Low-Calorie Meat & Poultry Recipes

Hanger steak is inherently tender and has great flavor. Here it's grilled and paired with a side of stuffed squash blossoms that are baked rather than getting the more typical battered-and-fried treatment.

This basic braised pork shoulder recipe is a great foundation for all sorts of meals. Try it in our creamy cavatelli pasta (see Associated Recipes), stuffed into a sandwich with provolone and peppers or on top of a pizza.

Mayonnaise adds great tang and texture to this easy pasta recipe--who knew? Black garlic, which is fermented, offers a sweeter, more mellow flavor than fresh. Find it at well-stocked supermarkets or substitute cloves of roasted garlic.

In this grilled chicken recipe from Charlie Foster, executive chef at Woods Hill Table and Adelita in Massachusetts, bone-in breasts are served with the chef's take on Southern dirty rice with chicken livers. Foster believes in the nose-to-tail ethos so he uses as much of each animal as he can. Serve the chicken and rice with grilled wild mushrooms and greens. The dirty rice would also be wonderful with baked or roasted chicken or with turkey.

Corn, tomato and basil scream summer, but simplicity makes this easy dinner recipe perfect for the season. Serve the grilled skirt steak and relish with salad greens for a quick and healthy dinner you'll want to make over and over.

Typically, panzanella is made with tomatoes and dressing-soaked bread cubes. Here, the salad goes sweet and savory but keeps the same look with ripe watermelon. Spring for your favorite bread--it has a starring role in this dish. Serving the salad with grilled pork tenderloin makes a healthy dinner that's simple enough for weeknights.

Grilled eggplant and sausage are paired with chopped fresh tomatoes and served over creamy polenta in this easy summer dinner. Swap the polenta for whole-wheat pasta for a faster meal.

Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.

A quick mint, lime and rum marinade does double duty as a sauce for these easy grilled chicken kebabs. Using agave cuts the sugars in this recipe by half compared to granulated sugar. Plus, we love the added south-of-the-border flavor. Grill some vegetables and corn on the cob along with the kebabs and you have a healthy weeknight dinner that's special enough to serve to company.

This amped-up burger recipe swaps out beef for ground pork: it gives you similar nutrition (protein, iron, zinc) but has a milder flavor to allow this recipe's bold Asian flavors to sing.

This easy chicken and broccoli recipe makes a delicious, healthier alternative to Chinese takeout--and it takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's ideal for an easy weeknight dinner. When toasted, ramen noodles make a tasty, crunchy topping for a stir-fry or salad.

In Cuba, lechon asado (roast pork) is marinated in mojo, a citrus-herb sauce. In this Instant-Pot pork recipe, the pressure cooker infuses similar flavor into pork shoulder. No pressure cooker? Braise the meat in a large pot in a 300 degrees F oven for 4 to 5 hours.

Here's a pro tip from chef Rick Bayless, who shared this skirt steak taco recipe: puree a can of chipotles in adobo sauce and keep it in your fridge. Adobo is a vinegary tomato sauce, so along with the chipotles (smoked jalapeños), it becomes an all-purpose marinade that's spicy, smoky and salty, all in one. In this recipe you brush it on the steak before grilling but Bayless also does the same move on eggplant, chicken and fish. And having the sauce on hand means you're ready to whip up this easy grilled dinner at a moment's notice.

Need a new chicken dinner idea? Try this grilled chicken and vegetable dish from chef Rick Bayless. Grilling the chicken and summer vegetables is a no-brainer, but in colder months, you may wish to move indoors and roast the chicken, along with some root vegetables. Whatever the weather, it's worth seeking out piloncillo for the beer glaze. This unrefined sugar used in Mexican cooking is made from evaporated cane juice. Its complex caramelized flavor balances any bitterness in the beer. Look for it in Latin markets and online.

This crowd-pleasing and easy dinner recipe takes just 20 minutes to make, start to finish, so it's perfect for weeknights! When tomatoes are at their in-season best, just a quick chop and a few ingredients are all you need to make a spaghetti sauce in minutes. Store-bought chicken meatballs keep the low-effort theme going all the way to the table.

These grilled chicken wings get that wonderful mix of sweet and spicy flavors from honey and harissa. Most grills cook unevenly, so it's important to keep these wings moving around to ensure crispy skin without burning. Traditional chicken wing sides--carrots and celery--cook right alongside the chicken for a quick dinner on the grill.

Grilling pizza mimics the rustic flavor of a wood-fired oven. It cooks fast, though, so make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go for speedy flipping and topping. For this grilled pizza recipe we've topped the pie with classic taco toppings, including beans and salsa. Once you've mastered the method, you can use it as a template for how to grill pizza--just swap out the taco ingredients for your favorite toppings.

This grilled pork chop recipe is an elegant and healthy dinner that takes just 30 minutes to make, so it's great for weeknights. Toasting and grinding whole spices ensures you get the freshest, most robust flavors for the pork spice rub.

This easy grilled flank steak gets its flavor from two smoky ingredients--paprika and chipotle--rather than spending hours in a smoker. For a quick and healthy weeknight dinner, grill your favorite vegetables alongside the steak and voilà! Dinner's done.

For this healthy grilled pork tenderloin recipe, we've paired the meat with a zesty sweet and sour rhubarb chutney for a classic flavor combo. Add a big green salad and grill-roasted potatoes for a quick and elegant dinner.