20 Chicken Dinners to Help Lower Cholesterol (2024)

Help lower your cholesterol with these tasty dinners. Enjoy oven-roasted chicken with whole grains and leafy greens, or a hearty chicken pasta that’s loaded with veggies. No matter what you choose, you’ll land on a flavorful meal made with no more than 4 grams of saturated fat and at least 6 grams of fiber per serving. These nutrients can help support healthy digestion, stabilize blood sugar and—of course—lower cholesterol levels.

Recipes like our Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls and High-Protein Spaghetti with Chicken & Broccoli are delicious and nourishing meals to help you feel your best.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls

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Skip the tortillas in favor of this warm fajita salad, which features a nutritious medley of chicken with roasted kale, bell peppers and black beans. The chicken, beans and vegetables are all cooked on the same pan, so this healthy dinner is easy to make and the cleanup is easy too.

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High-Protein Spaghetti with Chicken & Broccoli

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A thick, creamy pasta sauce coats spaghetti in this easy dinner winner. Cottage cheese is the secret ingredient here—it blends nicely into the sauce, adding a boost of protein along with the chicken. If you want to make this dish vegetarian-friendly, replace the chicken with white beans or chickpeas.

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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

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This flavorful burrito bowl features grilled chicken coated in a spicy chipotle glaze. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

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This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.

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Broccolini, Chicken Sausage & Orzo Skillet

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We love this quick skillet meal for busy evenings. The sausage and orzo simmer together in chicken broth, resulting in a creamy, risotto-like dish in under 30 minutes.

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Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry

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Look for pre-sliced pepper-and-onion mix in the produce section of the supermarket. It helps save prep time in this quick five-ingredient dinner. This easy dinner calls for hot cooked brown rice, which is perfect if you have leftovers. If not, look for microwaveable brown rice or frozen brown rice to keep prep minimal.

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Chicken Tinga Tostadas

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These chicken tinga tostadas are topped with cotija cheese for a salty bite, while cilantro adds a pop of flavor and color. We bake the tortillas to ensure a crispy base, while also using less oil than deep-frying.

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One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta

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A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe.

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Chicken & Vegetable Penne with Parsley-Walnut Pesto

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Homemade pesto may seem daunting, but in this quick pasta recipe you can make a simple sauce in minutes while the pasta water comes to a boil. You can substitute frozen green beans and cauliflower for fresh; in Step 4, cook the frozen vegetables according to package directions before tossing with the pasta and pesto.

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Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing

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This choppedsaladwith chicken is smoky and zesty thanks to the creamy chipotle dressing. Cilantro adds a pop of freshness to each bite.

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Lemon-Tahini Couscous with Chicken & Vegetables

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When you want pasta in no time, couscous is your best friend! The tiny pasta balls cook up in minutes, and absorb all the water so you don't have to fuss with draining. Tossed with sautéed vegetables plus leftover chicken, it's a fast and tasty meal in a bowl that's perfect as an easy dinner recipe.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & Chickpea Soup

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The only things better than healthy dinner ideas are easy healthy dinner ideas. This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker soup recipe is just that. It simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken thighs is the key to making rich soup without adding broth. Plus, if you're also in need of healthy meals on a budget, thighs are less expensive than breasts, and dried chickpeas are a relatively inexpensive and versatile pantry item that's always good to stock up on.

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Ancho Chicken Breast with Black Beans, Bell Peppers & Scallions

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In this healthy chicken recipe, the meat is rubbed with ancho chile powder, a spice made from dried poblano peppers. It adds mild heat and subtle smokiness to the rub on the chicken, but you can use regular chili powder here instead. This recipe makes an extra 1/2 cup of the black bean mash--try it wrapped into a burrito for lunch or as a taco filling.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & Orzo with Tomatoes & Olives

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Perk up basic chicken breast and whole-wheat orzo with the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean, like lemon and olives. This load-and-go recipe makes a complete and satisfying meal; just add a green salad.

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Chicken & Cucumber Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

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We love the crunch from sliced cucumber and jicama in these savory chicken lettuce wraps. Serve with the simple peanut sauce for an easy dinner recipe that will impress kids and adults alike.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken with Rosemary & Mushrooms over Linguine

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The classic pairing of shallots and mushrooms gives this easy slow-cooker chicken recipe a timeless quality that's sure to please everyone at your table. Swirling the stock and flour together at the beginning is a pro tip for creating a thick sauce that moistens the final dish and helps all the ingredients come together.

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Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

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Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.

