25 Healthy Chicken Dinner Ideas

These 25 healthy chicken dinner ideas will help you answer the tired old question of “what’s for dinner?”

More often than not when someone in the family asks, “What’s for dinner?” the phrase, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” is the saucy reply. That’s because if I’m in a meal planning conundrum and need to think of something on the fly, chicken always saves the day. I’ve got several tried and true chicken recipes in my archives, from enchiladas to chicken caprese, because no matter the craving, there’s a chicken recipe for that. And it always hits the spot. 

Below find a bevy of healthified, lighter chicken main meals that you can bet will beat the odds of the wonderment of what should be on the dinner table, every single time. Chicken. It’s what’s for dinner.

Sheet Pan Winners

You’ve gotta love a meal that’s made entirely on one pan — so perfect for easy cleanup.

Easy Tandoori Chicken and Vegetables

from FoodieCrush

This version of the classic Indian tandoori chicken dinner is baked on a sheet pan with Indian spiced vegetables for a complete meal any night of the week.

Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken

from The Recipe Critic

This easy sheet pan chicken dinner is perfect for a weeknight meal. It’s  a healthier version of one of your favorite takeout dishes. Made with lean chicken, crisp-tender bell peppers and broccoli, crunchy cashews and a sweet (but not too sweet) and savory sauce, it’s a keeper.

Honey Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

from Two Peas and Their Pod

This Honey-Mustard Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts is a perfect anytime weeknight recipe that’s healthy and full of flavor.

Crispy Parmesan Baked Chicken Milanese and Vegetables

from Cafe Delites

This crispy, juicy parmesan baked chicken milanese is complete sheet pan dinner with potatoes and green beans in a delicious garlic butter sauce. The chicken is baked instead of deep fried, making it a lighter version of milanese, but rest assured, no flavor is sacrificed here!

Chili-Honey Chicken & Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Yogurt

from The Modern Proper

Sweet and spicy, this chicken sheet pan dinner is a breeze to make. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs and sweet potatoes are tossed with ginger, chili powder, and some honey, then baked and dolloped with a tangy, fresh cilantro yogurt, to create a super flavorful meal you’ll love.

Asian 

From Japanese to Thai, these vibrant chicken dinner favorites are not only healthy but full of flavor.

7 Spice Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls

from FoodieCrush

Homemade Japanese 7 Spice (Shichimi Togarashi) infuses homemade teriyaki sauce to boost the flavors of this healthy teriyaki chicken bowl, featuring chicken thighs, edamame, and sushi rice.

Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice

from FoodieCrush

This easy Thai Coconut Chicken and Rice dinner has just the right amount of spice from jalapeño and ginger to flavor this creamy coconut sauce for a simple all-in-on meal. Feel free to use light coconut milk to make this even healthier.

Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry

from FoodieCrush

This healthy chicken curry is full of warm spices and made healthier with light coconut milk and plenty of colorful veggies. It’s also made extra easy in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bowls 

from FoodieCrush

When weeknight dinner making seems like almost too much to add to your already full plate, prep the ingredients for these slow cooker teriyaki chicken and vegetable rice bowls over the weekend and then toss together for a healthy, quick, and easy answer to your weeknight dinner question.

Mexican

These Mexican and Tex-Mex inspired recipes are super colorful, bold, and flavorful, and made lighter thanks to a few easy tweaks.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

from FoodieCrush

This easy chicken tortilla soup features a warm broth filled with chunky bites of black beans, sweet corn, shredded chicken, and tomatoes and is topped with tortilla strips and a surprise crispy jalapeño topper.

Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

from FoodieCrush

Easy shredded chicken tacos get a healthy veggie upgrade when diced zucchini is added in for a fast dinner or lunch any day of the week.

Chicken Fajita Foil Packet Dinners

from FoodieCrush

Quick and easy to prep, these chicken fajita foil packet dinners with a simple homemade fajita seasoning mix are cooked on the grill or in the oven and ready to eat in just about 30 minutes.

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

from FoodieCrush

Made with black beans, corn, avocado, and crunchy romaine lettuce and topped with an easy 5-ingredient homemade BBQ sauce, this hearty BBQ chicken salad is full of healthy, crunchy veggies and lean protein.

Italian

These classic Italian favorites are easily made lighter without sacrificing any flavor.

THE BEST Chicken Caprese

from FoodieCrush

With store-bought pesto, cherry tomatoes, leafy basil, and thick sliced fresh mozzarella, you can make this chicken caprese, skillet dinner in under 30 minutes. Serve with parmesan roasted cauliflower and sautéed spinach with garlic.

