Healthy eating has had a bad rap as lacking flavor and inspiration for far too long. Here at Delish, we take this rumor personally. For Team Delish, eating healthy means maximizing variety, and we’ve got tons of healthy versions of your chicken favorites (lightened-up chicken Parm, anyone?), plus salads, lettuce wraps, sandwiches, and more. We know health looks different to different people, so we’ve included options for every diet, like low-carb, paleo, low-oil, and keto. Whether you’re reaching for chicken breasts, thighs (the favorite cut of the Delish kitchen), or a whole bird, the options are endless.

Let’s go back to that boring, plain piece of chicken breast for a minute. On its own, chicken can be a great healthy choice—it’s full of lean protein, amino acids (including serotonin-boosting tryptophan), and is a great alternative to red meat. No matter how good it is for you though, it doesn’t matter if you never want to eat it. Trust us—all it takes is some spices, sauces, and a bit of prep to make chicken dishes that’ll stand up to even the most decadent of options. Try adding different spices, like the taco seasoning in our chicken fajitas; extra-flavorful sauces, like in our sheet-pan harissa chicken & sweet potatoes or our goddess bowls; or replacing ingredients you’re avoiding with others, like in our keto fried chicken (breaded with pork rinds), our one-pan coconut-lime chicken (dairy-free!), or our chicken Alfredo spaghetti squash (no noodles, no problem).

And we can’t overlook our air fryer—it’s hands down the best kitchen appliance to invest in if you’re trying to cut down on oil in your kitchen. We’ve included some of our favorite air fryer chicken recipes here—like our orange chicken, crispy chicken sandwich, and garlic-Parmesan chicken skewers—but feel free to explore all the (100+!) other things you can make in one too.

Want more healthy meal inspiration? Check out our favorite healthy breakfasts, packed lunches, and low-calorie desserts too.

delish!