Healthy Fried Chicken Pasta (using air fryer, low calorie)

I don’t know about you but I didn’t get into the obese weight class because I hate fried chicken and pasta. In fact, I love fried chicken and pasta. If you’re on a weight loss journey like me you are going to love this healthy fried chicken pasta recipe. Don’t worry, we’ll be using real traditional pasta here, no zucchini noodles, whole wheat pasta, shirataki noodles or any other pasta alternative that has fewer calories but gives you severe gastric upset.

BUT WAIT KRISTEN! Some skinny boss babe told me I need to eat low carb or only eat gluten-free pasta even though I don’t have a gluten allergy. She told me that I have to listen to her if I don’t want to be “one of those obese people”

HEYYO. Stop listening to boss babes on the internet who want to sell you a “healthy option meal plan” or some magic supplement. Definitely stop listening to them if they shame you for your weight (nobody asked your opinion on my body, Karen) or if they want you to cut out an entire food group. Sure you can lose weight cutting out carbs but you’ll achieve this by being in a calorie deficit (because 1/3rd of foods are now forbidden). The most sustainable thing you can do is go on a low calorie diet and continue eating your favorite pasta dish. Don’t know how many calories to eat? Got you, Run your stats through quicktdee.com and give our beginners guide a read.

Why Make This Low Calorie Pasta Recipe?

The best part of this recipe is it’ll fit into any low-calorie diet

All Ingredients can be found at your grocery store.

This recipe is so easy you could make it for dinner tonight!

Quick and easy pasta recipes with few ingredients

Ingredients you’ll need to make healthy fried chicken pasta

Rotini – Any kind works, I’m using Chickpea pasta but you can use regular pasta. I know I just went on a pasta rant but it’s because I just like the extra protein chickpea has, it’s a good alternative! Don’t come at me bro. The calories for chickpea pasta and normal pasta are the same. If you don’t like chickpea don’t get discouraged, use your favorite pasta because we’re making a delicious high protein meal.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – Why?? Lean meats such as chicken breast or chicken tenderloin have lower calories because they have less fat. You can also use chicken thighs but this will increase the calories a little bit.

Bread Crumbs – If you have unseasoned bread crumbs add in a little bit of Italian seasoning.

Pasta Sauce – Listen. I’m Italian. I’m also lazy. (c’mon have you read through any of my other recipes?) Would I love to spend hours in front of the stove making pasta sauce the perfect way? Making a delicious creamy sauce with fresh tomatoes, pasta water, fresh parsley and fresh basil? Of course but it’s 2023, not 1923 and we’re busy. Nobody has 5 hours to simmer a sauce. We’re using a jar of sauce. Fight me.

Mustard – Ew, Gross, Kristen I hate mustard, I’m not making your weird mustard chicken. Too bad, I will never stop using mustard as a vehicle to stick breadcrumbs to chicken. If you can taste the mustard you are using WAY too much mustard. We’re aiming for low-calorie pasta dishes here, not mustard chicken.

Optional: Top this with parmesan cheese or a little bit of finely shredded mozzarella cheese.

HOW TO MAKE THIS HEALTHY FRIED CHICKEN PASTA

This recipe is easy peasy (ain’t no lemon’s in this recipe) squeezy. We’re going to be the dinner table hero with this yummy pasta dish done in under 20 minutes and within our allowed daily calorie intake. Sis, take the win.

First we’re going to bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Follow the cooking instructions on your box of pasta if your using regular, because I’m using chickpea I’m going to cook my pasta for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cooked strain and set aside.

While your pasta cooks, cut the chicken into cubes. Lightly coat with yellow mustard then roll in your breadcrumbs until fully coated.

Add Chicken to your air fryer basket and give it a tiny itsy bitsy spray with cooking oil (I use olive oil spray), Cook at 400F for 10-12 Minutes, give the basket a shake halfway through to turn the chicken over. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F before eating for food safety.

In a bowl add in cooked pasta, fried chicken and top with pasta sauce. Serve while still hot!

WHAT ARE THE CALORIES / MACROS?

Okay girl, you’ve been going on and on about how this has such great taste and how you make such delicious recipes (ego much?), what about the nutritional profile? what’s the deets?

This meal comes in at 388 calories and makes a single serving. To feed the whole family just double, triple or quadruple the ingredients!

The macros are: 45 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fat, and 40 grams of protein.

FAQ’S

I don’t have an air fryer. How can I make this?

You can still make this delicious healthy fried chicken without an air fryer. preheat your oven to 400F and double the cook times in the recipe. Make sure the chicken is cooked through and internal temp reaches 165F. If needed add a few more minutes of cook time.

Shouldn’t I avoid carbs to lose weight?

No, unless you have very specific medical conditions or have been advised by a doctor that you need to follow special diets you should be consuming carbs. Carbs are a major source of energy that your body relies on to function. When we extremely limit carbs for a long period of time your body starts burning muscle (not fat) for food. You might be thinking, no problem. I don’t need muscle. I’ll be a string bean. Wrong, your heart is a muscle, so are most of your vital organs.

While short-term carbohydrate restriction over a period of a week can result in a significant loss of weight (albeit mostly from water and glycogen stores), of serious concern is what potential exists for the following of this type of eating plan for longer periods of months to years. Complications such as heart arrhythmias, cardiac contractile function impairment, sudden death, osteoporosis, kidney damage, increased cancer risk, impairment of physical activity and lipid abnormalities can all be linked to long-term restriction of carbohydrates in the diet.u0022- Bilsborough SA, Crowe TC. Low-carbohydrate diets: what are the potential short- and long-term health implications? Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2003;12(4):396-404. PMID: 14672862.

Is fried chicken healthy?

Fried chicken is a high caloric food. Breaded in egg and four then dipped in oil it contains a lot of fat and calories. A better alternative to frying chicken the traditional way is to air fry it.

Which of the protein pasta options is best?

I like Banza chickpea pasta the best. I firmly believe everything sold at Costco is a superior product which is why Banza is my favorite, it comes in a big box, Costo sells it on the cheap, It’s a win for me. Alternatively you can use barilla protein + pasta, I’ve heard great things about it! Also – If you hate every single protein pasta you’ve ever tasted just buy the real thing. The calories are the same, the protein isn’t even that much higher (pasta is made from flour which is already a really great source of protein!)

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