Our Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites are the perfect dish to enjoy on game day, but also healthy enough to make anytime a craving hits. Our buffalo chicken bites are made with simple ingredients, yet full of delicious buffalo sauce flavor that make this the perfect appetizer!  

Classic buffalo wings are deep fried, tossed in butter, then tossed in buffalo sauce. Even Instant Pot buffalo chicken wings are typically not the best choice for your healthy eating plan.

Chicken wings are made up almost entirely of fat, and while butter is fine in moderation, the sheer amount used in most wing recipes is not. This healthy chicken recipe hits all your favorite buffalo sauce flavors, and is more filling because you’re getting the meat, not just skin.

While this recipe is written for the Instant Pot, you can cook it in any electric pressure cooker! It takes about 15 minutes. These spicy, buttery, Buffalo Chicken Boneless Wings are a healthy homemade version alternative to traditional buffalo wings. 

Boneless buffalo chicken bites go great with a side of celery sticks, carrot sticks, turnip fries, and homemade ranch dressing dipping sauce.

Our bite-sized pieces are the perfect protein to share with family and friends. It’s an easy appetizer, and I guarantee your friends will be asking for this recipe. 

Where’s the Recipe?

My readers come from all levels of experience in the kitchen and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve everyone, I’m committed to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.

If you’d like to skip over buffalo chicken ingredient information, the recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe card!

Ingredients in Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

• Chicken breast: Chicken breasts are a healthy low carb protein source. Boneless skinless chicken breasts work great for this recipe. If you prefer dark meat you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this buffalo chicken recipe.
• Cayenne pepper: Cayenne blends nicely with the hot sauce to create the perfect spicy flavor for your buffalo sauce. If you need to tame the spice level a bit, feel free to omit or decrease the amount of cayenne pepper. 
• Butter: I use butter in this buffalo chicken recipe, because traditional fried chicken bites have that delicious buttery flavor. If you prefer, you can use another type of fat like avocado oil or olive oil to cook your chicken in.
• Black pepper: Good seasoned chicken needs black pepper.
• Franks Hot Sauce: There are a lot of different buffalo sauces available, but I prefer the original Frank’s red hot sauce. Traditional buffalo sauce has a ton of extra ingredients in it that make it less healthy. The Frank’s red hot sauce is just salt, peppers, and vinegar. This is all you need and you will still get all the buffalo flavor. You won’t miss the extra stuff, I promise!
• (Optional) Ranch Seasoning: If you need to make some dip, our ranch seasoning is the best! Scroll down to find the recipe for our ranch dip in the recipe tips below.

How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

Time needed: 16 minutes

1. Slice & Sauté: First you will want to slice your chicken breasts into bite size pieces or strips, and then turn your pot to Sauté. Next melt your butter in the pot. Once the butter is melted, place the chicken, seasonings, and 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce (reserve an extra 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce to add at the end) into your pot with the melted butter. Finally, place chicken in a single layer. Make sure to avoid overlapping of the chicken pieces.  
2. Pressure Cook: Close and lock the Instant Pot lid and set your pot to Pressure Cook on high pressure. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes.
3. Quick Release: Once the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and then remove the lid. The chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer reads the internal temperature of the buffalo bites to 165 degrees F. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce on top and then eat now, or skip ahead to Step 4 for my preferred method.
4. Optional Broil: Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet and drizzle it with the remaining ¼ cup of buffalo sauce. Then broil for 2-3 minutes until the buffalo sauce is thickened and the chicken bites are golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then serve with carrots, celery, or your favorite sides like ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Recipe Tips

• This recipe goes perfectly with our ranch dip. If you need to make some dip, this ranch seasoning is the best! Take a small container of plain Greek yogurt, and add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp parsley, and 1/2 tsp dill. Stir to combine.
• If you’re making this recipe with frozen chicken breasts, increase the cook time to 16 minutes and cut into bite-sized pieces after it’s cooked. 
• If you’re short on time you can skip broiling and just toss the cooked chicken with the remaining buffalo sauce, but broiling is the best way to get that golden brown crispy exterior.
• Our Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites are most delicious when they are fresh. However, you may save any remaining chicken leftovers for meal prep by storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat simply warm the buffalo chicken bites in an air fryer basket on low, or in the oven at a low temperature. 

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

See this post for our WW Buffalo Chicken Bites.

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

For the entire recipe: 8 Red Containers, 6 Teaspoons. 

Per Serving: 1 Red Container, ¾ Teaspoon. 

2B Mindset Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

Serve with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch. 75% veggies for a complete dinner. 

Trim Healthy Mama Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

These buffalo chicken bites are a THM-S recipe with no changes.

Love all things buffalo chicken? Try these other healthy buffalo sauce recipes:

• 21 Day Fix Buffalo Chicken Dip Shredded buffalo chicken dip is a classic appetizer that is always a hit at parties and gatherings. However, traditional buffalo chicken dip can be high in calories and fat. This healthy buffalo dip uses shredded chicken breasts, plus cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, instead of cream cheese, to lighten things up without sacrificing flavor.
• Frozen Cauliflower In Air Fryer I’m always looking for a good recipe using buffalo sauce. These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are so easy to make and are the perfect appetizer, snack, or side dish.
• Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Buffalo sauce recipes are usually a big hit in our house, so I was excited to try out this great recipe for my family. It’s a healthy buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese recipe with shredded chicken, and is a great way to get in some extra protein and veggies!
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups These Buffalo Chicken Breasts Roll Ups are a delicious quick dinner recipe! Mixing cottage cheese with buffalo sauce and ranch spices gives these roll ups a spicy and creamy center that’s a satisfying main course cuisine.
• Buffalo Pasta with Shredded Chicken This easy buffalo chicken pasta recipe is a family favorite in my house, and is a great addition to your weekly meal rotation. This pasta dish is made with shredded chicken breasts and is topped with a protein packed spicy buffalo sauce. It’s one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes.
• Buffalo Cauliflower Dip I add chicken breasts to this shredded chicken buffalo cauliflower dip to really get in some extra protein. It’s a healthy, game day appetizer that you can cook in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove top.

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Buffalo Chicken Bites

These spicy, buttery, Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Boneless Wings are the perfect healthy recipe. They cook right in the Instant Pot, so they’re fast and cleanup is easy.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Buffalo Chicken Bites

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Total Time 16 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 222kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Sealing Rings

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken breast defrosted, cut into strips (I’ve also used frozen chicken breasts, please see below)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce not buffalo sauce
• 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce save for after chicken has been cooked

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Slice your chicken into bite-size strips. 2 lbs chicken breast
• Set your Instant Pot to sauté and melt your butter. Once melted, add your chicken and seasoning. Then, stir in ½ cup of Franks Hot Sauce and stir well. 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
• Close and lock the lid and set your pot to Pressure Cook on high pressure. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the pot. You can drizzle the remaining hot sauce on it and eat it now, or broil on a baking sheet. 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
• Optional: Using tongs, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush the chicken with the additional 1/4 cup hot sauce. Brown the chicken and thicken the sauce by placing under the broiler for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side. Let the chicken cool 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans:  

• 21 Day Fix/Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 8 Red Containers, 6 Teaspoons. Per Serving: 1 Red Container, ¾ Teaspoon. 
• 2B Mindset: Serve with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch. 75% veggies for a complete dinner. 
• Trim Healthy Mama: This is a THM-S recipe with no changes.
• Weight Watchers: See this post for the WW version.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 762mg | Potassium: 255mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Buffalo Chicken Bites appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Our healthy one pan dinner (yes, you read that correctly – only one pan) is a perfect dinner for weeknight meals and is an absolute dream. It’s an easy sheet pan dinner full of nutritious fresh vegetables and lean protein.

This one pan meal has so much flavor, and is the perfect thing for fuss free dinners on busy weeknights. With minimal clean up, it’s the perfect meal prepping recipe.

Did I mention that the entire family will love it? It’s perfect for serving because it comes from the same pan, yet your family can pick out which vegetables they love the most, and leave the ones they like the least behind.

When it comes to healthy one pan meals this one takes the cake, a healthy one pan sheet dinner means only one sheet pan or baking dish to clean up and a complete dinner recipe ready in a flash! 

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we work hard to ensure our delicious recipes are written to help all of our readers. Whether you’re brand new in the kitchen, or you are an experienced cooker, we want to support you where you are at in your cooking journey.

Because of this, we write our recipes with detailed instructions, recipe tips and tricks, healthy eating plan point information, and nutritional values. If you are looking for a more simplified directions, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Healthy One Pan Dinner recipe.

Ingredients in Healthy One Pan Dinner

This sheet pan dinner can be used with any vegetables and meat you have in your refrigerator, which makes it so easy. I’ll tell you how we made ours, but know that this quick dinner idea can be changed or modified with whatever healthy dinner ingredients you have on hand.

