Since my partner and I embarked on our fitness lifestyle a couple of years ago, chicken breast has been the holdfast of our kitchen. It's one of (if not the) best sources of lean protein around and a staple for bodybuilders and athletes and 'fitnessy folks' alike for that reason.
Chicken breast was my favourite cut of meat as a child. But in the past years, we consumed it so often, I would dread mealtime if I knew chicken breast or fillet was waiting. (I was still good with thigh and wings ha ha.)
Last week I decided to whip up a Thai-inspired chicken dish for us and I'm happy to say that for one glorious meal, we were unfazed by the fact that we were eating chicken breast.
Cooking and prep time: 10-20 minutes
Ingredients (feeds a hungry couple post workout, or 3 regular people? Gauge according to the number of chicken breasts you usually eat.)
- *3 chicken breasts, minced (Use a food processor. I am not good with machines, so I get my strong brave man to do this part.)
- *At least a handful of basil leaves (I love basil, so the more the merrier for me. Look out for the Thai variety but any would do.)
- *Sea salt
- *Garlic (at least 3 cloves)
- *Olive oil (1-2 tablespoon)
- Vietnamese fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Almonds (whole, crushed or chopped, or your other nut(s) of choice. I recommend around 15. You can count the number of nuts used according to your food goals.)
- Chili to taste (I cut up one small chili + used 3 shakes of chili powder) AND/OR
- Half tomato or 5 cherry tomatoes, chopped up
- Bone broth powder (optional, 1-2 scoops)
Method
- Mince chicken and marinate with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon fish sauce and sprinkling of salt (leave for at least 10 minutes).
- Chop up garlic, wash and tear up basil leaves.
- Heat wok, put in olive oil, lightly brown garlic. I use high heat the entire time.
- Throw in chicken mince (the meat will likely start clumping up into one giant patty, leave it be for 30 seconds or so, then use your spatula to break up them and stir fry. It takes 2-4 minutes for the chicken to be cooked on the outside and for the pieces to break apart.).
- Throw in basil leaves, tomatoes and nuts, keep stir frying.
- Throw in bone broth powder (I recommend to mix with a small amount of water to prevent clumps, else you will need to stir even more rigorously).
- Chicken should be fully cooked about 7-10 minutes in. Add more basil, chili, salt, soy sauce or fish sauce to taste.
- Let it simmer until juices are more or less dried up.
Notes:
- If you don't have access to Asian sauces, you can recreate a similar taste using salt, honey and lime.
- I used a mix of salt and soy sauce because my partner is sensitive to soy and loves salt.
- *If you are simply looking for a meal for fuel, and just need a way to cook chicken breasts, the *starred ingredients are the absolute essentials to recreate the basic taste of this dish. Everything else is just going to make it tastier.
- Overall cooking time is much shorter for minced meat. Plus, the chances of biting into a semi-raw chicken breast is drastically lower.
- Bone broth is rich in collagen and protein and is said to be great for joints, gut health and skin. I use bone broth powder to add a meaty taste to dishes, the same way one may use chicken broth or a broth cube or even the dreaded MSG. I use the Ancient Nutrition Brand by Dr Axe.