30-Minute Healthy Chicken Recipes to Break Your Dinner Rut

Whether you call them chicken tenders, fingers, or nuggets, fried chicken bites are always delicious—but are rarely low in calories. So we took the popular fast-food menu item and turned it into an easy, healthy chicken recipe that has just 12 grams of fat yet is stoked with 29 grams of protein. The magic lies in the process: crisping the well-seasoned, bread crumb-coated tenders in an air fryer. Pair with a vegetable side dish for a meal that’s equally diet- and family-friendly.

If you’re convinced that grilled chicken salads always taste like diet food, this heart-healthy chicken recipe will make you reconsider. This Mexican entrée is loaded with enticing colors and zesty flavors. The homemade salad dressing offers the ideal mix of creamy and spicy, and the colorful platter of produce will make you forget all about those iceberg-only recipes.

It takes just 25 minutes to make this easy, healthy chicken breast recipe for tacos with a fusion of world flavors. With 39 grams of protein per 350-calorie serving, these tacos are sure to satisfy even the hungriest diners at your table. To make this meal gluten-free, trade tamari for the soy sauce and check the tortilla package for a gluten-free label—many are naturally free of gluten.

Simple swaps can have big results. In this easy, healthy chicken dinner, we replaced typical pasta with broccoli. Chicken Alfredo just became a whole lot healthier and is now an express-lane meal since this rendition requires just 5 ingredients!

This quick, healthy chicken recipe tastes like you fussed over it all day. Only you need to know the entire Italian-inspired dinner took just 28 minutes! Fully cooked Italian-style chicken sausage, a simple toss-together marinara sauce, and ziti all “bake” together in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Garnish with cheese and fresh basil.

Buy It: Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker + Air Fryer ($160, Bed Bath & Beyond)

While the total time is a bit longer for this zingy grilled chicken recipe, only 30 minutes is hands-on. The rest is for marinating to infuse each ounce with smoky and citrusy flavors from paprika and lemon juice. For a heart-healthy meal with chicken, eat it solo with a side of veggies, build a chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread, or slice and spread on top of a bed of greens.

Crank up the heat, grab a skillet or wok, and toss together this chicken skillet meal. It requires just 10 minutes of cooking time (yes, really!). To keep things light, serve over shredded cabbage or opt for brown rice to please bigger appetites.

Buy It: Anolon Hard-Anodized Wok ($80, Bed Bath & Beyond)

“This dinner was amazing! I've made it twice now and my 8-year-old asked for a third serving of the kale,” one BH&G home cook raves. The fresh kale, vinegar, salt, and pepper mixture is the perfect quick-and-healthy side to pair with this easy, healthy chicken recipe. Speaking of the main dish, a bit of corn bread stuffing mix adds some Southern flair and crisp texture to the tender chicken. 

Chicken meatballs and thin rice noodles cook up in a flash. After that, all that’s required to BYOB (build your own bowl) is stirring together a simple pan sauce and stacking the ingredients. The complete quick, healthy chicken recipe takes just 25 minutes—faster than delivery can arrive at your door!

Taco salads tend to be overloaded with beef, cheese, and calories. But not this lightened-up easy, healthy chicken recipe made with lean ground chicken, heaps of colorful veggies, reduced-fat cheese, and just enough crunchy tortilla pieces. No dressing is needed when you have a salad with this much variety!

Related: 6 Healthy Restaurant Recipe Remakes

Bust out the skillet and get sizzling. This two-part Mediterranean chicken recipe is fresh, healthy, and just a little bit sweet. The secret for this heart-healthy chicken recipe? A balsamic glaze made with vinegar, Italian dressing, and a drizzle of honey.

Fresh peaches, onions, and herbs make this easy, healthy chicken breast recipe stand out from its pasta salad competition. Served warm, this pasta salad is like nothing you've had as part of any picnic or potluck menu. Round up the seven ingredients and carve out 30 minutes, and this appealing, 323-calorie dish can be yours.

Light, fresh, and fast, this pasta recipe incorporates whole grains and fresh veggies. That combo platter results in an easy, healthy chicken dinner that’s Mediterranean diet-friendly and packed with protein. The yummy dish also makes great lunch leftovers!

Boneless chicken thighs are just as simple as chicken breasts to cook. They're also often more affordable and have just a couple dozen more calories per serving. Try them in this tomatoey chicken skillet—the quick, healthy chicken dinner recipe will convince you to add thighs to your menu more often.

This flavorful chicken salad recipe involves essentially just one step: Stir everything together. (Pro tip: For even more protein and fewer calories, trade the mayo for plain Greek yogurt.) Pack whole wheat toast, pita, or greens in one container and the chicken salad in another, then look forward to a well-balanced quick, healthy chicken recipe for lunch that needs just 60 seconds of assembly.

