In this Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes recipe juicy, tender meatloaf and creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes cook at same time in an electric pressure cooker. It’s classic comfort food at its best!

It’s turkey meatloaf meets Instant Pot mashed potatoes in one pot!

If this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe doesn’t convince you to buy an Instant Pot, I don’t know what or who else will! You can make so many one pot meals in it!

This meatloaf in Instant Pot comes out mind blowing and kids gobble it up. I just love healthy Instant Pot recipes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: You will skip turning on the oven, stove and washing a few bowls. You mix, cook, slice and serve entire dinner in same 2 pans in your Instant Pot! You can even refrigerate leftovers in the same 2 pans. And then reheat them in the same 2 pans in Instant Pot.
• Juicy meatloaf: Meatloaf can be made with any ground meat and it always comes out juicy thanks to captured steam inside.
• Creamy mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes in Instant Pot always come out extra tender and creamy.
• It can be made ahead: You can make it in the morning and press Keep Warm for hot dinner later. I often make it on the weekend and go shopping.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

There are two parts to the ingredients for this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe – for meatloaf and for mashed potatoes.

For the meatloaf you will need:

• Ground meat: Use ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey like me. It turns out delicious either way. For red meat, I recommend to go for extra lean ground beef or ground pork.
• Egg: For binding meatloaf ingredients. You can try to replace it with one flax egg or chia egg.
• Oats: We use oats in place of breadcrumbs (forgot to picture it). I like to use rolled oats but you can also use quick oats, quick cooking steel cut oats or even steel cut oats. You can use equal amount of regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs as well.
• Garlic powder: To add flavor. Onion powder works just as well.
• Dried oregano: For more flavor. Also use your favorite dried herbs like dried thyme, dried basil or Italian seasoning.
• Salt and pepper
• Ketchup: For the glaze. I like to keep meatloaf recipe simple and it turns out delicious!

For the mashed potatoes you will need:

• Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes are the best choice for mashed potatoes since you don’t have to peel them, just cut into large chunks. You can also use russet potatoes but be sure to peel first.
• Water: Cold water to cook the potatoes in.
• Milk: Classic ingredient to make mashed potatoes creamy. I use whole milk but any milk works.
• Butter: To add another layer of flavor and creaminess to the potatoes. You can also use ghee.
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Instant Pot Meatloaf

To cook meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot, I’m using these two stainless steel pans. They are stackable, fit 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots and you can buy them on Amazon.

But don’t worry, if you don’t have them, below I share how to cook meatloaf with tin foil.

While this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe might seem hard and labor intensive, I assure you it’s one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes! There is also detailed recipe card with video below.

• Prep the potatoes: To the bottom pan, add chopped into large pieces potatoes and cold water.
• Prep the meatloaf: To the top pan, add ground meat of choice, egg, oats and spices. Mix with your hands and shape meat mixture into oval or round shape. Do not add water.
• Close and stack the pans: Stack the pans with meatloaf on top, making sure the lids cover them tightly. Then secure the easy-lift handle around them.

• Cook meatloaf and potatoes: Into 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup cold water. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. You will either press Manual or Pressure Cook button. After release pressure right away, called Quick Release, by turning the valve to Venting position.
• Open the pans: They are hot and full of steam, so do it carefully wearing the oven mitts.
• Bottom pan with potatoes: Drain water. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
• Top pan with meatloaf: Squirt some ketchup on top and spread with a mini spatula or pastry brush.

That’s it! Your Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes are ready! As an option, you can place the meatloaf on a baking sheet and broil under the oven’s broiler to brown the top.

Tips for Best Results

• Do not overwork the meat: When mixing the meat mixture, mix just enough to combine. Otherwise, your meatloaf might turn out tough and rubbery.
• If you would like to use 2 pounds of meat: The question I get asked the most about this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe. I would recommend to shape it into a round shape instead of oval shape to make sure it cooks through. Pressure cooking time will not change.
• To cut recipe in half: Cut all ingredients in half but keep same cooking time. Just use same 1 cup of cold water added to the bottom of pressure cooker.
• With 3 quart Instant Pot: You will need to use smaller mini pans or the foil method. Use half the amount of ingredients, keeping the same cook time.
• If using ground beef or pork: If the meat you use is not lean, I recommend to drain the extra fat from the pan after cooking the meatloaf.

Can I Make Meatloaf in Instant Pot Using Foil?

If you do not have or do not wish to buy stainless steel pans, you can use aluminum foil to cook meatloaf and potatoes in Instant Pot. You will create “a pan” for the meatloaf to place on top of the potatoes.

Here is a quick photo visual with instructions:

• Add potatoes: Add chopped potatoes and cold water in the Instant Pot.
• Place trivet on top: Then put trivet that came with Instant Pot on top of the potatoes. Doesn’t matter if it has handles or not.
• Shape meatloaf in a foil “pan”: Mix and form meat mixture into an oval meatloaf on top of double layered foil and then shape foil into “a bowl”.
• Pressure cook: Cook as per recipe.

What to Serve with Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes?

While this is a one pot dinner, adding a few colorful vegetable side dishes is always a good idea!

Try to serve meatloaf and potatoes with quick and simple garlic green beans, sauteed broccoli or Instant Pot steamed vegetables (make them in 3 minutes after cooking the meatloaf).

As for the salad, I think this arugula feta salad, cucumber tomato feta salad or bell pepper salad with pair nicely.

If you have time, try your hand in making Ukrainian garlic bread.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in the same pans you cooked meatloaf and potatoes in for up to 2 days. Or transfer them into two separate airtight containers.

I personally find that mashed potatoes do not taste fresh after 2 days but you can store them another 1-2 days, if you wish.

Reheat: I recommend to slice leftover meatloaf for even reheating. To reheat, pop covered stainless steel pans into the Instant Pot, add 1 cup water and press Pressure Cook or Manual button for 1 minute.

Or reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes, check back and see if it needs more time.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
• Instant Pot ground beef stroganoff
• Instant Pot meatballs
• Instant Pot pork chops

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Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

In Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes recipe juicy, tender meatloaf and creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes cook together in one pot, in your electric pressure cooker.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 servings

Calories 413kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Stackable stainless pans
• Trivet
• Mini spatulas

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf (Top Pan):

• 1 pound ground meat beef, turkey or chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup oats any
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano basil, thyme or Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons ketchup

For the Mashed Potatoes (Bottom Pan):

• 2 pounds potatoes cubed
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

How to Make Meatloaf in Stackable Pans

• Bottom pan: Add potatoes and water.
• Top pan: Add ground turkey, egg, oats, balsamic vinegar, dried herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Using your hands mix well. Shape meat mixture into oval or round meatloaf shape. Do not add water.
• Place lid on a pan with meatloaf. Then stack it on top of pan with potatoes. You want top pan to sit comfortably. If too many potatoes, remove some and save in a bowl with cold water for another recipe.
• Into 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup water. Place both pans in a trivet (sling) that came with pans, secure it and place inside Instant Pot.
• Close the lid, set pressure release valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High Pressure or Manual for 25 minutes. After release pressure using Quick Release method – turn valve to Venting immediately after cooking.
• With a mitt on, remove pans from Instant Pot on a towel and open them.
• Bottom pan with potatoes: Drain the water and add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash.
• Top pan with meatloaf: Squirt some ketchup on top and spread with a mini spatula or brush. Slice meatloaf right in a pan and serve!

How to Make Meatloaf Using Foil

• Potatoes: Place potatoes and water at the bottom of Instant Pot. Then put trivet that came with Instant Pot on top. Doesn't matter if it has handles or not.
• Meatloaf: And then shape meat mixture into a meatloaf on top of double layered foil and then shape foil into a bowl. Place on a trivet.
• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for 25 minutes. After release the pressure immediately.
• Drain and mash potatoes with butter, milk, salt and pepper. Glaze loaf with ketchup. Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in the same pans for up to 2 days. Or transfer to an airtight container. Mashed potatoes do not taste fresh after 2 days.
• Reheat: Slice loaf for even reheating. To reheat, pop covered stainless steel pans in Instant Pot, add 1 cup water and press Pressure Cook or Manual for 1 minute. Or reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes, check back and see if it needs more time.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 886mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

This wholesome soup is a delicious cross between meaty stuffed peppers and tomato soup that the entire family will love!

