This easy to prepare crispy chicken shawarma bowl is a new favorite! Pair with a tangy lemon tahini sauce, tomato, and pickles in a bowl or wrap for lunch or dinner.
Yet again, I’m thrilled with the performance of my air fryer to achieve perfectly cooked chicken bites. I’m really skeptical of kitchen gadgets, but I’m using it at least 2-3 times per week. If you hate spending extra time in the kitchen and struggle to cook meats and veggies perfectly, this is the right tool.
Three factors which will ensure that the texture is perfect with this crispy chicken shawarma bowl:
Use cornstarch to velvet the chicken
Make sure the chicken pieces are well spaced apart in the air fryer / no touching at all
Evenly misting the chicken with olive oil (use a pump mister instead of propellant can to avoid a sticky, permanent coating on cookware
For the tahini sauce it’s important to follow the order of addition of ingredients, the mixture will get thicker and appear to clump before thinning out again.
The chicken and sauce taste amazing over romaine or iceberg lettuce, as a salad, but will do equally well over rice or cauli rice, or in a pita or wrap for portability.
Let me know if you enjoyed this recipe! Follow me on Facebook and Instragram for more recipe ideas and tips.
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the website ad and distraction free.
Keep it simple. This easy recipe for juicy cilantro lime chicken is a perfect prep for tacos, burritos or a bowl.
Key points to ensure perfectly cooked and flavorful cilantro lime chicken:
Cook chicken to ~80% complete and set aside in a bowl, leaving all the juices behind in the pan. It’s ok if the center of the pieces don’t seem done, they will cook the rest of the way when returned to the pan for browning.
Mixing a small amount of flour (white, wheat, or rice) into the lime juice will help thicken the liquid and make sure all of the flavor gets stuck to the chicken. It will also help brown the pieces.
1 tbsp. of cilantro provide as a moderate flavor. If you love cilantro, add more!
For dinners, my personal favorites is putting this chicken in street tacos with lettuce, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. As a lunch meal prep, I eat with rice or cauli rice and pico de gallo salsa wish some shredded mozzarella.
Need a customized nutrition plan with support and accountability to meet your physique and performance goals? Contact me.
This delectably sweet balsamic chicken salad is balanced enough to eat as a meal on it’s own. Adjust the pasta amount to meet your need; low-carb and vegan options in notes.
I appreciate recipes that have a lot of flexibility to adjust ingredients/macros, and this balsamic chicken pasta salad fits the bill!
– Increase, decrease, or eliminate the pasta to adjust the carbohydrate content.
– Swap out the chicken and feta for tofu and nutritional yeast for a vegan option and use plain plant yogurt for the dressing.
If you decide to add the pasta, I recommend whole grain pasta. It has a slightly sweeter taste and pairs well with the rest of the flavors. In my first attempt at this recipe, I used chickpea pasta which has an unfortunate texture and taste that detracts from the rest of the flavors. Any pasta shape will work – recommend rotelle, bowties or shells for their dressing capture capabilities.
Don’t feel like cooking? The creamy balsamic dressing itself would work great for a regular salad or as a dip for veggies!
Special thanks to my client Tony for inspiring this creation.
Need a customized nutrition plan with support and accountability to meet your physique and performance goals? Contact me.
I am an Amazon associate and earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the website ad-free!
Chicken, tender rice, savory vegetables, and a lemon-egg base combine in this simple and comforting Greek lemon chicken soup. A filling and delicious high protein lunch or dinner – about 30g of protein per bowl, with easy adjustments to macros to meet your needs.
When I first tried Greek lemon chicken soup at a local restaurant, I fell in love and immediately. Had to create my own take on it.
Recipe Notes
For the base, it’s worthwhile to puree together some of the chicken stock, garlic, and green onion (white part) first. Make sure this part of the liquid goes into your pot first. Cooking for 2 minutes with the veggies before will take the sharpness out of the garlic and onion flavors. These flavors will infuse into the chicken before the rest of the stock is added.
For tender chunks of chicken, it’s important not to let the chicken cook all the way through at first. It will continue slowly cooking in the covered bowl, and completely cook once added back to the pot.