• Fresh mushrooms: We love the complex flavor mushrooms deliver to this one sheet pan dinner. If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, feel free to omit these and add another vegetable you might enjoy more.
• Bell Peppers: Bell peppers offer many nutritional benefits and are rich in antioxidants. I used green and orange in our sheet pan meal but you can use any color! 
• Purple cauliflower: I love using purple cauliflower in recipes instead of white cauliflower. It provides all the flavors of cauliflower, but with a vibrant purple color in my meal.
• Onion: We prefer using a sweet onion in this recipe, however you can use any color onion you have on hand for this baking sheet meal.
• Zucchini: I love zucchini, but if you aren’t a fan, you can always swap it out with another green vegetable like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or green beans.
• Mini-potatoes: We love tiny fingerling potatoes. Look for a blend that has a combination of purple, yellow, and red potatoes. The colors of all potatoes will give a slightly different flavor and look vibrant and colorful on your baking sheet.
• Chicken sausage: We prefer using chicken sausage in this delicious recipe due to the fact that it is a leaner meat. We love finding chicken sausages that are seasoned with Italian, red pepper and garlic flavors. This is a lean protein with minimal effort and minimal cleanup. We usually try to keep chicken sausage in our dinner rotation. You could sub in chicken breast or chicken thighs for this recipe. Just note that the healthy eating plan points would need to be recalculated.

How to Make Healthy One Pan Dinner in the Oven

1. Chop all of your veggies up small. Small is the key to even cooking, especially for the potatoes! Make sure all of the veggies are roughly the same size.
2. Spray olive oil in the bottom of your baking dish and set your oven to 375º F.
3. Check your veggies after 20 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until they’re done. I used a fork to see how soft the potatoes and cauliflower were before pulling them out of the oven.
4. For your sausage, you could add it to the baking dish if you’re cooking a smaller batch of vegetables. We were feeding four, so I cooked the sausage on the grill (which is our favorite, anyway).
5. When the sausage was done, I added it to the top of the vegetables.

Recipe Tips

• If you are using meat that is already cooked you can choose to include it before or after the veggies go into the oven. Leftover rotisserie chicken is great in this healthy casserole recipe! This sheet pan chicken recipe is flexible.
• This is a great recipe for meal prep. It’s one of those one pan meals that you can meal prep ahead of time and portion out according to your container needs for the day. It’s a casserole version of those delicious sheet pan dinners that are all over the internet and Pinterest! When it comes to a healthy weeknight meal this one really does come together to the dinner table so easily.  
• Our sheet pan meals are flexible and the perfect starting point for healthy dinner ideas. If you don’t have the same vegetables on hand, don’t worry. I take whatever veggies we have in the fridge and pair it up with whatever protein we have hanging around. It doesn’t matter if you are working with chicken breast or roasted chicken or the chicken sausage, it all comes together great! 
• We love swapping out potatoes with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes add a little sweetness to the recipe. We also love rotating potatoes and sweet potatoes in our diet for the different nutritional benefits each offer.
• We think the flavor of the fresh vegetables and chicken sausage is enough, however if you prefer your one dish dinners to be more seasoned than this, feel free to a savory sauce, chili powder, or other fresh herbs and spices. Our recipe is without these changes, but if you do modify the original meal please note that your healthy eating plan points will need to be recalculated.
• You could serve this easy dinner with cooked rice or cauliflower rice. We usually serve it as is without the rice on the side. It’s quite filling without rice.

Healthy Eating Plan Points

21 Day Fix

For this particular recipe it could not be easier! Just fill up your containers with what you need to finish out the day. This healthy one pan dinner is easy to separate into your containers as you need. If you need to get in more greens and reds this recipe is perfect for you!

You can focus on what you need to finish the day easily because the ingredients are obvious…it’s one of my favorite things about this great recipe. When you are packing up the leftovers you can use your containers again, add what you need into meal prep containers for the next day or so and be all set with a healthy lunch option. 

Weight Watchers

For Weight Watchers info you can actually check out this Weight Watchers healthy one pan dinner post for the same recipe! It provides Weight Watchers points, tips and tricks for modifying the recipe, and more. 

There are so many great ways to make this healthy one pan dinner using whatever you have on hand. That’s no different for Weight Watchers. Some modifications will lower the points too so you can customize this recipe based on your points needs for the day! 

30 Minute or Less Great Dinner Ideas

Good news! I have plenty of quick dinner recipes to share with you. Healthy dinner recipes don’t have to be time consuming. I keep these kinds of recipes on standby so that when I need a healthy option for the whole family I can pull these out and have a winner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Here are some of my favorite weeknight dinner recipes right now: 

• Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Southwest Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Chicken Cheesesteak Pasta
• Cauliflower Taco Bowl
• Healthy Hamburger Helper

Print

Healthy One Pan Dinner

This healthy one pan dinner is a dream. It's an easy dinner recipe. When it comes to healthy casserole recipes this one takes the cake, a healthy one pan dinner means just that…only one pan to clean up and a complete dinner recipe ready in a flash! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword dinner, Healthy Casserole, one pan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 102kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife
• Baking Dish

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh mushrooms
• 2 peppers I used one green and one orange
• 1/2 head of purple cauliflower
• 1/2 onion
• 1 zucchini
• 5 mini-potatoes: purple yellow, and red
• 2 packages of chicken sausage: Italian and red pepper and garlic

Instructions

• Chop all of your veggies up small. Small is the key to even cooking, especially for the potatoes! Spray olive oil in the bottom of your baking dish and set your oven to 375*. Check your veggies after 20 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until they're done. I used a fork to see how soft the potatoes and cauliflower were before pulling them out of the oven. 1 cup fresh mushrooms, 2 peppers, 1/2 head of purple cauliflower, 1/2 onion, 1 zucchini, 5 mini-potatoes: purple
• For your sausage, you could add it to the baking dish if you're cooking a smaller batch of vegetables. We were feeding four, so I cooked the sausage on the grill (which is our favorite, anyway). When the sausage was done, I added it to the top of the vegetables. 2 packages of chicken sausage: Italian and red pepper and garlic

Notes

21 Day Fix Container Counts: Super easy–fill your containers with what you need to finish up the day, this recipe is easy to separate into your containers as you need. 

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Healthy One Pan Dinner appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I know that zoodles and sweet potato pasta are not the same as real linguini or spaghetti but I can’t feasibly eat those things everyday and still maintain my healthy lifestyle…so I make the best of it with delicious recipes like this!

If you’ve never tried a spiralized veggie in place of your traditional cooked pasta you should give it a go. Zoodles can be a key ingredient, along with some protein and veggies, can make a delicious and healthy alternative that you and your whole family actually enjoys!

I personally think our sweet potato pasta has more delicious flavors than any roasted sweet potatoes recipe i’ve found online. Our sweet potato pasta is also healthier and more delicious than cooked pasta.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we write our recipes to all of our readers. We realize that we have a wide variety of readers who are either starting out their cooking journey, or those that are experts in the kitchen.

To help support all readers, we strive to included detailed instructions, top tips and tricks, healthy eating plan point information, as well as nutritional information. If you are ready to start cooking with the more basic version of this recipe, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print How to Make Sweet Potato Pasta recipe.

Ingredients in Sweet Potato Pasta

• Butter
• Ground sage: Sage is such the perfect match for sweet potatoes. This combination reminds me of all things Fall and delicious.
• Garlic powder
• Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes and yams are not the same. We like sweet potatoes because they have an abundance of health benefits.
• Salt & pepper: (to taste)

Spiralizer – How to make Vegetable pasta

You can make any kind of vegetable pasta easily with a spiralizer. I love this one, I use it pretty regularly to make zoodles and all variety of other spiralized vegetables! It’s really simple. Once you have your potatoes peeled you insert them into the spiralizer and turn the crank. Smooth motions will keep your sweet potato pasta in long strands just like noodles.

I’ve found that using vegetable pasta really cuts down on carbs and helps me keep my healthy lifestyle goals on point. You’ll end up with a long core that comes out during the spiralizing process, you can chop that up a bit and include it or you can compost it or toss it. Just be aware if you’ve never made zoodles before that it’s totally normal!

If you decide you like making sweet potato pasta you have to try out this recipe for steak fajita zoodles, it’ll further solidify your obsession with spiralizing, I promise! Sweet potato linguini and other zoodle recipes are great for anyone who might be dealing with a gluten intolerance too! They can be cooked up dairy free as well so they’re amazing for special dietary needs.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pasta

1. Peel sweet potatoes.
2. Use a spiralizer with a coarse shred or flat blade to make the sweet potato pasta.
3. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.
4. Add sage, garlic powder, and salt (if using).
5. Add sweet potato zoodles.
6. Stir and toss until tender (approx. 3 to 5 min).

Recipe Tips

• Our sweet potato pasta noodles are the most flavorful when you serve immediately.
• If you love roasted sweet potato, you’re going to love this pasta swap. We prefer sweet potatoes over white potatoes, although those can also have nutritional value too!
• You could serve the sweet potato pasta with a creamy sauce, or a simple pasta sauce. We think these are perfectly wonderful without an additional pasta sauce.

Healthy Eating Plan Points

Weight Watchers Points

3 2023 Plan Points | 5 Freestyle Points

21 Day Fix Sweet Potato Pasta

The entire recipe is 6 Teaspoons and 6 Yellow depending on the size of your sweet potatoes. Use your containers to measure the potatoes if you are unsure!

