By Courtney Minor
Published Jan 11, 2025
I turn to these easy and healthy chicken recipes week after week for delicious dinners I know my whole family will enjoy! There are so many ways to cook up chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or shredded chicken along with fresh and colorful vegetables, whole grains, and greens to make meals that are as nutritious as they are flavorful. I never have to choose between healthy and tasty with this roundup of chicken recipe ideas. And don’t worry, these meals are anything but boring!
Healthy Meal Ideas with Chicken
Without a doubt, chicken is my favorite thing to cook for dinner , and my family never complains either. Since I make it so often, I’m always cooking up healthy chicken recipes to make sure we’re all getting the protein and nutrients we need, in a tasty and well-balanced meal. But I’m not willing to sacrifice fun or flavor at dinnertime, so you won’t find any plain, boring recipes here!
I’ve rounded up all of my favorite healthy chicken dinner and lunch ideas that are easy enough to make on busy weeknights, and delicious enough to satisfy picky eaters. These good-for-you meals are all filled with lean chicken breast, juicy chicken thighs, ground chicken, or shredded chicken, and I just know you’ll love them as much as we do.
Crockpot Chicken Breasts
Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes
Chicken breast is such a great main dish option for lean, light, healthy, and protein-rich meals. These easy chicken breast recipes pair perfectly with your favorite veggie side dishes at dinner, and they’re good for weekly meal prep .
- Crockpot Chicken Breast : This recipe is a reader favorite, and a personal favorite too. It’s such an easy way to cook healthy chicken breast for meals all week.
- Seasoned Chicken Breast : A simple dry spice rub is the secret to this incredibly delicious and juicy baked chicken.
- Grilled Chicken Breast : An herb-filled marinade makes this chicken extra juicy and flavorful. And grilling is a great option for healthy cooking!
- Pan Seared Chicken Breast : A quick sear is the perfect finish to a simple chicken breast recipe, and I just love the way it crisps up the outside.
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast : This is such a quick way to cook chicken for whatever kind of meals you have planned this week.
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast : Chicken gets perfectly crisp in the Air Fryer without all the oil needed for deep frying.
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Breast : A teriyaki marinade and glaze infuses a mouthwatering sweet and savory flavor.
Mexican Lasagna
Healthy Chicken Recipes for Family Dinners
These family dinner ideas with chicken are perfect for weeknight cooking. Everyone will love these scrumptious meals filled with healthy chicken and veggies, and lighter versions of comfort classics .
- Mexican Chicken Lasagna : This is a real family favorite! Shredded chicken plus all the best Mexican ingredients are layered into a hearty yet healthy take on lasagna.
- Oven Fried Chicken Breast : If you’re craving fried chicken but want to cut back the oil and calories, this lighter and healthier chicken breast recipe is the way to go!
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas : Baked chicken breast and colorful veggies served in warm tortillas makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- Salsa Verde Chicken : It only takes a handful of ingredients to turn chicken breast into a mouthwatering Tex-Mex dish! It pairs deliciously with rice, beans, and veggies for a healthy meal.
- Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas : These enchiladas are stuffed with healthy ingredients, like sweet potatoes, black beans, and shredded chicken.
- Healthy Chicken Curry : Almond milk helps create a lighter curry that’s still super creamy and packed full of spices.
- Baked Chicken Parm : Oven-baking this chicken parm (instead of frying) makes it much lighter, but it’s still crispy! I serve it with cauliflower rice and broccoli for a nice well-balanced chicken dinner.
- Mediterranean Chicken Bake : Balsamic glazed chicken, white beans, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and more all come together to make this colorful and nutritious chicken bake recipe.
Grilled Chicken Thighs
Healthy Chicken Thigh Recipes
I love how rich, juicy, and flavorful chicken thighs are! Even though dark meat is a little higher in fat than white meat, it’s still possible to cook healthy meals, especially if you opt for skinless chicken thighs and lighter cooking methods.
- Grilled Chicken Thighs : Once again, my favorite spice rub comes in to make the most delicious chicken, and it’s ready in 20 minutes!
