Homemade pork and beans are the perfect side dish for your next potluck. It’s an easy recipe that has amazing flavor without any added brown sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Turkey bacon and honey are the magic ingredients in this delicious and healthy backyard BBQ recipe.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have readers of all comfort levels in the kitchen. From new home chef to experienced cook. To best serve all of my readers I like to provide a lot of helpful information. 

If you’re a confident cook and want to skip over ingredient information, cooking instructions, and recipe tips, please scroll to the bottom of the page. There you will find the recipe card with nutrition information and measurements for this healthy pork and beans recipe.

Ingredients in this Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe

• White beans: White beans are a nutritional powerhouse, as they’re packed with fiber and protein and a good source of numerous micronutrients, including folate, magnesium, and vitamin B6. There are several white bean options, but I typically use great northern beans for this recipe.
• Bacon: One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it uses fresh bacon, rather than pork that’s been sitting in a can for a year. Turkey bacon, while lower in fat than traditional bacon, is highly processed so there are conflicting views about if it’s really healthier than regular bacon. For the sake of this recipe I used turkey bacon, but you can definitely choose what works best for you.
• Onion powder
• Smoked paprika: When choosing smoked paprika, look for a brand that is made from high-quality ingredients. Smoked paprika should be bright red in color and have a strong, smoky flavor.
• Molasses: That sweet and smoky flavor of pork and beans is a unique one that many people love, but I never loved opening a can of beans that had sugars and meat in it. The molasses in this recipe is a great way to use a natural sweetener for that deep sweetness and bbq flavor we all love in this recipe.
• Garlic powder: Pantry staples like garlic powder make this a truly easy recipe. If you’d rather use fresh garlic cloves you can absolutely do that. 
• Honey: Honey is a natural sweetener that I love using in place of refined sugar. A new study shows that, in addition to it tasting delicious, it may also have benefits for cardiometabolic health.

How to Make this Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe on the Stove

1. First cook the bacon. You want cooked, not crispy bacon for this recipe.
2. Next, add all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. I always spray my pans with olive oil before cooking, if you’re nervous about sticking you can use olive oil, as well. 
3. Then lower the temperature, cover the pan and allow the pork and beans to simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring a few times so the beans don’t stick. If you like thick sauce I’d leave the top off so some of the moisture can escape. If you’re not worried about thick beans you can leave the top on. 
4. After the beans are done cooking and the sauce has thickened remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately. 

How to Make this Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe in the Instant Pot

1. Add all of the ingredients (cooked bacon included) to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
2. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to Sealing.
3. Then set the Instant Pot on high pressure (or manual setting) for 3 minutes. 
4. When the cook time is done, quick release the pressure and give the beans a stir.
5. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Recipe Tips

• These are tough to under or overcook because of the canned beans, so it’s ok to allow them to simmer longer or for less time. You’re just waiting for the spices and bacon flavors to meld together.
• Use these beans in traditional baked beans recipes, or as their own side dish. You can use these however you’d use traditional canned pork and beans.
• This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time. I love making a big batch of this easy baked beans recipe and then freezing for future use. I’d recommend freezing in single servings after the beans have cooled, and in freezer safe bags or containers. You can simmer the beans on the stove or in the microwave to reheat.
• I love simmering these beans on the grill in a foil pan–if you have a smoker, I highly recommend using that! Just simmer on the grill or smoker for about an hour.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe:​ 4 yellow containers, 2 red containers, and 13 teaspoons

Per serving: Just under 1 yellow container, 1/2 red container, and just over 3 teaspoons. 

To lower the total teaspoons, reduce the amount of honey in the recipe.

Weight Watchers

Per serving: 6 Blue Points | 9 Green Points | 6 Purple Points | 7 points on the 2023 Plan

More Easy Recipes 

• Healthy Baked Beans with Ground Turkey This recipe for Homemade Baked Beans with Ground Turkey makes the best baked beans I’ve ever had! It’s got plenty of beans like kidney beans and black beans, and a tangy sauce that’s made of honey, dry mustard, apple cider vinegar, and ketchup. 
• I love making freezer staples, like these pork and beans, so that I always have healthier alternatives to prepackaged foods in my house. Some of my other favorites are cream of mushroom soup, and brown rice.
• If you’re looking for a delicious, satisfying, and spicy BBQ sauce to go with…everything… you’ll want to make this Low Carb Barbecue Sauce.
• This Instant Pot Cauliflower Potato Salad recipe is a great low carb recipe to make for your next summer BBQ.
• Easy and healthy Crack Chicken Pasta Salad in the crock pot is a creamy, cheesy pasta salad with chicken breasts and a homemade ranch dressing. It’s a perfect side dish for any summer potluck. 
• One of our favorite summer recipes are these Sweet Refrigerator Pickles. They’re perfect for burgers and are so easy!

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Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe

These homemade pork and beans are the perfect summer side dish. They’re healthier than traditional canned pork and beans, too! Turkey bacon and honey are the magic ingredients in this delicious backyard BBQ recipe. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword backyard barbeque, baked beans, BBQ

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 268kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

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

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon turkey or nitrate free | cooked, but not crispy. Cut into small pieces.
• 1 can white beans 14 oz can, undrained, I used great northern beans
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup honey

Instructions

Stove Top

• First cook the bacon. You want cooked, not crispy bacon for this recipe. 8 slices bacon
• Next, add all of the ingredients into a medium sauce pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. I always spray my pans with olive oil before cooking, if you’re nervous about sticking you can use olive oil, as well. 1 can white beans, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp molasses, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 cup honey
• Then lower the temperature, cover the pan and allow the pork and beans to simmer for 45 minutes or so, stirring a few times so the beans don't stick. If you like thick sauce I'd leave the top off so some of the moisture can escape. If you’re not worried about thick beans I’d leave the top on. 
• After the beans are done cooking and the sauce has thickened you can remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately. 

Instant Pot

• Add all of the ingredients (cooked bacon included) to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to Sealing.
• Then set the Instant Pot on high pressure (or manual setting) for 3 minutes.
• When the cook time is done, quick release the pressure and give the beans a stir.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Notes

Recipe Tips

• These are tough to under or overcook because of the canned beans, so it’s ok to allow them to simmer longer or for less time. You’re just waiting for the spices and bacon flavors to meld together.
• Use these beans in traditional baked beans recipes, or as their own side dish. You can use these however you’d use traditional canned pork and beans.
• This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time. I love making a big batch of this easy baked beans recipe and then freezing for future use. I’d recommend freezing in single servings after the beans have cooled, and in freezer safe bags or containers. You can simmer the beans on the stove or in the microwave to reheat.
• I love simmering these beans on the grill in a foil pan–if you have a smoker, I highly recommend using that! Just simmer on the grill or smoker for about an hour.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe:​ 4 yellow containers, 2 red containers, and 13 teaspoons

Per serving: Just under 1 yellow container, 1/2 red container, and just over 3 teaspoons. 

To lower the total teaspoons, reduce the amount of honey in the recipe.

Weight Watchers 

Per serving: 6 Blue Points | 9 Green Points | 6 Purple Points | 7 points on the 2023 Plan

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Healthy Pork and Beans Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This recipe is a family favorite, and if we’re being honest it’s the only baked beans recipe I’ll eat. I love that the ingredients minimally processed, that it contains several styles of beans (which are super nutritious), and while this is a perfect side dish, the addition of ground turkey makes these more like a meal. 