As the weather starts to cool, I love turning family favorites into hearty, warming soups and stews that warm you to the bones and fill up your belly. And this healthy stuffed bell pepper soup is at the top of mine and my family’s list!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy and versatile: Cook on the stovetop, Instant Pot or slow cooker (please see FAQs below). 
• One pot meal: No extra pots and bowls to wash.
• Budget-friendly: Made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand!
• Nourishing and immune-boosting: Tender rice, veggies, ground meat and herbs provide fat, fiber and protein. Loaded with vegetables high in both antioxidants and vitamin C, A, and E.
• A crowd pleaser: Even veggie-hating children gobble up this delicious soup. It is also naturally gluten-free and dairy-free which means you can serve it to a crowd.
• Freezer and meal-prep friendly: A big batch of soup means you can save some for later.

Ingredients for Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

While the list may look a little long, this stuffed pepper soup is primarily made of pantry staples and easy-to-find ingredients.

• Protein: You can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground chicken. I usually use ground turkey for a lower fat, lower cholesterol and lower calorie option.
• Aromatics: You’ll need yellow onion, garlic cloves and a few bay leaves. 
• Vegetables: All you need is celery and bell peppers. You can use a combination of green, yellow, orange or red bell peppers. Note that green bell peppers aren’t as sweet and are slightly bitter.
• Rice: White rice or brown rice works in this soup recipe although brown rice requires longer cooking time.
• Seasonings: I used a combination of dried thyme, oregano, salt and ground black pepper.
• Tomatoes: Unstuffed pepper soup requires a can of diced tomatoes plus some low sodium tomato sauce.
• Broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth, chicken broth, beef broth, or even water.
• Sweetener: A little honey or maple syrup will help balance the acidity in the tomato products.
• Vinegar: Just a teaspoon of white vinegar adds depth to the flavor of the soup. Alternatively, you can add a little lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce. 
• Herbs: Finely chopped fresh parsley or fresh dill will add even more flavor as garnish.
• Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil.

How to Make Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Here is a quick breakdown how to make stuffed pepper soup. There is full recipe card below.

We saute veggies, meat and cook the rice all in one pot. I use my beloved 6-quart Dutch oven.

• Sear the meat: Heat a large pot over high heat with a swirl of oil. Add diced onion, fresh garlic and ground meat. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often and breaking the meat down into smaller pieces.
• Saute the vegetables: Then add bell pepper, celery, rice, and spices. Saute for a further 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the broth ingredients: Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, sweetener, vinegar, and bay leaves. Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Allow the soup to simmer: Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover pot with a lid and simmer soup for 20 minutes with white rice or for 40 minutes if using brown rice. After ensure rice is tender. If not, simmer covered for a few more minutes.

Tips for Best Results

• If you decide to use ground beef: Choose a lean beef option like 90% lean ground beef whenever possible. I recommend to drain the fat after browning it.
• If you would like to cook rice separately: Some people prefer to cook and store rice separately and only add to the soup bowls when serving. That way, it won’t become mushy while sitting in the broth. Also reduce broth in the soup by about 2 cups then.
• Using leftover rice or meat: You can use leftover cooked rice or ground beef in this soup. You can still add the meat at the beginning and add rice in the last few minutes, just enough to warm up in the broth. However, I still recommend simmering the soup broth for 30-40 minutes for the best flavor. 
• Don’t take simmering shortcuts: Even when using leftover rice or meat, I don’t recommend reducing the cook time to below 35-40 minutes for the best flavor. If you do it much less, the tomatoes will taste overly acidic and overpower entire dish.
• If you don’t have any low sodium products: If you use regular canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, I recommend to skip adding any extra salt until the very end. Then season to taste.
• Fresh herbs: Add the fresh herbs to the pot right before serving. Otherwise, they will “cook”.

Variations

• Spice: If you’d like to add a hint of heat to this unstuffed bell pepper soup, I recommend adding either a little chili powder, red pepper flakes or even hot sauce to taste. You can also add some canned diced chilies for an extra heat kick.
• Seasoning: Swap out Italian herbs for taco seasoning.
• Lower carb: Use cauliflower rice in place of regular rice. No need to pre-cook it, just add at the end and hot soup broth will soften it within minutes.
• Other vegetables: Beef up this soup more with extra veggies like fresh or frozen peas, frozen or canned corn, canned beans etc. at the every end of cook time.
• Lemon: You can serve this stuffed pepper soup with lemon wedges to add some bright flavor to the soup like we do in lemon chicken orzo soup.
• Cumin: A pinch of cumin adds a wonderful extra layer of flavor.

What to Serve with Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup?

We like to serve stuffed pepper soup topped with more chopped fresh herbs, a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt in each individual bowl. And with a few slices of toasted rye bread, whole wheat bread or sourdough bread.

You could also sprinkle each hot bowl with a bit of mozzarella cheese and it will melt into it. Delicious!

As for side dishes, I don’t think you need anything heavy to go with it as it’s a meal on its own. But here are a few ideas if you are serving a crowd:

• Side salad: Stuffed pepper soup pairs well with a simple green side salad like this simple butter lettuce salad or lemony kale salad.
• Bread with dip: Any crusty bread or flatbread like naan can be served with olive oil dip. Or serve with garlic bread or even cornbread.

How to Store and Reheat

Make ahead: Truth is that majority of soup recipes, especially my beloved borscht, taste even better on day 2 and 3 after the flavors have had some time to meld. So feel free to prepare it in advance!

Store: Allow soup to cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Cool soup completely before transferring to airtight containers or Ziplock bags. Freezing in portions is also great for meal prep. Freeze soup for up to 3 months. You can allow soup to thaw in the fridge or add it to a small covered saucepan over low heat to thaw and reheat.

Reheat: To reheat stuffed pepper soup, I recommend adding your desired amount to a small saucepan or heating in the microwave.

FAQs

More Stuffed Pepper Recipes

• Mexican stuffed peppers
• Ground chicken stuffed peppers
• Instant Pot stuffed peppers
• Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup
• Cream cheese stuffed mini peppers
• Goat cheese stuffed mini peppers

More Soup Recipes to Try

• Chicken wild rice soup
• Minestrone soup
• Instant Pot minestrone soup
• Instant Pot taco soup

Alternately, browse 35 healthy soups recipes and 45 healthy ground turkey recipes!

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Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup is everything you love about stuffed peppers in a fuss-free warming bowl of soup. One pot meal ready in 50 minutes!

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 249kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef , turkey or chicken
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 4 large bell peppers chopped
• 2 large celery stalks diced
• 1 cup white rice or brown rice rinsed & drained
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes low sodium
• 14 ounces can tomato sauce low sodium
• 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth low sodium
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup parsley or dill finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat large Dutch oven or pot on high heat, swirl oil to coat and add onion, garlic and ground meat. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often and breaking meat into pieces.
• Add bell pepper, celery, rice, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, maple syrup, vinegar, bay leaves and bring to a boil covered. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes with white rice and 40 minutes if using brown rice.
• Stir and adjust any seasonings to taste. If you have time, let stuffed pepper soup sit covered for 5 minutes.
• Add dill or parsley, stir and serve hot with a dollop of plain yogurt and slice of toasted bread.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat by simmering on low desired amount of soup in a small pot.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
• Peppers: Green bell pepper tastes less sweet than orange, yellow or red. I love its addition, if you have it on hand. Mix as you wish or go even all one colour peppers.
• Ground beef : If using ground beef, I recommend to drain the fat. Do so in a city collected compost or garbage to prevent clogging your pipes.
• Not low sodium: If your canned tomatoes and broth are not low sodium, do not add salt and adjust to taste at the end.
• Herbs: Add fresh herbs right before serving to the pot. Otherwise, they will “cook”.
• Slow cooker: Saute ground meat until broken into small pieces on the stove. Then add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• Instant Pot: To make soup in Instant Pot, saute meat first, then add remaining ingredients and cook on High pressure for 15 minutes with Quick Release.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g

The post Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Simple Butter Lettuce Salad tossed in an oil and vinegar dressing and layered with green onion and fresh dill. This very simple side dish is fresh, crisp, and goes with anything!

