We've listed our favorite creative ways to cook this versatile meat!
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If you aren't constantly in awe of the versatility of a chicken breast, these recipes will reveal all that is truly possible. Looking for an Italian dish? Chicken Parm with Spinach is perfect. In the mood for Chinese food? Try our Orange Chicken. Even Tomato Chicken Curry with Cauliflower Rice if you're looking to add the flavors of Indian cooking to your weeknight dinners. No matter the cuisine, our healthy chicken breast recipes using a trusty chicken breast have got you covered.

Some of these recipes are even one-pot wonders and others can be whipped together in less than 15 minutes. So, it's time to give them a try. Here are enough healthy chicken breast recipes to cover over a month of weeknight dinners.

And if you're looking for some healthy dinner ideas, check out 22 Meals to Melt Belly Fat in 2022.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Chimichurri Sauce

Healthy grilled chicken sandwich with chimichurri
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

One of the easiest chicken breast recipes you can make is simply putting your chicken on a sandwich! This grilled chicken sandwich delivers heroic flavor by employing chimichurri, an Argentine herb-based sauce that would make shoe leather taste like fine dining, along with a solid supporting cast of sweet peppers, sharp raw onions, and peppery greens. Good luck finding a side salad, let alone a real sandwich, at a restaurant for 310 calories.

Get our recipe for a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Chimichurri Sauce.

Spicy Thai Chicken with Basil Recipe

Paleo spicy thai chicken with basil
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

This Thai classic (called gai pad grapow) gets its flavor from chiles, garlic, and fresh herbs—nutritional powerhouses known to boost metabolism and fight cancer. Together, they also make for a full-throttle flavor experience that trumps nearly any Chinese stir-fry in the health department.

Get our recipe for Spicy Thai Chicken with Basil.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Healthy creamy mushroom chicken
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The combination of Greek yogurt and half-and-half gives the sauce richness and a lovely velvety texture without weighing it down in this creamy mushroom chicken recipe.

Get our recipe for Creamy Mushroom Chicken.

 21 Best Healthy Baked Chicken Recipes for Weight Loss

Chicken Scaloppine

Paleo chicken scaloppine
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Our lighter, more authentic version wraps chicken and sage in a layer of prosciutto, which then becomes a crispy skin that keeps the chicken moist while it sautés. A splash of wine and chicken stock directly into the cooking pan becomes your 2-minute sauce. Just the latest proof of why simpler is so often better with chicken breast recipes.

Get our recipe for Chicken Scaloppine.

Spicy-Sweet Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwich

Paleo grilled chicken pineapple sandwich
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Our sandwich is a spicy-sweet combination of teriyaki-glazed chicken, juicy grilled pineapple, and fiery jalapeños—a chicken sandwich to end all fatty chicken sandwiches. Trust us: You won't miss the fried versions at all once you sink your teeth into this sweet and savory combination.

Get our recipe for Spicy-Sweet Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Sandwich.

 17 Roasted Chicken Recipes Perfect for Weeknight Dinners

Chicken Pot Pie

Low-calorie chicken pot pie
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Pot pies may be one of America's favorite comfort foods, but there's nothing comforting about a dish that can swallow up an entire day's worth of calories, fat, and sodium, as many restaurant renditions do. We clear out the artery-clogging fats, cut the calories by more than half, and deliver an easy chicken pot pie recipe you're bound to love.

Get our recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.

Oven-Baked Chicken Fingers With Chipotle-Honey Mustard

Gluten-free chicken fingers with chipotle honey
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Chicken fingers on a list of healthy chicken breast recipes? You betcha! Make the switch to this oven-fried version once a week, and you'll shed 25 pounds (and cut out 210,080 milligrams of sodium) in a year, while still enjoying your favorite childhood food. Our sweet and spicy sauce kicks the taste up a notch, too, so you'll get a satisfying crunch from the panko bread crumbs, plus a mouthful of flavor.

Get our recipe for Oven-Baked Chicken Fingers With Chipotle-Honey Mustard.

Chicken Fajitas

Low-calorie chicken fajitas
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Our chicken fajitas recipe is boldly flavored, loaded with vegetables and protein, and healthy enough to eat twice a week. It's one of those chicken breast recipes you're going to want to make again and again.

Get our recipe for Chicken Fajitas.

 50 Best Easy (and Fast) Dinner Recipes

Alfredo Pasta With Chicken and Vegetables

Healthy loaded alfredo with chicken and veggies
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Yes, you can enjoy healthy chicken breast recipes made with pasta! We ditched the cream and made a basic béchamel sauce with flour, milk, butter, and Parmesan in our version of an Alfredo pasta recipe. We solved the other major shortcoming of pasta Alfredo (that is, a dearth of any true nutrition) by adding chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and, for good measure, sun-dried tomatoes.

Get our recipe for Alfredo Pasta With Chicken and Vegetables.

Thai Chicken Curry

Healthy thai chicken curry
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The flavors may be exotic, but the tender chicken, the bouquet of vegetables, and the rich coconut milk will all taste wonderfully familiar in this Thai chicken curry recipe.

