Chicken breast ideas, please!!

believetoachieve
believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
I will preface by saying that I'm not a big meat eater - I dislike most types and try to stay away from certain others (pork) whenever possible. I strongly dislike most seafood also. As a result, I eat a LOT of chicken breasts :laugh: I'm getting sick of my bland and boring, poached-in-water no-spices-added chicken breasts.

I NEED IDEAS!! Maybe there's something I can add, or something cool I can do with it? I do add them to spinach salad from time to time, or stuff them into a fajita, but that's pretty limited lol. I'm a good chef, but I'm so used to cooking bland foods that I'm lost when it comes to spices/ideas.

So please, anything & everything would be appreciated!! :heart:
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Replies

  • fitnesspirateninja
    fitnesspirateninja Posts: 667 Member
    Stir fry with veggies
    Slow cook for pulled chicken sandwiches
    Rub with spices and grill outside or on a George Foreman
    Chicken tacos

    Try epicurious.com - you can narrow your search with keywords like "chicken," "healthy," "low sodium," etc...
  • snkeller24
    snkeller24 Posts: 459
    I cube up Turkey Breast and marinade them in Soy sauce, worchester sauce, lil lemon juice, evoo, and some spices. Works with chicken. and then I just throw it in the frying pan. May not be super healthy (never really checked) but it's yum.
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
    tonight I cut up chicken breast and put it in a pot with about 1 cup of jarred salsa (nothing fancy), Once it was done, I shredded it and put it in a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, good salsa, avocado, and a little cheese. Very yummy.

    One of my favorites is margarita chicken (sodium can be an issue though).

    Marinate chicken breast overnight in:

    margarita mix (enough to cover chicken)
    a couple TBSP of chopped garlic (I just use the jarred stuff)
    a couple of TBSP of lime juice
    (measurements don't need to be exact!)

    Grill. When done, sprinkle with margarita (or kosher) salt.
  • TVanD
    TVanD Posts: 9
    real easy and low calorie is to bake them till almost done drain off any excess fat/oil and pour over top a salsa of any kind - serve on rice/noodles/potatos or lowcarb - spaghetti squash
  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Maybe try marinating the chicken...low sodium soy sauce, light italian dressing, lemon juice? How about barbeque chicken? I was on a chicken kick for a while and now I am sick of it.....Pork loin is actually just as lean as chicken...I am not a pork eater but Hormel has like 5-6 different marinated ones I throw in the crockpot with random veggies and they are awesome!! The other nite we tried the Lemon Garlic one with carrots and asparagus....plus I had a sweet potato...quite good....fav one I've had Maple Bourbon with carrots...fantabulous!!! Hope this helps you with ideas!!
  • luppic8
    luppic8 Posts: 580 Member
    Season and grill chicken breast and top it with Mango salsa! Super YUM!
  • Ree_Chatelain
    Ree_Chatelain Posts: 229 Member
    I'll grill mine with veggies or sautee with bbq sauce. I love the george forman grill it's quick and easy.
    Also i'll just add a little alfrado sauce to the chicken and veggies, just enough to coat them with flavor. The whole jar is high but just a 1/4 cup is only 60 calories if you use the low fat. Also i'll use fat free cambell's soups (mushroom is my fav) again just using a small amount not the entire can.
  • tbloor
    tbloor Posts: 56 Member
    I eat chicken almost every night for supper! Here are some of the ways I change it up:

    -Mrs. Dash has grilling blends that are delicious and do not contain sodium so are great to sprinkle on chicken!
    -Top with salsa and a sprinkle of grated cheese
    -Top with mushrooms and a sprinkle of grated cheese
    -Brush with a low fat or reduced calorie salad dressing (sundried tomato and oregano is a good one)
    -put a dash of Frank's Red Hot on
    -cut up plain chicken breasts into curried/spanish rice
  • mrs_chip
    mrs_chip Posts: 1
    Notes:
    My Grandma taught me how to make this. It’s not my “design”.

    Servings: 4

    Ingredients:

    1-2 cups Uncle Ben's 5 minute rice (white)

    1-2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup (I use the "off brand" and it works just the same as Campbells)

    4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts (or you can cut the breasts into chunks)

    1 can of water (use the empty cream of mushroom soup can)

    Directions:

    In 13 x 9 cake pan, pour the rice to cover the bottom of the the dish. (I use a glass baking pan…it's blue and oven safe).

    Mix the cream of mushroom soup over the rice, add water, mix it all again until it's not "lumpy" anymore.

    Put the chicken breasts on top of the soupy mixture and push them down into the soup mixture.

    Spoon a little bit of the mixture over the tops of the chicken breasts.

    Sprinkle with "No Salt"-Salt and Pepper.

    Cover with foil.

    Bake in oven on 350 degrees for about 55 - 60 minutes. (I usually set my timer for 58 mins and it works great!)

    Enjoy it with a side of green beans.

