Looking for healthy chicken recipes? We have plenty of ideas for healthy chicken meals.
Chicken is a healthy source of lean protein, plus it’s low in saturated fat making it the perfect base for a healthy dinner. We’ve gathered our favourite low calorie chicken recipes, all quick and easy to make but still bursting with flavour. And, because they have 500 calories or under per serving, our healthy chicken recipes are great if you’re aiming to make healthier choices.
Make one of our healthy chicken breast recipes, including a six-ingredient hasselback chicken traybake and a 200-calorie chicken pie. Or try our healthy one-pot chicken with cannellini beans and chorizo for a filling, low calorie meal that cuts down on washing up. Or if you’re looking for a carb-free, paleo diet-friendly option, check out our lemony chicken piccata.
Need a chicken dinner in a hurry? Make one of our quick and easy chicken curry recipes.
Ingredients
- Our chicken recipes use chicken breasts, chicken thighs and chicken wings
Quinoa chicken salad
A healthy, low-calorie (and gluten-free) chicken salad recipe, made filling with quinoa and colourful with red onion, mint and lemon zest.
Cajun chicken wraps with zingy slaw
Shop-bought cajun seasoning transforms chicken breasts in this fiery, protein-packed dish. Add soured cream, coriander and red cabbage for colour and texture.
Orange chicken with cumin and paprika
A summery way to serve chicken, Sabrina Ghayour's Seville-inspired dish calls for smoked sweet paprika, cumin seeds and oranges three ways: juice, zest and wedges. It's low in calories and rich in protein, making it a great, healthy meal for busy weeknights.
Cheat’s tandoori chicken
Tender whole chicken thighs flavoured with turmeric, curry paste, lemon and mild chilli powder are served alongside a simple minty yogurt dip and zingy side salad, for a super low-calorie, high protein meal.
Harissa chicken and white bean bake
This vibrant recipe sees chicken thighs slathered with harissa and cooked in a rich tomato sauce with beans and olives – a healthy, high-protein family meal with a punchy kick of heat.
Honey sesame chicken with long-stemmed broccoli
Slather hunks of tender chicken breast in a sweet, sharp sauce and pair with leafy greens for a healthy, protein-rich meal.
Throw together this quick and easy pasta salad using leftover chicken, tomatoes and greens for a low calorie, protein-rich lunch or midweek dinner.
Chipotle Chicken lunch wrap
Perfect for wrapping up and taking with you for a workday lunch, these spicy chicken wraps are high in protein, low in calories and low in fat.
Cumin-crusted chicken with kale salad and hummus dressing
This low calorie dish is a clever way to make chicken that little bit more exciting. Serve with a drizzle of hummus and white wine vinegar dressing.
Kung po chicken salad
Quick, delicious and low calorie, Donal Skehan's kung po chicken salad has got midweek winner written all over it.
Healthier sweet and sour chicken
In the traditional recipe, the chicken is deep-fried and the sauce is often packed with sugar. Try our healthier take on the Cantonese classic.
Baked lemon chicken
Try this moreish traybake. It's packed with crisp chicken thighs, creamy lemon sauce and fragrant rosemary, but is under 500 calories per portion.
Healthy chicken tikka burritos
Check out our quick and easy burrito recipe with tikka-marinated chicken. Serve this simple recipe with ready-made rice, a simple homemade yogurt dip and warmed rotis. A great low fat dinner.
Chicken satay noodle salad
Make our easy chicken satay noodle salad recipe with red cabbage, shredded carrots and roasted peanuts. This vibrant crunchy salad is low in calories and ready in an hour.
Paleo diet chicken piccata
One of our most healthy chicken recipes, with only 170 calories. This fresh and zesty chicken piccata is quick and easy to make, easy to freeze and also paleo diet-friendly. Serve with a green salad and cauliflower rice for a healthy dinner or lunch option.
Healthy chicken curry
Check out our easy chicken curry recipe with low fat coconut milk, punchy madras paste and crunchy sugar snap peas. This flavoursome curry is low in calories and gluten free. We have more healthy curry recipes here.
Healthier chicken and leek pie
Here, chicken and leeks are cooked in a creamy sauce and finished off with golden ciabatta breadcrumbs for a clever and healthier alternative to pastry that's still satisfying on a cold winter evening.
Peri-peri chicken mozzarella stacks with ‘macho’ peas
Try our easy chicken recipe with creamy mozzarella, roasted red peppers and punchy 'macho' peas. Nando’s fans will love this lighter, low calorie version of the restaurant classic. Find more of our low calorie meal ideas here.
Griddled chicken with mustardy lentil salad
Make our vibrant chicken salad with crunchy green beans, seasonal mangetout and lentils. This quick and easy salad is low calorie and ready in 30 minutes – the perfect way to start the week.
Paprika chicken thighs with cherry tomatoes, courgette ribbons and mint
Check out these seriously crispy, smoky chicken thighs with easy courgette ribbons and juicy cherry tomatoes. This super easy meal is high in protein, low in calories and ready in less than an hour.
Chipotle chicken and avocado flatbreads
Ready in 30 minutes, these sweet and smoky flatbreads are low in calories but high in protein. They're simple to make too, perfect for an on-the-go lunch or a quick and easy dinner that will keep you feeling full for longer.
Butterflied ras el hanout chicken breast with chopped salad
This North African-inspired recipe with butterflied chicken and ras el hanout is gluten free and packed full of flavour... An easy and low calorie midweek meal.