Get our recipe for Thai Chicken Curry.

 73 Healthy Chicken Recipes for Weight Loss

Chicken Parm with Spinach

Healthy chicken parm
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

In this recipe, we serve our chicken parm with garlicky spinach in place of pasta: It not only cuts calories and boosts nutrition dramatically, but it also adds a punch that pairs perfectly with the saucy chicken.

Get our recipe for Chicken Parm with Spinach.

Grilled Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sandwich

healthy buffalo chicken and blue cheese sandwich
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

In this healthier buffalo chicken sandwich recipe, we stay true to the flavors people love by basting the chicken in hot sauce and 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.

Get our recipe for Grilled Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sandwich.

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Mediterranean-Inspired Baked Chicken With Tomatoes and Capers

Paleo chicken with tomato, olives, and capers
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

This baked chicken breast recipe will have you roasting the meat with tomatoes and capers, then olive oil bastes the chicken in a savory broth; this will keep the meat moist and ultimately provide it with both a chunky, textured topping and an intensely satisfying sauce to pour all over the top. Plus, you'll save more than just calories—you'll save time on cleanup!

Get our recipe for Mediterranean-Inspired Baked Chicken With Tomatoes and Capers.

Easy, healthy, 350-calorie recipe ideas you can make at home.

Chicken Cordon Bleu With Honey Mustard

Gluten-free chicken cordon cleu with honey mustard
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Normally, this chicken cordon bleu recipe 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?

Get our recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu With Honey Mustard.

 15+ Best Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes for Weight Loss

Margarita Chicken

Paleo margarita chicken 
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Our version of margarita chicken, a meal that you can have on the table in 20 minutes, contains all the same bells and whistles (Cheese! Salsa! Sizzle!), minus all the added calories and dollars spent on eating at a restaurant.

Get our recipe for Margarita Chicken.

Chicken Panini with Pesto and Peppers

Paleo chicken panini with pesto and peppers
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Keep it simple with this chicken panini recipe: A light, healthy spread like pesto, a low-calorie cheese like fresh mozz, and a layer of lean white meat chicken deliver all the same flavor and a tasty crunch for a fraction of the calories.

Get our recipe for Chicken Panini with Pesto and Peppers.

 20 Mouth-Watering Panini Recipes to Break Up the Sandwich Routine

Chicken Pizzaioli

Healthy paleo chicken pizzaioli
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

To lighten things up without losing flavor, we ditch the breading (which gets soggy underneath the sauce anyway) and sear the chicken rather than fry it. A ladle of red sauce and a thin layer of bubbling mozzarella rounds the dish out—without rounding you out.

Get our recipe for Chicken Pizzaioli.

Stuffed Chicken

Paleo stuffed chicken
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The cheesy restaurant chicken dish (one likely to involve bacon and ranch dressing as well) will ruin any shot you have at a good day of eating. Apply those same appealing flavors at home to crispy stuffed chicken breast, though, and you'll escape unscathed.

Get our recipe for Stuffed Chicken.

 9 Best Healthy Crock-Pot Chicken Recipes for Weight Loss

Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad

mexican quinoa and chicken salad on wooden cutting board with bowl of salsa
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

This Mason jar salad only takes around 30 minutes to prepare, and you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days. In this case, the extra time will only make the dish even more flavorful as the lime juice, cilantro, and garlic soak into the chicken and quinoa.

Get our recipe for Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad.

Garam Masala Chicken Skewers with Fire-Roasted Jalapeno Dip

garam masala chicken skewers with dip on wood serving board
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Ready to kick your appetizer game up a notch? This garam chicken masala skewers recipe will do just the trick. Thanks to the flavorful seasoning, these chicken skewers are anything but basic.

Get our recipe for Garam Masala Chicken Skewers with Fire-Roasted Jalapeno Dip.

Chicken Taco with Roasted Red Peppers

Chicken red pepper taco recipe on a plate
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

This chicken taco recipe is made with roasted red pepper, making it a sweeter taco than you normally associate tacos to be. Between the roasted red bell pepper and sweet corn salsa, you'll find yourself enjoying a satisfying sweet and salty experience when biting into one of these.

Get our recipe for Chicken Taco with Roasted Red Peppers.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

chicken fajitas recipe for a sheet pan dinner
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Looking for an easy family dinner to throw together for a quick meal? Well, this chicken fajitas recipe is it! Sheet pan dinners are the real MVPs for busy weeknights. They have the convenience of a dump-and-go like a slow cooker meal, but only take around 30 minutes to cook (instead of waiting four to eight hours for a meal!)

Get our recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas.

Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Crock pot chicken noodle soup with bread on a table.
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Nothing beats a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold day, does it? Especially if it can be cooked with minimal effort! This Crock-Pot chicken noodle soup recipe is the perfect meal to warm up a crowd on a winter day, and is bound to be one of your new favorite health chicken breast recipes.

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup.

Chicken Piccata

chicken piccata
Shutterstock

With this recipe, you can have a chicken dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. Not to mention, you'll be using classic Italian ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. That's our idea of the perfect healthy weeknight dinner!