The macros are very easy to adjust depending on your needs. Use more or less rice to adjust the carbs. Or, swap for a bag of steamed riced cauliflower right at the end. Use more or less chicken to change the protein content.
The level of lemon flavor is a personal preference. This recipe adds 1/2 cup of lemon juice, which provides a moderate level of lemon flavor.
Please let me know if you enjoyed this recipe! If you’re interested in exploring your nutrition to meet your performance and physique goals, reach out anytime.
Disclosure: as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This supports keeping the website ad and pop-up free.
This creamy white bean chicken chili is a super nutritious meal prep dish. Blending the beans and yogurt provides rich texture without the need for heavy cream.
I love easy recipes that I can batch prep on weekends for meals throughout the week. This white bean chicken chili is super simple and tasty! The beans are an excellent source of healthy carbs including fiber, and also provide some protein on top of the protein in the chicken.
To save time, purchasing pre-cooked chicken is a great option. A personal favorite is Costco’s pre-cooked rotisserie breast meat which doesn’t have the rubbery texture of some of the other pre-cooked options.
I found this dish to be very filling. Strongly recommend topping with some cilantro, habanero for heat, and a dash of mild cheese. Turkey also works great if chicken isn’t handy. For a plant based option, omit chicken (consider extra firm tofu chunks), swap the stock for vegetable broth, and use cashew yogurt instead of plain nonfat Greek yogurt.
Contact me for customized nutrition coaching to support your weight loss, performance, and strength goals.
Disclosure: as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This supports keeping the website ad and pop-up free
Sweet and and spicy, this instant pot crispy honey chipotle BBQ chicken recipe is a surefire way to kick up the flavor.
The sauce is what makes this crispy honey chipotle BBQ chicken extra delicious. I used G. Hughes BBQ sauce (amazing taste for being sugar-free), however no problem to substitute with a different honey BBQ sauce. Chili powder is optional but adds a nice kick. The collagen acts as a thickener, however cornstarch would work just as well.
The broiling step is completely optional, but worth the extra few minutes to give the chicken a slightly crispy texture. Pair this high protein dish with carb of your choice. I’ve tried with corn tortillas as well as on a bun.
If you’re time constrained or find yourself struggling to plan meals in advance, an Instant Pot is an excellent investment. for fast cooking. It’s perfect for the occasions you have forgotten to thaw out meat in advance. I’ve thrown rock hard frozen chicken breasts in it and had a meal ready in under an hour. 😛 This is the one I have.
Hope you like this recipe. Please share on socials or with a friend if you enjoyed it.
These veggie and cheese packed buffalo-style quesadillas are a great swap for typical quesadillas and will also crush a hot wing craving. Serve with veggies and homemade ranch dip.
I created two options for this recipe: peppers only or peppers plus chicken (see notes). The combo of mozzarella and feta make them super cheesy, and the peppers add a nice sweetness in combo with the buffalo sauce. Very filling too!
Cheese & Pepper Only version – 275 kcal, 25g Protein, 18g Carbs, 14g Fat
Cheese, Pepper & Chicken Version – 335 kcal, 35g Protein, 18 g Carbs, 15g Fat
As a basis for comparison, the child size chicken quesadilla from Rubios has 580 kcal, 33g Protein, 49g Carbs, and 29g Fat.
Please let me know if you made these and enjoy!
Need help building a nutrition strategy and working on healthy habits? Please reach out.
Disclosure: as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This supports keeping the website ad-free.
A sweet and savory dish that can meet your plan AND please the family.
I’m constantly looking for ways to change up the flavor and texture of chicken – this is a excellent way to combine the natural sweetness of honey and almonds with savory spices.
I recommend chicken breasts cut into strips for faster cooking, or use chicken thighs if you want more fats in the dish.
There are two key aspects of this recipe to get an even almond coating on the exterior when cooking is complete. First, make sure the chicken pieces are fully coated with the egg white-honey wash to ensure that when you dredge them in the almond flour it sticks to the entire surface.
Second, the rack stand-off on the baking tray is a must. If you place the chicken pieces directly on the tray, the juices formed while the chicken is cooking will make the coating fall off. By using the rack stand-off, the juices fall to the bottom of the tray, leaving your coating intact.
