The Healthiest Way To Cook Chicken, According To A Nutritionist (2024)

Chicken is the most popular meat in America—and since it's already lean, however you decide to cook it will probably still end up being pretty healthy, right?

Sorry, but, wrong.

In reality, the method you use to prepare your chicken can make a huge difference in the number of fat and calories that end up on your plate.

So, what's the healthiest way to cook chicken? Your gut might be telling you that grilling is the way to go. But according to Rebecca Lewis, R.D. at Hello Fresh, there's a more under-the-radar method that's going to yield the healthiest result. (Find out how bone broth can help you lose weight with Women's Health's Bone Broth Diet.)

The Winner: Poaching

"The healthiest way to cook chicken is to poach it," Lewis explains, "because you aren't introducing any other ingredient to the chicken other than the water it is boiled in." Similar to the way you'd poach an egg, all you'll need is the chicken you're using and some hot water. Typically, poaching chicken requires bringing water to a boil in a saucepan, then reducing the heat to low and carefully dropping your chicken into the pan and simmering until cooked through. (The amount of water varies depending on how much chicken you're cooking and which part of the bird you’re using). For four ounces of poached chicken, you're looking at 120 calories with just 1.4 grams of fat.

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Of course, as Lewis points out, this method ends up lacking in the flavor department. Thankfully, there are adjustments you can make in order to add flavor without losing the health value of the dish. "Usually, I poach chicken when making soup in the colder months of the year and add flavor with the addition of lots of fresh herbs, spices, and veggies," she says.

Try it: Poached Chicken Provençal

The Runner Up: Grilling

If your go-to method of cooking chicken is to grill it, Lewis says that it’s still a healthy option as long as you're being mindful of the ingredients you're using to cook it with. "When I grill, I minimize how much additional fat I am adding to the chicken by brushing on olive oil (a plant-based unsaturated fat)," she says. "Generally speaking, one tablespoon of oil is 120 calories and 14 grams of fat, and one tablespoon of butter is 100 calories and 12 grams of fat." Depending on how generous you're being with the brush method Lewis suggested, you can end up using half a tablespoon or less in the process. Lewis says another way to maximize the flavor without adding a ton of calories to the dish is to marinate it beforehand, and recommends using fresh spices, herbs, and vinegar.

Try it: Grilled Spiced Chicken and Vegetables

Looking for more easy dinner ideas? Try these delicious pita pizzas:

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Still Not That Bad: Sautéing

Similar to grilling, sautéing requires you use a fat to cook with in order to ensure your chicken doesn't stick to the pan. But as Lewis points out, sautéing chicken with a quality pan will allow you to cut down on how much fat you're adding—and as long as you're steering clear of adding heavy amounts of butter or cream to the dish, you'll end up with a healthy meal. "With good non-stick pans, you need less fat to cook the chicken in," she says. "For this reason, sautéing chicken on the stove-top can be a healthy cooking technique for chicken." If you want your chicken to have a crispy outer layer without weighing down the dish with calories, Lewis suggests searing the chicken on the stovetop first over medium heat, then finishing it by baking it in the oven.

Try it: Sautéed Chicken With Shallots and White Wine

The Loser: Frying

You may have had an inkling that frying your chicken is not the most health-conscious preparation method. But just how bad is it? "The form of cooking chicken that is the least healthy is to fry it in a pan full of oil, which introduces tons of calories and potentially large amounts of sodium," says Lewis. If you're cooking fried chicken the traditional way—with flour and oil, you're looking at around 320 calories per serving and around 16 grams of fat—a whopping 200 more calories than poached chicken.

Still want your fried-chicken fix? Lewis recommends using a leavening agent such as baking soda or seltzer in the batter you’re using. “They release gas bubbles during the cooking process and thus reduce how much oil is absorbed by the food,” Lewis explains. “Try coating the chicken in mustard (instead of dredging in eggs or buttermilk and flour) to reduce the overall calories and fat.” You can also oven fry by baking your chicken under the broiler to get that crispiness without the extra fat.

Try it: California Chicken