HG's Top 8 Chicken Recipes of 2015 (2024)

Feb242016

HG's Top 8 Chicken Recipes of 2015 (1)Dear Hungry Girl,

I make chicken dishes several times a week -- it's my go-to lean protein. But my family is getting bored with the same old recipes. Any ideas to change things up?

Chicken Rut

HG's Top 8 Chicken Recipes of 2015 (2)Dear Chicken Rut,

I eat chicken a lot, but I know what you mean -- it can become monotonous really easily if you don't get creative. Luckily, getting creative in the kitchen is what we're all about here at Hungryland. Here are my top eight chicken recipes from 2015... Guaranteed to get you out of that rut!

Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken

1/4th of recipe (about 1 3/4 cups): 288 calories, 6.5g total fat (1g sat. fat), 579mg sodium, 24g carbs, 6g fiber, 11.5g sugars, 32.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 5*

If you're a sucker for Chinese food, you'll fall in love with this chicken dish. It's not fried, and it's not rice, but it tastes as good as (maybe better than) the real thing.

Taco-licious Stuffed Chicken

1/4th of recipe (1 stuffed chicken breast): 244 calories, 6g total fat (2g sat. fat), 526mg sodium, 8g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 34.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 5*

You don't have to travel south of the border for this Mexican-inspired stuffed chicken. Cheese, chicken, salsa, tortilla chips... all rolled up in one low-calorie, high-protein package. So good!

Mama Shelley's Slow-Cooker Chicken

1/4th of recipe (about 1 3/4 cups): 270 calories, 4g total fat (0.5g sat. fat), 663mg sodium, 21.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 12g sugars, 35.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 3*

The only thing better than a five-ingredient chicken recipe is a five-ingredient chicken recipe that can be made in a slow cooker. This saucy chicken dish couldn't be easier to make if it tried. Who knew stewed tomatoes and balsamic vinegar go so well together?

Mexican Chicken Soup

1/10th of recipe (about 1 cup): 154 calories, 4g total fat (0.5g sat. fat), 407mg sodium, 10.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 18.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 2*

And since one slow-cooker chicken recipe is never enough, here's a second one for you. This Mexican-style soup is full of moist shredded chicken, flavorful broth, and tasty veggies. Top it off with Greek yogurt and avocado, and devour...

Pizza-fied Chicken 2.0

Entire recipe: 272 calories, 8.5g total fat (3.5g sat. fat), 633mg sodium, 6g carbs, 1g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 40.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 5*

The ultimate way to make chicken more exciting? Pizza-fy it! This recipe makes a single serving, but you can easily multiply it to serve as many hungry humans as you like.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad in a Jar

Entire recipe: 292 calories, 5.5g total fat (2g sat. fat), 704mg sodium, 28g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 10g sugars, 34.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 6*

If you haven't made a salad in a jar, you're missing out -- it's pretty much the perfect portable lunch. By layering it up with the dressing on the bottom, your salad won't ever get soggy. This Southwest-style recipe is out of this world.

Pineapple Jerk Chicken

Entire recipe: 299 calories, 3.5g total fat (0.5g sat. fat), 728mg sodium, 32g carbs, 2g fiber, 22.5g sugars, 33g protein -- SmartPoints® value 3*

Don't feel like dealing with a bunch of prep work or cleanup? That's where foil-pack recipes like this one come in. Cooking chicken and pineapple in foil makes for an extra-juicy and flavorful meal. Yes!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Cauliflower Rice Casserole

1/6th of recipe: 227 calories, 6.5g total fat (3g sat. fat), 386mg sodium, 14.5g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 27.5g protein -- SmartPoints® value 4*

This melty, cheesy, multi-serving casserole is perfect for a big family dinner. It's comfort food at its best, without the calories and fat that usually come with cheesy casseroles. Score!

Hungry for More?

Check out last year's "15 Ways To Change Up Chicken!" for even more chick-a-licious ideas.

Chew on this:

In honor of National Tortilla Chip Day (today, February24th), here's a two-ingredient recipe that's almost too easy...

Almost everyone could use more chicken in their life... Click "Send to a Friend" now!

Have a Question for Hungry Girl?

Send it in!She answers new Qs each week (but cannot respond to emails personally).

HG's Top 8 Chicken Recipes of 2015 (11)

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*The WW Points®values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsem*nt or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by WW International, Inc., the owner of thePoints® trademark.

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Hungry Girl provides general information about food and lifestyle. This information and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.Click herefor more information.

HG's Top 8 Chicken Recipes of 2015 (2024)

FAQs

What kind of salt is best for chicken? ›

Sprinkle sea or kosher salt evenly over the entire surface of the meat or poultry. For poultry allow it to air dry (for amazingly crisp skin) or, if crispness isn't a concern, loosely wrap in plastic wrap.