We also love this 10-minute simple spring mix salad!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Very simple recipe: This quick and easy butter lettuce salad recipe is a variation of my lettuce salad with cucumber and tomatoes, but I wanted to keep this one simple and the dressing very heavy on vinegar with lots and lots of fresh herbs. I love those!
• Healthy and delicious: Butter lettuce is brimming with vitamins making it very nutritious, and fresh herbs are both healthy and add tons of flavor.
• Versatile: You can make this delicious side with any green leaf lettuce like romaine lettuce, green lettuce or iceberg lettuce and it will be perfect year round for any occasion.

What Is Butter Lettuce?

Butter lettuce is named for its soft, tender texture and large delicate leaves. Also called Bibb lettuce, Boston lettuce, or butterhead lettuce, this variety of green leaf lettuce is bright green with a mild floral flavor that’s sweet to taste.

It’s great for salads and the outer leaves make perfect lettuce wraps.

Ingredients for Simple Butter Lettuce Salad

Butter lettuce salad is made with bright green lettuce, fresh herbs, and a tangy homemade healthy salad dressing.

• Butter lettuce: I used one head, which gave me 7 cups once chopped. You can use any lettuce you like, and remember a salad spinner is the quickest way to wash and dry your greens.
• Fresh dill: I love the citrus-like taste of dill, it’s always my go-to for simple healthy salad recipes, especially those dressed in a vinaigrette.
• Green onion: This small veggie adds a punch of flavor. If you want a less oniony taste omit the white bulbs, the green part has a milder flavor.
• Salad dressing: An easy and healthy mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

How to Make Butter Lettuce Salad

4 easy steps and 10 minutes is all it takes to make butter lettuce salad. You can make it any time and pair it with any main dish.

There is also a full recipe card below.

• Combine vegetables and herbs: Add chopped lettuce, green onion, and dill to a large mixing bowl.
• Dress the salad: You don’t need to whisk the dressing separately, just drizzle the oil and vinegar on top, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Mix: Gently toss salad until combined. I find salad serving spoons are easiest to use for mixing.
• Serve: This delicious salad is best served immediately and goes well with any meat, chicken or seafood.

Tips for Best Results

Here are 5 tips for making the perfect salad with butter lettuce.

• Add a lot of fresh herbs: Large handfuls of herbs add so much flavor and keep the salad light and fresh.
• Make and serve it right away: Lettuce salads are best served within the first hour after tossing. Even with a small amount of dressing, the leaves wilt quickly.
• Treat it as a simple side dish: This simple green salad is a delicious co-star to your favorite main dish.
• Reduce vinegar: I wanted a dressing that was heavy on vinegar but a little goes a long way for flavor, so feel free to reduce it. If you’d like to add a citrus kick, then adding some lemon juice or lime juice would work well.
• Season more to taste: Measure with your heart, herbs and spices really up the flavor. Try a variation of herbs like fresh parsley, mint, basil, or chives. Garlic is another easy way to add more taste.

Variations

• Make it creamy: If you’re in the mood for a creamier salad, add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt or my personal preference, sour cream. A dash of Dijon mustard also makes the dressing creamy with a touch of heat.
• Add crunch: My boys will always top their salads with sourdough croutons. You could also add some toasted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pecans. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds also add crunch while keeping it nut-free. And sometimes I’ll even sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs on top.
• Crunchy vegetables you can add: Cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and bell peppers cut into bite-sized pieces are great for adding crunch, color, and flavor. Apples are great too for a sweeter crunch.
• Play with lettuce: I love tender butter lettuce leaves but any green leaf lettuce would work for this recipe.
• Other ingredients that would go well: Parmesan cheese is always a go-to garnish. Add olives, banana peppers, artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes. And if you’re a huge dill fan, you could also chop up some pickles.

What Do You Serve This Salad with?

This very simple green salad goes with literally anything from cozy weeknight dinners like easy spaghetti recipe, cauliflower shepherd’s pie or a delicious sirloin tip roast, to grilling season must-haves, and lunch time favorites grilled cheese and healthy tuna melt.

How to Store

Store: You can refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container, make sure to use up within 24 hours for best results.

Freeze: Do not freeze, because of the high water content lettuce will turn to mush and salad will be soggy.

FAQs

More Lettuce Recipes to Try

• Healthy chicken lettuce wraps
• Grilled romaine lettuce
• Italian chopped salad

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Arugula feta salad
• Arugula beet salad

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Butter Lettuce Salad

Simple Butter Lettuce Salad tossed in oil and vinegar and layered with green onion and dill. 10 minute side dish that goes with anything!

Course Salad

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 76kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Salad spinner

Ingredients

• 7 cups butter lettuce or any green lettuce chopped
• 1/2 cup dill finely chopped
• 3/4 cup green onion finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add lettuce, dill and green onion.
• Drizzle with oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Using salad serving spoons, toss salad gently until combined.
• Serve immediately as a simple side dish with any meat, chicken or seafood.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
• To make ahead: Refrigerate lettuce and herbs covered in a bowl for up to 24 hours. Add oil, salt and pepper right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Simple Butter Lettuce Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe made with ground beef or ground turkey, rice, and simple seasonings. Then cooked in an array of beautifully colored bell peppers topped with zesty tomato sauce.

For a quicker version, try my Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup.

My mom and grandma made ground chicken stuffed peppers non-stop from September to October during the bell pepper season. These days, I make Instant Pot stuffed peppers twice as fast, anytime throughout the year.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: It’s a great weeknight healthy dinner that you can pull off in under 1 hour. And it makes up to 8 or 9 peppers, depending on the size of your Instant Pot.
• One pot meal: You can use pre-cooked rice or cook rice in the Instant Pot.
• Classic taste: It’s one of Instant Pot recipes that has the traditional flavors and feel of classic comfort dish but with modern conveniences of fast and easy.
• Budget-friendly: A great money saving meal as most ingredients are in your budget or in your pantry.
• Can easily serve a crowd: But the recipe can also be cut in half for a smaller meal.
• Makes great leftovers: And truth be told, they taste just as good cold!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

To make Instant Pot stuffed peppers you will need just a handful of simple ingredients.

• Bell peppers: Red peppers, orange peppers and yellow peppers are sweet. Green bell peppers are more bitter but can be used, I love them! Pick large and straight bell peppers, firm to the touch and without soft spots.
• Ground meat: Lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork or ground lamb works. If you use ground poultry, it is more lean, so I recommend to add a few tablespoons of oil.
• Rice: White rice or brown rice works. Prep time will be a bit longer because you have to pre-cook the rice and both require different cook times. If you have leftover rice like Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice, you can use that.
• Tomato sauce: Low sodium canned tomato sauce.
• Onion: Yellow onion or white onion.
• Simple seasonings: Dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil or replace with Italian seasoning. Red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers in Instant Pot

Here is a quick overview how to make stuffed peppers in Instant Pot.

• Prep rice and peppers: I like to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot while I am prepping the peppers. Wash bell peppers and cut the tops off with a paring knife as close to the tail part as possible. Then scoop out seeds with a tablespoon.
• Make stuffing: In a large bowl, combine pre-cooked rice, ground meat, minced onion, dried oregano, thyme and basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
• Stuff the peppers: Divide stuffing evenly among the hollowed out peppers. They will be pretty full and it is fine as mixture will not double in size. Place them on top of trivet in the Instant Pot and pour broth on the side. Top each pepper generously with tomato sauce.
• Pressure cook stuffed peppers in Instant Pot: Close the lid, set vent to Sealing position and press Pressure Cook button on High pressure or Manual button for 10 minutes. Once cook time is over, you can release pressure using Quick Pressure Release or let it subside on its own. Open the lid and your Instant Pot stuffed peppers are ready to be served.

What Size Instant Pot Can I Cook Stuffed Peppers in?

Size of Instant Pot you have changes how many stuffed bell peppers you can pressure cook at same time.

I have 8 quart Instant Pot and it’s large enough to cook all 8-9 bell peppers at once. If you own 6 quart Instant Pot, cook stuffed peppers in 2 batches or cut the recipe in half.

3 quart Instant Pot should fit 4 large peppers. Cut recipe in half and keep same pressure cooking time.