Depending how you decide to use this recipe, as a base, a side dish, etc. you can measure accordingly with your yellow containers. Just remember that for each Yellow you need to count a Teaspoon as well!

2B Mindset

This recipe makes an excellent choice for Fiber Filled Carbohydrates. Your FFC’s vary based on which meal of the day so you can measure out your portions accordingly! Add some protein like these teriyaki turkey meatballs and some veggies and you’ll be on your way to an excellent 2B Mindset meal.  

Looking for more healthy recipes?

If you are searching for more delicious 21 Day Fix recipes you can find them right here. I’ve included a few that would go great with sweet potato pasta zoodles!

• Healthy Teriyaki Meatballs
• Instant Pot Mini Meatloaf
• Turkey Swedish Meatballs in the Instant Pot
• Steak Fajita Recipe with Zoodles

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How to Make Sweet Potato Pasta

Our sweet potato pasta is a healthy, gluten free pasta alternative that tastes delicious.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Sweet Potato Linguini

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 92kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Spiralizer
• Enameled Cast Iron Pan
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sage ground
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt to taste
• 3 sweet potatoes long ones make for pretty noodles!

Instructions

• Peel potatos 3 sweet potatoes
• Use a spiralizer with a coarse shred or flat blade to make the sweet potato pasta
• Melt butter in large skillet 2 tbsp butter
• Add sage, garlic powder, and salt 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt
• Add potato zoodles
• Stir and toss over medium high heat until tender (approx. 3 to 5 min)

Notes

21 Day Fix: Entire Recipe is 6 T and 6 Y

WW: 3 2023 Plan Points | 5 Freestyle Points

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 9340IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Make Sweet Potato Pasta appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe is an easy and absolutely delicious weeknight meal. It’s one of my favorite gluten free recipes and it can be cooked in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or right on the stove top!

I love making this Healthy Cauliflower Rice for my family because it is an easy way to get all the veggies into your diet. My family loves it because they love fried rice, and this healthier version tastes just as good as typical fried rice.

Chicken cauliflower rice is a low carb, keto, healthy meal, and is so easy to adapt to your preferences!

Where’s the recipe?

We have readers of all different cooking abilities that visit My Crazy Good Life. Whether you are new in the kitchen or have been cooking your whole life, we want our recipes to be easy for you to follow.

Because of that, we write our posts with a lot of information. Below you will find ingredient info, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip past all of that, you can simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find the easy to print Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe card.

Ingredients in Cauliflower Fried Rice

• Olive oil: I use olive oil in this fried rice recipe but coconut or avocado oil would work well too.
• Garlic: fresh minced garlic is so delicious in this cauliflower fried rice.
• Onion: choose your favorite variety! I usually use red or yellow onion in this healthy fried rice.
• Chicken thighs: cooked chicken is a great source of protein. I used chicken thighs in this fried rice recipe, but you can use chicken breast, or even omit the chicken entirely and add cubed tofu if you’d like.
• Bell peppers: bell peppers are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are especially high in vitamin C. Choose you favorite color variety of bells, they’re all healthy food.
• Zucchini: zucchini is a mild fruit (yes, fruit) that may offer several health benefits, ranging from improved digestion to a lower risk of heart disease.
• Cauliflower: for this cauliflower fried rice I use fresh cauliflower and cut it into florets. You can use frozen cauliflower or frozen cauliflower rice, but I would cook it separately and then add it at the end.
• Coconut aminos: coconut aminos are a great choice for replacing soy sauce if you have gluten, soy, sugar, or other food allergies found in soy sauce. If you can’t find coconut aminos you can use low sodium soy sauce, or tamari (which is another awesome soy sauce alternative) in this fried rice recipe.
• Lime juice: I love using lime juice in this recipe. It adds a fresh and bright taste that you’ll love!
• Eggs: not only do eggs add great taste and help hold fried rice together, they are also considered a complete source of high quality protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids.
• Green onions (optional): chopped green onions add a nice flavor and pop of color to your fried rice.

How to cook cauliflower rice in the Instant Pot

1. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the sauté button to heat the oil.
2. Sauté onions and garlic in the Instant Pot for about 1 minute until they start to soften.
3. Add the chicken and let brown for 2-3 minutes.
4. Once the chicken has browned dump in the peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, coconut aminos, and lime juice.
5. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using the “manual” or “pressure cook” button for 1 minute. Release the pressure by doing a quick release.
6. Open the lid. Use a fork and break apart the cauliflower into small pieces to make your riced cauliflower rice. If there is a lot of liquid from the cauliflower and zucchini drain some of the liquid. You’ll want to keep about 2 tbsp of liquid for added flavor.
7. Mix in the optional cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side and turn the Instant Pot back to sauté mode.
8. In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the beaten eggs into the empty side of the Instant Pot to make your scrambled eggs. You can spray your pot with coconut or olive oil first if you need to.
9. Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower rice.
10. Serve cauliflower fried rice immediately and top with optional green onions, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to cook cauliflower fried rice in the slow cooker

1. Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker except the cheese and eggs.
2. Cover with the lid and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and the cauliflower is tender.
3. Remove the lid and, using a fork, break the cauliflower into pieces to make your cauliflower rice.
4. Mix in the cheese and allow it to melt.
5. In a skillet, cook the scrambled eggs and then mix them with the cauliflower rice in the slow cooker.
6. Serve cauliflower fried rice immediately and top with optional green onions.

Make this cauliflower fried rice on the stove top

1. Heat the oil in high heat in a large skillet.
2. In your hot pan, sauté the garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add the chicken, zucchini, and bell peppers. Let them sauté for 1-2 minutes.
4. Turn the stove to medium heat. Add the cauliflower, lime juice, and aminos to the skillet.
5. Cover the skillet and allow the cauliflower to cook for 10 minutes or until it is tender and broken easily with a fork.
6. Use a fork to break up the cauliflower to make your cauliflower rice.
7. Mix in the cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side.
8. In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the whisked eggs into the empty side of the skillet to cook.
9. Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower fried rice. Serve fried rice immediately and top with optional chopped green onions.

Recipe tips

• Cutting a head of raw cauliflower can be intimidating. If you’d like some pointers on how to get your cauliflower ready to make cauliflower fried rice, you can find tips here.
• I love making this cauliflower fried rice for meal prep. Just cook as directed above and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
• I don’t recommend freezing this because you will end up with mushy fried rice. If you are cooking for one and really feel like you won’t be able to use this up before it would go bad, I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half.
• If you choose to cut the recipe in half, just take half the amount of ingredients and cook as described for your chosen method. It’s not necessary to alter the cooking times, everything will come out just fine.
• One of the reasons I love this cauliflower fried rice is because it is so versatile! Sub fresh broccoli for the zucchini, or add in frozen peas. Craving the nutty aroma of toasted sesame oil? Splash a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil to your cauliflower fried rice when it’s done cooking. If you like a little heat, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes at the end.
• Don’t forget to adjust your containers or points if you make any changes to this cauliflower fried rice recipe.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice

Entire recipe: 8 green containers, 5 red containers, Optional 1 blue container if you add cheese.

Per serving: (makes 4 servings) 2 green containers, 1 1/4 red container, Negligible (optional) blue per serving

Weight Watchers

Each serving of this cauliflower fried rice is 4 2023 Plan Points | 4 Blue Plan Points | 5 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points when using skinless chicken thighs.

This cauliflower rice is a better option than regular fried rice. It’s a low point recipe for lunch, dinner, and for meal prepping. I didn’t factor in any of the optional ingredients so be sure you add those in if you are adding cheese.

If you are looking for ways to reduce the points you can always make this with boneless skinless chicken breasts, which will remove most of the points. Personally I use the thighs because it makes this cauliflower rice more flavorful.

Trim Healthy Mama

This would be a crossover recipe on THM and you would need to make the following substitutions:

• Coconut Aminos: use “Liquid Aminos” instead
• Olive oil: use MCT or coconut oil
• Use chicken breasts instead of thighs to bring down the fat content in the cauliflower rice. If it’s under 5 grams you can count this as an E!

Looking for more healthy Asian recipes like this fried rice?

• Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry Bowls with Coconut Rice These Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry Bowls with Coconut Rice are a healthy and delicious meal that is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This recipe is vegan and gluten free, and it is packed with protein and nutrients. 
• Instant Pot Orange Chicken Serve this healthy Orange Chicken with brown rice or cauliflower rice for a healthy complete meal. This Orange chicken has a sweet and savory sauce that you will love!
• Chicken Lo Mein This Healthy Chicken Lo Mein stir fry is an easy and healthy recipe to make in your Instant Pot or on the stove top.
• Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta I love making Chinese food at home, and this healthy Bang Bang Shrimp pasta is one of my favorite shrimp recipes to make.
• Healthy Drunken Noodles This Healthy Drunken Noodles recipe is an easy stir fry noodle dish that your entire family will love. It comes together fast and works great for a weeknight meal.