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Ajiaco Bogotano (Potato Soup with Corn, Chicken & Capers)

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Ajiaco celebrates a key crop in the Andes Mountains region, where more than 4,000 potato varieties are grown. There are three types in this soup. Cookbook author and food stylist Mariana Velásquez uses russets to stand in for Sabanera potatoes, which practically dissolve into the broth, giving it body. Yukon Golds and tiny creamer potatoes replace Pastusas and Criollas—the former lends a golden hue and the latter a sweet, almost buttery flavor. Guascas—a fragrant herb also known as galinsoga, gallant soldier or potato weed—imparts a slightly bitter taste unmatched by anything else, Velásquez says. (Look for it dried online or in the few Colombian markets in the U.S.; you can also find it fresh at farmers' markets.) The soup takes her back to her childhood in Bogotá. She remembers one Friday each month being "Ajiaco Day" at her all-girls school. "They would bring the bowls of broth to each of us and then place the avocados, corn, chicken, capers and cream in the center of the table," she says. "It was the most special lunch and we all loved it."

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Slow-Cooker Chile-Orange Chicken Tacos

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A taco night favorite! Boneless chicken breasts cook low and slow in a chipotle-orange sauce until they're pull-apart tender, then are paired with a fresh avocado-orange salsa.

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Chicken Tagine

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This quick version of a traditional recipe can be made in about 30 minutes using a beloved kitchen hack: shredded rotisserie chicken! The shredded meat simmers briefly in a flavor-packed base that is rich with garlic and spices, sweetened with dates, and tangy from olives and preserved lemons. The addition of lentils and garbanzo beans makes this a hearty one-pot supper, though you can serve it with rice, couscous, or pita bread.

20 Chicken Dinners to Help Lower Cholesterol (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat chicken when trying to lower cholesterol? ›

Limit yourself to the recommended 3-ounce portion size and stick to leaner cuts like sirloin, pork loin, or filet mignon. Better yet, replace meat with proteins that are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, like skinless chicken or turkey breast, fish, and beans.

How can I cook chicken if I have high cholesterol? ›

Choose white meat most often when eating poultry. Remove the skin from chicken or turkey before cooking. If your poultry dries out too much, first try basting with wine, fruit juices or a heart-healthy oil-based marinade. Or leave the skin on for cooking and then remove it before eating.

What is a good meal for someone with high cholesterol? ›

plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains. a variety of healthy protein-rich foods (especially fish and seafood), legumes (such as beans and lentils), nuts and seeds. Smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry can also be included in a heart-healthy eating pattern.

What foods flush out bad cholesterol? ›

Cholesterol-lowering foods

1) Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods. Foods high in soluble fiber help reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber is also found in kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes. 2) Fish and omega-3 fatty acids.

What is the golden drink that lowers cholesterol? ›

Golden milk, also known as turmeric milk, is a common Indian drink that has recently been gaining popularity in western cultures due to many health claims. It's beautiful bright yellow color is a result of adding turmeric, along with spices such as cinnamon and ginger, to milk.

Is rotisserie chicken bad for cholesterol? ›

The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 13g of saturated fat per day—meaning a small serving of rotisserie chicken contains about 23% of your recommended daily intake. Eating saturated fat is shown to increase LDL cholesterol, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease.

What is the best chicken for high cholesterol? ›

Chicken is a lean meat if a person removes its skin. The skin on chicken can contain 80% of its total fat calories. Cholesterol levels vary by the portion of chicken a person consumes. If an individual is looking for the leanest portion of meat, they should opt for the breast.

Are eggs bad for high cholesterol? ›

Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way some other foods, such as those high in trans fats and saturated fats, do.

What is the number one food to lower cholesterol? ›

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

Oatmeal has soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears.

What can I drink to flush out my cholesterol? ›

Cholesterol is often high due to excessive saturated and trans fat consumption. There are certain drinks that can help maintain an ideal cholesterol level. Some of the best drinks for cholesterol management include green tea, pomegranate juice, citrus juice, soy milk, plant-based smoothies, and red wine.

Are potatoes bad for cholesterol? ›

Potatoes are rich in soluble fibre, which can be consumed by high cholesterol patients without any confusion. Consuming potatoes not only maintains the cholesterol level, but the body also gets many health benefits. Consumption of potatoes in cholesterol is safe only if you consume it properly.

Is pasta bad for cholesterol? ›

Pasta can be bad for cholesterol, as can other refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice. Pasta doesn't contain cholesterol, but it is high in carbohydrates. Some types of carbohydrates can affect cholesterol levels, so it's important to eat the right kind of pasta along with healthier sauces and sides.

What is the best meat to lower cholesterol? ›

Lean ham, lean pork – Use tenderloin and loin chop cuts. Wild game – Choose deer (venison), rabbit or duck (without the skin). These usually have less fat than store-bought versions. Warning: sausage and ground meat made from these may have fat added.

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