Tips for Best Results

• You can use different rice: White rice and brown rice have different cook times. White rice in pressure cooker is ready in 3 minutes and brown rice needs 22 minutes.
• You can replace rice with uncooked quinoa: To skip on pre-cooking the rice step, use dry quinoa instead. Pressure cooking time will change to 15 minutes in 8 quart Instant Pot and 20 minutes in a 6 quart Instant Pot.
• If using ground turkey or ground chicken: Add a few tablespoons of oil to add moisture as poultry meat is pretty dry on its own.
• Stacking peppers is fine: There is enough space between peppers for pressure to build up.
• Add some cheese: If you would like a bit of melted cheese on your Instant Pot stuffed bell peppers, sprinkle a little on top before serving and let the residual heat melt it. Mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, provolone cheese or parmesan cheese are great choices.
• Make them vegetarian: You can replace ground beef with finely diced sautéed mushrooms and black beans or pinto beans, or crumbled tofu. Cook time will stay the same.

What Should I Serve Stuffed Peppers with?

These juicy stuffed peppers are filled to the brim with seasoned tender meat and rice and topped with rich tomato sauce. We like to serve them with cool creamy yogurt or sour cream and rye bread. Toasted whole wheat bread mimics freshly baked rye bread as well.

I like to break stuffed peppers on my plate, mix with yogurt and dip bread into the sauce. The flavorful combination of tomato sauce and tangy yogurt or sour cream is delicious!

Stuffed peppers are a complete meal because every bell pepper comes with a vegetable, grain, and protein. However, if we serve it with something, it’s usually a simple salad like butter lettuce salad or cucumber bell pepper salad.

How to Store and Reheat

Storing: Refrigerate Instant Pot stuffed peppers for up to 5 days. I do not recommend to freeze cooked or uncooked peppers because the fibers in bell pepper are not strong enough for the freezer. Peppers will almost disintegrate once thawed.

Reheating: To reheat stuffed peppers, place them in a pot with the juices, cover and cook on low heat on the stove for 10 minutes. The steam will warm them through.

Can I Make Them Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can prepare stuffed peppers ahead of time and cook them in Instant Pot later. Stuff the bell peppers, place them in a large baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Cook as per recipe when ready to eat!

I do not recommend to freeze assembled bell peppers because peppers will disintegrate upon thawing. Some readers still do it and are OK with the results.

FAQs

More Stuffed Recipe to Try

• Mexican stuffed peppers
• Stuffed bell pepper soup
• Cream cheese stuffed mini peppers
• Goat cheese stuffed mini peppers

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot cabbage rolls
• Instant Pot chicken and rice
• Instant Pot jambalaya
• Instant Pot chicken and rice soup

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out my most popular collection of 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes.

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Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers with ground beef, rice, and simple seasonings cooked in bell peppers topped with tomato sauce. 1 hour one pot meal!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 547kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 8-9 medium-large bell peppers
• 2 pounds ground beef, ground turkey or ground pork
• 3/4 cup uncooked rice or 2 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 large onion minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano dried
• 1 teaspoon thyme dried
• 1 teaspoon basil dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 15 ounces can tomato sauce low sodium
• 1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock low sodium

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In Instant Pot, add 3/4 cup rice and 3/4 cup cold water. Close the lid, set valve to Sealing and pressure cook on High pressure white rice for 3 minutes and brown rice for 22 minutes. After natural release the pressure for 10 minutes.
• While rice is cooking, using the paring knife cut around the tail of each bell pepper and discard seeds using a tablespoon. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, cooked rice, onion, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper. Using your hands or spatula, mix really well. Stuff peppers with mixture, dividing evenly.
• To Instant Pot, add trivet and vegetable stock. Arrange 1 layer of peppers and top with half of the tomato sauce. Lay remaining peppers and top with remaining sauce.
• Close the lid, turn release vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook or Manual on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Release pressure right away by turning the valve to Venting, Quick Release. Or let it subside on its own.
• Serve stuffed peppers with their juices from the bottom of the pot (turkey baster is the best to scoop those up), plain yogurt or sour cream and toasted whole wheat or rye bread.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Not recommended to freeze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5peppers | Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 615mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g

The post Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad is flavorful and ready in 10 minutes. Tossed in a simple olive oil dressing, it’s a delicious way to showcase summer’s finest veggies.

Use up more produce with my traditional Greek salad and Thai cucumber salad.

This is my kind of salad! A little crunchy, a little juicy, and a lot healthy. When I was a kid, we made cucumber bell pepper salad often. It’s always been a vibrant addition to the dinner table.

It’s a simple variation of cucumber and tomato salad with the addition of bell peppers. We’ll add, or not add, fresh herbs depending what’s on hand. This time I wanted a more simple salad with a bright olive oil flavor dressing.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: As many know already, I absolutely love easy, one bowl salad recipes with little prep time and minimal clean up. You just need 10 minutes to make this amazing side dish.
• Beautiful: Super bright and flavorful, this veggie salad has a rainbow of color, texture, and taste.
• Healthy: This bell pepper salad is light, delicious, and gluten-free! Instead of a heavy dressing, the fresh ingredients are tossed in olive oil then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad

You’ll need a healthy mixture of fresh, wholesome ingredients to make this cucumber bell pepper salad.

• Bell peppers: Use any color of sweet bell pepper you like. I used yellow bell pepper and red bell pepper this time, you can also add orange bell pepper.
• Cucumber: I like English cucumber because it is sweeter, adds the perfect crunch, and you can leave the skin on.
• Tomatoes: Any tomato in season such as heirloom tomatoes or Roma tomatoes will add juiciness and a balanced tangy taste. My preferred store-bought kind is “tomatoes on the vine”. Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are always great for salads too.
• Red onion: I love adding sharp flavor and crispy texture with thin strips of red onion.
• Salad dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper perfectly coat the vegetables, add a hint of nutty flavor, and some healthy fats.

How to Make Bell Pepper Salad

All it takes to make this bell pepper salad is chopping up your veggies then tossing in a simple dressing. Here’s a quick overview, there is a full recipe card below.

• Combine vegetables: Add all chopped bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion to a large mixing bowl.
• Add dressing ingredients: Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Stir and chill: Using a big spoon or fork, start from the bottom of the bowl in the center and gently stir until well combined. Set the mixed salad in the fridge for 10 minutes, this is important to let the flavors blend and mingle. Give it a taste, adjust any seasonings to taste, and toss once more.
• Serve: This tomato bell pepper salad is best served fresh, enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

This salad recipe is super easy to make, here are some easy tips that make it the best!

• Use sharp knife: Always slice vegetables with a sharp knife. It’s much easier and won’t mash the veggies.
• Pick fresh vegetables: Your salad will have the best flavor and texture when you pick fresh vegetables.
• Don’t use green bell pepper: This is a sweet, tangy salad and green bell peppers are too bitter, they’ll throw off the flavor.
• Let it chill: Even a short 10 minute chill gives the flavors time to mingle for a much tastier salad.
• Adjust seasonings to taste: Season as per recipe first and then adjust after sitting with more salt, pepper, and fresh herbs if you wish.

Variations

With all great salads comes a wide range of variations. Here’s a few ways you can make it your own and use what you have on hand.

• Use sunflower seed oil: Original bell pepper salad recipe calls for unrefined sunflower oil. It adds a very distinct flavor. You can find it in many Slavic and Eastern European stores.
• Add toasted sesame oil: Another oil with a very distinct taste. Add 1-2 tablespoons instead of some olive oil and this salad will taste next level amazing! But be sure to use only toasted sesame oil not just regular sesame oil.
• Add fresh herbs: I think most fresh herbs would add a nice finishing touch. Try fresh dill, flatleaf parsley, cilantro, or oregano. You can even add green onion as a garnish.
• Add white vinegar: Make a vinaigrette dressing by adding 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar in addition to the olive oil. This also softens the bite of the red onion. If you don’t like vinegar, swap with fresh lemon juice.
• Add cheese: I’ll always add freshly crumbled feta cheese if I have it.
• Make it taste like viral salad: Sprinkle some everything but the bagel seasoning, chili crisp or red pepper flakes, and dress it with a sesame ginger dressing and it will taste like the viral cucumber bell pepper salad. I’m excited to give it a try!

What to Serve Bell Pepper Salad with?

This colorful salad is the perfect side dish to pair with all roasts, summery chicken, or your favorite grilled meat. Our favorites include boneless leg of lamb, chimichurri chicken, ground chicken burgers, and grilled salmon.

