Top 7 healthy chicken fillet recipes you should try today

• Use healthy chicken fillet recipes to prepare sumptuous breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
• You can also use these recipes on occasions like corporate meetings, child naming ceremonies, weddings, etc.
• The chicken fillets are easy to cook because it is lean meat without bones.
• Ruhana Ebrahim, food styling expert and recipe developer shared with Briefly.co.za local herbs, spices, or condiments that contribute benefits to the chicken fillet dishes.

Chicken is a better alternative to red meat because it is a rich source of protein, which is an essential bodybuilding nutrient. It is estimated that every 100 grams of chicken meat contain about 31 grams of protein.

Healthy chicken recipes to try today

Most people use boneless chicken fillets to make delicious snacks and stews. The 7 simple chicken fillet recipes discussed in this article are the best for newbies. Collect the necessary ingredients and follow the outlined steps.

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1. Thin chicken fillet recipe

Fried chicken fillet recipes are popular in South Africa. Most of them take only 25 minutes. Learn how to make it using easy chicken fillet recipes. Here is one of the best thin chicken fillet recipes for a family of six.

Ingredients

• 1 chopped onion
• 4 pieces of chicken (cut into strips)
• A handful of chopped coriander
• 125 ml of dried apricots
• 400 g of cooked chickpeas (drain the water)
• 15 ml of olive oil
• 30 ml of harissa paste
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• Thick yoghurt

Preparation steps

• Preheat the olive oil and shallow fry the chicken fillets for 8 minutes.
• Add the harissa paste and stir, then cook it for one more minute.
• Add the apricots, chickpeas, and peas.
• Add the chicken stock and salt.
• Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped coriander and stir.
• Let it cook for 2 minutes, then serve it with the yoghurt.

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2. Curried chicken pilaf

Curry chicken pilaf is one of the best boneless chicken dinner ideas. It takes 45 minutes to prepare, and the ingredients are available in most stores in South Africa. Use the following chicken pilaf recipe for four individuals.

Ingredients

• 45 ml of masala curry
• A cup of chicken stock
• 500 g of chicken fillet strips
• 3 crushed garlic cloves
• 100 g IMBO pearl barley
• 100 g of brown rice
• 60 g of chopped and dried apricots
• 60 g of dried cranberries
• 60 g of dried peaches
• A handful of chopped coriander and mint
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

Preparation steps

• Fry the onion and garlic over medium heat.
• Add the rice and barley and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and cook for 40 minutes or until the rice and barley soften.
• Add the cranberries, apricots, and peaches to the cooked rice and barley to make the pilaf.
• Use the masala curry and salt to season the chicken strips.
• Fry the chicken strips until they turn golden brown.
• Sprinkle mint and coriander on it and pour in the chicken stock.
• Let it cook for three minutes.
• Serve the chicken fillets with the pilaf.

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3. How to make butter chicken

Use a simple chicken fillet recipe with sauce to make butter chicken fillet for a family-get-together weekend. It takes about 40 minutes to have everything ready and set. Follow this butter chicken recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• 3 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 kg of chicken fillets
• 3 cm ginger
• 1 red chilli
• 15 ml of garam masala
• 400g of canned tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• Naan bread for serving
• 250 ml of plain yoghurt

Preparation steps

• Season the chicken with salt.
• Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.
• Fry the chicken for 5 to 8 minutes till it turns to gold.
• Add onions, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and chilli.
• Fry for 2 minutes and pour in the yoghurt and canned tomatoes.
• Cook the sauce for 15 minutes until it thickens.
• Serve it with bread.

4. Grilled chicken burgers

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Grilled chicken burgers are among the most straightforward boneless chicken dinner ideas. One can make chicken burgers for four in about 25 minutes. Use homemade tomato sauce for this chicken burger recipe. Processed ones have a lot of salt and sugar.

Ingredients

• 6 pieces of chicken (cut into strips)
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 30 ml olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• Salt for taste
• 60 ml of cider vinegar
• 10 ml of spice to pickle
• 500 g of cherry tomatoes
• 5 ml of olive oil
• 30 ml of xylitol
• A cup of milk cream
• 8 steamed spinach leaves
• 4 bread rolls

Preparation steps

• Marinate the chicken fillets for 10 minutes in a mixture of garlic, lemon zest, and oil.
• Heat oil over medium heat and fry garlic, onions, and the other ingredients for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes soften.
• Grill the chicken fillets for 5 minutes until brown.
• Put milk cream, chicken fillets, and cooked ingredients between two spinach leaves.
• Slice a bread roll into two halves and put them in between.
• Repeat the same process for all four burger rolls.
• Serve the burgers with juice, milk, wine or any other drink.

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5. Stuffed chicken fillets

Stuffed chicken fillet recipes take about an hour to prepare. Therefore, it is better to bake chicken with butternut after work or on weekends. The following recipe serves four individuals.