During the summer, I love making a double batch of these healthy homemade baked beans and freeze half of the beans at Step 4 for another day. Thaw completely before cooking and impressing your friends at the next BBQ. 

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we create and write recipes so that anyone can make them – whether you’re brand new to the kitchen or been cooking for years, you’re going to be successful making this recipe.

If you’re new to cooking, go ahead and read the post below before heading to the printable recipe. It will give you ingredient substitutions and information, detailed cooking instructions, and even recipe tips. If you’re a pro in the kitchen, you might want to scroll down to the printable recipe for this Healthy Baked Beans Recipe with Ground Turkey. There you’ll find the ingredient amounts as well as the to-the-point cooking instructions. 

Ingredients in Healthy Baked Beans

• Onions
• Pork & Beans You can use this homemade pork and beans recipe or a can from your grocery store. 
• Kidney beans A great source of fiber and protein
• Black beans Black beans are high in magnesium and folate
• Ground turkey I use turkey that has a low amount of fat
• Brown sugar or honey Either works in this recipe
• Dry mustard If you don’t have dry mustard, you can use regular or dijon mustard
• Vinegar The type doesn’t matter much – either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• Ketchup I prefer the no added sugar variety. In a pinch you can use some tomato paste. 

How to make Healthy Baked Beans with Ground Turkey

Note: I drain the liquid out of one can of beans, then set the liquid aside in case the beans look dry after cooking. If you choose to use more than 2 cans of beans, save all of the liquid just in case.

1. Dice and cook the onions in a large pan over low heat. I’ve been buying frozen diced onions, and I have to tell you that they are a game changer!
2. Add the ground turkey to the onions in the pan and saute over medium-high heat until cooked through and there is no more pink left. 
3. While the turkey is cooking, add the remaining ingredients: beans, brown sugar or honey, dry mustard, vinegar, pork and beans, and ketchup to a large baking dish or dutch oven. 
4. When the meat and onions are cooked, add the mixture to your baking dish and mix well. Add a bit of liquid from the beans if it looks dry. 
5. Cook at 350 degrees for an hour. You could also smoke these for an hour – the smoky flavor is delicious!

How to make these beans in the Instant Pot

1. Sauté the meat and onions, then turn the pot off and add 1/2 cup water to the pot.
2. Add the other ingredients to the Instant Pot.
3. Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing.
4. Set on high pressure (or manual) for 8 minutes.
5. Quick release (turn the valve to Venting quickly and allow the steam to shoot out) and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• You can use any ground meat in place of turkey – including ground beef or ground chicken. If using ground beef, you’ll want to strain the grease after cooking and before adding to your baked beans. 
• You can swap out the types of beans in this recipe based on your preferences or what you have in the pantry. I love using white beans (you can use navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans), pinto beans, and even chickpeas or garbanzo beans. This recipe is very easily adaptable. Adding red beans, white beans, and black beans makes this recipe so colorful. 
• This easy baked beans recipe uses cans of beans, not dry beans. If you’d like to use dry beans, you must cook them first. 
• Looking to add some veggies to this recipe? My article on how to stretch ground beef is helpful if you’re looking to save money but also helpful on how to use less meat in your meals (and use veggies instead!).
• These are easy to meal prep and freeze in single serving containers.

Why are these baked beans a healthy option?

When focusing on a healthy lifestyle, small tweaks make big peaks. You can still enjoy your favorite meals by making small tweaks to them. Use ground turkey instead of beef, use honey or maple syrup instead of white sugar, add veggies where you can. Use this homemade baked beans recipe instead of traditional baked beans in a can. Every little bit helps. 

• I’ve reduced the amount of brown sugar in this recipe and also added the option to replace it with honey. Also, kidney beans and black beans are two of the healthiest beans you can eat–both have more then 10 grams of protein per serving, and more than 10 grams of fiber! Kidney and black beans contain almost 20% of the recommended daily allowance of iron, too.
• Beans are a slow burning carb that will keep you full for a bit. The sugar in this recipe isn’t the best choice, but baked beans are baked beans–they need to be a little sweet.
• Using the homemade pork and beans recipe instead of canned beans is another way to make this recipe healthier. No additives or extra sugars, no bacon that has been sitting in a can on a shelf for a year.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers

4 Blue Plan Points | 6 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points | 3 2023 Points when using 99% fat free ground turkey and unpacked brown sugar instead of honey.

21 Day Fix / Portion Fix

Each serving contains 1 1/4 yellow containers, 1/2 red container, and 3 teaspoons per serving. The onions end up being such a small amount of the total recipe that I do not count them. 

More Backyard BBQ Recipes

• Sweet Refrigerator Pickles
• Rosemary Lemon Salmon
• Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
• Avocado Stuffed Chicken

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Healthy Baked Beans Recipe with Ground Turkey

This Healthy Baked Beans Recipe makes the best baked beans I've ever had–it's an old family recipe that I've lightened up a bit with ground turkey, various beans, and a homemade pork and beans recipe instead of the canned stuff. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Baked Beans with Ground Turkey, delicious baked beans, ground turkey, healthy baked beans

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 Servings

Calories 189kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Enameled Cast Iron Pan
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• ¾ cup onions
• 1 pound ground turkey or hamburger
• 1 can baked beans or homemade, 14 ounces
• 1 can dark red kidney beans 14 oz can
• 1 can black beans 14 oz can
• ½ cup brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons vinegar apple cider or white
• ⅓ cup ketchup low sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Stove and Oven Directions

• Dice and cook the onions in a large pan. ¾ cup onions
• Add ground turkey to the onions in the pan. 1 pound ground turkey
• While they turkey and onions are cooking, add all of the other ingredients to a large baking dish. 1 can baked beans, 1 can dark red kidney beans, 1 can black beans, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 2 teaspoons vinegar, ⅓ cup ketchup

  I drain the liquid out of the beans, then set the liquid aside in case beans look dry after cooking.
• When meat and onions are cooked, drain if necessary and add the mixture to your baking dish and mix well.
• Cook at 350 degrees for an hour. If using a smoker, you can cook them in there for an hour–the flavor is delicious! 

Instant Pot Instructions

• Sauté the meat and onions using the sauté function. Add 1/2 cup water. 1 pound ground turkey, ¾ cup onions
• Add all of the other ingredients to the Instant Pot. 1 can baked beans, 1 can dark red kidney beans, 1 can black beans, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 2 teaspoons vinegar, ⅓ cup ketchup
• Set on high pressure (or manual) for 8 minutes. Quick release and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 357mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Healthy Baked Beans Recipe with Ground Turkey appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I love making these on busy weeknights, and they’re perfect for meal prepping and leftover lunches. Simply add your favorite toppings and enjoy these flavorful burgers all week long.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to make sure that anyone can follow the recipes we create–whether you’re brand new to the kitchen or you’ve been cooking for a while.

If you’re in need of some detailed ingredient information, recipe tips, and cooking instructions, I recommend reading the article below before making this recipe.

If you’d like to skip past that information and get cooking, simply scroll to the bottom of the page to find the easy to print recipe for these Air Fryer Ranch Turkey Burgers.