If you’d like to make it a meal just mix in some protein or grains. Make a veggie-loaded tuna salad, add chickpeas for a vegetarian main dish, or mix in some cooked quinoa.

How to Store

Store: What I love about this salad is you can store it in an airtight container for up to 24 hours and it stays crisp and tasty.

Freeze: This salad is not freezer friendly, the vegetables will go mushy once thawed.

FAQs

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Tomato avocado cucumber salad
• Creamy tomato cucumber salad
• Mediterranean chickpea salad
• Italian chopped salad
• Cucumber tomato feta salad

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Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad

Easy Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad is flavorful, refreshing, veggie loaded with simple olive oil dressing. Takes only 10 minutes to make!

Course Salad

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 83kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Ingredients

• 2 large bell peppers coarsely chopped
• 1 long English cucumber coarsely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Stir gently from the bottom of the bowl in the center until well combined. Let salad chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes (don't skip!). Then taste and adjust any seasonings to taste, if you wish.
• Salad tastes best when served immediately.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate salad for up to 24 hours.
• Make ahead: Refrigerate all vegetables in a bowl covered. Then add oil, salt and pepper right before serving.
• Best tomatoes to use: In summer heirloom varieties, Roma tomatoes. Year-round we love tomatoes on the vine.
• Other additions to taste: Fresh dill or parsley, grated garlic clove, white vinegar, a touch of toasted sesame oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 295mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

The post Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes tossed with simple spices, garlic, and oil. Then baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted. Delicious one pan dinner!

We also love these oven baked chicken thighs and sheet pan chicken and veggies.

These roasted chicken thighs and potatoes is my mom’s recipe. She didn’t cook often (grandma did) but this was her absolute staple for a healthy dinner. Crispy potatoes, roasted onion and garlic combined with juicy dark meat and crispy chicken skin, it will become your family’s favorite!

I’m obsessed with any chicken and potatoes combo because I am Ukrainian. Like Instant Pot chicken and potatoes and one pan chicken and potatoes are just other variations of this recipe. My kids rave about this chicken dish for days!

I often double the recipe, bake one right away and refrigerate another one to bake the next day. It is called “make ahead”.

Ingredients for Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

• Chicken: It’s best to use bone-in chicken thighs with skin on. It will be the juiciest baked chicken and potatoes you ever tried!
• Potatoes: Best potatoes to roast are yellow potatoes, red potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes or baby potatoes.
• Onion, carrots and garlic: There is something about soft sweet carrot and roasted onion. And even maybe burnt slivers of garlic. Use the largest onion ever. There will be a fight for the caramelized roasted onion, trust me.
• Seasonings: You can use any dried herbs you like or have on hand for extra flavor. My family used only salt, pepper and fresh garlic. My rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt, plus 1 tablespoon of dried herbs, plus 1 teaspoon cumin. You can skip cumin or use ground coriander instead.

How to Make Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Here is a quick overview how we make roasted chicken thighs and potatoes using only one dish. Everything is combined and baked in same baking dish!

• Prep: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and get a large 9 x 13 baking dish with deep walls.
• Combine everything: To the dish, add chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Drizzle with oil and then sprinkle with ground cumin, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Using your hands or large spoon, toss well to coat.
• Bake: Roast chicken and potatoes uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, and chicken juices run clear or instant read thermometer inserted in the center close to the bone registers 165 F.

Tips for Best Results

• Stretch the chicken skin: After seasoning unbaked chicken thighs and potatoes, stretch the skin to cover the meat to prevent it from drying out.
• Do not use russet potatoes: They do not taste as good when roasted and make the best healthy mashed potatoes.
• Choose deep dish: You can use any large 9 x 13 inches or even bigger baking dish with deep walls. Oven-proof glass or ceramic baking dish is great. You want to be able to mix ingredients with your hands without chicken and potatoes “flying” around your kitchen.
• Do not place chicken on top of the potatoes: Arrange potatoes and carrots around the chicken thighs so they cook evenly. If you place chicken on top of the vegetables, they won’t cook at same rate and won’t crisp up.

What Do I Serve It with?

Since this is one pan meal with protein, carbs and even some vegetables, we usually serve it with some light and simple salad. I particularly like to serve it with vinegar centered salads like butter lettuce salad and vinegar based coleslaw. If you prefer more traditional salad, try this simple spring mix salad.

Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with healthy veggie dip or cottage cheese dip would pair nicely as well.

I don’t recommend to roast other vegetables at same time in the oven as it may create extra steam preventing chicken and potatoes from crisping up. If you have an air fryer, you can make air fryer broccoli or air fryer brussels sprouts as a simple side dish.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

You can make ahead this chicken thighs recipe. In fact, I do it all the time. I prep 2 recipes at same time. Then I bake one tonight and refrigerate second one assembled and covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then bake tomorrow.

Because you coat potatoes in oil and spices, they will not turn brown.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Roasted potatoes, carrots and onions will lose their crispness over time but it’s normal.

Reheat: You can reheat chicken thighs and potatoes in a non-stick skillet to bring some of the crispness back and without much oil thanks to the coating.

FAQs

More Chicken Thighs Recipes to Try

• How to grill chicken thighs
• Crockpot chicken thighs
• Oven baked boneless chicken thighs
• Chimichurri chicken
• Chicken stew

You might also enjoy this list of 65 healthy chicken recipes.

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Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes tossed with simple spices, garlic and oil. Then baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 424kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Baking dish

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs bone in and skin on
• 6 large yellow or red potatoes cut into 1.5" cubes
• 4 carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
• 1 large onion cut into large chunks
• 3 large garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 1 tsp cumin or coriander ground
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 3 bay leaves

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and prepare large 9 x 13 baking dish with walls.
• To the dish, add chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with cumin or coriander, dried herbs, salt and pepper, and mix well, using your hands.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered or until potatoes are fork tender and chicken juices run clear when poked.
• Remove from the oven and dig in!

Notes

• Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Veggies will lose their crispness though.
• Reheat: You can reheat meat and potatoes in ceramic non-stick skillet, to bring some of the crispness back and without much oil thanks to the coating.
• Meal prep and make ahead tip – double the recipe: Bake one tonight and refrigerate 2nd one assembled and covered, then bake tomorrow. I do it all the time.
• Seasonings: You can use any dried herbs you like or have on hand. You can skip cumin.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 410mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g

The post Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Creamy Cucumber Salad is fresh, crunchy and creamy with cucumbers, dill, yogurt or sour cream. A 10 minute salad recipe that is perfect for any potluck, BBQ or backyard gathering.

We also love this Thai cucumber salad and healthy cucumber salad.

Creamy cucumber salad screams summer due to its light taste and the fact that cucumbers are at their seasonal peak. I grew up eating this salad in Ukraine during July-August.

In North America, we are lucky to make cucumber salad year round, although I do encourage you to try it at least once with some fresh garden cucumbers. So good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple ingredients: This easy cucumber salad uses only 5 ingredients.
• Quick: It takes only 10 minutes from start to finish to make this salad. There is no peeling or deseeding of the cucumber required.
• Versatile: Use what you have on hand. We go over many variations below.
• Affordable: Cucumber is a budget-friendly vegetable year round.
• Goes with anything: Serve this light and refreshing salad alongside any grilled protein like chicken burger recipe, yogurt marinated chicken or even carne asada steak!

Ingredients for Creamy Cucumber Salad

To make this creamy cucumber salad recipe, you will need only 5 simple ingredients, including salt and pepper.

• Cucumbers: The best part about this salad is that it tastes very good with available year-round and affordable long English cucumber. Its skin is soft enough to avoid peeling. Mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are also great! In summertime, try pickling cucumber or dill cucumbers.
• Greek yogurt: 2% and higher fat content would be comparable to the creaminess of sour cream but healthier.
• Dill: Fresh dill is the best accompaniment for cucumbers. Please do not use dried dill weed. Swap out the fresh dill for fresh herbs that you have on hand like fresh parsley, chives or green onion.
• Salt and pepper: For seasoning.

How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

Here is a quick overview how to make creamy cucumber salad in just one bowl. Full recipe card is located below.

