Best Bet Diet Cookbook

Chicken Recipes

Nourishing morning recipes to support MS health, focus, and long-lasting energy.

Three lettuce wraps filled with cooked meat, shredded purple cabbage, and carrot sticks on a white rectangular plate with bowls of shredded cabbage, carrot sticks, and dipping sauce in the background.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

SERVES 2-4
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (or tenders), chopped very small
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • ½ cup cabbage, finely shredded
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 head iceberg, romaine or butter lettuce

ALMOND CHILI SAUCE
  • ⅓ cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 2 teaspoons coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Steps
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium.
  2. Add chicken, garlic, onions, salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
  3. Add the carrots, cabbage, and green onions, and cook for 2 more minutes.
  4. In a small bowl combine the sweet chili sauce, ginger, almond butter, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Stir until smooth.
  5. Add sauce to the pan. Add cilantro. Toss everything until combined.
  6. Spoon mixture into individual lettuce cups. Should fill about 8 lettuce cups.

VARIATION
The cabbage and carrots in this recipe can be cooked or left fresh.

Chicken Cacciatore

SERVES 4-6
Ingredients
  • 4 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into pieces
  • ⅓ cup rice flour
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1½ cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomatoes
  • ½ cup white wine (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
Steps
  1. Place chicken and rice flour in plastic bag and shake coating chicken.
  2. In large non-stick fry pan add olive oil and cook chicken at medium heat till brown. Remove chicken.
  3. To remaining oil in fry pan add minced garlic, onion, mushrooms, and sliced celery stalks. Sauté vegetables till soft.
  4. Return chicken to fry pan and add can of tomatoes, wine (if using) and spices.
  5. Simmer for 1 hour.
  6. Serve on rice noodles or spinach.

Moroccan Chicken Casserole

SERVES 4
Ingredients
  • 4–6 skinless, boned chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 crushed clove of garlic
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 3 tablespoons arrowroot flour (or rice flour)
  • 2 cups of chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley to garnish
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Using paper towels pat the chicken pieces dry.
  3. Heat oil over medium heat in large pan.
  4. Add garlic and spices to the pan, stirring over a medium heat for 10–20 seconds.
  5. Add chicken and cook 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally until coated with spices.
  6. Transfer chicken to oven-proof dish, scattering vegetables over the chicken.
  7. Mix arrowroot flour with chicken broth in fry pan, stir until thickened and boils.
    Remove pan from heat.
  8. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over vegetables and chicken.
  9. Cover with lid, and cook at 350°F for one hour, until chicken is cooked through.

Honey Mustard Chicken

SERVES 6
Ingredients
  • 6 skinless boned chicken breasts
  • ⅓ cup liquid honey
  • ¼ cup canola oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • 2–4 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Steps
  1. Place chicken in a single layer in large oven-proof dish.
  2. Combine honey, oil, mustard, curry powder and cayenne.
  3. Pour over chicken.
  4. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 20 minutes, basting once.
  5. Turn chicken over, baste again and bake another 20 minutes or until internal temperature exceeds 165°F.

Chicken Cutlets with Olives & Tomatoes

SERVES 8
Ingredients
  • 6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 (16 oz) can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 18 black olives, drained, pitted and chopped (about ½ can)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Steps
  1. Set oven at 375ºF and grease two 9 x 13
    inch oven proof pans.
  2. Marinate chicken in 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper for one hour, turning often.
  3. In a large skillet sauté garlic and onions in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  4. Add tomatoes and olives and sauté for 15 minutes, uncovered, stir often.
  5. Add 1 tablespoon of the parsley and the thyme, stirring to mix.
  6. Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pans and cover with sautéed mixture.
  7. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.
  8. Bake for 35–40 minutes in a 375°F oven or until brown and internal temperature exceeds 165°F.
Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken

