Skip to main content

8 Easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Chicken is a weight loss powerhouse. It’s high in protein yet low in unhealthy saturated fats. Chicken can be used in so many ways, you almost can’t get bored of eating it. In fact, we have eight fresh ideas right here that include hearty soups, classic comfort foods and spicy ethnic dishes.

Making all of these chicken recipes is easy with an Instant Pot. If you don’t have one, you’ll find it’s a time-saving appliance that can be used as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, food warmer and more. Cooking with an Instant Pot helps you to lose weight by transforming simple, healthy ingredients into flavorful meals.

With an Instant Pot, you can make all of these healthy chicken recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Because it all cooks in one pot, there’s a minimum of mess and clean-up for you when you’re done enjoying your delicious homemade meal. Enjoy these eight healthy and easy Instant Pot chicken recipes:

1. Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai >

Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai

Servings: 6

Calories per Serving: 320

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 2 PowerFuels, 1 Extra and ½ Vegetable

Pad Thai (pronounced “pahd tie”) is a classic noodle dish that tastes salty, sweet and spicy all at the same time. Even if you’ve never made it before, you will find this Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai recipe super easy to make. Along with the chicken breast, we use brown rice noodles for extra fiber and nutrition, plus spiralized zucchini noodles, bean sprouts and shredded cabbage. The savory sauce features peanut butter, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, lime juice and honey.

2. Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps >

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Servings: 4 (1 serving = 2 lettuce wraps)

Calories per Serving: 219

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuels, 1 Extra and 1 Vegetable

With this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe, you get everything you love about a buffalo chicken sandwich but without all the extra calories. The white-meat chicken becomes moist and tender in the Instant Pot as it absorbs the spunky flavor of the buffalo sauce. Skip the roll and spoon the shredded chicken into crunchy lettuce leaves. A dressing made with real blue cheese is the perfect topping. Two of these plump wraps make one serving and one satisfied appetite.

3. Instant Pot Green Chile and Chicken Mac and Cheese >

Instant Pot Green Chile and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Servings: 8

Calories per Serving: 192

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb and 1 PowerFuel

Here’s a delicious and healthy upgrade of a classic family favorite that’s quick and easy to prepare in the Instant Pot. This Instant Pot Green Chile and Chicken Mac and Cheese is made with whole wheat elbow macaroni for the extra fiber, though no one will notice the difference. The cheese sauce has a hint of heat because we use pepper jack and mix in fire-roasted green chiles. Diced chicken breast adds protein and turns this dish into a filling meal.

4. Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup >

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 4

Calories per Serving: 434

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 2 PowerFuels, 3 Extras and 1 Vegetable

Put a little zing in your lunch with this filling Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. It features lots of white meat chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and corn. Spices such as chili powder, cumin and garlic bump up the flavor of the rich broth. The recipe makes four servings and it’s easy to double it, so you can freeze the extras as individual servings to heat and eat another day.

5. Instant Pot Chicken Creole >

Instant Pot Chicken Creole

Servings: 6

Calories per Serving: 263

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel, 1 Vegetable and 1 Extra

New Orleans is known for its exceptionally good food and you can enjoy one of its signature dishes in your own kitchen. Chicken Creole is a flavorful stew that brings together white meat chicken, tangy tomatoes, sweet peppers, zesty onions, and a blend of spices that will get your taste buds tingling. While you go about your busy day, the ingredients merge their flavors in the Instant Pot and become one delicious meal. The fragrance of this Instant Pot Chicken Creole is so enticing, everyone in the house will ask for a bowlful.

6. Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken >

Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken

Servings: Depends on size of chicken (1 serving = 2 oz. cooked chicken)

Calories per Serving: 116

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 PowerFuel

When you need a filling meal that can feed a family (or you for a few days), a rotisserie chicken is an ideal solution. In an Instant Pot, the whole chicken turns tender and juicy with a crispy skin on the outside. We season it with black pepper, onion and herbs to give it classic taste, but you can use any herbs and spices you like. Pair this Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken with your choice of vegetables and a serving of SmartCarbs and you’ve got a complete meal.