What to put on chicken to make it taste good? ›

Add a touch of spice to your chicken breast by combining paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic and olive oil to create a paste. Then cover your chicken breast with the paste and pat down to secure.

What enhances chicken flavor? ›

Brining your chicken is a foolproof way to not only add flavour to your roast but also to ensure you don't overcook the meat. Essentially a mix of salt, sugar and water, we love adding herbs, garlic or whole spices such as fennel and cumin to flavour the brine.

Which part of chicken is best to eat? ›

Darker cuts like the thigh and drumstick contain higher caloric content than lighter cuts like the breast. Keeping the skin or frying chicken will also add saturated fat. If you're switching out red meat for chicken, you'll want to stick with chicken breast, as it's the healthiest cut of the bird.

Why soak chicken in brine before cooking? ›

Brining is a simple method for adding flavour and tenderness to your chicken. We'll show you how! There are many ways of enhancing the flavour of a whole roasted chicken, and a favourite of ours is brining. Brining keeps chicken incredibly moist while adding an excellent flavour.

Does soaking chicken in salt water make it tender? ›

Brining is the process whereby chicken (or other meat) is submerged in a salty liquid (“brine”) and left to marinate to add flavour, tenderise AND add moisture so the chicken stays juicier when roasted.

What brings out the flavor in chicken? ›

Herbs and lemon

Stuff the cavity with halved garlic cloves, lemon, and herbs (like thyme, sage, and rosemary); rub the chicken with butter or olive oil, and season generously with salt. You're good to go.

What spices pair well with chicken? ›

5 best spice and herbs blends for chicken and meat
  • Paprika and garlic powder. Paprika is a great spice that makes any chicken dish stand out, it comes in many forms sweet, hot, regular and smoky. ...
  • Basil and rosemary. ...
  • Ginger and lemongrass. ...
  • Turmeric and chili. ...
  • Coriander and cumin.

What makes chicken taste the best? ›

Here are the best ways to make chicken breast taste good, every time!
  1. Make sure your Chicken is Properly Defrosted Prior to Cooking. ...
  2. Buy a Meat Thermometer. ...
  3. Marinate, Marinate, Marinate! ...
  4. Buy High Quality, Pasture Raised Chicken.

How to make chicken tasteful? ›

Marinate them.

If you're cooking chicken breasts without skin or fat, infuse them with some extra flavor and liquid to keep them tender. Choose your favorite marinade and throw them in a ziploc bag with the marinade. Marinate them overnight before grilling, baking, or searing. The difference is uncanny.

What is the fastest way to add flavor to chicken? ›

Just sprinkling a little salt on top of your chicken right before cooking it will only season the surface. But seasoning the chicken with salt well ahead of time or brining it in a salt-water solution will draw salt deep into the meat, resulting in a very tasty piece of chicken.

What is the unhealthiest part of chicken? ›

The highest fat content in a chicken comes from the skin, followed by the wings, which just barely edge out the next-fattiest cut of chicken meat, the thigh. Next up is the drumstick, followed by breast meat, which is the leanest cut of chicken.

What's the tastiest part of a chicken? ›

If by “best” you mean the tastiest part of the chicken, then thighs and drumsticks are the way to go. What makes chicken thighs and drumsticks so tasty? Easy: these parts of the chicken are rich in a protein called myoglobin, which gives meat a darker color and a richer flavor.

Is it okay to eat chicken every day? ›

Chicken is a healthy food (as long as it's poached, baked or grilled), but that doesn't mean you should eat it every single day. As both dietitians have explained, eating a wide variety of foods is the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs.

What kind of salt does Chick Fil A use? ›

Waffle-cut potatoes cooked in canola oil until crispy outside and tender inside. Sprinkled with Sea Salt. Nutrition information is calculated using standard product formulations and incorporates multiple data sources.

What salt is best for salting meat? ›

Food grade sodium nitrite comes in the form of a pink salt, interchangeably referred to as instacure #1, pink curing salt #1, or prague powder #1. It contains about 6% sodium nitrite and 94% table salt.

What is the healthiest salt to cook with? ›

Himalayan salt boasts all 84 essential trace elements which your body needs to function properly. Not only this, but it is known to promote stable blood sugar levels, reduce muscle cramp, and facilitate an optimal pH in your cells. It's no wonder it's so popular!

What is the best salt for cooking meat? ›

Kosher Salt

Kosher salt is a type of coarse-grained salt that is less refined. It is almost pure sodium chloride and is not ionized. Because of its large grains, kosher salt is good for seasoning: Meats.

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