Get our recipe for Chicken Piccata.

Orange Chicken

bowls of homemade orange chicken with chopsticks
Brie Passano

Thanks to this recipe, you don't have to wait for the delivery person to enjoy some orange chicken right at home! Plus, this version slashes the calorie count of your usual orange chicken takeout. So enjoy a healthier take on this classic Chinese takeout dish with our easy-to-make orange chicken recipe.

Get our recipe for Orange Chicken.

Tandoori Chicken Skewers With Spicy Cucumber Raita

tandoori chicken skewers with lemon slices on pita
Shutterstock

Looking for recipes to make on the grill that aren't hamburgers and hot dogs? You're in luck! This delicious tandoori chicken skewer recipe is about to be your favorite new food to grill. Served with a spicy cucumber raita sauce, these tandoori chicken skewers are great on their own or served inside a warm pita.

Get our recipe for Tandoori Chicken Skewers With Spicy Cucumber Raita.

Tomato Chicken Curry With Cauliflower Rice

Paleo tomato chicken curry recipe
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Looking for something on the spicier side? By using a jalapeño in the recipe, this chicken curry comes with a slight kick, but between the sweetness of the coconut milk and the acidity of the crushed tomatoes, this tomato chicken curry recipe is the perfect dinner dish no matter what season you're in.

Get our recipe for Tomato Chicken Curry With Cauliflower Rice.

Pesto Chicken

keto pesto chicken
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

This is a picture-perfect keto diet meal: chicken breasts topped with mozzarella cheese and pesto sauce. Pesto, made from basil, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts adds rich, satiating, heart-healthy unsaturated fats to the dinner.

Get our recipe for Pesto Chicken.

Chicken Zoodle Soup

Whole30 instant pot chicken zoodle soup
Posie Brien/Eat This, Not That!

Chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food, especially during the cold weather months. We've made our special light version by swapping in zucchini noodles for regular noodles, which makes this recipe gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30-approved. Basically, the healthiest chicken noodle soup you could possibly have.

Get our recipe for Chicken Zoodle Soup.

Chicken Kababs With Celeriac Rice

whole30 chicken kababs over celeriac rice on a plate
Posie Brien/Eat This, Not That!

Instead of grilling the chicken, we cover it in spices and bake it in the oven, which both cuts down on time (you can multitask by cooking the celeriac while the chicken bakes) and also means you can easily make it all year round.

Get our recipe for Chicken Kababs With Celeriac Rice.

Chicken Marsala

Copycat Carrabba's chicken marsala with steamed broccoli on a plate
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Chicken marsala got its name thanks to the Marsala cooking wine that is used for this recipe. Marsala cooking wine is easy to grab at your local supermarket, or you can even order a few bottles online. It has a brown color to it, which gives the Carrabba's chicken marsala that nutty brown color you know.

Get our recipe for Chicken Marsala.

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken with Spinach

creamy chicken with spinach and cracked black pepper from an instant pot
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

This Instant Pot creamy chicken will go well with all kinds of dinner sides. For a low-carb option, serve this creamy chicken with some extra vegetables like cauliflower rice and parmesan-roasted broccoli. For a balanced meal, enjoy this chicken with our oven-baked fries and roasted carrots.

Get our recipe for Instant Pot Creamy Chicken with Spinach.

Crunchy Keto Popcorn Chicken with Spicy Chipotle Aioli

keto popcorn chicken
Carlene Thomas/Eat This, Not That!

This ultra crunchy oven-baked chicken recipe begins and ends with a very special, keto breaded crust. We use almond flour, chopped almonds, and a flaky spelt cereal to create a unique crunchy combo that adheres beautifully to little pieces of chicken. While many traditional crunchy chicken recipes use corn flakes, spelt flakes are lower in carbs and provide a toasted, nutty flavor.

Get our recipe for Crunchy Keto Popcorn Chicken with Spicy Chipotle Aioli.

Crock-Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

chicken enchilada casserole in bowl
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

It sure is fun to make some enchiladas for dinner—especially if it means making our Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas or the Chicken Mole Enchiladas. But actually taking the time to fill and roll up the enchiladas can be tedious work for a quick weeknight dinner. So instead, why not make a chicken enchilada casserole right in the slow cooker?

Get our recipe for Crock-Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings served with traditional Cracker Barrel sides
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

No extra vegetables were added to this specific recipe, which is why this Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings recipe simply includes those two ingredients. Slowly simmered in chicken broth, then in a rich creamy sauce, this recipe is the most authentic way to make Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings.

Get our recipe for Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings.

Chicken Marinades

8 chicken marinade ideas in plastic bags.
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Bored of making the same chicken recipe over and over again? Never fear, chicken marinades are here! These delicious marinade ideas are the perfect way to switch up your usual chicken breast recipes with just a few splashes of oil, vinegar, juices, and more. Add in a few healthy side dishes, and you have yourself an easy dinner!

Get our recipe for 8 Juicy Chicken Marinades.

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