Chicken and rice are without a doubt two of the most popular foods among fitness folk.
They’re cheap, versatile, easy to prepare, and extremely “macro friendly” (especially when you’re cutting).
What they aren’t, though, is exciting, and hot sauce will only take you so far before your meals become just a boring plate of meat and grains.
That’s why you need a list of simple recipes like these that give you the high-protein and low-fat goodness of chicken and rice with the deliciousness of more indulgent meals.
As you’ll see, it doesn’t take much in the way of ingredients, time, or cooking skill to turn this bland bodybuilding fare into something delicious.
For example, the Hong Kong-Style Baked Chicken & Broccoli Rice gives you a taste of the exotic, the Baked Chicken & Pea Risotto makes for a classic high-protein fix, and the Lavender Chicken & Rice is a unique twist that you probably haven’t tried before.
Enjoy!
By making a quick soup with leftover chicken, you can have a healthy meal on the table in under a half hour.
This recipe is for a Greek favorite called avgolemono, chicken and rice soup that’s thickened with eggs. So each bowl has 25 grams of protein, an ideal lunch or snack for a body-building diet.
291
Calories25 g
Protein25 g
Carbs10 g
Fat1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup Arborio rice
Juice of 1 lemon
3 large eggs
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz.), cooked and shredded
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Get the RecipeThis easy chicken and rice recipe is perfect for a weeknight because you can cook it all in a single pot on the stove. And you won’t dirty a bunch of dishes for the prep, so you can kick back after dinner and relax.
Mix up the marinade in a zippered plastic bag, and shake. Then cook the chicken for about 10 minutes, set aside, start the rice, and put it all in the pan to finish.
546
Calories47 g
Protein49 g
Carbs17 g
FatMarinade:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz. each)
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
4 tsp. fresh oregano (or 2 tsp. dried oregano)
Rice Pilaf:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cups long-grain minute rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (or more as needed)
Get the RecipeThis chicken and rice casserole for two is prepared Hong Kong-style. It’s popular with seafood, like shrimp and scallops, but you’ll love this creamy baked rice dish with chicken too.
It’s very rich to stick to your ribs, but you can use light coconut milk or skim milk for a leaner version if you prefer.
510
Calories30 g
Protein45 g
Carbs22 g
FatChicken & Rice:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups cooked white rice
6 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella
1 Tbsp. dried basil
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup white wine
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Get the RecipeIt takes extra time to prepare brown rice, but that’s not a problem when you use a Crock Pot. Just leave everything in the slow cooker in the morning or afternoon, and it’ll be ready to eat when everyone’s hungry for dinner.
This one takes no time to prepare. Just chop an onion and broccoli, and put it all together. You’ll have a healthy, high-protein dinner from scratch with hardly any cooking.
311
Calories32 g
Protein33 g
Carbs6 g
Fat1 small onion, chopped
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb. broccoli, cut into small pieces (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) grated Parmesan
1 cup (about 4 oz.) shredded cheddar
Get the RecipeFor a one-pot meal like this, using bone-in chicken is best. If the rice isn’t tender yet and you have to leave the chicken on a little long, it’ll still be juicy and not dried out.
This recipe also has you boil the chicken for 15 minutes to start, giving you the option of making your own quick chicken broth. Or you can skip that part and just worry about the main meal to get it done quicker.
471
Calories57 g
Protein46 g
Carbs14 g
FatChicken & Broth:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 cups water
2 stalks celery, cut in 2 pieces
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut in 2 pieces
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp. salt
Rice Pilaf:
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lemon, sliced (optional garnish)
Garlic powder to taste
Pinch of paprika
Get the RecipeThere are two kinds of carbs in this quick chicken dinner: rice and chickpeas. So just by opening a can of chickpeas, you’re boosting the nutrient density.
You’ll benefit from the antioxidants and easy-to-digest protein in rice, all while getting the folate and healthy carbs in chickpeas. And both of them are loaded with iron and fiber.
288
Calories19 g
Protein32 g
Carbs9 g
Fat2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Tbsp. butter (or oil)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground coriander seed
4 boneless chicken thighs (about 4 oz. each), cut into bite-sized pieces
7 oz. basmati rice, rinsed
5 1/2 oz. cooked chickpeas
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Get the RecipeThis chicken is so flavorful, you can serve it with plain rice. And both parts of the meal will take the same amount of time to cook – about a half hour – so you can serve this awesome high-protein entrée without worrying about doing a ton of work.
You’ll feel like you’re eating in a fancy restaurant, yet can stay in the comfort of home.
491
Calories38 g
Protein59 g
Carbs12 g
Fat3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/3 cup pure honey
1 tsp. fresh marjoram
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lavender
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup dry rice, cooked to serve
Get the RecipeWhen you have a pressure cooker, it’s easy to sear the meat and then prepare an entire meal in the same pot. And once you get everything ready to set and forget, your chicken and rice dinner will be fully cooked in just 20 minutes.
It’s like a speedy slow cooker, but better, because a pressure cooker also increases the bioavailability of essential minerals for a nutrient-dense meal.
362
Calories22 g
Protein47 g
Carbs9 g
Fat1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. oil
3 small shallots, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white jasmine rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (plus more for deglazing)
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Get the RecipeTechnically risotto is made in a pot on the stove. But you can cheat on a busy day and use the oven.
This baked chicken risotto still uses Arborio rice, the short-grain kind from Italy that gets creamy when cooked. But instead of making a whole pot, you can cook a chicken and rice dinner for one with hardly any effort.
456
Calories35 g
Protein58 g
Carbs11 g
Fat2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 3.5 oz.), sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/5 cup Arborio rice
175 mL reduced-salt chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tsp. grated Parmesan, to serve
Get the RecipeThere are endless variations of chicken and rice, and sometimes you just have to get creative with the seasonings to change things up.
This easy entrée is bursting with flavor from fresh orange juice, maple syrup, and chipotle peppers. The sweetness and spice balance out for an amazing chicken dinner that can be paired with simple sides, like steamed broccoli or mashed potatoes.
283
Calories29 g
Protein32 g
Carbs4 g
Fat1 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 tsp. safflower oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/2” thick
Juice of 1 medium orange (about 1/3 cup juice)
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. chopped chipotle chiles in adobo
1 tsp. orange zest
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, packed
Get the RecipeWho knew quarantine cooking could be so tasty?
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Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
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