Just when you think you’ve tried it all when it comes to chicken breasts, we’ve assembled the ultimate list of inspiring ingredients as well as a selection of easy chicken breast recipes to pair them with. This guide will ensure your chicken is moist and tasty – every time!
Experiment with marinades and seasoning
When it comes to marinating and seasoning chicken breasts, there’s no such thing as too much flavour! For best results, marinate or season chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours before cooking.
- Umami: soy sauce or tamari, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, nutritional yeast, crumbled or powdered nori
- Spicy: hot sauce, chili paste, crushed garlic, fresh and dried chili peppers, curry powder or paste, Dijon mustard (or any spicy mustard)
- Herbaceous: rosemary, cilantro, citrus zest, parsley, thyme, watercress, sage
- Acidic: citrus juice, vinegar, pickle brine, shoyu sauce, white wine, plain non-fat yogurt, buttermilk
- Sweet: honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, agave syrup, barbecue sauce
Looking for ways to combine these ingredients? Check out these WeightWatchers®-friendly recipes for super-flavourful chicken breasts:
Serve chicken breasts for breakfast
The idea of eating chicken breasts first thing in the morning might seem unusual, but there are plenty of ways this lean source of protein can be incorporated into savoury breakfast recipes. For quick and easy morning meals throughout the week, cook several chicken breasts ahead of time and add to your breakfasts as needed.
- Top savoury oats or congee with shredded chicken breasts
- Add cubed chicken breasts to a tomato-based egg dish such as shakshouka
- Use up leftover shredded chicken in chilaquiles or huevos rancheros
- Tuck thin slices of chicken breast into breakfast burritos or bowls
- Substitute shredded chicken for ham in eggs Benedict
Make a memorable chicken salad
Chicken salad is often overlooked in favour of tuna salad, but it can be made in about the same time if you have leftover chicken breasts in the fridge. These crowd-pleasing chicken salad recipes are packed with flavour and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Enjoy a scoop of chicken salad in sandwiches or use it to top rice cakes, salads or grain bowls. Forget about boring, mayo-laden chicken salads, these recipes invite you to load up on fresh and flavourful ingredients:
Get creative with crusts and coatings
A crunchy crust or coating is the easiest way to add texture to baked chicken breasts, no deep frying required! Bread crumbs are a classic coating because they help retain moisture as the chicken cooks, but there are many more options to choose from. Experiment with crushed pretzels and crackers, crispy rice or corn flakes cereal, and panko crumbs; for even more flavour combine your chosen crust with your choice of dry chicken breast seasoning ingredients. Get started with these chicken breast recipes featuring memorable crusts the whole family will love.