High-protein lemon and herb chicken with quinoa and veg

High-protein lemon and herb chicken with quinoa and veg: juicy chicken breast, fluffy quinoa, courgette, red pepper and fresh lemon in a balanced oven and frying pan dish.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 20 min
• Cooking time: 30 min
• Total time: 50 min
• Calories: 450 kcal per serving
• Protein: 35 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Carbs: 42 g

Ingredients

• 400g chicken breast
• 1 courgette
• 1 red onion
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 200g quinoa
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• Pepper
• Fresh parsley
• Salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano

Method

You’ll need: oven · frying pan · saucepan · chopping board · knife

1. Mix the chicken breast with lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper and leave to marinate briefly.
2. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and cook in water until fluffy and the grains are separate.
3. Cut up the courgette, red pepper and red onion, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan) for 20–25 min, until the veg is soft and slightly charred.
4. Fry the marinated chicken in a frying pan over a medium heat until golden brown outside and cooked right through. Leave to rest briefly, then slice.
5. Chop the parsley and get a little more lemon ready if needed, so the dish tastes fresher at the end.
6. Put the quinoa on plates, arrange the roasted veg and chicken on top and serve with parsley and a little lemon juice.

Good to know

A meal like this tastes like a weekday that's going well. Fresh, savoury and simple in flavour, without getting complicated.

Swaps

Quinoa → millet (gluten-free, contains fibre); Chicken breast → turkey breast (similar protein content and usually a little milder in flavour); Courgette → broccoli (more fibre and vitamin C); Olive oil → avocado oil (heat-stable, with monounsaturated fatty acids)

Allergens

The dish is naturally gluten-free, as long as the quinoa hasn't been contaminated with gluten-containing products. Well suited to children with mild seasoning, and in pregnancy it's important to always cook the chicken right through.

Dairy-free recipes