Weight watchers tend to choose chicken breasts - lean white meat that is high in protein and does not contain excess fat. This part of the chicken will also appeal to gourmets, especially if you supplement it with spices, herbs, and various vegetables.
Chicken breast dishes: interesting options for everyone
Chicken breast is considered one of the healthiest types of meat. It contains a lot of protein, a minimum of fat. It contains many valuable amino acids, micro- and macroelements, vitamins of group B. The product belongs to dietary ones, in 100 g of breast without skin there are only 150 calories. At the same time, the meat has a high nutritional value, it is satisfying and well digested. That is why chicken is recommended for the nutrition of children, allergy sufferers, people on a diet.
You can cook a variety of dishes from the breast: salads, sandwiches, mashed soups. Especially often, the breast is used for second courses, it is baked, steamed, grilled or fried in a pan. The only drawback of the product is the low fat content, due to which the dish often turns out to be dry. The use of batter, vegetable pillows, sauces and gravy will help correct the situation. It is important not to overexpose the breast on the fire, then the meat will retain its juices, the dish will turn out to be tender and very pleasant to the taste.
Chicken curry: simple and tasty
Chicken curry is a hearty and delicious dish served with rice or pasta. The pleasant sweetish-sour taste of the sauce goes well with tender chicken.
Ingredients:
- 400 g chicken breast fillet;
- 2 sweet and sour oranges;
- 1 large bell pepper;
- 200 g of champignons;
- 1 tbsp. l. curry powder;
- 1 tsp paprika;
- 1 tbsp. l. wheat flour;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- salt.
Rinse the chicken, dry it, remove films and fat. Cut into small cubes, roll in flour and salt, then curry and paprika mixture. Fry the chicken in heated vegetable oil until golden brown, put on a plate and keep warm.
Pepper to clear of seeds, cut into thin strips. Chop the champignons into slices. Juice the oranges. A little trick: if the citruses are too sweet, you can add a little freshly squeezed lemon juice to the orange juice. Remove the zest of half an orange with a special knife and cut very thinly.
Fry the mushrooms in a separate frying pan in a small amount of vegetable oil, then add pepper to them. Simmer everything together, stirring constantly. Put the chicken to the vegetables, mix again. Pour orange juice over the food and simmer until the liquid thickens. Taste the sauce, add salt if necessary. Divide curry into bowls, add garnish, sprinkle with orange peel curls on each serving.
Cold breasts with sesame and oregano: a step by step recipe
Original cold snacks are made from white chicken meat. An interesting example is the Mediterranean style chicken cooked with sesame seeds and oregano. The recipe uses wine to give the chicken a subtle, spicy flavor. The dish looks very beautiful in photos and is great for a festive table.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts;
- 0.5 glasses of white wine;
- oregano (oregano);
- a little sesame;
- olive oil;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- salt.
Wash the chicken breasts, pat dry with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper. Fry the meat in hot olive oil until golden brown. Pour in dry white wine, add oregano and sesame seeds, simmer for about 7 minutes, until the gravy thickens. Remove the chicken, chill, spread on a platter, garnish with fresh vegetables and green salad. Strain the sauce and serve separately. A good accompaniment to fried breasts is dry white or rosé wine.
Chicken breasts in batter
Pan-fried chicken contains more calories. Such a dish is not suitable for those who are on a diet, but lovers of hearty, appetizing, highly nutritious food will like it.
Ingredients:
- 450 g breast fillet without skin;
- 2 eggs;
- 2 tbsp. l. sour cream;
- 4 tbsp. l. wheat flour;
- salt;
- ground black pepper;
- refined vegetable oil for frying.
Rinse the chicken, dry it, cut it into not too thick plastics. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and beat off slightly. Rub the meat with salt and ground pepper.
Beat eggs with sour cream and salt, gradually adding sifted flour. Knead the batter without lumps. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Dip the chops alternately in batter and fry on both sides until golden brown. Each piece takes 5-7 minutes to cook. Place the finished chops on a plate lined with paper napkin. Serve hot breasts in batter, complementing with green salad and creamy sauce.
Breasts in red sauce: classic version
Rabbit is often prepared according to this recipe, but chicken breasts are also very tasty. Juniper berries, fresh or dried, give an unusual aroma of the game. The bouquet will be complemented by spices: ginger, cloves, cinnamon.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breast fillets (185 g each);
- 3 tbsp. l. red wine vinegar;
- 2 cm fresh ginger root;
- 4 carnation buds;
- 125 g seedless raisins;
- 185 g dried apricots;
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon;
- 1 tsp dried ginger;
- 4 juniper berries;
- 2 tbsp. l. wheat flour;
- 20 g butter;
- 1 tbsp. l. refined vegetable oil;
- 300 ml of chicken broth;
- 1 orange for decoration;
- salt.
Prepare the marinade by mixing red wine, wine vinegar, crushed or ground juniper berries, dry ginger and fresh root, peeled and finely grated, cinnamon and cloves. Rinse the chicken breasts, dry with a paper towel, put in the marinade and leave overnight in a sealed container. Keep the meat cool, for example, on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, dry, roll in flour. In a skillet, mix oil and butter, place the breasts skin side down, brown, turn over and fry on the other side. Take out the chicken, put it on a paper towel, which will absorb the excess oil.
Pour the marinade and chicken broth into the pan, bring the mixture to a boil. Return the breasts to the pan, close the lid loosely, simmer for about half an hour. During this time, the meat should become soft. Put it on a dish and keep warm. Boil the sauce remaining in the pan until it thickens and decreases in volume. Arrange the chicken fillet on warmed plates, pour over each portion with sauce and garnish with orange slices. The best side dish for chicken in red sauce is boiled rice.
Multicooker Cashew Chicken: Step-by-Step Cooking
Delicious chicken can be cooked in a slow cooker. Delicate white meat quickly comes to a condition, retains juiciness and does not burn. There are many interesting recipes, din of the most original - delicious breast with cashew nuts.
Ingredients:
- 800 g chicken breasts;
- 100 g bell pepper;
- a handful of cashew nuts;
- 200 ml chicken broth;
- 0.5 lemon without zest;
- 100 g of onions;
- 70 ml of water;
- 1 tbsp. l. refined vegetable oil;
- a mixture of spices (oregano, basil);
- fresh parsley or celery;
- salt.
Rinse the chicken breasts, dry with a paper towel, cut into large pieces, rub with spices and salt. Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl, turn on the "Fry" or "Meat / Poultry" program. Put pieces of breast in a slow cooker, fry for 20 minutes, turning over from time to time with a spatula. Remove the meat from the bowl, place in a plate and keep warm.
Peel the onion, remove the seeds from the pepper. Cut the onion into thin half rings, the pepper into cubes or strips. Fry the vegetables in a slow cooker until golden brown, making sure that it does not burn. Add a little more oil as needed. Put the chicken, peeled cashews, thinly sliced lemon without zest, pour in the broth. Close the lid, turn on the "Stew" program, cook for 60-40 minutes, depending on the type of multicooker. The appliance with pressure cooker function prepares food faster.
When the cycle is over, let the bird stand under the lid for another 5 minutes. Arrange on preheated plates, garnish each portion with fresh herbs. Separately, you can prepare a side dish: rice, french fries, spaghetti.