The seasoning possibilities for incorporation into the almond flour are endless. I chose Montreal seasoning which is primarily red peppers and garlic. Spicy could work well here too!
One caution, this recipe is not microwave friendly for re-heating leftovers. The coating collects some moisture when you store in the fridge, and the microwave will steam it and cause the coating to fall off. Rather, re-heat in a toaster oven or regular oven on high for a couple of minutes.
I chose to divide this recipe into 8 servings to get a meal with ~ 25 g protein and ~ 10 g fat. You can divide this up into more or fewer servings to meet your needs. Nutrition information for the entire batch is located in the recipe. (You may have a bit of extra egg/honey wash and almond flour left over after the coating process. In the nutrition info I assumed it all was used, so actual calories and macros may be slightly lower than shown.)
Let me know if you tried this recipe and how you like it.
Ready to work on your nutrition plan for fat loss, performance improvement, or just to improve your habits? Contact me.
Disclosure: as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This supports keeping the website ad-free.
Friends don’t let friends eat nasty chicken! This is a fast, simple method to cook juicy chicken breasts – perfect for weekend meal prep.
Chicken breasts are a staple in my diet, so I make sure they taste good. They are high in protein, lean, and relatively flavor neutral so can be spiced up in almost any combination imaginable.
They are one of those foods that are super delicious when prepared well, but can also be a rubbery or dried out nightmare if not done right. I don’t like eating things that taste like tires, so I went on a mission to identify a fast, failsafe way to cook chicken tenderloins and breasts.
This chicken comes out MOIST, every time. The best part is that you don’t need to turn on the oven or stove…. it’s all about the George Foreman tabletop grill! Using a batch style process, you can cook 1-2 lbs of chicken breasts in less than 30 minutes. I like to use breast tenderloins as it saves me the step of butterflying whole breasts.
In this example, I use just salt and pepper for seasoning however you could use just about anything. I keep a supply of this chicken in the fridge and eat it throughout the week. I usually throw it on lettuce, toss on cooked vegetables, or put in soup. It also makes great chicken salad.
You Will Need:
1-2 lbs of chicken breast tenderloins, or butterflied chicken breasts, fridge temperature
Cutting board
1 extra large bowl
1 piece of aluminum foil
Tabletop grill, such as the George Foreman grill
Canola spray oil
Cracked black pepper and sea salt
Instructions
Lay out the chicken on the cutting board while the grill heats up
Add salt and pepper to the top side of the chicken
Chicken on the grill!
After 4 minutes of cooking
Place cooked chicken in bowl
Cover bowl with foil immediately
Before starting, ensure your chicken is not frozen. It should be cold, at refrigerator temperature. If you are using full size chicken breasts, butterfly them first.
Step 1: Plug in your tabletop grill and allow it to heat up. Do not spray any oil on the grill just yet.
Step 2: Take your chicken out of the fridge and lay out the pieces on a cutting board.
Step 3: Add salt and pepper on the top face of the chicken, amount to your liking.
Step 4: When your grill reaches temperature, lightly spray the top and bottom grill surface with oil.
Step 5: Place your chicken tenderloins, (salt and pepper side down), onto the grill. The size of my grill let’s me cook 6-7 tenderloins at a time.
Step 6: Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the top side of the chicken pieces, amount to your liking.
Step 7: Close the grill, cook for 4 minutes
Step 8: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Remove your chicken pieces from the grill and place them into the large bowl. Immediately cover the bowl with the aluminum foil.
Step 9: Set the bowl aside, and repeat the entire process again for your remaining chicken, making sure to transfer each batch to the bowl and re-covering with the foil immediately after.
NOTE: allow the entire covered bowl of chicken to come to room temperature on the countertop before transferring to a storage container and putting in the fridge. This resting time ensures the chicken stays juicy. Note that the bowl will contain some extra juices, which you can also dump into the storage container and use when you eat.
Enjoy and let me know if you tried out this method!
If you need additional support on meal prep strategies, feel free to reach out. Click the button below if you want to get started with nutrition coaching.