7. Simple and Spicy Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas >

Simple and Spicy Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas

Servings: 4

Calories per Serving: 306

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 2 PowerFuels, 1 SmartCarb and 1 Extra

If you crave the flavors of Mexican food, this dish will hit the spot. We make Carnitas (pronounced “car-neat-ahs”) with white meat chicken flavored with fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic and spicy chili powder. The meat comes out of the Instant Pot moist and tasty. Spread these Simple and Spicy Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas on corn tortillas, top with salsa, slices of fresh avocado and some cilantro, then enjoy this ready-made fiesta.

8. Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup >

Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Servings: 6

Calories per Serving: 303

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 PowerFuel, 1 SmartCarb, 1 Vegetable and 1 Extra

Soup can be the heart of a satisfying meal when it’s loaded with filling ingredients like ground chicken, pasta, high-fiber beans and plenty of vegetables. Fagioli (“fah-jowl-ee”) is Italian for “beans,” which are featured in this traditional Italian favorite along with a rich tomato base and lots of herbs and spices, such as garlic, oregano and parsley, to give it an authentic homemade flavor. While this Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli Soup may seem complicated to make, it’s actually quite simple to prepare in the Instant Pot—no need to stand over the stove all day as it cooks.

The post 8 Easy Instant Pot Chicken Recipes appeared first on The Leaf.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Make a Healthy Charcuterie Board

There’s no question that charcuterie boards are currently all the rage. While it’s certainly not a new idea—in fact, charcuterie style eating dates back to the 15 th century in France, according to TimesColonist.com—social media has blown this trend up. Whether for the holidays or just an everyday get-together, a classic charcuterie board is a great way to entertain. While these delicious spreads are a ton of fun, they’re not necessarily known for being terribly healthy. After all, Oxford Languages defines charcuterie as “cold cooked meats.” A charcuterie board is traditionally known for featuring a wide variety of cured meats and cheeses. But that’s not to say that you must be resigned to certain choices. There are certainly ways to boost the nutrition power and make a healthy, low-calorie charcuterie board with ingredients that you and your guests will still love. Here are a few of our best tips. 5 Delicious Mocktail Recipes You’ll Love Read More Step 1: Make wise low-calo

What is Ranch Water? The Summer Cocktail You Need to Try

Losing weight in the summertime can be tough. From unhealthy picnic food to drinks at the beach bar, it can be hard to resist the warm weather temptations that try to sabotage your success. However, with a little planning and some simple swaps, you can stay on track with your weight loss goals while still partaking in some summer fun! All you need is some healthy recipes for the grill , some summer-inspired sweet treats and a go-to, weight loss-friendly cocktail that you can sip on all season long. For us, that cocktail is Ranch Water; the refreshing beverage that’s easy to make, easy to enjoy and easy to incorporate into your weight loss plan! What is Ranch Water? In short, Ranch Water is the trendy summer cocktail that’s perfect for chilling out and staying cool in the summer heat. It’s a super simple drink that only requires three ingredients to make: Tequila Lime juice Topo Chico Mineral Water 1 Never had Topo Chico? This refreshing water is a naturally carbonated minera

Here's when calories really matter

The divide continues to grow between those who swear by the “calories in vs. calories out” method and those who tout that body composition changes will come by following a nutrient-dense whole-food diet. When counseling clients, starting out many of them have these types of pre-conceived beliefs on how they should be losing weight or making changes to their body composition overall. Acknowledging calories continue to be a hot topic of conversation, we’ll dive into the science of calories, the complexity of them and when they really matter.   What is a calorie? A calorie, as we often see it on a nutrition label, is actually a kilocalorie. To make it simple for consumers, it became a Calorie with a capital C, and since then has been used so often without the capital C that we just use calorie. The true Calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of the energy required to raise one kilogram of water one degree Celsius. Originally, the calorie value of a food was determined by burning it, b