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Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice

This Cauliflower Fried Recipe is an easy and delicious weeknight meal! Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice is low carb and keto, healthy and so easy to adapt for your preferences!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword 21 Day Fix, cauliflower rice, healthy, Recipes, Weight Watchers

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 362kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Crockpot
• Enameled Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 1 lb. chicken thighs chopped
• 1 cups bell pepper diced
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini diced
• 5 cups cauliflower cut into florets
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos or low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 eggs

Optional ingredients: Salt, Pepper, and Cheese

Instructions

Instant Pot:

• Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the sauté button to heat the oil.1 tsp olive oil
• Saute the garlic and onions in the Instant Pot for about 1 minute until they start to soften. 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 cup onion
• Add the chicken and let brown for 2-3 minutes.1 lb. chicken thighs
• Once the chicken has browned dump in the bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, coconut aminos, and lime juice. 1 cups bell pepper, 1 1/2 cups zucchini, 5 cups cauliflower, 3 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tbsp lime juice
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using the “manual” or “pressure cook” button for 1 minute. Release the pressure by doing a quick release.
• Open the lid. Use a fork to break apart the cauliflower into small pieces to make your “rice”. If there is a lot of liquid from the cauliflower and zucchini drain some of the liquid. You’ll want to keep about 2 tbsp of liquid for added flavor.
• Mix in the optional cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side and turn the Instant Pot back to sauté mode.
• In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the eggs into the empty side of the Instant Pot to cook.You can spray your pot with coconut or olive oil first if you need to. 2 eggs
• Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower fried “rice.” Serve or pack for meal prep.

Stove Top:

• Heat the oil in high heat in a skillet. 1 tsp olive oil
• Sauté the garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 cup onion
• Add the chicken, zucchini, and bell peppers. Let them sauté for 1-2 minutes. 1 lb. chicken thighs , 1 1/2 cups zucchini, 1 cups bell pepper
• Turn the stove to medium heat. Add the cauliflower, lime juice, and coconut aminos to the skillet. Cover the skillet and allow the cauliflower to cook for 10-15 minutes or until it is tender and broken easily with a fork. 5 cups cauliflower, 1 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• Use a fork to break up the cauliflower to form your “rice”.
• Mix in the cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side.
• In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the eggs into the empty side of the skillet to cook. 2 eggs
• Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower fried “rice.” Serve or pack for meal prep.

Slow Cooker:

• Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker except the cheese and eggs. 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 cup onion, 1 lb. chicken thighs , 1 cups bell pepper, 1 1/2 cups zucchini, 5 cups cauliflower
• Cover with the lid and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and the cauliflower is tender.
• Remove the lid and break the cauliflower into pieces with a fork.
• Mix in the cheese and allow it to melt.
• In a skillet scramble the eggs then mix them into with the fried rice in the slow cooker. 2 eggs
• Serve or pack for meal prep.

Video

Notes

21 Day Fix: Entire recipe: 8G 5R Optional 1B | Per serving: (4 servings) 2G 1 1/4 R Negligible (optional) blue per serving | 

Weight Watchers: 4 2023 Plan Points | 4 Blue Plan Points | 5 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1467IU | Vitamin C: 119mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Asparagus is a delicious vegetable with many health benefits. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as fiber and antioxidants. Making this creamy asparagus soup is easy and it’s great for meal prep. I can make a big batch on my prep day and have easy dinners or lunches throughout the week.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have readers of varying levels of comfort in the kitchen. We want all of our readers to feel confident when they recreate our recipes, so we like to provide you with lots of helpful information.

In this article you’ll find ingredient information, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip past all of that you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find our easy to print full recipe for this easy Cream of Asparagus Soup. 

Ingredients in this Cream of Asparagus Soup

• Asparagus: spring is typically asparagus season but I make this creamy soup any time of year. Asparagus has low calories and is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, especially folate and vitamins A, C and K. Buy fresh asparagus for this recipe!
• Vegetable stock: I make this recipe with vegetable stock but you can use chicken broth or chicken stock if you don’t have any dietary restrictions. 
• Olive oil: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. It is said that this fatty acid has many beneficial effects and is a great choice for cooking.
• Flour: I use whole wheat flour for this simple soup. If you want to make gluten free cream of asparagus soup, the easiest way would be to substitute whole wheat flour for your preferred GF flour.   
• Balsamic vinegar: balsamic vinegar is a perfect addition to this nutritious soup. It’s delicious and contains no fat and very little natural sugar. 
• Almond milk: One of the easiest ways to lighten up any “cream of” type soup is to remove the heavy cream and butter. Those two ingredients tend to be packed with fat and calories. This is a dairy free cream asparagus soup recipe that is so delicious you won’t even miss the cream. Make sure you buy unsweetened, plain almond milk. 

How to Make Healthy Cream of Asparagus Soup 

1. First, trim the woody ends off of the asparagus and chop asparagus into small pieces.
2. Sauté asparagus pieces with olive oil over medium heat until tender. Then add the balsamic vinegar and flour or flour substitute.
3. In a large pot, pour in the stock and almond milk, and then add the asparagus mixture.
4. Allow the liquids to come to a rolling boil over high heat and then simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes.
5. Serve immediately or see tips for storing below.
6. Optional garnishes: chopped fresh dill or chives, black pepper, lemon zest, and a bit of parmesan cheese. 

Recipe Tips

• The recipe, as written, calls for whole asparagus stalks pieces. If you prefer the creamy texture of blended soup, blend the cooled soup with an immersion blender or standard blender.
• To make the soup ahead of time, let the soup cool to room temperature and then store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
• You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag. Here’s my freezing tip: Freeze soup in individual servings. This will make it easy to thaw and reheat just the amount you need.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

The entire recipe (6 cups) of this Portion Fix Cream of Asparagus Soup is 4 teaspoons and 1 green container.

Per serving (1 cup) is 3/4 teaspoon and 1/6 green container

Weight Watchers

This creamy asparagus soup is low in WW Points.

2 2023 Plan Points | 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset

This is a perfect lunch recipe for 2B Mindset. You’ll want to add a protein to round our your lunch plate.

Looking for a main course to go with this classic soup?

• Mini Lasagna Bites are a great option that will satisfy your craving for lasagna! I love pairing these mini lasagnas with a side salad or soup.
• Making a Turkey Breast in the Instant Pot is the best way to cook turkey. This main dish would pair wonderfully with this asparagus soup.
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta has all the flavors of the restaurant version, without all the calories, sodium, and fat. I love making this recipe in one pot using my Instant Pot, but it can also be made in the Crock Pot or right on the stove.
• Instant Pot Turkey Swedish meatballs are a delicious change from the Italian version. Swedish meatballs are a blend of savory spices covered in a light but creamy gravy. 
• These Sweet Potato Crab Cakes are easy and delicious! Perfect for meal prep or an easy dinner recipe.
• This easy Grilled Salmon with Homemade Herb Butter will be your go-to summer grilling recipe!
• This Low Carb Cloud Bread would be perfect on top of the soup. Making cloud bread is a great way to satisfy bread craving (I’m looking at you, crusty bread!) without sabotaging your lifestyle goals.

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Healthy Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

Making healthy choices is much easier when there are delicious options! You can make a batch of this quick and easy cream of asparagus soup to fight those cravings. It’s also really easy to make this cream of asparagus soup vegan.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Cream of Asparagus Soup

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 92kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Stock Pot
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 2 cups asparagus chopped
• 3 cups vegetable stock low sodium or chicken stock
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour or any substitute you like
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups almond milk unsweetened

Instructions

• First, trim the woody ends off of the asparagus and chop asparagus into small pieces. 2 cups asparagus
• Sauté the asparagus with the oil until tender, add balsamic vinegar and flour or flour substitute. 2 tsp olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• In a large pot, pour in the stock and almond milk, and add the asparagus mixture. 3 cups vegetable stock 2 cups almond milk
• Allow the liquids to come to a rolling boil and then simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

Recipe Tips

• The recipe, as written, calls for whole asparagus stalks pieces. If you prefer the creamy texture of blended soup, blend the cooled soup with an immersion blender or standard blender.
• To make the soup ahead of time, let the soup cool to room temperature and then store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
• You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag. Here’s my freezing tip: Freeze soup in individual servings. This will make it easy to thaw and reheat just the amount you need.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Healthy Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe

The entire recipe (6 cups) of this 21 DF healthy cream of asparagus soup is 4 teaspoons and 1 green container.

Per serving (1 cup) is 3/4 teaspoon and 1/6 green container

Weight Watchers

This creamy asparagus soup is low in WW SmartPoints.

2 2023 Plan Points | 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset

This is a perfect lunch recipe for 2B Mindset. You’ll want to add a protein to round our your lunch plate.

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 882IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Healthy Cream of Asparagus Soup Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Make our Baked Carrot Fries in your air fryer or oven, and lightly salt them to satisfy your french fry cravings!

Our crispy baked carrot fries are a great way to get more healthy vegetables into your daily values. Our crispy carrot fries are made with only three simple ingredients, and make the perfect snack or side dish for your dinner.  

