Weeknight Healthy Dutch Oven Recipes

These Dutch oven recipes are the definition of comfort food — hearty, wholesome cooking with all the trimmings!

With a growing interest in healthier family meals, there are, of course, plenty of healthy one-pot Dutch oven dishes that the entire family will love.

We’ve gathered three delicious Dutch oven recipes you can do without the skills of a chef. Check them out below!

The Best Dutch Oven Recipes

Here are three of our favorite Dutch oven recipes that are both healthy and delicious at the same time:

1. Chicken Soup

Hearty, healthy chicken soup, add some noodles for a classic chicken noodle soup. This soup is packed with vegetables and meaty chicken pieces.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil;
• 6 chicken breasts;
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter;
• 1 large carrot, cut into rounds, peeled;
• 2 stalks of celery, diced;
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped;
• 6 cloves of garlic;
• 8 cups chicken broth;
• 1 tsp basil, dried;
• 1/2 tsp thyme, dried;
• 1/2 tsp parsley, dried;
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper;
• 1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes;
• Salt to taste, kosher;
• Optional: 12 oz dry noodles.

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Salt the chicken breasts and add them to the pot. Seal the breasts cooking each side for 1 – 2 minutes each side, brown the breasts and remove them from the Dutch Oven.
2. Place the butter into the pot and melt. Sautee the onions for 1 minute and add the chopped garlic cloves. Add in the celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes until tender.
3. In the Dutch Oven, add the dried herbs, pepper flakes, and stock. Stir well to combine all the ingredients. Add the chicken breasts to the pot. Increase the heat, and bring the soup to a steady boil.
4. Reduce heat and cover; allow to cook for 5 – 7 minutes. Remove the breasts from the soup and shred them. If you add noodles to the soup, place the dry noodles in and cook for 10 minutes until al dente.
5. Add the shredded chicken to the soup, bringing the pot to a boil. Ensure the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Taste and season as needed.
6. Serve with chopped parsley and crusty bread.

2. One-Pot Chicken Teriyaki

Source

Homemade teriyaki chicken comes together beautifully with fresh vegetables for a family-friendly meal. Serve on a bed of fluffy rice or al dente penne pasta. Try this recipe as an easy midweek dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce;
• 1/4 cup mirin;
• 3 tbsp brown sugar;
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger;
• 4 tbsp peanut oil;
• 1 large onion, sliced thinly;
• 2 cups of small broccoli florets;
• 3 medium zucchinis, cut into 2-inch pieces;
• 1 cup of snow peas;
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts;
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, remove the skin and bones and cut into strips;
• 1 tsp kosher salt;
• 1/2 ground black pepper;
• 3/4 cups chicken broth;
• 2 tbsp honey;
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced;
• 2 tbsp cornstarch;
• 3 cups cooked rice or pasta.

Method

1. In a 7-quart Dutch Oven, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, broccoli, and carrots. Sautee the vegetables until the carrots are slightly tender, approximately 2 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini, peas, and bean sprouts. Cook until the vegetable mixture is heated thoroughly. Remove the vegetable mixture from the pot and set aside.
3. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper—heat 2 tbsp of oil in the Dutch Oven. Add the chicken until browned on all sides — Cook for 3 minutes.
4. Pour in 1/2 cup of chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, ginger, honey, and garlic. Deglaze the pot; make sure to scrape any browned bits from the pan. Reduce the heat and allow to boil for 3 minutes gently.
5. Simmer on medium to low and cook until the chicken is done. In a jug, add 3 tbsp of chicken broth and cornstarch, and beat together until combined. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the chicken in the pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.
6. Add the rice or cooked pasta and vegetables and combine well with the chicken and sauce. Cook until the dish is fully warmed up and the flavors have been well absorbed.
7. Serve hot with fresh chopped green onions.

3. Paleo, Whole30 Beef Stew

Source

Good and healthy food doesn’t need to taste like cardboard or come served with plain greens. This tasty meal takes 90 minutes to make from scratch to plating.

Ingredients

• 10 lb chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes;
• 4 sweet potatoes, diced;
• 4 carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks;
• 2 celery stalks, chopped;
• 4 cups of beef broth/stock;
• 1 cup of fresh tomatoes, diced finely;
• 1/2 onion, diced;
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced;
• 1 tbsp olive oil;
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar;
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut aminos;
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme;
• Half a teaspoon of kosher salt;
• 1/2 tsp black pepper;
• 1 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped;
• Optional: Chili flakes.

Method

1. Lightly season the 1-inch beef cubes with salt and pepper, and toss the cubes with a sprinkling of arrowroot/corn flour powder. In Dutch Oven, heat the oil, and brown the meat on all sides. Once the meat is browned, set it aside on a plate.
2. Sautee the onions, carrots, garlic, and celery for 4 minutes until softened. Add the broth, meat, tomatoes, and dried herbs. Bring the beef stew to a soft boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer on low heat. Stirring the stew occasionally — Cook for 45 minutes.
3. Add the sweet potatoes to the stew and cook for 25 minutes while covered. Check the seasoning and whether the beef is fork-tender. Cook for another 10 minutes if required.
4. Serve with freshly chopped parsley.

Quick And Easy Weeknight Dinners

Most American households believe that healthy food takes effort and long hours slaving away in the kitchen.

With a little meal planning and preparing your ingredients in advance, you can have quick and easy weeknight dinners with very little fuss.

Prepping your ingredients according to the meals you want to make for the week saves time and effort.

Hopefully, you’ll enjoy these Dutch oven recipes as much as I do. They’re a great way to spend some quality time with your family and friends.