Ingredients in Air Fryer Ranch Turkey Burgers:

• Ground Turkey: Much lower in saturated fat than ground beef. I like 90% lean.
• Homemade Ranch Seasoning: I make homemade ranch mix in bulk using garlic salt, onion powder, black pepper, parsley, and dill. The store bought variety had a lot of unsavory ingredients, and I’ve been using my homemade recipe for years.
• Feta Cheese: A soft and salty cheese used in Mediterranean cooking. You can skip this ingredient if you don’t care for cheese, or swap it with equal parts of a different type of cheese if you’d like.
• Red Onion: A less inflammatory and less pungent onion that I often use in cooking. If you don’t have red onion, you can use any other color.

How to make juicy Turkey Burgers in the Air Fryer:

This is an easy recipe for busy weeknights! The hot air in the air fryer acts like a convection oven, cooking these burgers quickly without drying them out.

1. In a large bowl combine the fresh ground turkey, chopped red onions, feta cheese, and homemade dry ranch dressing mix.
2. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form into burger patties.
3. Place patties into the air fryer basket in a single layer. If you typically spray oil in your fryer, I prefer olive oil.
4. Cook at 360 degrees (or medium-high heat, depending on what your options are with your air fryer) for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.
5. The turkey burgers are done when they are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165º on a meat thermometer. The cooking time can change based on your air fryer–this is just a guide.
6. Place burgers on your favorite bun and enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

• You can swap the ground turkey meat for ground chicken or ground beef, but be aware that the cooking times could change. If you’re looking for a super juicy burger I’d recommend getting 70 or 80% fat free ground turkey instead of 90%. If you’re confused, ask the butcher at your local grocery store for advice.
• You can switch out feta for any cheese you prefer. Sometimes I use blue cheese, or even Gruyere. More of a cheddar cheese fan? That’s ok too! This is a super basic turkey burger recipe. Don’t stress!
• Add salt and pepper to taste. I don’t often salt my recipes when cooking so that my readers can add their own based on personal preferences.
• If you’d like to freeze these, I recommend making the uncooked turkey patties, flattening them, then freezing individually. I’ve found the best way to cook after freeing is to thaw the frozen burgers before cooking for the best results.
• Store leftover burgers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Leftovers will last 5 days or so.
• Top these delicious air fryer turkey burgers with your favorite burger toppings:
  • ketchup and mustard
  • homemade Tzatziki sauce
  • sautéed mushrooms and onions
  • fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomato slices, extra onions
• Serve these burgers with:
  • tater tots
  • sweet potato fries
  • smashed potatoes
  • a side salad

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: I calculated the points for these ranch burgers in the MyWW app using 99% lean ground turkey and fat free feta cheese. We did not calculate points based on nutrition information because WW has said that using ingredients gives you the most accurate information.

If you use different ingredients, you’ll want to calculate them again.

• For each serving, count 0 Blue Plan Points | 1 Green Plan Point | 0 Purple Plan Points | 2023 Points: 0 if using fat free feta cheese and the homemade ranch seasoning linked above.

Portion Fix/21 Day Fix:

• For the entire recipe, count 4 Red Containers, 1/2 Green Container, 1 Blue Container.
• Per Serving (there are 4): Count 1 Red Container, 1/8 Green Container, 1/4 Blue Container.
  
• These can easily be grilled! Looking for more 21 Day Fix Grill Recipes?

More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

• Frozen Buffalo Cauliflower in the air fryer
• Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups
• Roasted and Air Fryer Artichokes
• Air Fryer Eggplant Recipe
• Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli & Other veggies
• Air Fryer Ranch Pretzels

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Air Fryer Ranch Turkey Burgers

Air Fryer Ranch Turkey Burgers are an easy and quick weeknight meal that's perfect for leftover lunches! Tender turkey burgers made with ranch dressing mix and topped with a homemade tzatziki sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, Ranch Seasoning, Turkey Burger

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 232kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Ninja Foodi
• Mixing Bowls
• Silpat Mat

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey lean
• 1/2 cup red onion chopped
• ⅓ cup feta cheese
• 2 tbsp ranch seasoning

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine the fresh ground turkey, chopped red onions, feta cheese, and homemade dry ranch dressing mix. 1 lb ground turkey 1/2 cup red onion ⅓ cup feta cheese 2 tbsp ranch seasoning
• Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form into burger patties.
• Place patties into the air fryer basket in a single layer. If you typically spray oil in your fryer, I prefer olive oil.
• Cook at 360 degrees (or medium-high heat, depending on what your options are with your air fryer) for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.
• The turkey burgers are done when they are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165º on a meat thermometer. The cooking time can change based on your air fryer–this is just a guide.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• You can swap the ground turkey meat for ground chicken or ground beef, but be aware that the cooking times could change. If you’re looking for a super juicy burger I’d recommend getting 70 or 80% fat free ground turkey instead of 90%. If you’re confused, ask the butcher at your local grocery store for advice.
• You can switch out feta for any cheese you prefer. Sometimes I use blue cheese, or even Gruyere. More of a cheddar cheese fan? That’s ok too! This is a super basic turkey burger recipe. Don’t stress!
• Add salt and pepper to taste. I don’t often salt my recipes when cooking so that my readers can add their own based on personal preferences.
• If you’d like to freeze these, I recommend making the uncooked turkey patties, flattening them, then freezing individually. I’ve found the best way to cook after freeing is to thaw the frozen burgers before cooking for the best results.
• Store leftover burgers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. Leftovers will last 5 days or so.
• Top these delicious air fryer turkey burgers with your favorite burger toppings:
• ketchup and mustard
• homemade Tzatziki sauce
• sautéed mushrooms and onions
• fresh vegetables like lettuce, tomato slices, extra onions
• Serve these burgers with:
• tater tots
• sweet potato fries
• smashed potatoes
• a side salad

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: I tallied the points for these ranch burgers in the MyWW app using 99% lean ground turkey and fat free feta cheese. We did not calculate points based on nutrition information because WW has said that using ingredients gives you the most accurate information. If you use different ingredients than I used, you’ll want to calculate them again.

• For each serving, count 0 Blue Plan Points | 1 Green Plan Point | 0 Purple Plan Points | 2023 Points: 0 if using fat free feta and homemade ranch seasoning linked above. 

Portion Fix/21 Day Fix:

• For the entire recipe, count 4 Red Containers, 1/2 Green Container, 1 Blue Container.
• Per Serving (there are 4): Count 1 Red Container, 1/8 Green Container, 1/4 Blue Container.

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 781mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Air Fryer Ranch Turkey Burgers appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

I love this spicy salmon recipe for a quick weeknight meal, but it also works great for entertaining. Grilled salmon with homemade teriyaki is my favorite, and it’s just as delicious when baked in the oven.

The sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce recipe is so much healthier than the stuff from the grocery store, and it tastes great on veggies, rice, even chicken!

Where is the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, our recipes are all written out in detail for ease of cooking.

If you’re needing more detailed instructions, scroll below to read detailed ingredient information, descriptive cooking instructions, and information for Healthy Eating Plans such as 2B Mindset, the 21 Day Fix, and Weight Watchers before you cook this.