Regular potato fries are delicious, there is no denying that. Our carrot fries are just as delicious, and will help keep your craving for traditional fries at bay. 

The natural sweetness of the carrots pairs perfectly with the simple flavors of sea salt. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and healthy! Our carrot fries are like sweet potato fries and will earn a five star rating from everyone in your family. 

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we love it when our readers feel confident and empowered in the kitchen. We strive to provide detailed recipes that are helpful to all varying levels of cooking skills. 

In our recipes we include detailed instructions, nutritional information, healthy eating plan points, as well as other helpful tips and tricks to help you be more successful. If you are ready to start cooking, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the easy to print recipe for Baked Carrot Fries. 

Ingredients in Baked Carrot Fries

• Oil: We recommend using extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil for this recipe. Both oils are full of healthy fats.  
• Sea Salt: Not all salts are the same, the flakiness of sea salt is the perfect dusting of salt for carrots. 
• Carrots: Carrots are delicious and a great option to eat for many health benefits. They are a source of beta carotene, fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. 

Instructions for Baked Carrot Fries in Oven or Air Fryer

1. If cooking these carrot fries in the oven, preheat oven to 350º.  
2. Peel carrots with a vegetable peeler (be careful!), slice into fry-sized pieces that are also a fry shape. 
3. Place carrots in a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and salt to taste.
4. Spread carrot sticks in a single layer on a large baking sheet or sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Place baking sheet in hot oven. If cooking in the air fryer, try to place carrots as spread out, in an even layer, as much as possible. 
5. If cooking in the air fryer, check every 2-3 minutes and remove when tips are brown.
6. If in oven, bake for 12-25 minutes at 350 degrees until carrots are browned.
7. Transfer to a large bowl and season with more salt if needed. 

Recipe Tips

• Our oven-baked carrot fries are easily modified and can serve as a starting point if you’re feeling adventurous. Try sprinkling garlic powder, onion powder, or a light dusting of parmesan cheese the next time you make our carrot fries. If you do add additional toppings, please note that your healthy eating plan points would need to be recalculated. 
• These carrot fries are best eaten fresh. You can store them in an airtight container and reheat later, however they aren’t quite as crunchy. 
• Try to cut your fries all the same size and shape. If you have smaller pieces, you might end up with super-burnt crunchy pieces of carrots. 
• This would be a great addition to many of your side dishes at the table for a special occasion. 

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers

2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue, Green, and Purple Plan Points per serving 

21 Day Fix

This 21 Day Fix Recipe for Baked Carrot Fries is a delicious way to use up your green containers for the day. Just fill your green container with these oven baked carrot fries and count as 1 green container and 1 tsp. 

2B Mindset

These Baked Carrot Fries are a delicious addition to lunch or dinner on 2B Mindset.

More healthy but delicious veggie recipes

• Air Fryer Eggplant
• Turnip Fries
• Healthy Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Filling Vegetarian Meals – Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

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Recipe for Baked Carrot Fries

These Baked Carrot Fries are the perfect answer to your salt craving! You can use an air fryer or your oven to get crispy vegetable fries that will satisfy your craving!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Baked Carrot Fries

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 114kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 2 cups carrots peeled and sliced into fries
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Peel carrots and slice to desired thickness. 2 cups carrots
• Toss with olive oil and salt until evenly coated. 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp sea salt
• If baking, pre heat oven to 350º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread the carrots on top of the paper. Bake for 12-25 minutes until the carrots are browned and desired crispness.
• If air frying, pre heat the air fryer to 350º. Add the carrots directly in the basket. Toss periodically (every 2-3 minutes) for even cooking. Remove when the tips begin to brown, or when desired crispness is reached.

Notes

21 Day Fix Container Counts: Fill your green container and count as 1 green container and 1 tsp. 

Weight Watchers Points: 2023 Plan: 2 Points | 2 Blue, Green, and Purple Plan Points per serving

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 651mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 21384IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Recipe for Baked Carrot Fries appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is a delicious low carb chicken salad recipe and perfect for my dill pickle lovers. A similar and healthy Chick-Fil-A chicken salad alternative, you can enjoy the salty and creamy recipe as a dip, as a healthy chicken salad sandwich, or as a salad topping.

Where’s the Recipe?

My readers come from all levels of experience in the kitchen, and I receive a ton of questions about my recipes from new cooks.

To better serve all of my readers, I add a lot of helpful information in all of my posts. This includes: recipe tips, detailed cooking instructions, and diet information. Some of these may be useful to you and others may be some that you already know. 

If you’d like to skip over all of the extra information, please scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print recipe for this dill pickle version of the classic chicken salad recipe.

Ingredients in this Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

• Chicken breast: chicken breast is low in calories, high in protein, and is rich in an array of important nutrients. I typically make my chicken for this recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can also use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. You’ll want to read this post about homemade rotisserie chicken vs store bought, but using rotisserie chicken allows you to skip cooking the chicken and just make the sauce and chop the pickles.
• Vinegar: white vinegar is what I use and adds a nice tart flavor to chicken salad recipes.
• Chopped dill pickles: I like to use 1/2 pickles and 1/2 cucumbers to cut the sodium down. I mix them together and allow them to sit in the pickle jar for a bit while I make the rest of the recipe. The dill pickle juice makes the cucumbers taste more like pickles.
• Plain Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is loaded with probiotics, and can promote gut health.  It is a wonderful replacement for mayonnaise or miracle whip in healthy recipes.
• Cottage cheese: Blended cottage cheese is taking over the healthy eating world. It’s a great substitute to clean up recipes, and the best part is that cottage cheese is high in protein, packed with nutrients, and low in calories. My method of blending cottage cheese and greek yogurt together gives you a creamy base but makes it so you truly cannot tell that you are eating either ingredient. 
• Parsley: using fresh parsley is a delicious way to brighten up this easy chicken salad recipe.
• Dill: I love using fresh dill for this recipe. 
• Chives: chives or green onions add tons of flavor to this recipe.
• Garlic: I love to use fresh garlic cloves, but garlic powder will work too.
• Black pepper

Instant Pot Directions

1. Add the chicken and vinegar to the Instant Pot insert.
2. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the chicken on high pressure using the manual or pressure cook setting for 10-12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
3. In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 
4. Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
5. Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
6. Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles (with cucumbers if you’ve chosen to use them) into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip.

How to make Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad on the Stove Top

1. Add the chicken and vinegar to a sauce pan.
2. Cover the sauce pan with a lid and cook the chicken on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth.
4. Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
5. Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
6. Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip.

How to make Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad in the Crock Pot

1. Add the chicken and vinegar to your slow cooker.
2. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook the chicken on high heat for 2-3 hour, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. In a food processor or blend mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth.
4. Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
5. Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
6. Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip.

Recipe Tips

• This very tasty pickle chicken salad recipe can be eaten in so many ways. It’s delicious as a dip, stuffed into mini bell peppers, topped on a salad, or made into lettuce wraps or sandwiches. 
• If you have a small food processor or blender, don’t make yourself crazy by trying to fit the entire recipe in it. Mix it in small batches and transfer to a mixing bowl to get it all blended and chopped up.
• If you don’t have a food processor or blender to cut this recipe up, no worries! You can shred the chicken and mix the sauce in. It’ll be longer strands of chicken, but absolutely edible in any form (as a dip, etc) and still delicious.
• This is a great recipe for meal prep and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

For the entire recipe: 6 red containers, 1 green container. Per serving: 1 red container, 1/6 green container.  

Pickle fans rejoice! Pickles were added to the Ultimate Portion Fix in 2019. I know a lot of you love pickles and were bummed that they weren’t on the approved food list before.

I do (personally) caution you against using your green container for pickles. There is a huge difference between fresh cucumbers and cucumbers that have been brined in salt and vinegar and often sugar. As pickles are considered a green container on the 21 Day Fix now, I will still not use them more than once every few weeks at the most. Not sure what the Beachbody team is thinking about adding pickles to the list as a green, but they must have a good reason.

For this recipe, I like to use half dill pickles and half cucumbers. They sit together in a bowl together while I’m preparing the rest of the recipe. The taste is not compromised at all this way. It cuts the sodium of the pickles in half, too!

Weight Watchers

One serving of this recipe (about 3/4 cup) is 0 2023 Points, 1 Blue Plan Point, 2 Green Plan Points, and 1 Purple Plan Point when you use fat free Greek yogurt and lowfat cottage cheese.

Pickles are very high in sodium and though they are 0 points on Weight Watchers, they can easily stall your weight loss or even cause weight gain while you’re trying to lose weight.

I calculated the points for this recipe online using the calculator provided on the Weight Watchers website.

Trim Healthy Mama

This is a THM-S recipe – if using full fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, dill pickles (not bread and butter type), and make sure that sugar hasn’t been added to the pickles. You’d be surprised where you find sugar!

