Regular Foods · Bulk Protein Prep · by Mara
Mara's Blackened Watchfire Chicken
Moist Blackened Chicken Meal-Prep Base
A flexible chicken base for assembling separate meals throughout the week. Blackened means deeply seasoned and browned, not burned or dried out. This is a Regular Foods / after recovery recipe only; chicken breast can be difficult to tolerate when thick, dry, or overcooked. Use it only after your care team has cleared similar meat textures. Cayenne is optional and should be omitted when heat or reflux is a concern. Use it three ways: chop into a moist egg scramble, add to a cottage-cheese bowl with tolerated vegetables, or serve beside cauliflower mash, tender zucchini, or another plan-appropriate side. Check the broth label for allergens.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 meal-prep portions
- Serving
- 3 ounces cooked chicken
- Texture
- Thinly sliced, moist, and deeply seasoned without burning
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and only as tolerated
- 1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken broth
Directions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry. If needed, gently pound the cutlets to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Divide the raw chicken into four equal portions so the finished batch can be portioned consistently.
- 2
Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, salt, optional black pepper, and optional cayenne.
- 3
Rub the chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil, then season both sides evenly with the spice mixture.
- 4
Heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken in one uncrowded layer, working in batches if necessary.
- 5
Cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat so the spices brown without burning. Check every piece; poultry must reach 165°F / 74°C in the thickest part.
- 6
Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain or cut into small, easy-to-chew pieces.
- 7
Divide the chicken evenly among four shallow glass meal-prep containers. Add 1 tablespoon of the broth to each container to protect the chicken from drying out.
- 8
Cool promptly, cover, and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep at 40°F / 4°C or colder and use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze individual portions.
- 9
Reheat covered, adding another teaspoon of broth if needed, until the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C. Combine one portion with whatever tolerated meal components fit your plan, and recalculate nutrition for everything added.
PER SERVING
Nutrition
- Protein
- 26g
- Calories
- 150
- Carbs
- 2g
- Fat
- 4g
- Fiber
- 0g
- Sugar
- 0g
- Sodium
- 210mg
Editorial estimate for the chicken base only, per 3 ounces cooked, using boneless skinless chicken breast, two teaspoons oil, the listed spices, and no-salt-added broth. Chicken yield, retained oil, seasoning and broth brands, and the amount of broth served can change every displayed value. Any sauce, cheese, vegetables, grains, or other meal components are not included and require the nutrition and allergens to be recalculated with the exact ingredients, quantities, and brands used.
Source: Original Order of the Little Feast meal-prep formula. Poultry temperatures, shallow-container cooling, refrigerated storage, and reheating follow USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance.
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