If you’d rather get straight to the recipe, scroll down to the printable Spicy Teriyaki Salmon recipe at the bottom of the page for the printable recipe, where you’ll find basic cooking instructions along with nutrition information and links to the supplies needed.

Ingredients in this Spicy Teriyaki Marinade for Salmon:

• Coconut Aminos: A gluten free, lower sodium substitute for soy sauce made from coconut nectar.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger gives any Asian dish a fresh and authentic taste.
• Sesame Oil: Any sesame oil will do, but toasted sesame oil adds an amazing layer of flavor.
• Rice Vinegar: Make sure to purchase the unseasoned version.
• Molasses: This rich syrup is what’s left after sugar is removed from sugar cane or sugar beets. Molasses is also what gives brown sugar its color and flavor.
• Honey: I prefer a local bee honey for the allergy fighting effects.
• Pineapple: This sweet tropical fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and one of my favorite parts of teriyaki sauce.
• Green Onions: Also known as scallions or spring onions, these are a milder flavored onion that compliment Asian dishes. You can skip these if you don’t have them.
• Spices: Garlic, Black Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper. If you’d rather not have the spicy flavor in this sauce, go ahead and leave out the crushed red pepper.
• Salmon: A healthy lean protein loaded with omega 3, 6, and 9’s. I prefer Sockeye Salmon, and you can read more about the difference between traditional and sockeye salmon right here.
• Sesame Seeds to garnish the salmon, if you’d like.

Easy side dishes to make with this salmon

• white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice if you’re looking for a low carb side
• roasted green beans
• bok choy
• fresh vegetables
• sautéed snap peas
• brown rice and quinoa blend
• rosemary smashed potatoes
• oven roasted sweet potatoes
• cauliflower steaks

How to make Spicy Teriyaki Salmon

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: The myWW points have been calculated on the WW website using 4 ounces of raw salmon per serving. For each serving (this recipe makes 8 servings for WW), count 6 Blue Plan Points | 6 Green Plan Points | 6 Purple Plan Points | 2023 Points: 1

Because the teriyaki sauce is a marinade and most is thrown away, we don’t count it quite like a “normal” recipe.

21 Day Fix/Portion Fix:

• For each 3/4 cup serving of salmon, count one red container.
• For the sauce, the entire recipe counts as: 6 Teaspoons, 14 Sweetener Teaspoons, and 1/4 Purple Container.
• Per serving (there are 8) of sauce: count 3/4 Teaspoon, 1 3/4 Sweetener Teaspoons (if you count these), and a small amount of Purple Containers (I do not count this).

2B Mindset: Salmon fits perfectly into your 2B meals as a protein. For lunch, be sure to use half of your plate for vegetables, 1/4 for protein, and 1/4 for an FFC. For dinner, this salmon is perfect as 25% of your plate, and fill the remaining 75% with vegetables.

More healthy grilling recipes

• Lemon Rosemary Salmon
• Grilled Artichokes
• Grilled Chipotle Chicken Recipe
• Mushroom Fajitas
• Baked Beans with Ground Turkey
• Steak Fajitas with Zoodles Recipe
• Avocado Stuffed Chicken
• Chimichurri Cauliflower Steaks

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Spicy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe (oven or on the grill)

This easy recipe is perfect for dressing up frozen salmon or other seafood. Homemade teriyaki sauce, fresh pineapples, and a spicy sauce everyone will love!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Grilled Salmon, Salmon, seafood

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 236kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Kitchen Knife
• Coconut Aminos
• Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut aminos
• ¼ cup ginger root minced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper more if you like it hot, less for a milder flavor
• 2 tsp molasses
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup diced pineapple fresh or canned
• 2 lbs salmon
• ½ cup green onions chopped, whites and greens

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375º or grill to medium-high heat.
• Add coconut aminos, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, black pepper, crushed red pepper, molasses, honey, and diced pineapple to a bowl and mix together with a fork or whisk. This makes up your spicy homemade teriyaki sauce. 1 cup coconut aminos ¼ cup ginger root 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp garlic 2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp crushed red pepper 2 tsp molasses ¼ cup honey ¼ cup diced pineapple
• Place salmon in a single layer in a foil pan or baking dish, skin side down. If using a baking sheet or dish to cook, line it with aluminum foil.
• Pour sauce over the salmon. Save about 1/2 cup of sauce for after your salmon is cooked. If you have extra sauce, go ahead and put it in the fridge or freezer for next time. 2 lbs salmon
• Grill or bake your salmon 15-18 minutes for frozen or 10-12 for thawed. This time will change based on how thick your salmon filets are. Cooked salmon is 145º and flakes easily with a fork. 
• Remove salmon from the grill or oven. Serve with your favorite veggie.

  Top with extra teriyaki sauce or chopped green onions. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. ½ cup green onions

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• You can use low-sodium soy sauce in place of coconut aminos.
• I prefer the flavor of fresh ginger, but you can substitute 1 tsp of powdered if you don’t have fresh.
• Use a foil pan or baking dish lined with foil for easy cleanup.
• Homemade teriyaki sauce will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. I love to have it on hand for vegetables and stir fry.
• If using teriyaki as a dipping sauce, add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until the sauce thickens and slightly reduces.
• This marinade can be used on any type of fish–definitely not just salmon. 
• Use this salmon as your main course or as an ingredient in teriyaki salmon bowls or even lettuce wraps with rice and salmon wrapped up in fresh lettuce.
• I know some people prefer to use room temperature salmon, but I use it straight out of the refrigerator or freezer.
• Salmon skin is edible–you can leave it on or scrape it off with a fork.

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: The myWW points have been calculated on the WW website using 4 ounces of raw salmon per serving. For each serving (this recipe makes 8 servings for WW), count 6 Blue Plan Points | 6 Green Plan Points|6 Purple Plan Points | 2023 points: 1

Because the teriyaki sauce is a marinade and most is thrown away, we don’t count it quite like a “normal” recipe.

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: 

• For each 3/4 cup serving of salmon, count one red container.
• For the sauce, the entire recipe counts as: 6 Teaspoons, 14 Sweetener Teaspoons, and 1/4 Purple Container.
• Per serving (there are 8) of sauce: count 3/4 Teaspoon, 1 3/4 Sweetener Teaspoons (if you count these), and a small amount of Purple Containers (I do not count this).

2B Mindset: Salmon fits perfectly into your 2B meals as a protein. For lunch, be sure to use half of your plate for vegetables, 1/4 for protein, and 1/4 for an FFC. For dinner, this salmon is perfect as 25% of your plate, and fill the remaining 75% with vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 262IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Spicy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

You may have heard of beer can chicken on the grill, but rest assured that no beers were wasted on this easy chicken recipe. You can season this chicken as I did or add your own seasonings based on your preference.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to create recipes that any level of cook can make. In this post you’ll find detailed cooking instructions, ingredient information, and nutritional & healthy eating plan calculations. If you are a confident cook and want to get right to the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print Grilled Whole Chicken recipe.

