These paleo chicken recipes are great to keep on hand for weeknight dinners! If you find yourself frustrated by the repetition in your dinners, and need some fast and delicious inspiration, this list is for you!
Wow, what a weekend. You know it was a busy one because I am so late posting this.
We celebrated my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary with friends and family from my hometown (some who flew in for the occasion) all while comforting poor Baby Bake through a really awful chest cold. It was so hard to watch my normally-boisterous little dude look so sick and unhappy. He was trying to make the best of it, and play and have fun as usual, but he got so drained so quickly.
And then I started coughing. Ohhh boy. Hey, who’s up for a post about my favorite natural cold remedies(?) because I am becoming a full fledged expert in that arena.
Luckily, both Baby Bake and I are on the mend, so I am trying to get caught up with the week. That means, unfortunately, trying to scramble to plan dinners for the rest of the week. Apparently it is frowned upon to order pho every night of the week (serious bummer).
For weeks like this, whether they are just chilly and rainy, or on the tail end of a sickness or busy weekend, I love to keep a running list (or Pinterest board) handy of reliable, easy recipes that don’t take a lot of prep or thought, but always make a great meal. Ideally with leftovers, because you know me.
Since we always have chicken in the freezer, most of my Code Red What Are We Having For Dinner (CRWAWHFR) lists involve chicken. So today, I wanted to share some of my favorite paleo chicken recipes with you, so that you can be equipped for a CRWAWHFD night, too!
30 Paleo Chicken Recipes to Add to Your Weekly Meal Prep
I say this sentence without shame: Without meal prep, my entire week would fall apart. If your related in any way, shape, or form to the previous sentence, hopefully you find these 30 paleo recipes useful:
1.Baked Chicken Fingers with Sesame Orange Dipping Sauce
Fun fact: I whipped up this recipe far before Baby Bake was born. Now that he’s here (and his, shall we say, selective appetite), I’ll tell you this: if you’re ever looking for a kid-friendly recipe, these golden brown chicken fingers are a winner, every single time.
2. Harvest Chicken Vegetable Skillet
If you’re constantly scrambling to get dinner on the table during the workweek, I highly suggest familiarizing yourself with one-pan meals, which cut your clean-up time in half. This dish combines harvest veggies and pan-seared chicken in a meal that comes together in just 45 minutes.
3. Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Here’s a pro tip on how to do appetizers on the paleo diet: Invest in toothpicks. Any dish you once served on slider buns, crackers, or tortilla chips, can probably be stabbed with a toothpick and served as finger food — just like with these spicy buffalo chicken meatballs.
4. Roasted Lemon Fennel Chicken Thighs
If you’re looking for an affordable dinner recipe, know that bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are one of the most affordable cuts of meat you can buy. This simple lemon chicken recipe combines chicken thighs, red potatoes, and lemon wedges into a one-pan dinner that takes just 10 minutes of prep.
5. Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Grilled Vegetables
To those who resort to takeout because cooking “takes up too much time,” I’m going to have to call B.S. This recipe for Indian tandoori chicken requires just four ingredients for the main dish, takes just 5 minutes of prep time, and goes from prep-to-plate in just 35 minutes.
6. Sesame Chicken Zucchini Noodles
If you love noodle dishes — whether it be Italian pasta, pad Thai, or other favorite — save yourself a little heartache an invest in a spiralizer (just $30 on Amazon). This sesame chicken tosses zucchini noodles coconut aminos, chili sauce, and sesame oil, combining some of your favorite Asian-fusion flavors.
7. Strawberry Cobb Salad
Whenever someone says “Salads are boring,” my only thought is, “That means you’re doing them all wrong.” This dish is loaded with hard boiled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and roasted chicken for a refreshing, summertime salad.
8. Chicken and Pomelo Salad
I find this Vietnamese salad to be highly addicting. It’s crisp, crunchy, and light, combining cashews, carrots, sesame seeds, cabbage, and roasted chicken into a satisfying lunch option.
9. Chicken Roulades
Ever heard of chicken roulades? This ever-so-fancy sounding dish is actually quite simple: Chicken breasts are filled, rolld, and sealed shut with a toothpick, then sliced ever-so-beautifully to keep up the scheme. Your guests will think you spent all day in the kitchen, when really this dish takes just 20 minutes of prep work.
10. Buffalo Chicken Chili (slow cooker or Instant Pot)
When the weather turns cool, there’s nothing more satisfying than a hot bowl of chili. This innovative version uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs, hot sauce, cauliflower rice, and all the veggies for a complete meal in one pot.
11. Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
If it wasn’t obvious already, the slow cooker is one of the few (and sometimes, the only) reason I manage to get a home cooked meal on the table. This healthy recipe for pulled chicken can easily be made in large batches — simply freeze any leftovers in a zip top bag to get a headstart on next week’s meal prep.
