Chicken breast has had a glow-up. This fall, the trending chicken breast recipes on TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram are all about big flavor and big protein: creamy sauces made with cottage cheese, sticky hot honey, spicy gochujang and meal-prep bowls you cook once and eat all week.
Here are 12 trending chicken breast recipes that are worth the hype, with a quick method for each. At the end you will find the full recipe for the one I would make first: cottage cheese Marry Me chicken.
What are some trending recipes for chicken breast?
The trending recipes for chicken breast right now are cottage cheese Marry Me chicken, hot honey chicken, gochujang chicken rice bowls, cottage cheese chicken crust pizza, high-protein meal-prep bowls and creamy peppercorn chicken. They share three things: lots of protein, a bold sauce and 30 minutes or less of cooking.
Why is everyone cooking chicken breast right now?
High-protein eating is everywhere on social media, and chicken breast is the easiest lean protein to find. Creators are making it exciting with swaps like blended cottage cheese instead of heavy cream, so the dishes taste rich but stay high in protein.
12 Trending Chicken Breast Recipes to Try
1. Cottage Cheese Marry Me Chicken
The famous creamy sun-dried tomato chicken, made lighter. Blended cottage cheese replaces the heavy cream, so the sauce is silky and packed with protein. The full recipe card is at the end of this post.
2. Hot Honey Chicken
Sweet, spicy and glossy. Sear or air-fry chicken breast, then brush it with hot honey (honey warmed with chili flakes or a splash of hot sauce) for the last minute of cooking. Slice and serve over rice or in a sandwich. Love sweet and tangy? Try my honey lemon pepper wings.
3. Gochujang Chicken Rice Bowls
Sticky, spicy-sweet gochujang chicken over rice with cucumbers and a fried egg is one of the most-saved bowls online. Get my chicken and gochujang recipe and serve it bowl-style.
4. Cottage Cheese Chicken Crust Pizza
A low-carb pizza where the crust is made from chicken. Blend 1 cup of cottage cheese with 2 eggs, stir in 2 cups of finely chopped cooked chicken breast and 1/2 cup of parmesan, spread it thin on parchment and bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes. Add sauce and toppings and bake 8 to 10 minutes more. Find more ideas in my cottage cheese recipes and my cottage cheese flatbread.
5. Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Cut a pocket in each breast and stuff it with cottage cheese, chopped spinach, garlic and parmesan. Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
6. Creamy Peppercorn Chicken
Steakhouse flavor on a weeknight. Sear the chicken, then make a quick pan sauce with lots of cracked black pepper, chicken broth and a splash of cream or blended cottage cheese. Spoon it over the sliced chicken.
7. Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
Bite-size pieces of chicken breast seared in garlic butter. They are fast, and kids love them. Here is my 20-minute garlic butter chicken.
8. High-Protein Chicken Meal-Prep Bowls
Cook a big batch of chicken breast on Sunday, slice it and pack it with rice and roasted vegetables for the week. Glaze it with gochujang or hot honey so it never gets boring. My spicy chicken fried rice also packs well for lunches.
9. Bang Bang Chicken
Crispy chicken in a creamy, sweet and spicy sauce. Make it on skewers for parties or game day with my bang bang chicken skewers.
10. Air Fryer Chicken Breast
The easiest way to get juicy chicken breast. Brush with oil, season well and air-fry at 380°F for 16 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until it reaches 165°F. Prefer dark meat? Try my air fryer chicken leg quarters.
11. High-Protein Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Make my chicken parmesan pasta with protein pasta for an easy high-protein dinner. For Marry Me chicken pasta and creamy gochujang chicken pasta, see my chicken pasta recipes.
12. Chicken Burrito Bowls
Seasoned chicken breast over Mexican rice with beans, corn, salsa and avocado. Prefer it wrapped? Here is how to fold a burrito.
How to keep chicken breast juicy
- Make it even. Pound thick breasts to an even thickness, or slice them in half horizontally, so they cook evenly.
- Salt it early. Salt the chicken 15 minutes before cooking, or up to a day ahead, for juicier meat.
- Do not overcook it. Use a thermometer and take it off the heat at 165°F.
- Let it rest. Rest the chicken 5 minutes before slicing, and always slice against the grain.
Cottage Cheese Marry Me Chicken Recipe
This is the trending chicken breast recipe I would make first. It tastes like the classic creamy Marry Me chicken, but the sauce gets its body from blended cottage cheese. It is ready in about 35 minutes.
Recipe card
Cottage Cheese Marry Me Chicken
Golden chicken breasts in a creamy sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce made with blended cottage cheese instead of heavy cream.
Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 35 min · Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb), or 2 large breasts sliced in half horizontally
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup cottage cheese (4% for the creamiest sauce)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese in a blender or with an immersion blender for 30 to 60 seconds, until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with 3/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper and the Italian seasoning.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden. It does not need to be cooked through yet. Move it to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low. Stir in the blended cottage cheese and the parmesan until smooth. Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a boil, so the sauce stays silky. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Return the chicken and its juices to the pan, spoon the sauce over and simmer gently 5 to 7 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Top with basil and serve with pasta, rice or roasted vegetables.
Notes: Full-fat cottage cheese gives the smoothest sauce. If the sauce gets too thick, stir in a splash of broth. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Trending Chicken Breast FAQ
Is chicken breast healthy?
Yes. Skinless chicken breast is one of the leanest proteins you can buy, with roughly 30 grams of protein in a 3.5-ounce cooked portion and very little fat.
Why is my chicken breast always dry?
Usually it is overcooked or uneven, so the thin end dries out before the thick end is done. Even out the thickness and pull it off the heat at 165°F.
Does cottage cheese sauce taste like cottage cheese?
Not once it is blended. Blended cottage cheese is smooth and mild and tastes like a light cream sauce, especially with garlic and parmesan.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes. Every recipe here works with boneless thighs. They take a few minutes longer and stay extra juicy.
How long does cooked chicken breast last for meal prep?
Up to 3 to 4 days in the fridge in airtight containers. For longer, freeze it for up to 3 months.
For more high-protein meals, see my cottage cheese recipes and my chicken dinner ideas.
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