Dig into a plate of comfort food that’s packed with a surprising amount of nutrition. Light on oil and heavy on herbs, this easy, healthy chicken recipe comes together in one skillet to make cleanup even simpler than the recipe itself. 

Go ahead and close that food delivery app. Premade chicken meatballs (find them in the freezer aisle) help this stir-fry get table-ready in a flash. Really—the fast, healthy chicken dinner takes only 15 minutes! Simply stir together the pineapple-ginger sauce, then sauté it with the chicken bites, bok choy, bell peppers, and pineapple pieces.

Soup in less than 30? Sure! Leftover chicken and boxed chicken broth team up with sturdy veggies to make it crazy-quick. The slightly sweet and oh-so easy, healthy chicken recipe features a secret ingredient: apple juice. 

Feta, tomatoes, and basil give this quick chicken recipe bold Mediterranean flavor. Pile the protein onto a bed of fresh greens for a gourmet easy, healthy chicken dinner entrée with just 168 calories per serving. Try it with a whole grain salad or hunk of whole wheat baguette to make it a meal.

Make the most of leftover chicken (or snag a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket) in this Asian-inspired quick, healthy chicken recipe. Stuff a toasted baguette with succulent slices of that roast chicken plus a crunchy cucumber-carrot topping for a delicious and quick dinner option. The Vietnamese sandwich gets a spicy kick from jalapeño peppers and our homemade sriracha mayo.

Here’s one for all who think pasta salads are better without mayo. Perfect for potlucks and picnics, our delicious cilantro-lime pasta salad features hearty chunks of chicken, grape tomatoes, bell peppers, and avocado. The quick, healthy chicken recipe also calls for spicy jalapeño pepper, which complements the sweetness of juicy mango.

It doesn't get much more traditional than chicken, vegetables, and pasta. But that doesn’t mean this easy, healthy chicken recipe is boring. Parmesan cheese and basil pesto (learn how to DIY here) pack this classic dinner with flavor.

Traditional chicken enchiladas are notorious for being one of the most high-calorie items on a Mexican menu. But in this quick, healthy chicken recipe, we’re giving them a nutrition upgrade. Wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, the chicken, tomatoes, green chiles, and green onions gain spunky flavor from a chile-spiced cream cheese blend. All this with fewer than 400 calories.

Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll, as they say at Mardi Gras) with this easy, healthy chicken breast recipe. It features classic Southern ingredients like okra and red beans in a spicy Cajun tomato sauce for about half the calories as the traditional dish. Each serving of our version checks in at just 228 calories per serving and has a filling 8 grams of fiber.

Dip chicken breasts in a buttermilk-egg mixture and roll in crushed almonds and crispy panko for a main dish with texture similar to fried chicken (minus all the oil from deep-frying!). A bed of wilted spinach adds valuable vitamins and minerals to the easy, healthy chicken dinner.

Bright green and nutrient-rich frozen pea pods add colorful flavor to this classic chicken stir-fry. The entrée features a zesty orange soy sauce and packs a whopping 32 grams of protein. For extra fiber and nutrients, serve the quick, healthy chicken recipe over brown rice or your favorite whole grain.

Creamy corn chowder becomes a protein-packed dinner recipe with the help of shredded chicken. Use fresh ears of sweet corn and green bell peppers for a taste of summer. The luscious, creamy texture of this easy, healthy chicken recipe is courtesy of one unexpected ingredient: instant mashed potato flakes.

When you first imagine French recipe staples, you might dream of butter, rich cheeses, and eggs. But the cuisine also showcases a nice variety of vitamin-rich and anti-inflammatory ingredients, as this heart-healthy meal with chicken demonstrates. Olives, tomatoes, red peppers, garlic, and potatoes make this chicken thigh stew hearty and healthy all at once.

Why choose between pork or chicken when you can have both in one “wait, this is good for me?!” gourmet-quality meal. In this showy dish, juicy chicken breasts are even tastier wrapped with mouthwatering pancetta and gooey cheese. Add a savory date sauce and wilted greens for a nutrient-rich easy, healthy chicken dinner recipe that’s low in sodium and high in flavor.

Savor the creamy goodness of chicken pot pie with less fat and fewer calories. This chicken-vegetable casserole recipe uses deli-roasted chicken, a jar of homestyle gravy, and an assortment of frozen vegetables for a supremely cozy heart-healthy chicken recipe that's ready in just 25 minutes.

What's better than a BBQ chicken dinner? A healthy chicken BBQ recipe that requires zero dishes—cleanup doesn't get any easier than this. Each foil packet contains fruits and veggies, too, for a well-balanced meal.