Ingredients

• Olive oil: You can also use melted butter if you prefer. Fat will help to get the chicken skin crispy.
• Lemon: You’ll need whole, fresh lemons for their zest & juice. Also, you’ll want to add slices to the top of your chicken–they’re helpful for flavor and they look fancy ;)
• Parsley: Dried parsley is great for this recipe, no need to run to the store for fresh.
• Salt and pepper: I don’t add much salt to my recipes, so you can add your own based on your tastes and dietary needs.
• Garlic: I used half of a fresh garlic bulb to the chicken cavity. If you want a little more garlic kick, you can add garlic powder to the outside breast meat.

How to grill a whole chicken:

1. Prepare the chicken. Carefully unwrap your chicken over the sink – there will be a lot of liquid that comes out of the packaging and it’s best to contain it and reduce the splashing as much as you can. Check the inside cavity for any giblet packaging, then remove and discard. There’s no need to rinse the chicken (rinsing it could splash germs around), just pat it dry with some paper towels and set it aside.
2. Preheat grill to 375º or medium, based on your grill options.
3. Create aromatics. Zest and juice 2 lemons, then set aside. Combine the parsley, 2 lemon rinds, and one half bulb of garlic, then stuff them inside of the chicken.
4. Season the chicken. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper, and parsley in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of the chicken, making sure to coat the chicken breast, wings, and thighs.It’s ok to get a little messy here.
5. Get ready to grill. Slice the third lemon. Place the chicken on the grill, breast side up, and lay your lemon slices on top. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can slide these underneath your chicken skin.
6. Cook. Grill your chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165º. Our 5 pound chicken took about one hour. This time varies based on the size of the chicken and the nature of your grill. The weather can also impact how stable the temperature stays in the grill.
7. Let it rest. Carefully remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Remove the lemon wedges and discard.
8. Carve and serve!

Recipe tips

• Wondering how long to grill a whole chicken? Cooking time will vary, but the general rule of thumb is to grill for about 12 – 15 minutes per pound. Check that the temperature has reached 165º by sticking a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh, keeping it away from any bones. If you’ve got a two or three pound bird it may only take 30 minutes or 45 minutes to cook.
• If you like to smoke meat, you can do that here by adding your favorite (soaked) wood chips to a smoker box and set it inside your gas grill. You may want to put the smoker box over indirect heat so that the wood chips smolder slowly.
• This is a great recipe to make homemade chicken stock with–don’t let those bones go to waste!

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix
Servings: about 4 3/4 cup servings, depending on the size of your chicken
Entire recipe: 4 red containers, 4 teaspoons of oil (I give you the counts for the entire recipe so you can learn about the containers as well as recalculate them if you change something).
Per 3/4 cup serving, count 1 red container and 1 teaspoon of oil.
(using your red container, portion out 3/4 cup of light chicken breast)

Weight Watchers
Using skinless breast meat only, this recipe counts as 0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points

More healthy grill recipes

• Portobello Fajitas on the Grill
• Avocado Bacon Chicken
• Spicy Teriyaki Salmon
• Roasted Artichokes with Dipping Sauce
• Copycat Chipotle Chicken
• Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

Print

How to Grill a Whole Chicken

If you've ever wondered how to cook a whole chicken on the grill, it's easier than you probably imagined. Roasting a chicken on the grill produces a flavorful and tender chicken that is perfect for dinner or a special occasion.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword rotisserie chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 171kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Kitchen Knife
• Mixing Bowls
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

Ingredients for Grilled Chicken

• 4 lb whole chicken
• 3 lemons you'll use the zest and juice of 2 lemons, then 3-4 slices from the 3rd lemon to set on top of chicken while it cooks.
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 lemon rinds saved from lemons zested & juiced for outside
• 1/2 bulb garlic
• 4 tsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp dried parsley

Instructions

• Carefully unwrap your chicken over the sink. Check the inside cavity for any giblet packaging, then remove and discard. There’s no need to rinse the chicken, just pat it dry with some paper towels and set it aside. 4 lb whole chicken
• Preheat grill to 375º
• Create aromatics – Zest and juice 2 lemons and set aside. Combine the parsley, 2 lemon rinds, and one half bulb of garlic, then add it to the inside of the chicken. 3 lemons 2 tbsp dried parsley 2 lemon rinds 1/2 bulb garlic
• Season the chicken – Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper, and parsley. Drizzle on top of the chicken, making sure to coat the chicken breast, wings, and thighs. 4 tsp olive oil salt & pepper 1 tbsp dried parsley
• Get ready to grill – Slice the third lemon. Place chicken on the grill, breast side up, and lay your lemon slices on top.
• Cook – Grill your chicken until it’s internal temperature reaches 165º. Our 5 pound chicken took about one hour.
• Let it rest – Carefully remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Carve & serve!

Notes

Recipe tips:

• Cooking time will vary, but the general rule of thumb is to grill for about 12 – 15 minutes per pound. Check that the temperature has reached 165º by sticking a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh, keeping it away from any bones. If you’ve got a two or three pound bird it may only take 30 minutes or 45 minutes to cook.
• If you like to smoke meat, you can do that here by adding your favorite (soaked) wood chips to a smoker box and set it inside your gas grill. You may want to put the smoker box over indirect heat so that the wood chips smolder slowly.
• This is a great recipe to make homemade chicken stock with.

21 Day Fix

Servings: 4

Per serving: 1 Red container, 1 teaspoon of oil

Using your red container, portion out 3/4 cup of chicken breast.

Weight Watchers

Using skinless breast meat only, this recipe counts as 0 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 21.7g | Fat: 8.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.7g | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Grill a Whole Chicken appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

One of my favorite ways to use herb butter is on salmon, but it really is good on almost any dish. You can make compound butter for steak, or on top of a roasted chicken recipe. You can even make compound butter for bread and really impress your dinner guests!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we want to make sure anyone can follow our recipes! Whether you’re a new cook or have been in the kitchen for years, we want you to feel comfortable. To achieve that, we write our posts with a lot of information. In this article you’ll find detailed instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan and nutritional calculations.

If you’re a confidant cook you can skip past all the tips and tricks by scrolling to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print Chive and Dill Compound Butter recipe card!

Ingredients in this Chive & Dill Compound Butter

• Butter: unsalted, softened butter is what you’ll want to make this recipe. Using unsalted butter helps you to be able to control the sodium levels.
• Fresh herbs: This recipe calls for dill and chives. Using fresh herbs is key to getting the perfect flavor!

Equipment Needed

• Cookie scoop: a 1 tablespoon scoop makes portioning out the butter much easier!
• Mini muffin tin: If you don’t have a mini muffin tin you can use a metal cookie sheet to freeze your butter on.

How to make Chive & Dill Compound Butter

1. Pull out the unsalted butter and allow it to soften on the counter for about 30 minutes.
2. Dice your herbs (making sure they are finely chopped) and add them to the soft butter. Use a fork to stir the butter well.
3. Using a spoon or scoop, roll into 1 tablespoon balls and place into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer.
4. Freeze for 15 to 20 minutes and transfer to a plastic freezer bag. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of your butter is frozen.

Notes

• This recipe makes 16 tablespoons of herb butter balls per pound of butter.

