Top Gluten Free Recipes for Flavorful Dinners
Looking for hearty, flavorful, and spicy foods? Options on the gluten-free menu include dishes with grilled chicken in a tikka masala sauce and taco meat, as well as Greek and Mediterranean bowls. Other lunch and dinner options include chicken and rice dishes and pineapple and coconut rice with chimichurri sauce.
Why You'll Like Gluten-Free Recipes
- Rich: Creamy tomato sauce, chipotle aioli, feta cheese, tzatziki sauce, and coconut milk can be used in several dishes to add richness.
- Bright, Fresh Tastes: Cilantro, parsley, cucumber, lemon, and pineapple add sour and sweet notes to chicken and rice dishes.
- Bold or Mild: Smoked taco and grilled tikka masala dishes. Other mild options include coconut rice and Greek bowls.
- Designed for Ease: Combine ingredients for bowls and taco meat early. Mix an herb-based sauce with finished bowls or tacos for dinner or other dishes.
1. Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce with Fresh Cilantro and Parsley
Choose fresh, mostly tender cilantro and parsley leaves. Dried herbs will not work in this chimichurri recipe. Argentinian chimichurri is a sauce made mainly with cilantro and parsley, garlic, oil, and vinegar. It has a strong garlic flavor and a little red pepper heat. Cilantro and parsley are the primary ingredients in this recipe. Other important ingredients include chopped onions and garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Oil and red wine vinegar add other flavors to the sauce. Apple cider vinegar is offered as an alternative. Suggested equipment includes a blender or food processor to prepare the sauce quickly. Pulse ingredients until smooth and completely green and free of clumps of herbs, following the recipe instructions for the right consistency. Only fresh herbs should be used; dried cilantro and parsley do not work well in this recipe. If possible, sample the parsley you plan to use in the sauce to ensure it is flavorful, as bitter parsley can make the sauce unappetizing. Use the sauce with steak, chicken, fish, pork, potatoes, and other vegetables. Other uses include marinade, dip, salad dressing, and sandwich and wrap fillings. The recipe yields about 1 cup. The article provides information on freezing portions of the sauce for later consumption.
2. Chicken Fajita Bowls with Chipotle Aioli and Golden Peppers
Make four chicken fajita bowls with separate components, including rice, cooked chicken and peppers, beans, and other uncooked ingredients, to eat throughout the week for lunch and dinner. Cooked leftovers can be stored for several days. Pan-fried seasoned chicken and peppers provide additional flavor and nutrition for the bowls. The chicken is seasoned with salt, garlic powder, cumin, brown sugar, oregano, chili powder, paprika, and tapioca flour. Olive oil is used to cook the seasoned chicken in a skillet with sliced bell peppers and red onions. Lettuce, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli, chicken, and rinsed black beans are served over cilantro lime rice. Using canned black beans simplifies the recipe. After 7-8 minutes, onion and peppers should be browned. Chicken will be added and cooked for 1-2 minutes. This shows that flavors are mixing. Watch the vegetables while cooking to make sure they don't burn and add more oil if necessary. Pound chicken to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness to make sure it cooks evenly in the suggested cooking time. Don't rush or overcook the chicken or vegetables. Serve hot bowls of the mixture as suggested or make fajitas using warm tortillas. Reheat leftover chicken and vegetable mixture and rice in a pan. Add lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado if available, and aioli to serve. Store dressing separately.
3. Chicken Tikka Masala with Charred Chicken and Creamy Tomato Sauce
Choose bite-size pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast. Chicken has few calories and is a good meat choice for this yogurt marinade recipe. Chicken tikka masala is a dish consisting of pieces of chicken that have been browned and served in a spiced sauce of tomatoes and onions and garam masala and other spices such as ginger and garlic. The marinade ingredients are plain or Greek yogurt and lemon juice, cumin, garam masala, chili powder, ginger, and garlic. The pan used in the marinade is also used to make the sauce, whose ingredients are vegetable oil, butter, sweet onion, brown sugar, spices, tomato sauce, and heavy cream. Tomato sauce is added to the sauce as a thickener because it enhances the flavors of other ingredients and gives the sauce a pale orange color. The chicken should not be disturbed for the first minute of cooking in hot oil to create a crust. Browned bits from the chicken are scraped into the softened onions before making the sauce. The most common mistake when cooking this dish is overcrowding the pan with chicken. Overcrowding can prevent the chicken from browning properly and instead cause it to steam. You might need to cook the chicken in more than one batch. Serve hot sauce and chicken with cooked basmati rice and naan on the side. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Avoid adding cooked rice when storing leftovers to keep them from absorbing flavors from the sauce. Add a little water to the sauce only when it needs thinning after the chicken returns to the pan.