• Slice cucumbers thinly into half-moon shapes using sharp knife.
• Add chopped dill, yogurt, salt and pepper.
• Mix salad well with a wooden spoon. It might appear too dry like not enough yogurt at the beginning, but just keep mixing.
• Refrigerate cucumber salad for 10 minutes for best results.

Tips for Best Results

• It tastes best fresh: Serve salad right after initial 10 minutes of chilling in the refrigerator. I recommend to enjoy it within 2-3 hours.
• Not planning to eat salad right away? Store ingredients separately, combine 10 minutes before serving and let salad chill in the fridge.
• Deseed cucumber: If you are worried your cucumber salad will be watery or if you are using field cucumbers with large seeds, deseed the cucumbers before slicing.
• Less watery salad tip: Scraping out the seeds of any cucumbers, even long English cucumber, will prevent the salad from getting watery.
• Freshen up leftovers: If it has been a day or two, refresh the salad by adding fresh chopped cucumbers or onion and now it has crunch again.

Variations

• Use sour cream or mayo: Classic cucumber salad is made with sour cream or even addition of mayonnaise. Use that instead, if you wish. Add 1-2 tablespoons of mayo for additional tang.
• Add onion: Add up to 1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion or white onion.
• Other vegetables: Replace half of cucumber with sliced tomatoes like in creamy cucumber tomato salad or radishes for extra crunch.
• Add acid or sugar: Add a splash of vinegar, or fresh lemon juice and sugar for more traditional cucumber salad recipe.
• Add garlic or garlic powder: Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or grate small clove of garlic for a savory taste.
• For ranch flavor: Replace the sour cream or yogurt with my healthy ranch dressing or cottage cheese ranch dip.

What Can I Serve Creamy Cucumber Salad with?

Creamy cucumber salad recipe is quick and refreshing side dish for hot summer night dinner, poolside BBQ or unexpected company as it takes only minutes to make!

Since it’s light and “cool”, you want to serve it with something more bold in flavor. Which is like many dishes and here are my top recommendations:

• Grilled proteins: Cucumber salad is delicious with grilled chicken thighs or chicken breast on the grill. Or flavor it up with something like chili lime chicken or check out all of our healthy grilling recipes.
• Picnic style with Instant Pot corn on the cob, healthy broccoli salad and Instant Pot baked beans.
• Make a wrap with a whole wheat tortilla for quick vegetarian lunch.
• Light side dish: Serve with hearty Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
• Easy mid-week meal: With healthy turkey burger recipe, black bean burgers, ground chicken burgers, or salmon burgers at a BBQ or for a midweek meal!
• Pizza night side dish: With cauliflower pizza or cottage cheese pizza crust.

How Long Does It Last?

It is best to consume creamy cucumber salad within 2-3 hours. Cucumbers consist of 99% water, so as soon as you add salt they start to “leak”. Photo above shows well how dressing becomes more and more runny and cucumbers lose their crunch within minutes.

Cucumber salad will last in the fridge for 24-48 hours. You can drain the excess liquid or mix it up. You can also add more yogurt or sour cream to freshen up the salad.

FAQs

More Cucumber Salad Recipes to Try

• Cucumber and tomato salad
• Cucumber tomato avocado salad
• Traditional Greek salad
• Lettuce salad recipe
• Chickpea avocado salad
• Avocado corn salad
• Mediterranean quinoa salad
• Cucumber bell pepper salad

You might also enjoy browsing through this list of over 50 healthy salad recipes!

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe is fresh, crunchy and creamy with cucumbers, dill, yogurt or sour cream. Easy 10 minute summer side dish!

Course Salad

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 21kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers thinly sliced into half moons
• 1/4 cup fresh dill finely chopped
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt at least 2%
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine cucumber, dill, yogurt, salt and pepper.
• Stir gently with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Let the salad chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• Serve immediately within 2-3 hours.

Notes

• Make ahead: Keep chopped ingredients (without salt) covered  in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Add yogurt and salt, then stir before serving.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

The post Creamy Cucumber Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

These Oven Baked Chicken Thighs recipe packs in garlic flavor, crispy skin and tender, juicy middle! When chicken thighs are baked in the oven, they are ready in just 30 minutes.

This is one of my favorite weekly rotation chicken recipes along with roasted chicken thighs and potatoes and oven baked chicken breast.

I love to have some classic chicken recipes I can rely on any time that I know taste great and go with everything. These oven baked chicken thighs along with my family’s recipe, baked boneless chicken thighs, is one of them!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple: Besides chicken thighs you will need just a simple seasoning of garlic, salt, pepper and some fresh herbs.
• Perfect for any occasion: Whether you have unexpected dinner guests, are drawing a blank on dinner ideas, or just want something that’s fairly hands-off, this chicken recipe is here for you!
• Delicious: Tender, juicy results every single time!
• Budget-friendly: Chicken thighs are usually cheaper to buy than chicken breast.
• Perfect for meal prep: Plus, they’re fridge and freezer-friendly, making for a super versatile addition to your weekly meal prep!

Ingredients for Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

To bake chicken thighs in the oven, you will need just 6 simple ingredients.

• Chicken thighs: You will need 3 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs with skin on.
• Fresh garlic: Make sure to grate the garlic rather than mince. Grated garlic is more flavorful! Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic based on personal preference.
• Dried herbs: Any dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, or rosemary work. Mix them up as well.
• Salt and pepper: For seasoning.

How to Bake Chicken Thighs In the Oven

Here is a quick overview how to bake chicken thighs in the oven. You can find full recipe card with complete measurements and instructions down below.

• Season the chicken thighs: You can do this right in a baking dish. First, pat chicken thighs dry with paper towel, then toss to coat with seasonings, using your hands or tongs.
• Marinate them: Let chicken thighs stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 F. Toss chicken thighs again and then arrange them in a single layer skin side up, tucking it underneath.
• Bake uncovered: Bake chicken thighs for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F. Then using a turkey baster, pour some of the juices over the chicken. For crispier skin, broil chicken chicken thighs at the end for a few minutes.
• Let baked chicken thighs rest: Remove chicken thighs from the oven, cover and let them stand for 5 minutes to allow the juices to settle. Do not skip this step!

How Long to Bake Chicken Thighs?

“How long to bake chicken thighs?” is a valid question because unlike chicken breasts, chicken thighs remain pinkish-brown even fully cooked. The most important thing to remember is that the internal temperature must reach 165F. Especially as chicken thighs can differ in size.

To check the temperature, push a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken close to the bone. Use this handy time chart when baking chicken thighs in the oven.

What Temperature to Bake Chicken Thighs at?

There are many chicken thighs recipes online calling for different cook times. Just like when it comes to baking chicken breast in the oven, I prefer to bake chicken thighs at 450 F because this method takes less time with same juicy and tender results.

If you would like to roast chicken thighs at lower temperature, please refer to handy cook time chart above.

Tips for Best Results

• Bake uncovered: If you cover the baking dish, chicken will rather steam than roast.
• Keep the skin on: Skin prevents chicken thighs from drying out and you can always remove it after baking.
• You don’t have to use chicken thighs: This simple seasoning will work just as well with different cuts of chicken like chicken drumsticks, chicken wings and chicken breasts. Just remember that the cooking times will vary based on what cuts you’re using.
• Use rimmed baking sheet: These baked chicken thighs produce a lot of natural juices, so you want to use deep baking dish to gather all the juices.
• Use a little oil: This recipe is oil-free as is. However, you could lightly brush raw chicken thighs with a little olive oil before seasoning for even crispier results.
• Experiment with seasonings: Once you have the method for oven baked chicken thighs down, then playing around with the seasoning is super fun. Add red pepper flakes for heat, your favorite dried herbs, or use all-purpose seasoning or Italian seasoning all together.
• Sear the chicken: Sear the chicken skin side down in a hot pan with a little oil for 3-5 minutes to form a crispy crust before baking.

What to Serve with Baked Chicken Thighs?

Let me introduce you to our Ukrainian spread. More often than not we serve oven baked chicken thighs with mashed potatoes because those juices are begging to be poured over a creamy mash. And what is an Eastern European meal without cucumber and tomato salad?!

The best thing about this recipe is that it’s so super versatile. You can pair it with anything, almost anything. Here are just a few of the ways I like to enjoy it.