Paprika chicken goulash
Check out our juicy chicken goulash recipe with peppery paprika. Serve this simple one-pot with tagliatelle or rice for an easy midweek family meal. Plus it's low in calories, too.
Low calorie chicken chimichurri salad
A healthy chicken breast recipe, under 250 calories. Simple, delicious and quick to prepare, our chargrilled chicken chimichurri salad is also gluten free. A great healthy meal for two.
Healthy chicken saag
A healthy chicken curry recipe. Our chicken saag proves that you can eat healthily without having to miss out on your favourite foods, and we promise it's even better than your Friday night takeaway! This healthy curry is packed with herbs and spices for a delicious dish that's under 500 calories and ready in just 45 minutes.
Chopped chicken salad
Our quick and easy chopped chicken salad is under 400 calories and gluten free. A great midweek meal ready in 15 minutes.
Hasselback chicken traybake
Our hasselback chicken traybake is a quick and easy dish with tonnes of flavour thanks to the mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. This crowd pleasing meal is made in one tray to save on washing up and can easily be doubled or halved. Check out our other easy recipes using pesto.
5:2 chicken curry
You can still enjoy chicken curry on the 5:2 diet. This 5:2 chicken curry recipe bulks up on veg to keep the calories low. Freeze in portions for quick midweek meals.
Mojito chicken wild rice salad
Try our healthy chicken salad recipe. High on flavour but low on calories, our gluten free mojito chicken with wild rice salad is really easy to make. Packed with vibrant fruit and vegetables, it makes a perfect midweek meal for one.
Easy chicken mole
This quick and easy chicken mole recipe uses a clever cheat product so you can have it on the table in just 30 minutes. It's rich and flavourful but under 300 calories per serve – perfect for a midweek Mexican inspired healthy meal.
Coconut and lemongrass poached chicken with lime rice
Fluffy steamed rice, crisp green vegetables and aromatic Thai spices go into this warm and comforting bowl of coconut and lemongrass chicken. It's the perfect easy chicken dinner recipe that is also low calorie and gluten free. Make some extra for a healthy packed lunch the next day too. Find our favourite Thai recipes here.
Chicken madras
Healthy eating doesn't mean missing out on your favourite dishes. Our healthy chicken madras is a fragrant curry that's a quick and easy way to feed the family for under 300 calories per portion.
Shredded veg and chicken salad with Japanese sesame dressing
This healthy chicken salad recipe has lots of flavour but is low in calories. The rice vinegar gives a slightly sweet but tangy edge, and there's plenty of crunch from the fresh veg and sesame seeds. Ready in just over 30 minutes, it makes a quick and healthy dinner.
Chicken and spinach pilaf
Pilaf is an easy and healthy recipe for a quick midweek dinner that's also a great way to use up leftover chicken. Ours includes turmeric, baby spinach and coriander for a vibrantly coloured dish that tastes as good as it looks.
Summer chicken filo pies
Chicken pie for 450 calories. These quick and easy chicken filo pies are super crunchy and creamy. Ready in just 40 minutes, they make great midweek meals. Try making them for an alternative to a puff pastry pie recipe.
Sesame miso chicken with sweet and sour salad
This healthy, balanced chicken dinner packs a punch with sesame miso sauce and an accompanying sweet and sour salad with plenty of nutrient-rich vegetables. It's quick and easy to make, ready in 30 minutes and under 500 calories.
One-pot chicken and quinoa tagine
Try our one-pot chicken and quinoa tagine with under 350 calories. This one-pot recipe is a super easy comforting family meal, plus it's low in calories and gluten free.
Low calorie chicken burger
A chicken burger with less than 500 calories? Yes please! For when you're craving a burger but want to eat healthily, this quick and delicious chicken sandwich will tick all the boxes.
Harissa chicken meatballs with bulgar
These harissa chicken meatballs with bulgar are quick and easy to prepare and healthy too, but pack a flavour punch. A great option for a simple midweek dinner or make them in bulk for packed lunches.
Chinese red-braised chicken
This Chinese-inspired chicken dish is quick, easy and perfect for a midweek meal. It's called red-braised because of the colour that's infused by the spices. Serve with steamed broccoli for an extra vitamin hit.
Lemon chicken and kale stew with couscous
Our recipe for lemon chicken and kale stew with couscous is a really easy midweek meal. It is low fat and ready in less than 30 minutes, ideal if you want a quick yet healthy meal.
Coriander chicken curry
Try our coriander chicken curry, it's low in calories and gluten free. This easy recipe is a perfect family midweek meal and it's ready in under 30 minutes.
Greek chicken flatbreads with tzatziki
Chargrilled chicken skewers and tzatziki wrapped in a warm flatbread makes a great healthy chicken dinner, perfect for midweek meals. This dish is ready in just 20 minutes, ideal for a quick and easy healthy dinner recipe.
Healthy one-pot chicken with cannellini beans and chorizo
A healthy one-pot recipe, this chicken with cannellini beans and chorizo is really easy to make and requires minimal hands-on time. What's more, it comes in at under 300 calories but is full of flavour. Try it for an alternative Sunday lunch this weekend.
Chicken, red pepper and olive cacciatore
An indulgent chicken dish with less than 400 calories. This Italian chicken one-pot is easy to make and freezes brilliantly, plus it's gluten free. Find more delicious gluten free recipes here.