Recipe tips

• I always freeze my butter balls in labeled zipper freezer bags. They are good for several months in the freezer (as long as regular butter would be good for!)
• Herb compound butter will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. After that, you’ll want to make sure you store it in the freezer.
• I don’t thaw these before using–just place them on top of the food that you’re cooking and enjoy! 
• I love making garlic herb compound butter for homemade garlic butter bread, or adding it to cooked pasta for a creamy pop of flavor.
• Some people like using their food processor to chop the herbs and mix the butter. To do this, I would first add the herbs to your food processor and, using the small chopping blade, pulse to chop. Once your herbs are finely chopped you can add the softened unsalted butter to your mixing bowl. Then mix the herbs and butter until they are combined. I haven’t used the food processor myself because I find I can control the cut of my herbs more easily with a knife.
• When adding this recipe to salmon, I place the salmon – skin side down – on a roasting pan and top with a ball or two of the frozen compound butter. If you want more detailed instructions you can read this post on Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter.
• Compound butter for chicken is a great way to add flavor! Garlic herb butter on roasted chicken creates a savory and crispy skin that you will love!
• I prefer making butter balls but you can also make this into a butter log shape, if you would like. To make this recipe in to an herbed butter log, just transfer the mixed butter onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, roll it into a log and wrap and then refrigerate until firm. If you plan to keep it for more than 5 days, you’ll want to store it in the freezer. Then slice it whenever you are ready to add it to a dish.
• There are SO many flavor variations that you can make with compound butter. You typically see savory herb butters, but you can also make a sweet butter to top fresh bread. The combinations are endless and add so much to any meal!

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

Each portion of herb butter is about 1 tablespoon, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

Each teaspoon of this recipe made with light butter is 8 Points on the 2023 Plan.

Looking for more fresh and healthy recipes to use with your herb butter?

• Simple Whole Roasted Chicken Recipe
• Perfect Instant Pot Turkey Breast
• Vegetarian Portobello Mushroom Fajitas with Homemade Seasoning
• Roasted Smashed Potatoes with Garlic
• Healthy Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• What is Compound Butter?

Print

Chive and Dill Compound Butter

This Chive & Dill Compound Butter recipe is an easy way to add flavor to a main dish! This herb butter uses fresh herbs like chives and dill, and is so delicious on steak, chicken, fish and veggies!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword compound butter

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 204kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Mini Muffin Pan
• Cookie Scoop
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter room temp
• 3/4 cup fresh dill
• 3/4 cup fresh chives

Instructions

• Pull out the butter and allow it to soften on the counter for about 30 minutes. 1 lb unsalted butter
• Dice your herbs (making sure they are finely chopped) and add them to the soft butter. Use a fork to stir the butter well. 3/4 cup fresh dill 3/4 cup fresh chives
• Using a spoon or scoop, roll into 1 tablespoon balls and place into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer.
• Freeze for 15 minutes and transfer to a plastic freezer bag. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of your butter is frozen.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• I always freeze my butter balls in labeled zipper freezer bags. They are good for several months in the freezer (as long as regular butter would be good for!)
• Herb compound butter will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. After that, you’ll want to make sure you store it in the freezer.
• I don’t thaw these before using–just place them on top of the food that you’re cooking and enjoy! 
• I love making garlic herb compound butter for homemade garlic butter bread, or adding it to cooked pasta for a creamy pop of flavor.
• Some people like using their food processor to chop the herbs and mix the butter. To do this, I would first add the herbs to your food processor and, using the small chopping blade, pulse to chop. Once your herbs are finely chopped you can add the softened unsalted butter to your mixing bowl. Then mix the herbs and butter until they are combined. I haven’t used the food processor myself because I find I can control the cut of my herbs more easily with a knife.
• When adding this recipe to salmon, I place the salmon – skin side down – on a roasting pan and top with a ball or two of the frozen compound butter. If you want more detailed instructions you can read this post on Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter.
• Compound butter for chicken is a great way to add flavor! Garlic herb butter on roasted chicken creates a savory and crispy skin that you will love!
• I prefer making butter balls but you can also make this into a butter log shape, if you would like. To make this recipe in to an herbed butter log, just transfer the mixed butter onto a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, roll it into a log and wrap and then refrigerate until firm. If you plan to keep it for more than 5 days, you’ll want to store it in the freezer. Then slice it whenever you are ready to add it to a dish.
• There are SO many flavor variations that you can make with compound butter. You typically see savory herb butters, but you can also make a sweet butter to top fresh bread. The combinations are endless and add so much to any meal!

21 Day Fix

Each portion of herb butter is about 1 tablespoon, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

Each teaspoon of this recipe made with light butter is 8 Points on the 2023 Plan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 22.4g | Saturated Fat: 14.2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0mg

The post Chive and Dill Compound Butter appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Homemade rotisserie chicken has less sodium, better taste, and it’s so easy to make. I’ve made five whole chickens five different ways: crock pot, oven, grill, Instant Pot, and Ninja Foodi–I’m sharing links to recipes, seasonings, and thoughts about each method below.

How to make a rotisserie chicken:

It’s so easy to make a rotisserie chicken without the actual rotisserie. I think when people say “rotisserie chicken” these days what they mean is a whole chicken–one that you can use for many purposes and eat for a few days. Here’s how to prep your whole chicken for any recipe.

After you purchase a whole chicken, keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to cook it. When you’re ready to make the chicken, remove the chicken from the fridge and carefully unwrap it over the sink –there will be a lot of liquid that comes out of the package and it’s best to contain it and reduce the splashing as much as you can.

Do I need to rinse or wash my whole chicken? 

Nope! I always want to rinse my chicken, but I don’t. You can spread more germs by rinsing the chicken and it’s just not necessary.

You’ll want to pat your chicken dry with a few paper towels, and then place it on a large platter so you can season it.

What temperature should cooked chicken be?

For any chicken, you’re going to want to cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. When I cook a whole chicken, I like to take the temperature of the chicken in 2-3 different places since it can vary a bit when you get near the bones.

How long does rotisserie chicken stay good for?

Different people feel comfortable with different times when it comes to leftovers, but I will serve shredded chicken from these recipes for 5 days after cooking it. Here are some great recipes for using leftover rotisserie chicken:

• Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
• Southwest Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Healthy Crack Chicken
• Sweet & Savory Chicken Salad

Five Ways to Make Rotisserie-Style Chicken without a Rotisserie

These rotisserie chicken recipes are great to mix and match–take the seasonings you like best and pair it with the cooking method that works best for you.

1. Homemade Rotisserie-Style Chicken on the Grill with Lemon and Parsley

Grilling rotisserie-style chicken is my favorite way to make it. Rotisserie Chicken on the Grill produces a flavorful and tender chicken that is perfect for dinner. It’s a healthy whole chicken recipe that’s better than store bought because there are no added sugars and sodium. I love adding them lemon to this grilled whole chicken because it tastes delicious and the lemons are edible!

Ingredients in this Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning:

Outside the chicken (make sure to read the directions before doing this step), make a spice rub in a small bowl:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 lemons. You’ll need the zest and juice of 2 lemons, then 3-4 slices of the third lemon)
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Inside the Chicken (adding ingredients to the inside of the chicken can help flavor the meat):

• one half bulb of garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• The rinds from the lemons used in the oil mixture. If you want to add extra quartered lemons into the chicken, I highly encourage that!

2. Homemade Rotisserie Chicken in the Oven with Rosemary & Garlic

Ingredients in this Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning:

• 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced. If you’re stuck you can use garlic powder.
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

While this chicken is cooking, use a turkey baster to move drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan to the top of the chicken.

3. Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken with Mexican Citrus Marinade

Ingredients for this Mexican Chicken Marinade:

• 4 ounces orange juice
• 2 fresh limes, squeezed
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (I prefer white)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 teaspoons Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder (more if you like spice, less if you don’t)

That beautiful yellow color that you see is the turmeric, which has some amazing anti-inflammatory properties. It also has a very distinct (but not very powerful) taste, and it’s one of our favorites in chicken. This recipe produces shredded rotisserie chicken that’s perfect for tacos and burritos.

4. CrockPot Rotisserie Chicken with Hearty Vegetable Broth

Ingredients for this Chicken Seasoning:

• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 whole sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 2 whole yellow onions, chopped
• 3 whole carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped

5. Ninja Foodi Rotisserie Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Onion

Ingredients in this Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning:

Inside the Chicken:

• one red onion, quartered (you don’t want onion powder for this–use real onions)
• one half bulb of garlic
• 1-2 quartered lemons

Outside the chicken (make sure to read the directions before doing this step), make a seasoning mix:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

More healthy comfort food recipes:

• Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Healthy Vegetable Chowder

Print

How to Make a Rotisserie-Style Chicken

How to make Rotisserie-Style Chicken without a rotisserie oven. Cook rotisserie chicken in the oven, on the grill, or using a crock pot, Instant Pot, or Ninja Foodi. Healthier and less expensive than store bought rotisserie chicken.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword rotisserie chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

resting time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 273kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Ninja Foodi
• Crockpot
• Instant Pot 6 qt

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken

Instructions

• Preheat your cooking appliance, if necessary.
• Prepare the chicken by unwrapping it, removing the giblets, and patting it dry. Place chicken on a clean platter or surface while you prepare the seasoning. 1 whole chicken
• Prepare the seasoning and place it in and outside of the raw chicken.
• Cook your chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Remove your chicken from the cooking appliance and slice.

Notes

To see each recipe, please click the links or pictures in the article above. 

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Protein: 24g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 240mg | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

The post How to Make Rotisserie-Style Chicken (without a rotisserie!) appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This Chipotle chicken recipe could not be easier to make, plus I put a healthy spin on it. You can make this easy chicken breast on the grill, in the oven, or in the Instant Pot.

Where’s the recipe?

I have readers from all levels of comfort and 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’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.

If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, different cooking methods, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the printable recipe for this Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe.

Why is this such a great meal prep recipe?

I consider this a great meal prep recipe because it’s so easy to make ahead of time and freeze, and because it keeps well in the fridge for a week.

I love to double or even triple this recipe for meal prep. Once cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for about 6 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. You can freeze just the marinade or the raw chicken in the marinade, and simply defrost when you’re ready to cook.

Ingredients in this Chipotle Chicken Marinade:

With just 8 ingredients, you can throw this chipotle chicken recipe together super fast.

Grilling Instructions

1. Prepare the marinade: Add chipotles in adobo sauce, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
2. Marinate: Cover the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
3. Grill: Preheat your grill on medium/high heat. Place the marinated chicken on the grill grates and grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF (about 10 minutes per side).
4. Serve: Serve warm or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.

Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken:

1. Add adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.   
2. Cover the chicken in marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. 
3. Add your chicken, marinade, and ½ cup of chicken broth (or water) to your Instant Pot. 
4. Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 12 minutes. You’ll be cooking on high pressure for 12 minutes whether your chicken if thawed or frozen–the thing that will change is the amount of time your pot takes to come to pressure.
5. When the cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally. This means do not move the Sealing valve, it will slowly pop up on its own. This allows the chicken to retain the most moisture. Once the pressure valve drops, remove the lid and remove the chicken. Slice on a cutting board and serve or store in individual serving containers for meal prep.

How to cook in the oven:

1. Add adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  
2. Cover chicken in marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. 
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 30 minutes.
4. Serve warm, or store in individual serving containers for meal prep.

This versatile chicken recipe can be served in so many ways! Here are just a few suggestions:

• With brown rice or black beans and vegetables
• Served in a burrito
• Made into chicken burrito bowls
• Shred the chicken into tacos
• Made into spicy chicken salad
• Cubed or shredded in a pita
• Stuffed in an avocado
• On top of a salad

Recipe Tips

• If you’re sensitive to spice you can omit the adobo sauce completely and use smoked paprika.
• This marinade works well for all forms of protein. Give it a try with pork loin, chuck roast, or flank steak. 
• To lower the fat and calories in the marinade you can omit or lower the amount of olive oil.
• If you can’t find chipotle chiles, try adding in a teaspoon or two of ancho chili powder. It’ll be a bit spicy :)
• If you prefer to cook this in a cast iron skillet, you can do so! Just make sure it’s 165 degrees before you pull it off.
• If you’d like less spice, use less peppers (or even just the adobo sauce and no peppers!).

Healthy Eating Plans:

More healthy copycat recipes:

I love taking my favorite restaurant and grocery store meals and making them healthier! These are some of my favorites:

• Starbucks Egg Bites
• Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Drunken Noodles
• Just Crack an Egg Cups
• Rotisserie Chicken (directions for Instant Pot, Foodi, Grill, Oven, and Crock Pot)
• Starbucks Brownies with Espresso
• Baked Blooming Onion

Print

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe (VIDEO)

This copycat Chipotle Chicken marinade is healthy and delicious. Cook in the Instant Pot, on the grill, or right in the oven!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Chipotle Chicken, copycat

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Marinade 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 285kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Food processor

Ingredients

• 7 oz chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 Red onion quartered
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp Mexican oregano
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 lbs chicken breasts boneless skinless
• ½ tsp salt or to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Add adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. 

  If you like less spice, add less peppers (or even JUST the adobo sauce!). If you add all of the peppers, this will be hot! 7 oz chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 Red onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp Mexican oregano, ¼ cup olive oil
• Marinate the chicken and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours. I love freezing this marinade with the chicken, so it thaws and marinates at the same time. 3 lbs chicken breasts

Grill:

• Preheat your grill on medium/high heat. Place the marinated chicken on the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF, about 10 minutes per side.
• Serve warm, or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.

Instant Pot:

• Add your chicken, marinade, and ½ cup of chicken broth (or water) to your Instant Pot. 3 lbs chicken breasts, 7 oz chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 Red onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp Mexican oregano, ¼ cup olive oil
• Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 12 minutes.
• When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure valve drops remove the lid and slice chicken.
• Serve warm, or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.

Oven:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F, cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 30 minutes.
• Serve warm, or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.

Video

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans: 

• Weight Watchers: As written: 2 Blue Plan Points, 5 Green Plan Points, 2 Purple Plan Points. To reduce points replace olive oil with chicken broth: 0 Blue Plan Point, 3 Green Plan Points, 0 Purple Plan Points. 2023 Points: 0 per serving.
• 21 Day Fix: This entire recipe counts as 12 Red Containers, 12 teaspoons, and ½ Green Containers. Per ¾ cup serving: 1 Red Container, 1 teaspoon. 
• 2B Mindset: Fill your plate with 50% vegetables, and 25% ffc for a complete lunch or 75% vegetables for a complete dinner. 
• Trim Healthy Mama: You will need to replace the olive oil with coconut or mct oil to make this a THM S recipe.