More Healthy Dip Recipes

• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip I have to admit that this one is my favorite. I always have some made in the freezer, and I love having it for lunch and an easy snack.
• Healthy Crack Chicken Recipe Again, a super versatile recipe that can be made multiple ways. It can also be cooked in the Instant Pot, on the stove, or in a Crock Pot.
• Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip This dip (actually, all of the ones in this list) uses cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to get the creaminess without the calories. This is another favorite!
• This easy and Healthy Elote Dip Recipe is a crowd pleasing side dish. If you love the flavors of Mexican Street Corn, you’ve got to give this Mexican Corn Dip recipe a try!
• Spicy Mexican Corn Dip I’d say that this hot Corn Dip is good, or easy, or popular–but seriously, it’s amazing. And it’s gotten a healthy makeover!

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Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

This healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is a delicious low carb chicken salad recipe. A similar and healthy Chick-Fil-A chicken salad alternative, you can enjoy the salty and creamy recipe as a dip, on a sandwich, or as a salad topping.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Dill pickle chicken salad, healthy snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 135kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast about 2 breasts
• 1/3 cup vinegar I use white
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt I prefer 2%
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh chives chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/2 tbsp fresh dill chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 cup dill pickles chopped, please see note in post about using 1/2 pickles and 1/2 cucumbers

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions:

• Add the chicken and vinegar to the Instant Pot insert. 1 pound chicken breast, 1/3 cup vinegar
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the chicken on high pressure using the manual or pressure cook setting for 10-12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
• In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp black pepper
• Remove the lid from the food processor or blender, then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
• Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
• Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip. 1 tbsp fresh chives, 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 cup dill pickles

Stove Top Directions:

• Add the chicken and vinegar to a sauce pan. 1 pound chicken breast, 1/3 cup vinegar
• Cover the sauce pan with a lid and cook the chicken on medium high temperature for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp black pepper
• Remove the lid from the food processor or blender, then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
• Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
• Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip. 1 tbsp fresh chives, 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 cup dill pickles

Slow Cooker Directions:

• Add the chicken and vinegar to your slow cooker. 1 pound chicken breast, 1/3 cup vinegar
• Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook the chicken on high heat for 2-3 hour, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp black pepper
• Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
• Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
• Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip. 1 tbsp fresh chives, 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 cup dill pickles

Video

Notes

21 Day Fix container counts for the entire recipe: 6 red containers, 1 green container. Per serving: 1 red container, 1/6 green container.

Weight Watchers: One serving of this recipe (about 3/4 cup) is 0 2023 Points, 1 Blue Plan Point, 2 Green Plan Points, and 1 Purple Plan Point when you use fat free Greek yogurt and fat free cottage cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Buffalo chicken dip is a classic appetizer that is always a hit at parties and gatherings. However, traditional buffalo chicken dip can be high in calories and fat. This healthy buffalo dip uses cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to lighten things up without sacrificing flavor.

Healthy buffalo chicken dip is a reader favorite and a great way to enjoy your favorite appetizer without all the guilt. It’s perfect for parties, potlucks, game day, or even just a night in with friends. So next time you’re looking for a delicious and satisfying snack, give this easy buffalo chicken dip recipe a try!

Where’s the Recipe?

My community has readers from all levels of experience in the kitchen, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I am committed to giving you a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.

If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, swapping ingredients, and healthy eating plans, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find this easy to print healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.

Ingredients in Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese

• Chicken: Chicken is a good source of protein. You can use breasts, thighs, or even rotisserie chicken in this recipe. If using rotisserie or leftover chicken, start at step three with making your sauce.  
• Cottage Cheese: Look for 2% small curd cottage cheese. It saves you calories without being heavily processed. If you’re concerned about sodium, read here for how to lower the sodium in cottage cheese.
• Greek Yogurt: Just like the cottage cheese you’ll want to look for the 2% variety of Greek yogurt. Make sure you get plain Greek yogurt–you don’t want any vanilla in your buffalo chicken.  
• Hot Sauce: This is important, make sure and get Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, not Buffalo or Wing sauce. The buffalo sauce has a lot of extra ingredients that you just don’t need. 
• Cheese: This is optional. If you want to add extra cheese you can use your favorite variety. Some good choices are cheddar, pepper jack, colby jack, or mozzarella cheese. 
• Homemade Ranch Dressing: garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and black pepper– measurements for the ranch seasoning are in the printable recipe below.

How to Make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese in the Instant Pot

1. Cook your chicken: First, place your chicken breasts into the bottom of your Instant Pot. To ensure they cook fully, be careful not to stack them. Cover with 1 cup of water.
2. Pressure cook: Close and lock the lid of your Instant Pot and then turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 12 minutes.
3. Prepare your sauce: While the chicken is cooking, blend together the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy.
4. Natural release: When the cook time is complete, allow your Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid. Drain the liquid from your pot and use two forks or a mixer to shred your chicken.
5. Mix in your sauce: Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté, then add the yogurt and hot sauce mixture to your shredded chicken. Stir well and cook until the liquid begins to bubble. If you’re using any cheese, add it in now.
6. Broil: This step is optional, but I love to slightly crisp the top of the creamy buffalo chicken dip. To do that, transfer your dip to an oven safe dish and broil for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Watch the oven carefully, the broiler can start to burn things very quickly.
7. Optional Garnish: Add any additional garnishes at this point. These ingredients aren’t included in the nutrition or special diet info below. 

How to Make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese in the Crock Pot

1. Place chicken breasts in a Crockpot and cook on high heat for 4 hours. 
2. Once your chicken is fully cooked shred it with two forks or a hand mixer.
3. Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy. 
4. Stir yogurt mixture, and cheese into your chicken, and cook on low heat for 1.5 hours.
5. Optional: Place your slow cooker insert under your broiler for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned.

How to Make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese on the Stove top

1. Boil your chicken for 15-20 until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
2. Drain all liquid from your pan and shred your chicken using two forks or a hand or standing mixer. 
3. Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy. 
4. Mix blended sauce into your chicken, and add cheddar cheese. Stir well and transfer to an oven safe baking dish.
5. Optional: Broil 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Remove dip from the oven and let it rest for 10 or 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Frozen or thawed chicken in the Instant Pot cook for the same amount of time, the frozen chicken will just take longer to come to pressure.  
• This is a great recipe for meal prep because it freezes and reheats well. This recipe keeps in the fridge for up to 6 days. Freeze in individual servings for quick, easy lunches or snacks on the go.
• Like I mentioned, you can leave the cheddar cheese out of the recipe. Goat cheese, blue cheese crumbles or feta are other optional toppings.
• Even if you hate cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, trust me–you cannot taste them individually and mixing the two gives a wonderful creamy texture to this cheesy dip. 
• My favorite things to dip into this creamy dip are baby carrots, red bell peppers, pita chips, celery sticks and tortilla chips.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer is the easiest way to shred chicken. Here are some tips so you get the best results:
  • Make sure all liquid is drained from your bowl.
  • Starting on low, turn on your mixer and apply slight pressure to chicken breasts.
  • Increase to medium speed and move in circular motion around your pot until all of your chicken is shredded. This only takes about 30 seconds.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese 

Entire recipe: 10 Red Containers and 2 Blue Containers.

Per serving: Makes 8 – ½ cup servings, each is 1 ¼ Red Containers. If you add cheddar cheese, add ¼ Blue Containers.  

2B Mindset

This recipe counts as a protein. Fill 25% of your plate with an FFC, and 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch. Serve with 50% vegetables for dinner. 

Trim Healthy Mama

This recipe is an S with no substitutions required. 

Looking for More Delicious Recipes?

• Instant Pot Crack Chicken
• Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites
• Healthy Mac and Cheese
• Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Print

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese

This healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip is high protein and low carb! Directions for Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi, Slow Cooker, or stove top. You'll love this easy low carb meal prep recipe.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword 21 Day Fix, Buffalo Chicken Dip, healthy

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 200kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Food processor
• Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken breasts frozen
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese 2%
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
• 3/4 cup Hot Sauce Frank’s Hot Sauce, NOT Buffalo sauce :)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded (optional)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

• Place your frozen chicken breasts into your Instant Pot. Be careful not to stack them to ensure they cook fully and cover with 1 cup of water. 2 lbs chicken breasts, 1 cup water
• Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set cook time for 12 minutes.
• Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy. 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup Hot Sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper
• When the cook time is complete, allow your Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid. Drain the liquid from your pot and use two forks or a hand mixer to shred your chicken.
• Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté and stir in your yogurt and hot sauce mixture. Stir well and cook until the liquid begins to bubble. Then mix in your cheese (if using). 2/3 cup cheddar cheese
• This step is optional, but I love to slightly crispen the top of the dip. Transfer your dip to an oven safe dish and broil for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Watch the oven carefully, the broiler can start to burn things very quickly. Remove dip from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with carrots, celery, cucumbers, stuffed inside a jalapeño or bell pepper, eat on a tortilla or in a pita. The possibilities are endless.

Crock Pot Instructions:

• Place chicken breasts in a Crockpot and cook on high heat for 4 hours.2 lbs chicken breasts
• Once your chicken is fully cooked shred it with two forks or a hand mixer.
• Next, blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy. 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup Hot Sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Stir yogurt mixture, and cheese into your chicken, and cook on low heat for 1.5 hours. 2/3 cup cheddar cheese
• Optional: Place your Crockpot insert under your broiler for 4-6 minutes until lightly browned.

