Diet by Priyanka
Pan-seared chicken breast medallions
Chicken breast sliced into medallions and seared in a teaspoon of olive oil. One serving is 285 kcal, 50.2 g protein and 1.8 g net carbohydrate, the lowest carbohydrate figure of any main course here.
Why this dish works
Fifty grams of protein for under 2 g of carbohydrate is the simplest high-protein meal in Indian home cooking, and it needs eight minutes and one pan.
Slicing the breast into medallions before cooking, instead of cooking it whole, is what keeps it from drying out. A whole breast has a thick end and a thin end, and by the time the thick end is safe the thin end is finished.
Salt the medallions and leave them for ten minutes before they go in the pan. The surface dries slightly, which is what lets it brown instead of steaming.
What you need
Makes one serving, from 250 g of raw breast:
- 250 g skinless chicken breast, sliced into 2 cm medallions
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp coarse black pepper
- ½ tsp red chilli flakes, optional
- 1 clove garlic, sliced thin
- Salt, to taste
- A squeeze of lemon, to finish
How to make it
Slice the breast across the grain into medallions about two centimetres thick. Salt them and leave them on the board for ten minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan until it shimmers. Lay the medallions down with space between them, and do not move them for two and a half minutes.
Turn each piece once. Add the sliced garlic and the pepper to the pan, and cook for another two minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and leave the chicken in it for a minute to finish in the residual heat. Spoon the pan juices back over the top and finish with lemon.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 285 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 50.2 g |
| Fat | 7.4 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
Figures are for one serving from 250 g of raw skinless breast with 1 tsp of olive oil. There is almost no carbohydrate in the dish itself.
Who this suits
Any strict low-carb day, and most muscle gain plans, where this is the dish that makes the protein target reachable without thinking about it.
On a fatty liver plan it is one of the few main courses that is high in protein and genuinely low in fat at the same time.
Have a question about this recipe?
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More from Priyanka’s kitchen
Every published recipe is listed on the low-carb recipes page, with macronutrients listed for each.
If this one worked for you, these are close cousins from the same plans:
- Dahi-marinated chicken curry
- Chicken in a thick red gravy
- Chicken in a smooth tomato gravy
- Greek chicken salad bowl
Recipes work best inside a plan built around your history and your routine. To start there, book a Discovery Call with Priyanka.
These meals come from the same plans Priyanka builds for PCOS, thyroid, prediabetes and fatty liver support.
Written by Priyanka Chanana, nutritionist, practising since 2021. Nutrition support runs alongside medical care rather than replacing it.