• Grains: Serve chicken thighs with plain Instant Pot brown rice or Instant Pot quinoa. For a lower carb option, ditch the rice for cilantro lime cauliflower rice instead.
• Veggies: One of the easiest ways to add veggies with your baked chicken is to use cooked veggies like these garlic green beans, roasted asparagus, or roasted cauliflower. In a hurry? Try these Instant Pot steamed vegetables.
• Salad: Pair them with a green salad like spinach salad or simple butter lettuce salad.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Baked chicken thighs will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freeze: To extend the shelf life of baked chicken even further, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for between 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheat: Reheat the chicken in a preheated 375 F oven for about 15 minutes. Bone-in chicken will take longer than boneless. You can also add some of the gelatinized chicken juices at the bottom of the pan if you saved them.

Or reheat covered in a microwave in 1-2 minutes increments on high power.

FAQs

More Chicken Recipes to Try

• Crock pot chicken thighs
• Chimichurri chicken
• Baked chicken and peppers
• Grilled chicken thighs
• Cranberry and brie stuffed chicken

You might also enjoy browsing through all my healthy chicken recipes!

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Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs recipe packs in garlic flavor, crispy skin and tender, juicy middle! They are ready in just 30 minutes.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 9 servings

Calories 333kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken thighs bone in and skin on
• 2-3 large garlic cloves grated
• 2 teaspoons oregano, basil or rosemary dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Parsley or dill finely chopped (for garnish)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In 8 x 8 square baking dish, add chicken thighs, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss to coat and let stand for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Toss chicken again, making sure to spread garlic and spices evenly, and arrange in a single layer skin side up, tucking in skin underneath. You want things tight.
• Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until thermometer inserted in the center close to the bone reads at least 165 degrees F, skin starts to brown and lots of juices accumulate in the dish. Using a baster, pour juices over the chicken and then if you like more crispy skin broil to your likeness.
• Remove chicken thighs from the oven, cover and let stand for 5 minutes to allow juices to settle.
• Serve warm, skin removed for healthier version with brown rice, quinoa or salad.

Video

Notes

• Store: Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. They are perfect for meal prep and taste amazing cold.
• Reheat: In preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 375mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Oven Baked Chicken Thighs appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Baked Zucchini Fritters are made with 5 simple ingredients, with a crispy outside and tender middle. They are perfect for summer zucchini surplus and can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or snack!

We also love these tuna zucchini cakes and Mediterranean zucchini boats!

When it comes to zucchini, I’ll admit I’m usually hiding it to add a ton of moisture to dishes like these turkey meatballs, black bean burgers, and even lemon zucchini bread.

However, for these baked zucchini fritters, we’re squeezing out all the excess liquid from the zucchini to make it ready to bake it into wonderfully crispy zucchini fritters. You can also pan fry them as well.

This healthy zucchini fritters recipe is a bit of “a blast from the past.” As a kid, I ate a lot of vegetable-based fritters to stretch seasonal produce to the max. We always had cold leftovers in the fridge and I recommend you double or even triple the recipe because they are a sure crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients for Baked Zucchini Fritters

To make baked zucchini fritters, you need just 5 simple ingredients plus salt and pepper.

• Zucchini: I used 5 smaller zucchinis. They are the most flavorful zucchini but medium or large garden zucchini will work too. Feel free to use yellow summer squash.
• Flour: You can use the flour of your choice, which helps to bind the zucchini fritters. I used whole wheat flour. Gluten-free options like rice flour and chickpea flour should also work. However, if you’re using almond flour, I recommend 1 cup of flour and 3 large eggs. 
• Egg: Two large eggs are needed as a binder.
• Garlic: Will add so much extra flavor. Adjust the amount to personal preference.
• Fresh herbs: You can use fresh dill, parsley, or green onion. 
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Baked Zucchini Fritters

Here is a quick overview how to bake zucchini fritters. You can find full recipe card below.

• Salt the zucchini: First, add the shredded zucchini to a large bowl, mix with 1 teaspoon of salt, and allow to sit for 10 minutes to extract any excess liquid.
• Prepare the batter: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, garlic, flour, herbs, salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the zucchini: Using your hands or a cheesecloth, squeeze all the liquid from zucchini as much as possible, then transfer to the bowl with batter and mix.
• Bake zucchini fritters: Use an ice-cream scoop to portion the zucchini patties and press lightly to flatten on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes per side or until crispy.

Tips for Best Results

• For more crispy baked zucchini fritters: Substitute 1-2 tablespoons of flour for cornstarch instead. This helps to yield crispier results.
• Preparing the zucchini: There’s no need to peel or de-seed the zucchini. Just shred, salt, squeeze, and mix into the batter!
• To shred the zucchini: You can shred zucchini using the medium holes of a box grater or save time shred zucchini in your food processor with a grater disk. 
• Squeeze zucchini well: The better you squeeze zucchini, the crispier fritters will be. If you use your hands, you’ll have to do this in batches a handful at a time. If you use a cheesecloth or nut milk bag, you can squeeze it all at once.
• Chill the batter if pan frying: If you plan on pan frying the zucchini fritters, chill the batter in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. It can help yield very crispy zucchini fritters because of how the cold batter reacts to the hot oil.
• For slightly crispier results when baking: Broil zucchini fritters at the end of the baking process.
• Thinner fritters: You can press the fritter mixture down more for thinner, crispier fritters. Just make sure now not to press too much otherwise they may fall apart.

Variations

• Scallions: These baked zucchini fritters are similar to Korean scallion pancakes with zucchini. So feel free to increase the amount of green onions and serve with some kind of Asian dipping sauce like peanut sauce.
• Other vegetables: Add up to 1/2 cup of corn, diced bell peppers, shredded carrots or cabbage.
• Grains: You can beef up the fritters with the addition of leftover cooked grains like brown rice and quinoa.
• Dried herbs and spices: If you don’t have any fresh herbs, feel free to skip and fritters will still turn out delicious. You can also ramp up the flavors with extra spices like onion powder, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes.
• Cheese: Crumbled feta cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, or cheddar cheese are all optional add-ins. I recommend about 1/2 cup but feel free to adjust the amount to personal preference.

What to Serve with Baked Zucchini Fritters?

Once your zucchini fritters are baked, you can serve them warm or cold. In Ukraine, they are traditionally served for dinner or breakfast instead of potato pancakes, with sour cream or Greek yogurt. Sometimes, I like to stir in a bit of horseradish with yogurt.

Here are a few other ways you can enjoy them:

• With salad: They pair well with side salads like healthy coleslaw, healthy potato salad, and creamy cucumber salad.
• With grains: For more of a complete meal, serve the fritters alongside a salad and the grain of your choice.
• With proteins: Baked zucchini fritters also pair well with all kinds of proteins like fried tofu, yogurt marinated chicken and naked spinach feta turkey burgers.
• With other sauces: You can also enjoy these zucchini patties with other simple sauces like healthy ranch dressing or cottage cheese dip.

How to Store

Store: Store any leftover zucchini fritters for in an airtight container lined with double-folded paper towel for 3-4 days in the fridge. 

Freeze: Allow the zucchini patties to cool entirely before placing them in a single layer on a baking pan. Freeze until solid then transfer the zucchini fritters to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 3 months. Let fritters thaw on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. 

Reheat: You can reheat baked zucchini fritters in the microwave, oven, or skillet with a drop of oil until warmed through.

More FAQs

More Zucchini Recipes to Try

• Parmesan zucchini sticks
• Healthy zucchini casserole
• Zucchini lasagna
• Crustless zucchini quiche
• Zucchini potato bake
• Mediterranean baked zucchini sticks
• Sauteed zucchini
• Zucchini tomato bake
• Ground turkey zucchini boats
• Zucchini roll ups

Or feel free to browse my list of 45 healthy zucchini recipes!