- Baked Chicken Thighs : Chicken thighs bake up so beautifully in the oven, and this recipe is simple enough for a range of healthy dinners any night of the week!
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs : These chicken thighs get super crispy, without all the excess oil needed for traditional frying.
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken Thighs : A garlic ginger yogurt marinade and garam masala spices make these boneless, skinless chicken thighs ultra delicious!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Healthy Chicken Meal Prep Ideas
Chicken is my go-to protein option for meal prep recipes because it’s quick and easy to cook, it’s light and healthy, and it’s easy to pair with a range of recipe ideas.
- Crockpot Shredded Chicken : This is my favorite way to make shredded chicken for all kinds of healthy dinners, lunches, and family meals. I like to keep a batch of this on hand at all times, either in the fridge or freezer.
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps : Lean ground chicken served with crisp lettuce leaves makes a nice low-carb, keto-friendly recipe for easy lunches.
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast : Get perfectly-cooked chicken breast that stays juicy, healthy, and low-calorie. It takes a while to cook, so it is best for meal prep!
- Healthy Chicken Salad Sliders : I use Greek yogurt to get that creamy chicken salad texture, without the extra fat and calories. It’s a great sandwich filling, or eat it on a bed of greens.
- Greek Chicken and Cauliflower : This sheet pan recipe features yogurt marinated chicken breast with roasted cauliflower–it’s so simple yet so tasty!
Chicken Avocado Pitas
Healthy Lunch Ideas with Chicken
I like to keep lunch light and healthy with these delicious chicken recipes. They come together fast without a ton of cooking!
- Chicken Avocado Pitas : Pita pockets are stuffed full of shredded chicken, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, and a creamy yogurt sauce for a quick and nutritious lunch. The kids love these too!
- Chicken Caesar Salad : This may not be the healthiest salad out there, but we used Greek yogurt in the homemade dressing to help lighten up this classic. Lots of greens and some healthy chicken breast makes a nice meal.
- Chicken Ranch Wrap : Cubes of chicken breast, broccoli, and white rice are wrapped in whole wheat tortillas with plenty of ranch seasoning for irresistible flavor. I chop up the broccoli extra small when I’m making them for the kids.
- Cilantro Lime Chicken : This low-carb chicken breast has a fresh and zesty flavor that tastes so good with healthy sides, like greens, black beans, and roasted veggies.
- Chicken Caesar Wrap : Wrap up a classic salad in a tortilla, along with some juicy chicken, and you’ll have an on-the-go lunch ready to eat!
Greek Chicken
Easy and Healthy Chicken Dinner Ideas
My favorite dinner recipes include chicken, so lucky for me, it’s a good-for-you ingredient that’s extremely versatile. Even luckier for me, these ideas are totally crave-worthy and not boring!
- Greek Chicken : This chicken dish is baked with a beautiful mix of tomatoes, olives, onions, and feta, creating a healthy mix of protein and veggies!
- Grilled Chicken Tacos : Juicy marinated and grilled chicken is paired with a fresh homemade slaw, avocado, and queso fresco.
- Grilled Bruschetta Chicken Caprese : Grilled chicken breasts are topped with balsamic and tasty Bruscetta mix of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.
- Chicken Stir Fry : A colorful array of veggies like bell peppers, broccoli, and mushrooms fill out this easy stir fry, made with juicy bites of chicken in a sweet and tangy sauce.
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas : A simple mix of chicken breasts and vegetables cooks up easily in a Crockpot, making the perfect healthy filling for some fajitas.
- Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup : This classic soup tastes so good, you won’t stop to think about all the nutritious ingredients packed into it. And prep is so quick, this recipe will come in handy when you’re busy.
- One Pan Jerk Chicken : Chicken takes on a mind-blowing sweet and spicy flavor, and then it’s served with fresh mango salsa. The best part is its ready in under 30 minutes!
I just know you’re going to love these easy, delicious, and healthy chicken recipes as much as I do. It feels so great being able to cook up nutritious dinners all week, so be sure to bookmark these healthy chicken dishes for when you need them!
More Chicken Recipes
20 Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes
28 Chicken Thigh Recipes
35 Shredded Chicken Recipes
20 Chicken Casserole Recipes
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