12. Jerk Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
This easy jerk chicken recipe takes just five minutes to prep, ready in a total time of 30 minutes. Season chicken, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and radishes with Carribean spices, then serve with a red pepper vinaigrette.
13. Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma
I know, I know. I talk about this recipe every time I have the chance. You know what? It’s that good, that easy, and that satisfying. The best part? You can make the chicken ahead of time, or use a rotisserie bird. Then you can crisp up the chicken with the spices in a pan right before you serve the meal. This is, hands down, my favorite go-to weeknight dinner.
14. Cilantro Lime Chicken Stuffed Zucchini
If you recently switched to a paleo diet, know that there are a number of innovative ways to recreate former favorite dishes. This cilantro lime chicken uses zucchini boats in place of tortillas, making a delicious, veggie-filled, grain-free dish.
15. Braised Turmeric Chicken with Apricots and Olives
If I were forced to live off one cuisine for the remainder of my life, I’d choose Mediterranean — every.single.time. This easy turmeric braised chicken is made with good olive oil, citrus, dried fruits, kalamata olives, and all the spices, making it a perfect, flavorful dinner recipe to prepare any night of the week.
16. Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry
Zoodles might get all the attention, but virtually any vegetable can be spiralized or shredded into “pasta.” In this recipe, cabbage is used in lieu of rice noodles for an easy, Asian stir-fry.
17. Slow Cooker Meatballs
While this recipe calls for ground turkey, you can easily use ground chicken instead. Cooking the meatballs in the sauce produces an ultra-moist result.
18. Green Curry Chicken
Thai curry dishes are far easier to prepare than you imagine, so don’t let the thought intimidate you. This green curry requires just 10 ingredients, including coconut milk, curry paste, protein, and veggies; and 25 minutes total to prepare.
19. Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
Making a batch of fajitas in the Crock-Pot is a simple way to enjoy one of your favorite Mexican dishes, without a lot of prep work. Combine chicken breasts, red peppers, onions, and seasonings in the slow cooker, cook on low for 5–6 hours, then serve over cauliflower rice for a healthy, gluten-free meal.
20. Maple Garlic Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
I love when I can pull together an entire meal while leaving just one pan to wash in the sink. This one sheet pan dish combines butternut squash, boneless, skinless chicken breasts; onions, and peppers into an easy, family dinner.
21.Tahini, Walnut, and Caramelized Onion Chicken Salad
If you’re ever in a lunch rut, allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite, clean-eating dishes. A scoop of this mayo-free chicken salad can be piled atop a salad, wedged between two slices of almond flour bread, or folded into this grain-free flatbread.
22. Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers
These chicken skewers could not be easier to prepare, needing just three ingredients. Serve atop a salad, stuffed inside a grain-free pita, or alongside grilled vegetables.
23. Low Carb & Paleo Chicken Pot Pie
You know I’m pretty proud of my baked goods — I will test and retest a single recipe until I question my own sanity to get the perfect concoction. I have to say, the buttery crust in this chicken pot pie recipe is so flakey, so ever-so-close to perfect, that those endless hours in the kitchen were certainly worth it.
24. Moroccan chicken
If you’re following a low-FODMAP protocol, I highly recommend this recipe. With a hint of spice (but not overly spicy), this Morrocan chicken pairs well with quinoa, cucumbers, and kalamata olives.
25. Waldorf Salad
Can we discuss how much I love a loaded chicken salad? This creamy chicken salad is packed with apples, walnuts, raisins, and celery — giving you that satisfying crunch you’re looking for. Wrap in a butter lettuce or serve atop this paleo bread for serving.
26. Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
If the thought of roasting a whole chicken sounds too intimidating, try this slow cooker technique. While the cook time says eight hours, it takes just 10 minutes of actual prep — after that, the Crock-Pot does the work for you.
27. Cashew Chicken (30 Minutes & One Pan)
Looking for a better way to way to do takeout? This recipe comes together faster than the delivery woman arrives at your door, needing just 15 minutes of prep and another 15 to cook over the stovetop.
28. Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
If anyone has ever been a guest at my dining table, there is an 80% chance I served them this shredded chicken recipe. Thus far, I recreated it into nine different recipes (and counting), including chick tortilla soup, BBQ chicken, and chicken enchiladas.
29. Chicken Tortilla Soup
…Remember when I said I reused the recipe above ^^^ nine different times? In this chicken tortilla soup recipe, you’ll combine shredded chicken, chicken stock, adobo sauce, garlic powder, cumin, chili flakes, and other spices into a chunky soup you’ll devour all winter long.
What Other Chicken Recipes Would You Like to See?
While some individuals aren’t fond of experimenting in the kitchen, I positively love it. If there’s a classic family favorite chicken recipe you’d like to see reinvented, let me know — I’m never one to back down from a challenge.
This list should keep us in dinners for awhile, but just in case we run out, tell me your ideas! Leave me links to your favorite weeknight-friendly paleo chicken recipes in the comments below!
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