Lazy High Protein Dinner Ideas
Meals you can turn to when you don't care about cooking
Ever had one of those days when the mere thought of cooking feels like a chore?
Maybe it’s because you were up all night working on a passion project, putting kids to sleep, partying like an animal, or simply because you just hate cooking. Regardless of the reason, stepping into the kitchen and making an elaborate meal for yourself or the people you love ain’t happening anytime soon.
Believe me, I’ve been in this situation a thousand times. In fact, after screaming my lungs out this weekend at Lollapalooza, I’m ready to just eat grass for the rest of the week. As much as I would enjoy getting in some extra fiber, I have a daily protein goal I need to hit as I’m sure you probably do as well.
That’s why in today’s newsletter I want to be your phone-a-protein lifeline and share four easy high-protein dinners I make when I feel lazy. They either don’t require a lot of ingredients or don’t have many steps.
If you have any of your own lazy meals that are high in protein, feel free to share them with the rest of us in the comments.
Now, time to get lazy!
Hoisin Sriracha Chicken
45G Protein Per Plate | 481 Calories | 15-17 Minutes | 1 Serving
When you're not in the mood to cook, it might be tempting to get takeout from the local Chinese place. However, once you consider that many of your favorite dishes are essentially just breaded chicken covered in sauce, you might change your mind. I always keep a few staple items on hand to recreate my favorite Asian crispy chicken dishes. These staples include frozen breaded chicken, cooked rice, and a relatively low-calorie sweet sauce, such as sweet chili sauce or hoisin sauce. With these ingredients, you can whip up something delicious in less than 20 minutes. Just make sure you get frozen breaded chicken with good ingredients and at least a 2:1 protein-to-fat ratio. Just Bare Chicken Tenders work well for this application if you can find them at your grocery store.
Ingredient List
6 oz frozen breaded chicken tenders or nuggets
1 1/4 cups leftover cooked rice
Green onions, chopped
Sriracha sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sesame seeds (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Air fry or bake the chicken tenders according to package directions.
Chop up the chicken if using tenders. Otherwise, just use the cooked nuggets as is.
Heat up leftover rice in the microwave for 45 seconds - 1 minute.
Plate the rice and top it with breaded chicken.
Place chopped green onions on top of the chicken then drizzle with hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Spicy Chicken Sausage Pizza
48G Protein Per Pizza | 700 Calories | 12 Minutes | 1 Serving
Before Ubereats and Doordash, we had Papa John’s and Domino’s to thank for helping us be couch potatoes. Sometimes though, the delivery would take an eternity to finally arrive. These days I don’t have an eternity to spare, so I make this lower-calorie version in 12 minutes. No pizza-making experience necessary. It’s not the highest protein meal in the world, but it’s definitely better than 2 slices of a regular pizza which might have about half the protein for the same calories. The ingredients I keep on hand to make this quickly are a thin pre-made pizza crust, Rao’s pizza sauce, and spicy chicken italian sausage. Any fresh vegetables I have in the fridge as well will make an appearance on my pizza. The pre-made pizza crust and chicken italian sausage I like to use is Stonefire Pizza Crust and Whole Foods Spicy Chicken Italian Sausage.
Ingredient List
8.5” pizza crust
1 1/2 spicy italian chicken sausage links
1/2 cup light mozzarella
Pizza sauce
Red bell pepper, chopped
Fresh basil
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the Italian sausage.
Fry the sausage in a pan preheated to medium for 1 minute to brown slightly.
Spread the pizza sauce over the crust and top with the light mozzarella.
Add the browned Italian sausage on top followed by the red bell pepper.
Top the pizza with the basil and place the crust directly on the middle oven rack. Cook for 7 minutes.
Let cool for 3 minutes and enjoy!
Spiced Catfish
25G Protein Per Filet | 143 Calories | 10 Minutes | 4 Servings
I’m always on the lookout for wild-caught or seasonal whitefish at my local seafood market. While fresh fish can make amazing tacos, sometimes I prefer to simply season them and fry them in the pan. A heads up for this recipe: I do love my fish heavily seasoned. So, if you like a milder flavor, consider halving the spices in the ingredient list below. Pair this fish with grits or a vegetable, and then give yourself a pat on the back for cooking a dish that rivals many restaurants.
Ingredient List
2 lbs catfish filets or whitefish of choice
4 tsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Cooking Instructions
Mix all of the spices and salt together.
Cover the fish filets in the olive oil and then rub in the spice mix to the filets.
Coat a pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat.
Add the fish to the pan and cook until each side is browned. Make sure the fish temp hits 145 degrees at least.
Serve with your side of choice and enjoy!
Chicken Schnitzel
53G Protein Per Schnitzel | 377 Calories | 25-30 Minutes | 4 Servings
If you’re not a fan of pre-bought frozen chicken or are particularly wary of sodium intake, then this recipe is for you. It’s an Austrian-style schnitzel made with chicken that is super thin and crispy. This does require a little more work and clean up than the other meals on this list, but I think the payoff is bigger. For the best results, I would recommend using an air fryer. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can follow the same prep instructions and cook the schnitzel for 10-12 minutes at 425°F.
Ingredient List
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup of flour
3 eggs
1 egg white
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
Grated parmagiano-reggiano
Avocado oil spray
Cooking Instructions
Add eggs and egg white to a bowl and mix until well combined.
Pour breadcrumbs on a plate and sprinkle in parmigiano-reggiano. Mix everything together.
Butterfly each of the chicken breasts, then beat the chicken until it becomes thin.
Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken and season one side with salt and pepper.
Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour, dip it in the egg, and coat it with the breadcrumbs. Make sure to press the breadcrumbs in well.
Add the schnitzel to an air fryer preheated at 390°F. Cook for 2-3 minutes a side.
Serve with dijon mustard and a lemon slice. Enjoy!
I hope these convenient meal ideas bail you out when you’re having a rough day! Have any of your own secret lazy meals that are high in protein? Feel free to share them in the comments.
Stay tuned for the next newsletter coming later this week, with a new high-protein recipe featuring one of the most addictive Japanese dishes you can eat.
Enjoy the rest of your week, and see you soon!
Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins
Marcus that hoisin sriracha chicken looks incredible