SERVES 4
Ingredients
  • 4 whole skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • 2 un-peeled lemons, thinly sliced
Steps
  1. Halve chicken breasts and arrange in a 9 x 13 inch shallow, greased, baking dish.
  2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.
  3. Pour olive oil over all.
  4. Arrange lemon slices on top of chicken to cover all pieces.
  5. Cook, uncovered for 1 hour at 350°F.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

SERVES 4
Ingredients
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
    (cut into 1 inch cubes)
MARINADE
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste (optional)
Steps
  1. In a bowl mix together the oil with coconut aminos, honey, lemon juice, garlic slices, black pepper and cayenne.
  2. Place the chicken cubes in the bowl and toss to coat with the marinade.
  3. Cover and chill for 4 hours.
  4. Remove the chicken from the marinade.
  5. Pour marinade into a saucepan then remove the garlic slices and discard; boil for 10 minutes over medium-low heat (start timing the 10 minutes after boiling starts).
  6. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in cold water for 30 minutes.
  7. Place the skewers on a grill and cook for 18–20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, basting with cooked marinade during the last 10–12 minutes of cooking.

Orange Rosemary Chicken

SERVES 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 roasting chicken
  • 1 orange, quartered
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or
  • 1½ tablespoon dried rosemary)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

ROSEMARY BASTE
  • 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
  • 1½ tablespoon dried rosemary
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Peel garlic cloves and place in chicken cavity.
  3. Stuff un-peeled orange wedges into cavity with fresh or dried rosemary.
  4. Close the cavity and loosely tie legs together.
  5. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan.
    Brush skin with oil.
  6. Roast chicken, uncovered for two hours, basting frequently with pan juices.
  7. Mix marmalade and rosemary to make the baste. Brush over chicken and continue roasting, basting with mixture, about 10 more minutes.

Baked Tarragon Chicken Breasts

SERVES 3-4
Ingredients
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon tarragon
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  2. Place chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish greased with olive oil.
  3. Combine remaining ingredients and brush over chicken, covering completely. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken

SERVES 4-6
Ingredients
  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 2 eggs (or replacement)
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups canola oil (or olive oil)
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Mix eggs and salt in a bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs and rice flour.
  4. Pour oil into a deep roasting pan or dish and heat in oven for 15 minutes while preparing the chicken.
  5. Dip each drumstick into egg mixture and then roll into breadcrumb mix. Carefully add to pan with heated oil.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes at 375ºF. Rotate drumsticks every 15 minutes.
  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  8. Serve with a fresh salad and/or roasted potatoes.

TIP
Perfect for picnics! Also great served cold for lunch the next day.

Apple Mushroom Chicken

SERVES 6
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup rice flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • Dash of thyme
  • 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup canola oil (or mild tasting olive oil)
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup apple juice
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Mix flour, salt, pepper and thyme in a plastic bag.
  3. Add chicken to bag and shake to coat well.
  4. In fry pan, brown chicken in oil and transfer to casserole dish.
  5. Add green onions and mushrooms to fry pan.
  6. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
  7. Add mixture to casserole dish.
  8. Mix lemon juice, sugar, salt and apple juice.
  9. Pour over chicken and bake at 325°F for one hour.

Oven-Baked Paprika Chicken

SERVES 4
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken breasts (6 oz each)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
SEASONING
  • 11/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or thyme, or other herb of choice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • Parsley for garnish, finely chopped (optional)
Steps
  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
  2. Pound chicken to ¾ inch at the thickest part—using a rolling pin, meat mallet or even your fist (key tip for even cooking and tender chicken).
  3. Mix seasoning.
  4. Line tray with foil and baking paper.
    Place chicken upside down on tray. Drizzle chicken with about 1 tablespoon oil. Rub over with fingers. Sprinkle with seasoning.
  5. Flip chicken, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, rub with fingers, sprinkle with seasoning.
  6. Refrigerate chicken for 30–60 minutes to allow spices to permeate chicken.
  7. Bake 18 minutes, or until surface is golden or internal temperature is 175ºF using a meat thermometer.
  8. Remove from oven and immediately transfer chicken to serving plates.
  9. Wait 3–5 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley if desired.