    ***I don't like mushrooms, but this is my FAVORITE chicken dinner. I'm like you. I eat a LOT of chicken. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out if you try it. :) ***
  • Kaldrmjolka
    Kaldrmjolka Posts: 86
    Grilled chicken with home made salsa (tomatoes, onions, parsley, onion, peppers) with a wrap maybe some laughing cow cheese, YUM. Add some turkey bacon and/or apples for more flavor. Low calorie, super easy, and great for lunches.

    Or baked chicken baked with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers seasoned with lemon, a pinch of salt, garlic. Put the veggies ontop and let the chicken take in all that yummy taste.
  • delilah514
    delilah514 Posts: 126 Member
    If you have a local spice/herb store I would try there. The one by my house offers classes on spices and how to use different ones with different foods. I love to find new mixes of salt free herbs to use on chicken, pork or veggies.

    Also my dad created this chicken recipe a few years ago & I absolutely love it. You start with a cooked chicken breast top with pesto sauce (you only need a little the flavor goes a long way), slices of artichoke hearts and a little low fat mozzarella. You put it in the oven or BBQ or even the microwave just to melt the cheese. Serve with a side of veggies & it's a great meal. It's my go to meal when I am sick of plain chicken.
  • Jb8885
    Jb8885 Posts: 126
    My fave is to take a cooked chicken breast and divide it between 2 low carb tortilla shells. I put a little pepperjack cheese and cooked green peppers and onions in there too..its soo good and not that many calories! I think the tortilla shells are 80 each, the chicken around 130, the cheese around 100...very filling, yummy, and healthy!
  • kimberg75
    kimberg75 Posts: 412 Member
    Chicken breast with brown rice and 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup is amazing! It's pretty healthy when you use the brown rice and fat free soup. Use 1 cup of rice per 2 chicken breasts and a large can of the soup.
    Just put the rice and soup in a casserole dish and add some skim milk about a half a cup or so, stir and then add the chicken (I always save some of the soup to put on top of the chicken). Then cover with foil and bake at 350 for an hour. Delish!!
  • Angelpecan
    Angelpecan Posts: 16 Member
    Oh YUM!! I love chicken breasts! The two seasonings I almost always use are sazon and adobo! I am puertorican and those are two seasonings that we always use. It isn't spicy or anything like that....but it will give ANY meat or meal a very good taste! Sazon is made by goya and they come in packets. You can use one to two packets depending on how much your making. The adobo is also made by goya. This has salt so you have to be careful with not putting too much! You can go to www.goya.com and check out the products.

    Another meal I love making with chicken breasts is teriyaki chicken . Super easy. Just marinate your chicken in teriyaki sauce and once done take them out....slice them into small pieces...cook in a wok (or any pot really) and once done I add in vegis! I eat that with rice!
  • onawho
    onawho Posts: 196 Member
    check out allrecipes.com for ideas. just plug in the things you want to use...ie, chicken breast, celery, whatever you have in the fridge and it spits out recipes for you. also try Campbell soup kitchen.com just watch the sodium in those recipes.

    rule of thumb...if it smells good...your gonna like it.
  • finchase
    finchase Posts: 174
    My favorite is very simple: I bake it for 30 minutes at 400 degree in Kraft Mesquite Flavored Barbecue sauce. It gives it a great flavor. Then I serve it with my choice of vegetable and/or brown rice.
  • sociable15
    sociable15 Posts: 98
    This is what we had tonight:
    3 chicken breasts
    1/4 c. honey
    1/4 c. dijon mustard
    1/2 tsp. dried basil
    1/2 tsp. paprika
    1/4 tsp. dried parsley
    Salt and pepper to taste if wanted

    Preheat oven to 350 F
    Salt and pepper chicken. Place in greased baking dish
    Mix other ingredients in a bowl
    Pour 1/2 mixture over chicken
    Bake for 30 minutes.
    Turn over, pour remaining mixture
    Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


    We also roasted asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder but whatever in season veggie you have access to would go well. :-)
  • mbowman323
    mbowman323 Posts: 216
    stuffed chicken brest.

    Just cut in little pockets in the breast.

    Add spinach and peper jack cheese.

    Then spinkle your chicken with some garlic powder, pepper and onion powder

    bake and taa-daa super easy and fast dinner.

    I pair this usually with cous cous and some steamed veggies
  • RachelJE
    RachelJE Posts: 172
    One of my favorites is to put 3 or 4 chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Quarter an onion over top (optional). Mix jar of salsa with packet of taco seasoning and pour over. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Chicken shreds apart and can be used for tacos, taco salads, burritos, nachos, etc. Super easy and yummy.

    This is one of our favorite marinades: http://www.grilling-recipes.com/chicken/r1671.htm.
  • HolleeERL
    HolleeERL Posts: 313 Member
    Basil Chicken

    3 Tbls lemon juice
    2 tbl chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried basil)
    1 clove garlic
    1/4 cup olive oil
    4 chicken breast halves

    Blend first 3 ingredients for 30 sec. Slowly add olive oil while blending. Brush chicken with basil mix reserving 1/4 cup. Marinate for 30 in refrigerator. Grill or bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins or until done basting two times with basil mix.