Recipe Tips:

• f you’re sensitive to spice you can omit the adobo sauce completely and use smoked paprika.
• This marinade works well for all forms of protein. Give it a try with pork loin, chuck roast, or flank steak. 
• To lower the fat and calories in the marinade you can omit or lower the amount of olive oil.
• If you can’t find chipotle chiles, try adding in a teaspoon or two of ancho chili powder. It’ll be a bit spicy :)
• If you prefer to cook this in a cast iron skillet, you can do so! Just make sure it’s 165 degrees before eating. 
• If you like less spice, add less peppers (or even JUST the adobo sauce!). If you add all of the peppers, this will be hot!

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1319IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Making compound butter is easier than it may seem, and it’s a great way to impress dinner guests. Compound butter is really just a fancy way of saying “herb butter”. Mix together herbs plus softened butter and you’re ready to go!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to write our recipes so that any level cook can follow them. In this article you’ll find ingredient information, recipe tips and tricks, and nutrition & healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip past that you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print Rosemary & Dill Compound Butter for Salmon recipe card.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter is ideal so you can control the level of sodium to your taste. It’s important that the butter is soft and at room temperature, so it’s easier to mix.
• Herbs: If you have an herb garden, now is the time to use it! You can use any herbs of your choice, but for this recipe I used fresh dill and fresh rosemary.

How to make Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter Balls:

1. Soften your butter: Allow your butter to come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for about 30 minutes or so.
2. Prep your herbs: Dice up your herbs (as fine as you prefer) and set aside.
3. Mix it up: Add your chopped dill and rosemary to the soft butter. Use a fork to stir the butter and herbs together well.
4. Scoop into balls: Using a spoon or cookie scoop, roll the herb butter into 1 tablespoon balls and place into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer.
5. Freeze: Freeze for 15 minutes and then transfer the butter balls to a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe storage container.
6. Repeat: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all of your butter is frozen.

Recipe Tips

• You can store compound butter in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 2 to 3 months (or for longer depending on what is in them).
• I don’t thaw these before using – just place them on top of the fish that you’re cooking and enjoy!
• I prefer making butter balls but you can also make a compound butter log, if you would like. To make this recipe in to an herbed butter log, just transfer the mixed butter onto a piece of parchment paper, form it into a log and wrap it well, then refrigerate until firm. If you plan to keep it for more than 5 days, you’ll want to store it in the freezer. Then slice it whenever you are ready to add it to a dish.
• There are SO many different flavor combinations you can make with compound butter. Some other ideas are rosemary & garlic clove with lemon juice, or you can go a sweeter route with honey and cinnamon.
• Savory herbed butter balls are a delicious addition to steak, chicken, fish, or even mashed or roasted potatoes.
• When adding this recipe to salmon fillets, I place the salmon – skin side down – on a baking sheet, or in an aluminum disposable pan, and top with a ball or two of the frozen compound butter. If you want more detailed instructions you can read this post on Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter. If you’re loving this idea but not the flavors, you might love my Chive and Dill Compound Butter recipe.

Healthy eating plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix

Each portion of herb butter is about 1 tablespoon, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

1 tablespoon is 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints.

Looking for more easy recipes?

• Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Spicy Teriyaki Salmon Recipe
• Southwest Egg Roll in a Bowl {with Chipotle Ranch Dressing}
• Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe
• Buttery Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings
• Copycat Starbucks Bacon Egg Bites

Print

Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter for Fish

This easy compound butter recipe is full of flavor! I love using the fresh herbs in my herb garden – like fresh dill and fresh rosemary – to mix into softened butter. This compound butter for fish is so delicious on top of salmon fillets or even grilled steak.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword compound butter

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 16 servings

Calories 204kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 pound unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup fresh dill
• 3/4 cup fresh rosemary

Instructions

• Soften your butter: Allow your butter to come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for about 30 minutes. 1 pound unsalted butter
• Prep your herbs: Dice your herbs and set aside. 3/4 cup fresh dill 3/4 cup fresh rosemary
• Mix it up: Add your chopped dill and rosemary to the soft butter. Use a fork to stir the butter and herbs together.
• Scoop: Using a spoon or scoop, roll the herb butter into 1 tablespoon balls and place into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer.
• Freeze: Freeze for 15 minutes and then transfer the butter balls to a plastic freezer bag.
• Repeat: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all of your butter is frozen.

Notes

Recipe Tips

• I don’t thaw these before using – just place them on top of the fish that you’re cooking and enjoy!
• I prefer making butter balls but if you want to make a compound butter log, just transfer the mixed butter to a piece of parchment paper, form it into a log and wrap it well, then refrigerate until firm.
• There are SO many different flavor combinations you can make with compound butter. Some other ideas are rosemary & garlic clove with lemon juice, or you can go a sweeter route with honey and cinnamon. 
• When adding this recipe to salmon, I place the salmon – skin side down – on a baking sheet, and top with a ball or two of the frozen compound butter. If you want more detailed instructions you can read this post on Grilled Salmon with Lemon Rosemary Butter.

Healthy eating plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix 

Each portion of herb butter is about 1 tablespoon, so reduce those as you need to to account for your teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

1 tablespoon is 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 22.4g | Saturated Fat: 14.2g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0mg

The post Dill and Rosemary Compound Butter for Fish appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

There are so many different compound butter recipes. Some of my favorites are Lemon Rosemary, Chive & Dill, and Dill & Rosemary Compound Butter.

How to make compound butter:

The best (and easiest) way to make this flavorful butter is to allow the butter to soften naturally to room temperature, then mix in your flavors. For savory flavors, I always opt for fresh herbs over dried when I can.

1. Allow your sticks of butter to come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for about 30 minutes or so. Using the microwave to melt the butter will cause your butter to look a bit runny and it will freeze differently than if it comes to room temperature naturally.
2. Add your herbs and spices and use a fork to stir the butter and herbs together. You can use the butter now, refrigerate it, or freeze it for later. I prefer to freeze mine in small individual servings.
3. I freeze my butter in individual servings by using a spoon or cookie scoop to roll the herb butter into 1 tablespoon balls. Place the butter into mini muffin tins or onto a plate that will fit into your freezer. There is no need to use a piece of parchment paper here, the butter doesn’t stick when frozen. Since butter can be so high in saturated fat, I’ve found that freezing in tablespoon sized balls helps keep my portions reasonable!
4. Freeze the butter for 15 minutes (or longer if you need to!) and then transfer the butter balls to a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe storage container. I recommend labeling the container or bag with the flavors as well as the date made so that you know exactly what is in there.

How to store compound butter:

As mentioned above, I always freeze my butter balls in labeled zipper freezer bags. They are good for several months in the freezer (as long as regular butter would be good for!). I take out a few at a time and use them right away.

How to use compound butter:

There are so many ways to use this butter! We often use it to flavor fish that we grill, but we have also used it for other meats like steak and chicken, shrimp, and even vegetables.

I love using room temperature garlic herb compound butter to make homemade garlic bread, or adding it to cooked pasta for a creamy pop of flavor.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are some delicious recipes to use with your butter balls:

• Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

The post What is Compound Butter? appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.