24 Healthy Ground Chicken Recipes for Weight Loss
Ground meat is one of the best inexpensive things to have on hand for weeknight dinners, and ground chicken recipes are by far our favorite. Chicken is light and mostly lean, which will keep the calorie count and the fat content of your meal on the lower end. It's perfectly easy to season and create any flavor profile you desire,
One pound can be easily stretched to feed a family of four—sometimes even with leftovers—and since it doesn't have a lot of flavor on its own, it can be doctored up into meatballs, lettuce wraps, burgers, and more. Check out 24 of our favorite ground chicken recipes to keep on repeat in your dinner routine.
Asian-Inspired Meatballs
The super-savory meatballs—seasoned with onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and jalapeño—are best charred on the grill, but if it's not grillin' season, you can pan-fry them indoors.
Get our recipe for Asian-Inspired Meatballs.
Quick Chicken Burger With Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli
You'll never miss a beef burger once you've had this juicy, flavorful chicken burger with a homemade sun-dried tomato aioli on top. Leave out the bun for an ultimately light dinner.
Get our recipe for Quick Chicken Burgers with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli.
Paleo Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties
You're gonna wanna double or triple this recipe and freeze lots of chicken sausage patties for later. You know, for breakfast emergencies.
Get our recipe for Paleo Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties.
Chicken Sloppy Joe
Turkey and chicken are interchangeable in this healthy version of a Sloppy Joe sandwich. A little sweet, a little tangy, and totally craveable.
Get our recipe for Chicken Sloppy Joe.
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
You won't even notice, but these delicious stuffed peppers are Whole30-compliant, making them clear of added sugars or grains. However, you really won't miss any of that stuff when you taste this perfectly seasoned chicken baked in aromatic pepper vessels.
Get the recipe from Whitney Bond.
Ground Chicken Tacos
Make a jar of homemade taco seasoning and keep it on hand for whenever the craving hits. For the lightest possible dinner, make a bowl with this spiced chicken and opt for lettuce instead of rice.
Get the recipe from What's Gaby Cooking.
Slimmed-Down Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs
Sunday Sauce just got a little more interesting with healthy chicken meatballs. This recipe uses a little ricotta cheese in the meatballs for extra flavor and moisture.
Get the recipe from Jo Cooks.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
Skip the takeout and make these lettuce wraps in 30 minutes. Don't skip out on the water chestnuts for extra crunch.
Get the recipe from Cooking Classy.
Italian Wedding Soup
When chicken noodle soup seems boring, switch gears to this Italian wedding soup, made with tiny chicken meatballs, pearled couscous pasta, and lots of spinach.
Get the recipe from Little Spice Jar.
Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
The surprising addition that bulks up the fiber, adds extra veggies, and assures the chicken patties are super juicy is . . . shredded sweet potato! Don't knock it 'til you try it.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
Baked Chicken Meatballs
These one-bowl, meal-prep-friendly, easy-to-freeze meatballs will be your new go-to. You can simmer them in sauce, eat them in a sandwich, or top a salad with them—so versatile when you need some quick extra protein.
Get the recipe from Pinch of Yum.
Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
This one-pot wonder is a. stripped of unnecessary calories and b. super easy to make in your slow cooker. Ground chicken, bell peppers, black beans, brown rice, corn, and salsa are just some of the ingredients that make this dish so hearty.
Get the recipe from Well Plated.
Lasagna Soup
This recipe calls for ground beef, but the recipe's author says that ground chicken or turkey will work just as well. Get the flavors of lasagna in a comforting bowl of tomato-based soup.
Get the recipe from Jo Cooks.
Better-Than-Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
The sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce adds a ton of flavor to ground chicken, and the dish gets herby freshness from plenty of basil and crunch from the cashews. Serve over steamed rice and top with fresh mangoes if in season.
Get the recipe from Half Baked Harvest.
Cheesy Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Meatloaf Muffins
Individual meatloafs are great for kids and adults who pack their lunches for work. Quinoa lightens up the meal and adds a nice texture, too.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
Chicken Avocado Burger
Add healthy fats and a little extra creaminess—to ensure the patties aren't dry—with avocado mixed right into the ground chicken.
Get the recipe from Laughing Spatula.
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Everything you love about an egg roll except for the deep fried shell! This recipe calls for ground beef or pork, but it is easy to substitute with ground chicken—the flavors of soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, and ginger will work with any ground meat.
Get the recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.
Italian Stuffed Peppers
These stuffed peppers remind us a lot of lasagna with a saucy, cheesy stuffing, bulked up with brown rice. But they're definitely the lighter choice!
Get the recipe from Well Plated.
Skinny Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Throw your ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, head to work, and when you get home you'll have a Mexican soup feast waiting for you.
Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
Cheddar Jalapeño Chicken Burgers with Guacamole
This is more of a special-occasion chicken burger, because it requires making homemade guacamole. We'd actually love these cheesy, spicy burgers as sliders or wrapped in lettuce for an ultimate low-carb burger dinner.
Get the recipe from What's Gaby Cooking.
Chicken Lasagna
Use 1 1/2–2 lbs of cooked, drained ground chicken as the meat in this easy lasagna. The recipe calls for store-bought alfredo sauce so you can achieve lasagna greatness on a weeknight.
Get the recipe from The Seasoned Mom.
Low-Carb Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs with Zoodles
It's double the low-carb power with breadcrumb-less chicken meatballs and zoodles instead of pasta. The sauce is packed with salty capers, earthy mushrooms, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Get the recipe from I Breathe, I'm Hungry.
One Pan Cilantro Chicken Meatballs in Mango Coconut Sauce
Warning: you may want to drink this creamy, slightly sweet coconut sauce. It blankets tender chicken meatballs and rice for a decadent yet light dinner.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