    Sometimes if I'm in a hurry, I just throw all the ingredients into a bowl and whip until blended. It still tastes good. I usually just use dried basil and jarred minced garlic. Easy recipe and always good.
  • Lauriee2014
    Lauriee2014 Posts: 183 Member
    Hi

    Perhaps try using lean ground chicken breast. You can use it to make quesadillas [Joseph's low carb wraps, veggies, salsa, non fat cheese], or use it in pasta sauce instead of hamburger - over spaghetti squash, any recipe that might call for hamburger would probably be good with the ground chicken breast!

    "Hungry Girl" has several good books out and she has some great salads using chicken. One uses 2 bags of broccoli slaw, a can of sliced water chestnuts, one small can of mandarin oranges, chopped cooked chicken breast and Newman's Own Light Ginger Sesame Dressing. The taste is amazing! It's low cal. Super easy to make!

    Happy eating! :flowerforyou:
  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
    lemon chicken : ingredients : 1 lemon, pepper, butter, chicken breast. Place 1/2 a tbsp butter and 1/4 the lemon underneath breast in a baking dish lined with foil (make sure there is enough foil to over lap the top of breasts). Season the top of chicken with the pepper and add 1/4 of the lemon slices on top of the breast. repeat with 2nd breast and the wrap the foil in dish to create a pouch so to speak leaving a small vent for steam to escape (or poke a couple hole into it with a fork). Cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes (times may change due to oven temps and chicken breast size) once done let stand for five minutes, carefully open the pouch and enjoy! This recipe creates a flavor and moisture packed chicken breast with little added cals! sooooooo good!
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    Chicken Fajitas! make them with lots of green and red bell pepper and onion. I make my own fajita seasoning so I can control or eliminate the sugar/sodium/msg/preservatives that is in the prepackaged fajita seasoning. If you also make your own whole wheat tortillas and sub avocado for cheese and sour cream you've got a really exciting and healthy meal!
  • B_L_A_Z_I_A_N
    B_L_A_Z_I_A_N Posts: 151
    salty sweet chicken breast
    - 1 chicken breast
    - 1 tbsp oil
    - 2 tbsp of soy sauce
    - 1 tsp of spicy mustard
    - 1 tsp of lemon juice
    - 1 tbsp of honey

    mix everything but the oil and the chicken together. saute the chicken breast in the oil in a covered pan for about 3 min on each side and then drizzle the sauce over it (you dont have to use all of the sauce).

    I think its delicious :)
  • B_L_A_Z_I_A_N
    B_L_A_Z_I_A_N Posts: 151
    salty sweet chicken breast
    - 1 chicken breast
    - 1 tbsp oil
    - 2 tbsp of soy sauce
    - 1 tsp of spicy mustard
    - 1 tsp of lemon juice
    - 1 tbsp of honey

    mix everything but the oil and the chicken together. saute the chicken breast in the oil in a covered pan for about 3 min on each side and then drizzle the sauce over it (you dont have to use all of the sauce).

    I think its delicious :)
  • Choirgirl37
    Choirgirl37 Posts: 255
    Chicken Noodle Soup

    Small portion of chopped chicken
    Rice or Noodle (even brown rice works)
    Broth

    Those are the basics. You can add more if you want such as salt, fresh ground pepper, onions, carrots or whatever makes you happy. I love this because you can easily control the calories and it is satisfying.
  • scheys76
    scheys76 Posts: 92 Member
    Key West Chicken:

    Ingredients

    * 3 tablespoons soy sauce
    * 1 tablespoon honey
    * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    * 1 teaspoon lime juice
    * 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
    * 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

    Directions

    1. In a shallow container, blend soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic. Place chicken breast halves into the mixture, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.
    2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
    3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

    I substitute Olive Oil for the vegetable oil and grill it on my George Foreman grill. Also I will usually marinate the chicken at least overnight so it can pull in a lot of the marinade.
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
    Salsa chicken. I feed a family of 5, so I put 5 chicken breasts in the crockpot, pour in a big jar of chunky mild salsa and cook it on high. Six or so hours later, I use two forks to shred the meat and put it on low until we're ready to eat. We've eaten it over rice before, and also in tortillas. It's always a hit in my house!
  • remaho80
    remaho80 Posts: 126 Member
    You are getting SO many great recipes! I love fajitas. I've been making them quite frequently and they are about 175 calories for one (and that's with a regular ol' tortilla). I use a McCormick fajita seasoning packet, red, yellow, or green bell peppers, and an onion. It's SUPER easy! The seasoning packet has all the directions on it.

    Often I make Chicken Packets. You take a chicken breast, worchestshire sauce, and some fresh cut up veggies and wrap it all up in a piece of foil and put a couple of slits in the top to vent. Bake at 450 for around 20 minutes.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    You're all so amazing! Thank you ladies (and guys!). I might have to start at the top of the list and work my way down to all of them! :laugh: Much thanks. I eat so much plain bland chicken, sometimes I feel I may morph into one, hah! :heart:
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