Stove/Oven Instructions:

• Boil your chicken for 15-20 until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Drain all liquid from your pan and shred your chicken using two forks or a hand mixer. 2 lbs chicken breasts
• Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Franks hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill weed, dried parsley, and pepper together until smooth and creamy. 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup Hot Sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Mix blended sauce into your chicken, and add cheddar cheese. Stir well and transfer to an oven safe dish. 2/3 cup cheddar cheese
• Optional: Broil 4-6 minutes until lightly browned. Remove dip from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans: 

• For the Weight Watchers version, please see this post for the recipe and point information.
• 21 Day Fix: For this entire 21 Day Fix Buffalo Chicken dip recipe: 10 Red Containers and 2 Blue Containers  
• Per serving: Makes 8 – ½ cup servings. 1 ¼ Red Containers, and ¼ Blue Containers.  
• 2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein. Fill 25% of your plate with an FFC, and 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch.  Serve with 50% vegetables for dinner. 
• Trim Healthy Mama: This recipe is an S with no substitutions required. 
• Keto: You’ll want to calculate the carbs in the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt and see if this is acceptable for your personal goals.

Recipe Tips 

• Frozen and thawed chicken in the Instant Pot cook for the same amount of time, the frozen chicken will just take longer to come to pressure.  
• This is a great recipe for meal prep because it freezes and reheats well. This recipe keeps in the fridge for up to 6 days. Freeze in individual servings for quick, easy lunches or snacks on the go.
• Like I mentioned, you can leave the cheddar cheese out of the recipe. Goat cheese, blue cheese crumbles or feta are other optional toppings.
• Even if you hate cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, trust me–you cannot taste them individually and mixing the two gives a wonderful creamy texture to this cheesy dip. 
• My favorite things to dip into this creamy dip are baby carrots, red bell peppers, pita chips, celery sticks and tortilla chips.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer is the easiest way to shred chicken. Here are some tips so you get the best results:
  • Make sure all liquid is drained from your bowl.
  • Starting on low, turn on your mixer and apply slight pressure to chicken breasts.
  • Increase to medium speed and move in circular motion around your pot until all of your chicken is shredded. This only takes about 30 seconds.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 447mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip with Cottage Cheese appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This cauliflower buffalo dip can be served hot or at room temperature. When I make this creamy dip I like to lay out a lot of dipping options like carrot sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, or tortilla and pita chips.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we make healthy recipes for everyone to enjoy. We want cooks of all experience levels to be able to recreate our recipes. To do that, we like to provide our readers with lots of information about the ingredients that are used, different cooking techniques, and little tricks and tips to be successful in the kitchen.

You’ll also find nutrition facts and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip past all of that, you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the full recipe card for this healthy buffalo cauliflower dip!

Ingredients in this Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Chicken

• Olive oil: you’ll just need a little bit of oil – 1 teaspoon, to be exact.
• Chicken breast: you’ll want to cut this into bite sized pieces unless you’re cooking in the Crockpot.
• Garlic powder: I like to use plain garlic powder and not garlic salt to keep sodium levels down.
• Onion powder: onion powder is a simple ingredient that adds nice flavor.
• Black pepper: to taste
• Dill: I use dried dill for this recipe.
• Parsley: dried parsley works well here.
• Cauliflower: get a whole head of cauliflower and cut it into bite sized pieces.
• Hot sauce: Frank’s ORIGINAL hot sauce, not the buffalo sauce. The buffalo sauce has more processed ingredients and oil added to it. Don’t worry, you can still get that classic buffalo wing flavor from the original Frank’s red hot sauce.
• Cottage cheese: hold on, hear me out- when you blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt you get a creamy, protein packed sauce that’s healthier than the heavy cream or cream cheese that you might typically find in a classic buffalo dip.
• Greek yogurt: I usually use 2% plain Greek yogurt to combine with the cottage cheese.
• Cheddar cheese: I like using shredded cheddar cheese, but Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese would also be great options.
• Brown rice flour: this is used as a thickener, and can be substituted with other thickeners like whole wheat or all purpose flour, that you may have in your pantry.

Instant Pot Directions

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned.
2. Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dill, and parsley to the pot. Mix up the chicken so that the seasoning is evenly distributed.
3. Add the cauliflower to the Instant Pot and cover with the hot sauce. The hot sauce acts as your liquid for this recipe. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
4. Cook the chicken and cauliflower on high pressure using the manual setting for 2 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 6-10 minutes before manually releasing it. This means that after the pot is done cooking, allow it to sit without touching it for 6-10 minutes. The contents will still be cooking. After that time, move the Sealing valve to the Vent position and allow the steam to come out. 
5. In a high speed blender or food processor, mix together the contents of your pot, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt to create a creamy hot sauce base. 
6. Blend the sauce until smooth- you don’t want any large chunks, then add the cheese and brown rice flour. Blend until mixed and all of the cheese is melted together, serve with raw veggies or pita chips.

Stovetop Directions

1. Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the chicken until it is browned.
2. Add the seasonings, hot sauce, and cauliflower to the skillet. Mix it up so the cauliflower is covered in hot sauce. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low heat.
3. Allow the cauliflower and chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is fork tender.
4. Blend together the contents of the pan, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt to make the sauce. 
5. Add the cheddar cheese and brown rice flour into the blender until it all melts together. Serve with raw veggies or pita and tortilla chips. 

Slow Cooker Directions

1. Add the whole chicken breast, cauliflower, seasoning, and hot sauce to the slower cooker.
2. Cover and cook the entire thing for 2 1/2 to 4 hours on low heat or until the chicken is done and cauliflower is soft.
3. Blend together the contents of the slow cooker, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and brown rice flour and blend until the cheese is melted. Serve with raw veggies or pita chips. 

Recipe Tips

• This buffalo cauliflower dip recipe is perfect for happy hour or a Super Bowl party, and the best part is that you can make it ahead of time! Just place the dip in an airtight container, store in the fridge, then right before the big game is about to start, pop the leftover dip in the microwave until warm.
• This recipe for buffalo cauliflower dip with chicken also freezes well. Just thaw in the fridge and heat in the microwave for an easy hot dip! Here’s a little trick: freeze the dip in a thin single layer for quicker thawing.
• Some optional toppings that are not included in the nutrition calculations are blue cheese crumbles, green onions, breadcrumbs, or a drizzle of frank’s red hot to really take that classic buffalo flavor over the top.
• If you do add breadcrumbs, I’d recommend adding the whole dip to an oven-safe baking dish and putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it all up.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 6 Red Containers, 4 Green Containers, 1 teaspoon, 4 Blue Containers, 1/2 Yellow Container.

Per serving: 3/4 Red Container, 1/2 Green Container, 1/2 Blue Container, negligible teaspoons and yellow containers.

Weight Watchers

1 2023 Point using 1% cottage cheese, fat free yogurt, and fat free shredded cheddar cheese | 3 Blue Plan Points | 4 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset

This is a good option for the 2B Mindset nutrition plan because it’s got lean protein and veggies. If you’re eating this for lunch, pair it with an FFC.

Trim Healthy Mama

This is an S recipe when you use one of the following instead of the brown rice flour: Xanthum Gum, Glucomannan Powder, or oat fiber.

Looking for more healthy game day recipes?

• Easy Cauliflower Crust Pizza
• Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls
• Spicy Mexican Corn Dip
• Healthy Crack Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers
• Boneless Buffalo Chicken Bites
• Easy and Delicious Game Day Appetizers

Print

Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Chicken

This Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Chicken is perfect for game day with a side of tortilla chips or celery sticks!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword buffalo cauliflower, buffalo chicken, party dip

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 290kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Vitamix Blender
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dill dried
• 1/2 tsp parsley dried
• 1 head cauliflower cut into small bite sized pieces
• 3/4 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce *not buffalo sauce
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 2%
• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 tbsp brown rice flour

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions

• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil and allow it to heat up. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned. 1 tsp olive oil 1 lb chicken breast
• Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dill, and parsley to the pot. Mix up the chicken so that the seasoning is evenly distributed. 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp dill 1/2 tsp parsley
• Add the cauliflower to the Instant Pot and cover with the hot sauce. The hot sauce acts as your liquid for this recipe. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. 1 head cauliflower 3/4 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
• Cook the chicken and cauliflower on high pressure using the manual setting for 2 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 6-10 minutes before manually releasing it.
• In a high speed blender, mix together the contents of your pot, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt to create a creamy sauce. 3/4 cup cottage cheese 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Blend the sauce until smooth, then add the cheese and brown rice flour. Blend until all mixed together and the cheese has melted. Serve with raw veggies or pita chips. 1 cup cheddar cheese 2 tbsp brown rice flour

Stovetop Directions

• Heat a large skillet on the stove and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the chicken until it is browned.
• Add the seasonings, hot sauce, and cauliflower to the skillet. Mix it up so the cauliflower is covered in hot sauce. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low heat.
• Allow the cauliflower and chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is very tender.
• Blend together the contents of the pan, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt to make the sauce. 
• Add the cheddar cheese and brown rice flour into the blender until it all melts together. Serve with raw veggies or pita chips. 