4. Greek Chicken Bowls with Crunchy Cucumber and Creamy Feta
Prepare four servings of Greek chicken bowl dishes by cooking the meat and chopping other ingredients in advance. Combine ingredients at mealtime. Other ingredients for Greek chicken bowls include oregano-seasoned chicken, cucumber, tomato, olive, and feta cheese over quinoa or rice. Olive oil provides a pan-fried taste to diced chicken. Garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper provide additional flavors in a short amount of time. Other salad ingredients include quinoa or rice and diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, and olives. Lemon juice is added to the salad after the chicken to provide lemon flavor without affecting other ingredients or portion sizes. Check for color cues while the chicken cooks. Serve the chicken and vegetables separately on a serving plate so that the vegetables are visible and well mixed. Hints that the food has been mishandled include clumps of feta cheese mixed with the grains. Overcooked diced chicken is dry, and overhandling of other ingredients, including tomatoes and feta cheese, can cause damage. Serve the bowls warm or at room temperature with parsley. Other serving suggestions from the article include warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce, green salad, and roasted vegetables. If you plan to serve the bowls for lunch, consider leaving out the parsley to pack leftovers in an airtight container for future meals. The cucumber will break down some over time.
5. Ground Chicken Tacos With Smoky Spice and Juicy Tomato Paste Sauce
This ground chicken taco recipe takes 15 minutes to make and is a good meal choice for a fast family taco dinner. The ground chicken is sautéed with onion, tomato paste, and taco seasoning. Serve with flour tortillas and other typical taco toppings. Olive oil is used to cook diced yellow onions and tomato paste, which helps to brown other ingredients and improve the flavor and color of the filling. Ground chicken that is at least 93% lean meat is suggested for use in the filling, though less lean ground chicken or thighs may also be used for added moisture in the filling. Homemade spices for the filling include chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne, if desired. The pan must be hot and well greased when you add the onion. Simmer the tomato paste in the pan for one minute or so to darken it. Pound the chicken so it browns well when crumbled. Tips for preventing problems include selecting chicken with enough fat so that the filling is moist and well coated with sauce, not dry and stringy. Serve meat with flour tortillas and toppings such as shredded lettuce and sour cream and cheese. Other ideas for using the meat include nachos, taco salads and burrito bowls, and tostadas. Additional taco toppings include salsa, mashed avocado or guacamole, cilantro, and hot sauce. Double a recipe to make meal planning easier and use leftovers by adding water when reheating.
6. Coconut Pineapple Rice with Jasmine Rice and Coconut Milk
Fresh pineapple with firm, yellow-fleshed fruit works well in this coconut pineapple rice recipe as a side dish. This pineapple rice recipe also works well with jasmine rice when you want moist, shiny rice. Other ingredients in this recipe include red pepper and herbs to add small sweet bites to the dish and herbs to enhance flavor. I toast the rice for 2 minutes with the peppers. Look for translucent edges on the rice before adding coconut milk. Cook for a few minutes after adding the coconut milk, then lower the heat and cover the pot and cook the rice for 15 to 18 minutes. The rice will be moist when cooking is finished. I add pineapple near the end of cooking, when most of the cooking liquid has been absorbed, but the rice seems wet. I cover and take it off the heat for 5 minutes to allow the pineapple to warm slightly without breaking down and to provide additional moisture to the dish to prevent it from drying out. A wide spoon is a good utensil choice, as it reduces the likelihood that the pineapple will break down and discolor the rice. Serve this dish fresh in a shallow white ceramic bowl sprinkled with chopped cilantro and scallions (I like to include yellow and green colors in this rice dish). Grill shrimp and other shrimp dishes and chicken skewers to serve alongside. Serve jalapeno slaw alongside. Mango sticky rice rolls can be served for dessert.
7. Mediterranean Chicken Bowls with Rice and Creamy Tzatziki
Prepare four servings of chicken rice bowls by cooking chicken and tzatziki sauce. Have other ingredients ready for service. Other ingredients in chicken rice bowls include grilled chicken with lemon and herbs, vegetables, rice, feta cheese crumbles, and cucumber yogurt sauce. The chicken marinade includes olive oil, lemon peel and lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Honey adds sweetness and helps the chicken brown. Lemon and herb flavors add seasoning to the chicken. Tzatziki sauce topping for bowls includes Greek yogurt, grated cucumber with excess moisture removed, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill. After cooling the chicken for 30 minutes or longer, fry the pieces in a single layer in a pan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and browned on all sides. Overcooking is the main texture problem. Small pieces of chicken may be too dry. Squeeze excess water from grated cucumber to avoid watery tzatziki sauce. Start each serving of this bowl with cooked rice and chicken. Add chopped cucumber, lettuce, tomato, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, parsley, and tzatziki sauce. For meal prep, portion rice and chicken ahead of time. Add chilled vegetables and sauce when ready to eat. Serving warm pita bread with this dish is another option.
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