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Baked Zucchini Fritters

These Zucchini Fritters can be baked or pan-fried to perfection, with a crispy outside, tender middle, and only 5 simple ingredients!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 9 fritters

Calories 58kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Baking sheet

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini (2 lbs) shredded (6 cups)
• 2 small garlic cloves grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup any flour I used whole wheat (see notes for almond flour)
• 1/2 cup dill, parsley or green onion finely chopped
• 1 3/4 tsp salt divided
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Greek yogurt or sour cream for topping
• 4 tsp oil for frying

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add shredded zucchini mixed with 1 tsp of salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
• In another large bowl, whisk eggs, garlic, flour, herbs, 3/4 tsp salt and pepper.
• Using your hands, squeeze liquid from zucchini in batches as much as you can and add to the bowl with batter. Stir well to combine.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Fill large ice cream scoop with batter, place on prepared baking sheet and flatten with the back of the scoop. You can also use big spoon or a small ladle. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, flip and bake for another 12 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Fry: Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl 2 tsp oil. Using trigger ice cream scoop, place zucchini mixture on a skillet and flatten with the back of a scoop. Can use large spoon as well.
• Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, flip and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining mixture.
• Serve fritters hot or cold topped with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container lined with double folded paper towel for up to 3 – 4 days.
• Freeze: For up to 3 months. Then thaw on a counter for 3 hours or in the fridge overnight.
• Double the recipe if serving more than 3 people and/or would like to have some leftovers. I usually do that since these are very popular.
• If using almond flour: Use 1 cup almond flour and 3 eggs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fritter | Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 279mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Baked Zucchini Fritters appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Juicy Ground Chicken Burgers with chicken breast just like my Ukrainian grandma used to make. Serve traditionally on a bun or low carb with one of healthy salads.

Also on regular rotation are grilled chicken burgers and turkey burgers with zucchini!

This ground chicken burgers recipe will knock your family’s socks off! Growing up in Ukraine my grandma made the best ground chicken patties.

We used to say they are like Spitz, roasted sunflower seeds, highly addictive! Pureed onion makes otherwise dry ground chicken breast meat juicy and adds a lot of flavor.

No matter what you do, it will be the best chicken burger recipe you have ever tried! Cook chicken burgers on the grill or they can be pan fried year round.

Ingredients for Chicken Burger Recipe

This ground chicken burgers recipe contains literally 5 main ingredients. Remember, grandma was cooking very simple dinner recipes back in the 80’s-90’s.

• Chicken: I am using 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts because I always have them. You can save time (not money) and buy ground chicken. Chicken thighs will work too, not more juicy because grandma used a secret ingredient to keep even chicken breast juicy.
• Bread: I used a slice of sprouted whole grain bread, white bread or gluten free bread works too. Alternately, use about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or quick oats. A slice of bread soaked in water for a few seconds and then squeezed helps to hold the lean ground chicken burger patties together.
• Egg: Egg is a binder. If you add bread and have an egg allergy or are out of egg, your burger should still stay together or you could learn how to make a flax egg.
• Onion: Grated onion is grandma’s secret to juicy chicken burgers, not to mention flavorful.
• Garlic: To also flavor your burgers!
• Salt and pepper: To season and taste.

How to Make Ground Chicken Burgers

Here is quick overview how to make ground chicken burgers. They are super easy to make in your blender or food processor. Then shape into 24 smaller or 12 larger chicken burgers.

Grind chicken: Add cubed chicken breast in a food processor or high speed blender, and process until it resembles ground chicken. Work in batches and then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Process egg, onion, garlic, soaked and squeezed bread, salt and pepper until well combined. Grandma would have loved that we can pulverize onion, garlic, egg and bread in seconds!

Mix everything together: To the bowl with ground chicken add pulverized mixture of egg, bread and veggies and using your hands, mix well. It will smell heavenly!

Toast the buns: Brush a bit of olive oil or butter on each cut side of the burger bun and fry for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove onto a plate.

Now we can cook the ground chicken burger patties.

Pan fry patties on large skillet or grill for about 4-5 minutes per side: Form ground chicken mixture the size of a tennis ball and flatten into a patty. It is time to flip chicken burgers when white edges appear and burger is brown on the bottom.

How to Grill Ground Chicken Burgers

To cook ground chicken burgers on the grill, rub the grill grates with oil soaked paper towel.

Grilling time depends on the grill and thickness of chicken patties. On our gas BBQ, they take about 5 minutes per side while covered on medium grill heat, which is between 300-400 degrees F.

Be sure not to flip them too early and peek underneath, flip carefully with metal spatula once.

Chicken is ready when meat thermometer inserted in the center registers internal temperature of 155 degrees F. Then remove them on a platter, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Residual heat will finish cooking them to 165 F degrees without over drying the meat and resulting in juicy chicken burgers!

What to Serve with Homemade Chicken Burgers?

My absolute favorite way to enjoy these homemade ground chicken burgers is “naked” style with plain spaghetti and ketchup. They also taste great cold!

You can top chicken burgers the same way you would top a regular beef burger! Classic toppings are lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and cheddar cheese. Of course with mustard (we love sweet and spicy mustard), mayo and ketchup. BBQ sauce and sliced avocado are my favorites too!

Serve as part of a BBQ spread with Olivier salad, cucumber and tomato salad and healthy vanilla cupcakes for dessert. Also Instant Pot potato salad and this healthy coleslaw are OMG so good!

For “naked” chicken burgers wrap the patty in lettuce, like I do with healthy chicken lettuce wraps, or slice and serve over simple spring mix salad.

Can You Make These Ahead of Time?

Yes. You can prepare ground chicken burger mixture in a bowl, cover tightly with wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

You can also freeze uncooked chicken patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then transfer into a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen following the recipe plus 5 minutes.

Can I Freeze Chicken Burgers?

Cooked ground chicken burgers freeze amazing-ly!! Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Thaw on a counter in under a few hours or in the fridge overnight. You could reheat them from frozen by using same skillet method above, just will take twice longer.

How to Store and Reheat

To store leftovers: You can refrigerate chicken burgers for up to 5 days.

Cold chicken patties taste amazing! That is when we ate them like Spitz, meaning quickly and many. I honestly think also due to the lack of a microwave.

To reheat, place on a hot skillet, add a splash of water, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. This way burgers heat through and do not dry out like in the oven.

More FAQs

More Burger Recipes to Try

• Salmon burgers with mango slaw
• Black bean burgers
• Spinach feta turkey burgers

More Chicken Recipes to Try

• Ground chicken tacos
• Ground chicken stuffed peppers
• Grilled chicken breast

I hope you will give this ground chicken burgers recipe a try! Be sure to check out more of our grill recipes.

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Ground Chicken Burgers

Juicy, moist and flavorful Ground Chicken Burgers with chicken breast just like my Ukrainian grandma used to make.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Low Calorie

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 burgers (24 small patties)

Calories 131kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Food processor
• Glass bowls
• Ceramic skillet

Ingredients

• 2 lbs raw boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs cubed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 small onion cut in chunks
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 slice of bread I use sprouted whole grain
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp oil for frying
• 12 hamburger buns
• Lettuce, tomato, red onion for topping

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a food processor or high speed blender, add chicken and process until ground. Work in batches and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Return blender to its base, add egg, onion and garlic.
• Quickly soak bread in water, squeeze well and add to the blender along with salt and pepper. Process until well combined and add to the bowl with ground chicken meat. Using your hands, mix well.
• Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet or grill on medium heat and swirl some oil to coat (spray the grill).
• Form into a ball size of a tennis ball for a burger or somewhere between golf and tennis size for “naked” patty, then flatten.
• Pan fry or grill for about 4-5 minutes per side (grills vary). It is time to flip when white edges appear and patty is brown on the bottom. Please note that second and third batches will take less time to cook as the skillet (grill) will be hotter.
• Serve hot assembled in a burger or with a side grain + salad.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat place burgers in a hot skillet with a splash of water, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. 
• Freeze: Cook, cool and freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Reheat with above directions, will take longer.
• Meal prep: Freeze uncooked burgers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then transfer to a large Ziploc bag. Cook from frozen following recipe’s instructions + 5 minutes.
• Chicken: I use 2 lbs of chicken breasts because I always have them. You can save time (not money) and buy ground chicken. Chicken thighs also work.
• Bread: I used a slice of sprouted whole grain bread. White or gluten free bread works too. 
• Egg: Egg is a binder. If you add bread and have an egg allergy or are out of egg, you should be good.
• Onion and garlic: Grated onion is grandma’s secret to juicy healthy chicken burgers, not to mention flavorful. I do not recommend to use onion powder instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger (2 small patties) | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 202mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Ground Chicken Burgers appeared first on iFoodReal.com.