Slow Cooker Directions

• Add the whole chicken breast, cauliflower, seasoning, and hot sauce to the slower cooker.
• Cover and let cook for 2 1/2 to 4 hours on low heat or until the chicken is done and cauliflower is soft.
• Blend together the contents of the slow cooker, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and brown rice flour and blend until the cheese is melted. Serve with raw veggies or pita chips. 

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• This buffalo cauliflower dip recipe is perfect for happy hour or a Super Bowl party, and the best part is that you can make it ahead of time! Just place the dip in an airtight container, store in the fridge, then right before the big game is about to start, pop the leftover dip in the microwave until warm.
• This recipe for buffalo cauliflower dip with chicken also freezes well. Just thaw in the fridge and heat in the microwave for an easy hot dip! Here’s a little trick: freeze the dip in a thin single layer for quicker thawing.
• Some optional toppings that are not included in the nutrition calculations are blue cheese crumbles, green onions, breadcrumbs, or a drizzle of frank’s red hot to really take that classic buffalo flavor over the top.
• If you do add breadcrumbs, I’d recommend adding the whole dip to an oven-safe baking dish and putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it all up.

 

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 6 Red Containers, 4 Green Containers, 1 teaspoon, 4 Blue Containers, 1/2 Yellow Container.

Per serving: 3/4 Red Container, 1/2 Green Container, 1/2 Blue Container, negligible teaspoons and yellow containers.

Weight Watchers

1 2023 Point using 1% cottage cheese, fat free yogurt, and fat free shredded cheddar cheese | 3 Blue Plan Points | 4 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points

2B Mindset

This is a good option for the 2B Mindset nutrition plan because it’s got lean protein and veggies. If you’re eating this for lunch, pair it with an FFC.

Trim Healthy Mama

This is an S recipe when you use one of the following instead of the brown rice flour: Xanthum Gum, Glucomannan Powder, or oat fiber.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.7g | Protein: 36.6g | Fat: 9.9g | Saturated Fat: 4.8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1098mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6.3g | Calcium: 316mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Chicken appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

In place of traditional rice, cauliflower rice gives this dish a low carb veggie kick, and allows you to enjoy that extra tortilla without feeling too much guilt.

I’m always looking for a healthy and easy meal that is a fan favorite in my household. This is one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes that provides my family with a healthy meal without the long cooking time in the kitchen.

This is one of our favorite chicken meals to make on busy weeknights when we are scrambling to find time to eat at the dining room table together.

Cooking in the Instant Pot is a fantastic way to create healthy and filling meals. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, a traditional pressure cooker will work just as well.

I love that I can throw this one pot dish into the Instant Pot and it pretty much cooks itself. This easy recipe is a great way to get more healthy vegetables into your meals on busy nights where you have limited time.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we write our recipes so that anyone can follow them. We love it when our readers feel comfortable, confident, and empowered in the kitchen. The post below has detailed instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating information.

If you’d like to skip past the ingredient details, recipe tips, nutritional and healthy eating guides, simply scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find the easy to print this Instant Pot Cauliflower Spanish Rice with Chicken recipe.

Ingredients in Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot:

(full recipe and measurements are located in the printable recipe at the bottom of this post)

• olive oil: A little bit of olive oil is a great healthy fat that helps sauté the veggies
• chopped onions
• chopped jalapeño: Do not rub your eyes after chopping jalapeños!
• minced garlic: This is much more flavorful than garlic powder.
• cumin
• chili powder: This is an easy way to modify your spice level. If you tend to like spicier meals add more chili powder.
• paprika
• chopped cilantro
• chicken thighs (or breasts): Chicken thighs will give you a more flavorful chicken option, however chicken breasts will be an even healthier option. I find that chicken breast tend to be easier when making recipes requiring shredded chicken.
• cauliflower florets: We use fresh in this recipe – but if you are looking for already prepared riced cauliflower option please check out our recipe tips for how to successfully incorporate these into our recipe.
• tomato paste
• chicken broth: We prefer using low-sodium. A little salt goes a long way.

How to make Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice: 

1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot sauté the onions, jalapeños, garlic, and cilantro for about 1 minutes.
2. Add the cumin, chili powder, paprika, and mix around.
3. Next place chicken and chicken broth in the inner pot. Lock the lid into place and close pressure valve to the sealing setting. Cook on high pressure using manual for 9 minutes. Release pressure using the quick release method.
4. Remove the lid and place a steaming basket over the chicken. Add the cauliflower florets to the steaming basket. Lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure again for 1 minute. Release the pressure using the quick release method.
5. Carefully remove the steaming basket full of cauliflower. Using a fork or tongs remove the chicken and set aside. There will be about 1/4 cup liquid at the bottom of the Instant Pot. Strain the liquid from the onions and jalapeños, leaving about 2 tbsp. of liquid and the onions and jalapeños in the Instant Pot.
6. Add the cauliflower back into the Instant Pot. Use a potato masher to break the cauliflower into rice like chunks.
7. Stir in the tomato paste to give the cauliflower rice a nice orange color.
8. Serve the rice immediately and top it with the chicken, fresh tomatoes, limes, and more cilantro.

Recipe Tips

• To use riced cauliflower in this recipe, I’d add the it and close the lid for a few minutes instead of cooking the cauliflower rice at all. I always err on the side of undercooked (because I can cook it more) than mushy cauliflower rice.
• If using frozen cauliflower rice, I’d recommend cooking it on high pressure for 0 minutes (that’s right–zero minutes). That will allow your Instant Pot to come to pressure and then you can release pressure without fear of overcooking the frozen cauliflower rice.
• This is already a healthy Spanish rice dinner, but if you’d like to make this recipe even healthier, feel free to use chicken breasts instead of boneless and skinless chicken thighs.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Spanish Rice:

Entire recipe: 3 tsp, 4.5 green containers, 4 red containers | Counts per serving (recipe serves 4): 3/4 teaspoon, 1 1/4 green containers, 1 red container

Weight Watchers Points:

5 Freestyle Smartpoints points per serving

The points for the new 2022/2023 points plan is 5.

Keto/Low Carb:

10 grams of carbohydrates per serving, 7 net carbs per serving

2B Mindset:

This is a perfect dinner recipe, and you could use it for lunch as well if you add an FFC.

Looking for more cauliflower recipes?

• Cauliflower Taco Bowl
• Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Garlic-Cilantro Cauliflower Rice
• Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

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Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice and Chicken

Cauliflower Rice in the Instant Pot is the perfect compliment to any meal, and this Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice with chicken is the perfect healthy version of your favorite Mexican dish. I love that it's easy to make and impresses your guests! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Cauliflower Spanish Rice

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 329kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Instant Pot Trivet

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 jalapeño chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 4 boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot sauté the onions, jalapeños, garlic, and cilantro for about 1 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, paprika, and mix around. 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeño, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp cilantro, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp paprika
• Next add in the chicken and chicken broth. Lock the lid into place and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using manual for 9 minutes. Release pressure using the quick release method. 4 boneless chicken thighs, 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Remove the lid and place a steaming basket over the chicken. Add the cauliflower florets to the steaming basket. Lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure again for 1 minute. Release the pressure using the quick release method. 4 cups cauliflower florets
• Carefully remove the steaming basket full of cauliflower. Using a fork or tongs remove the chicken and set aside. There will be about 1/4 cup liquid at the bottom of the Instant Pot. Strain the liquid from the onions and jalapeños, leaving about 2 tbsp. of liquid and the onions and jalapeños in the Instant Pot.
• Add the cauliflower back into the Instant Pot. Use a mash potato masher to break the cauliflower into rice like chunks. Stir in the tomato paste to give the cauliflower rice a nice orange color. 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Serve the rice immediately and top it with the chicken, fresh tomatoes, limes, and more cilantro.

Video

Notes

• You can use already riced cauliflower in this recipe. Add the riced cauliflower and close the lid for a few minutes instead of cooking the cauliflower rice at all. I always err on the side of undercooked (because I can cook more) than mushy cauliflower rice.
• If using frozen cauliflower rice, cook it on high pressure for 0 minutes (that’s right–zero minutes). That will allow your Instant Pot to come to pressure and then you can release pressure without fear of overcooking the frozen cauliflower rice.
• This is already a healthy Spanish rice dinner, but if you’d like to make this recipe even healthier, use chicken breasts instead of boneless and skinless chicken thighs.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Spanish Rice:

Entire recipe: 3tsp, 4.5 G, 3.75R | Count per serving (recipe serves 4): .75 tsp, 1.25 green containers, .9 red container

Weight Watchers:

5 Freestyle Smart Points per serving | 5 2022/2023 Points

Keto/Low Carb:

10 grams of carbohydrates per serving, 7 net carbs per serving

2B Mindset:

This is a perfect dinner recipe, and you could use it for lunch as well if you add an FFC.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 979IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

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