Ingredients:

• 500 g of chicken strips
• 1 chopped onion
• 30 ml of butter
• 15 g of flour
• 125ml of cheddar cheese
• 400g of cooked macaroni
• 60ml of breadcrumbs
• Salt to taste
• Chopped red pepper
• Coriander
• Salt
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 15 ml of olive oil

Preparation steps

• Boil two cups of salted water and add the macaroni.
• Let it cook for five minutes, drain water out of the pasta, and set it aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 or 400 degrees.
• Fry the onions and garlic with olive oil until they soften.
• Mix them with breadcrumbs and pepper, and add salt to taste.
• Cut pockets in the chicken fillets and rub oil on them.
• Stuff the fillets with the onions, garlic, coriander, breadcrumbs, and pepper.
• Melt some butter in a saucepan and add flour.
• Dredge the stuffed fillets in the butter and flour mixture.
• Bake them for 20-30 minutes at 350 or 400 degrees.
• Serve the baked chicken fillets with the cooked macaroni.

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6. Chicken and peanut salad

A delicious dinner comprising Chinese noodles, chicken, and peanut salad takes 45 minutes to prepare. You will find this meal in most South African restaurants. The following recipe serves a family of six.

Ingredients

• 30 ml of cooking oil
• 400 g of Chinese noodles
• 500 g of chicken strips
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 30 ml of soy sauce
• 5 chopped onions
• 120 g of roasted peanuts
• 3 chopped red chillies
• 2 shredded carrots
• A bunch of coriander
• 1 crushed garlic clove

Preparation steps

• Boil two cups of water, and add salt and the Chinese noodles.
• Cook the noodles for 5 minutes over medium.
• Drain water from the noodles and set them aside.
• Fry the chicken strips for about 10 minutes.
• Mix the chicken with ginger, soy sauce, and garlic.
• Cook until the chicken is brown.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the onion and peanuts.
• Serve it with the noodles and add roasted groundnuts, coriander, red chillies, and carrots.

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7. Chicken popcorn

Chicken popcorn takes about 25 minutes to prepare. It is a good snack for sporty events or any other occasion that requires people to use a lot of energy. The following recipe for chicken popcorn serves six people.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of chicken (cut into strips)
• 60 ml of soy sauce or mayo
• Cooking oil
• 5 ml of garlic powder
• 60 ml of cake flour
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 60 ml of buttermilk
• 125 ml of cornflower

Preparation steps

• Mix the chicken strips with buttermilk and soy sauce.
• Marinate them in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight for 8 hours.
• Mix the marinated chicken with the flour, salt, and garlic.
• Fry them for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until the chicken is well cooked.
• Put them on a kitchen towel to drain excess oil.
• Serve with soy sauce or mayo, depending on your taste.

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What is the method of cooking chicken fillet?

Some of the best chicken fillet recipes to use are:

• Butter chicken recipe
• Chicken and peanut salad recipe
• Chicken popcorn recipe
• Chicken, leek, and butternut bake recipe
• Grilled chicken burgers
• Curried chicken pilaf
• Thin chicken fillet recipe

How do you cook chicken fillets without drying them out?

Brine the chicken in salty water for 20-30 minutes to moisten, tenderize, and boost its natural flavour. The chicken will not be dry or tough after it is baked.

What are chicken fillets good for?

Chicken has less saturated fat than red meat. It also contains high amounts of protein, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins B, B6, B12, A, C, and D, and minerals like copper, calcium, iron, and zinc.

How to preserve the benefits of fillet

Ruhana Ebrahim, food styling expert and recipe developer shared with Briefly.co.za local herbs, spices, or condiments that not only add flavor but also contribute benefits to the chicken fillet dishes:

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Chicken fillet is a leaner piece of the chicken and can easily overcook, becoming dry and stiff.

She suggests the following methods to ensure that does not happen:

1. By brining your fillets: a mix of salt, sugar and water, then add herbs such as rosemary/thyme or bay leaves, garlic and whole spices such as fennel and cumin to flavour the brine.
2. Another method is to soak the chicken in buttermilk or yoghurt, in a sealed container in the fridge, overnight. This allows the chicken fillet to also be more tender and juicy when cooked.
3. Asian cooks also use a technique called 'velveting'. This technique is a simple process of using bicarb, egg whites, cornstarch, oil & seasoning to marinate and tenderize cut meat before cooking. It softens the meat down to reduce toughness and enhance juiciness for maximum flavour and tenderness.

What should you serve with chicken fillets?

Chicken fillets go well with these meals:

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• Tangy potato salad with bacon
• Toasted herb rice
• Mashed potatoes
• Creamy cucumber salad
• Crispy garlic bread
• Creamy pasta with peas and ham

The chicken dinner ideas from these chicken fillet recipes will put a smile on your face. These dishes are affordable to prepare and provide you with a balanced diet. You will never regret trying out these chicken recipes.

READ ALSO: 12 easy spaghetti and mince recipes in South Africa

Briefly.co.za also posted 12 easy spaghetti and mince recipes in South Africa. They are the easiest meals to make after a long day and without cooking experience.

Spaghetti and mince are also the best when teaching teenagers how to cook, and travellers love these cuisines because they are available worldwide.

Source: Briefly News