Healthy Chicken Picata

from Healthy Seasonal Recipes

This healthier version of the Italian classic is made with lemon, capers, (a smaller amount) of white wine, olive oil instead of butter, and parsley and is so delicious. Serve over whole wheat pasta or alongside your favorite veggies.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

from FoodieCrush

This easy, super delicious chicken Parmesan is baked instead of fried, but is just as crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. If you’re trying to cut down on carbs, serve it over a bed of zucchini noodles or roasted spaghetti squash.

Creamy Chicken Pesto Penne with Broccoli 

from FoodieCrush

This creamy pasta combines the fresh bite of broccoli and red bell pepper with grilled chicken in a creamy almond milk and pesto sauce, and is equally good served hot or chilled.

Mediterranean

From chicken skewers to the most addictive Greek chicken salad, these Mediterranean dishes make eating lighter such a breeze.

Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

from FoodieCrush

This easy and flavorful healthy chicken gyro recipe couldn’t be simpler. It starts with a simple 5-ingredient yogurt lemon marinated chicken that can be pan-fried, baked, or grilled, and is topped with a simple cucumber and dill tzatziki sauce. 

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

from FoodieCrush

This healthy, Mediterranean-inspired chicken quinoa bowl is perfect for quick and easy meal-prep dinners. Plus, it’s flexible enough to mix and match ingredients for take-to-work lunches that never get boring.

Greek Salad with Chicken

from FoodieCrush

This delicious Greek salad topped with Greek marinaded chicken is the best for meal prepped lunches or light dinners. Top it with kalamata olives, feta cheese, crunchy cucumbers and my Mediterranean tomato salad with an easy Greek vinaigrette dressing.

Grilled

Fire up the grill and tuck into these healthy chicken dinners, which each feature plenty of stellar side dish ideas.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers

from FoodieCrush

Greek flavors inspire citrus infused chunks of chicken thanks to a tart marinade that keeps the chicken juicy with a lemony punch. Serve with a Greek salad and lemon rice, orzo, or crispy roasted potatoes.

Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade

from FoodieCrush

A simple marinade with two kinds of balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, and grainy mustard gives this grilled balsamic chicken topped with an easy olive and sun dried tomato tapenade a classic Mediterranean flavor zing. I love serving this alongside my outrageous herbaceous Mediterranean chickpea salad.

Chicken Satay with Lighter Almond Dipping Sauce

from FoodieCrush

These flavorful skewers of thinly sliced marinated chicken need just a few minutes on the grill to absorb that wonderful smoky, charcoal flavor, and are ready for dipping in this lightened-up, spicy coconut almond milk and almond butter dipping sauce. Serve with my Thai quinoa salad or Thai coconut noodle salad.

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken

from FoodieCrush

This grilled cilantro lime chicken recipe delivers lots of flavor thanks to a quick marinade, and with just 7 ingredients and 3 steps, it’s easy enough to cook any night of the week. I love serving it with quinoa or rice and a yummy salad.

Grilled Greek Chicken Kebabs

from FoodieCrush

Boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated in the traditional Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano then threaded on skewers with a few veggies makes these grilled chicken kebabs an easy and healthy weeknight dinner winner. Serve with my Mediterranean orzo salad.

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

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5 from 1 vote

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

Chicken quinoa bowls have staked their healthy claim on quick and easy meal-prep dinners that are flexible enough to mix and match ingredients for take-to-work lunches that never get boring, too.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword quinoa bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 3

Calories 481kcal

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 6- ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon , juiced and zested
• 2 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup Easy Roasted Broccoli and Feta
• 1/2 cup Easy Roasted Tomatoes

For the Quinoa:

• 1 cup dried quinoa
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

• Slice the chicken breast into 1-inch chunks and add to a gallon freezer bag. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano and salt and pepper then add to the bag, seal, and marinade for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli and tomatoes to the pan with more olive oil if needed, and warm through.
• Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. Rinse it in a fine mesh strainer under cold water first. Bring a sauce pan of water to a boil over high heat, then add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the quinoa. Boil it like pasta, until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, fluff with a fork, and return the quinoa to the pot, cover with a kitchen towel, then a lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
• To assemble the bowls, divide the quinoa between the bowls and top each with half of the chicken and vegetable mixture. Season with more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and drizzle with more olive oil if you'd like. Sprinkle with feta cheese crumbles and serve.

Notes

The roasted broccoli and roasted tomatoes can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before adding to the cooked chicken to warm before composing the quinoa bowls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1321mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 4mg

More Healthy Dinner Ideas to Check Out:

• 31 Healthy Comfort Food Recipes
• 50 Favorite Mediterranean Diet Recipes
• 40 Shrimp Recipes
• 30 Healthy Easy Chicken Recipes
• 50 BEST Salmon Recipes

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