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Tex-Mex Chunky Chicken Food Prep

Posted on by Desiree Duggan

  • Yield:7 servings
  • Difficulty:Moderate
  • Time:40 minutes

This meal began its life as an experiment. I was in the mood for super-tender chicken with an ‘Americanized-Mexican’ flair. What inspired this sudden craving was a shopping trip to a discount grocery store where I discovered single-serve 100 calorie packs of guacamole, with no ingredients or names that I couldn’t pronounce! Score!!! Perfection in green, my friends. This discovery has literally changed my life. Now I can have guacamole whenever I want without having to eat a whole avocado, or having the portion I didn’t eat go bad. Honestly, I love the idea of measured calorie packaging of foods, especially when I can recognize all of the ingredients. I made this recipe once, and then decided it was SO GOOD, I ate it every day for at least a week. So, I made a food prep recipe out of it.

This recipe is just for the meat and veggies part; the carb choice is up to you. You can serve it with white or sweet potatoes, or over lettuce, which is Paleo. If you aren’t doing the Paleo thing, you can serve it with rice, beans, quinoa, or tortillas. If you choose to have it carb-free, then it is keto-friendly. You can also add hot sauce, guacamole, low fat Mexican cheese, lowfat sour cream, or whatever else you like. If you leave the juice in, it’s more like a thick and hearty soup. The amount of options available makes this mouthwatering dish a true crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages of chicken breasts (3 pounds give or take a few ounces)
  • 2 peppers of any color, chopped
  • 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 medium white or sweet onions, chopped
  • 2 small cans or 1 package of fresh white or portabella mushrooms, chopped
  • 4 tbsp. lime juice
  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes with chilies
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ½ tsp. sea or pink salt
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1-2 tsp. cumin (I used 2)

Directions:

Chop the veggies and set aside in a bowl. Filet the chicken breasts, remove the fat, and pound this chicken with a meat pounder. The meat pounding is optional but if you eat as much chicken as I do, then that little spiky hammer quickly becomes your friend! It makes the chicken more tender. Take a large deep pan and hit it with nonstick spray and add the olive oil. Set to medium heat and brown the chicken.

Once the chicken is almost browned, take out and set aside in a bowl. Leave the juice. Add the veggies and cook a few minutes, still on medium heat. Once they start looking like they’re getting cooked, add the tomatoes with chilies, the spices, vinegar, lime juice, and everything but the chicken. Cook a few minutes and add the chicken and stir well. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with (or without) your carb of choice and this is sure to please even the picky eaters in your house!

Nutrition:

Calories: 279
Protein: 38.5 g
Fat: 8.5 g
Carbs: 8.5 g
Fiber: 2.5 g
Desiree Duggan

Desiree Duggan has been involved with the Fitness Industry for over nine years. She is a professional photographer, personal trainer and self-professed "Foodie" who absolutely hates the word 'diet'. Desiree loves turning naughty, fattening, 'slap-your-hand-cuz-it-don't-belong-in-the-cookie-jar' foods into more lifestyle friendly, nutritious and delicious recipes.