When you want maximum protein for minimum calories, this steamed chilli chicken is hard to beat. Chicken steamed with ginger, garlic, chilli and soy stays incredibly moist and takes on loads of flavour, delivering a huge 39g of protein for under 300 calories. It is clean, light, punchy and quick — exactly the kind of lean, high-protein dinner that makes a GLP-1 evening easy.
A quick word first: I am not a doctor or a dietitian, just someone who lived this. None of these foods or supplements are medication, and if you are on a GLP-1, check anything new with your GP or pharmacist. Right, let us get to it.
For more evening ideas, see my high-protein dinner ideas, and for hitting your protein, how much protein per day.
Why steamed chicken is a protein powerhouse
This is about as lean and efficient a protein dinner as you can make, and it does not skimp on flavour.
39g of protein for under 300 calories. Steamed chicken breast is almost pure protein, so you get a huge protein hit for remarkably few calories — ideal on a GLP-1.
Steaming keeps chicken breast moist. Dry chicken breast is a common complaint; gentle steaming keeps it beautifully tender and juicy, especially with the marinade.
Bold Asian flavours for almost no calories. Ginger, garlic, chilli and soy give this a real punch without adding fat or sugar to speak of.
Cracking the moist chicken breast problem
Chicken breast is the ultimate lean protein — high in protein, low in fat and calories, cheap and versatile — which is why it is such a staple for anyone eating well. But it has one big problem: cooked badly, it turns dry, stringy and boring, and dry chicken breast is genuinely off-putting. For years that put me off relying on it. Learning how to keep chicken breast moist was a real turning point, because it unlocked the single most useful protein for a weight-loss diet.
Steaming, as in this recipe, is one of the best answers. The gentle, moist heat cooks the chicken through without drying it out, and because it never touches a hot dry pan, it stays tender and juicy. Marinating it first, as we do here with the ginger, garlic, chilli and soy, adds flavour and helps keep it moist too. The other keys are not overcooking it — chicken breast is done the moment it is no longer pink inside, and every minute beyond that dries it out — and letting it rest before serving. Master those simple principles and chicken breast goes from a dry chore to a juicy, flavourful, reliable protein you can build countless dinners around. On a GLP-1, where lean protein is the foundation of everything, cracking the moist chicken breast problem is genuinely one of the most valuable cooking skills you can have.
The macros that matter
Here is roughly what one serving gives you. Treat these as a guide rather than gospel, since it depends on your exact ingredients and portions:
| Approx per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~300 kcal |
| Protein | 39g |
| Carbohydrate | 10g |
| Fat | 10g |
| Fibre | 4g |
The protein figure is the one I watch on a GLP-1. As a rough guide I aim for somewhere around 1.2 to 1.6g of protein per kilo of body weight across the day to protect muscle while losing fat, and I judge every meal by how much of that it contributes. I log meals like this in Cronometer (it is free) so I know I am actually hitting my targets rather than hoping. The first time I tracked properly I realised I was eating far less protein than I thought, so if you have never done it, give it two weeks.
What you need (serves 1)
- 2 chicken breasts (about 300g)
- 2cm ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced (or ½ tsp chilli flakes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Juice of ½ lime
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- To serve: steamed pak choi, broccoli or green beans
- Optional: cauliflower rice or a little rice
How to make it
- Mix the ginger, garlic, chilli, soy sauce, sesame oil and lime juice into a marinade.
- Coat the chicken breasts in the marinade and leave for 15–30 minutes if you have time.
- Set up a steamer, or a colander over a pan of simmering water with a lid.
- Steam the chicken for 12–15 minutes until cooked through but still juicy, spooning over any marinade.
- Steam the green vegetables alongside or below the chicken.
- Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes, then slice.
- Serve scattered with spring onions, with the greens and cauliflower rice or a little rice.
Adjusting it to your goals
This is extremely lean and high-protein, and easy to adapt:
Add a carb if you need it. A little rice or noodles rounds it out for a hungrier day or after training.
Load up the greens. Pak choi, broccoli, beansprouts and green beans all steam beautifully and add fibre for almost no calories.
Use thighs for more flavour. Boneless thighs are juicier if you find breast too lean. See how much protein per day.
The art of not overcooking your protein
If there is one mistake that ruins more healthy dinners than any other, it is overcooking the protein. Lean proteins — chicken breast, white fish, prawns, turkey — are wonderful when cooked just right and disappointing when cooked too long, because they have little fat to keep them moist, so every extra minute on the heat dries them out. The single best thing you can do to improve your cooking is to learn to take protein off the heat at the right moment, which is usually earlier than you think. Chicken breast is done the instant it is no longer pink in the middle; fish the moment it flakes; prawns the moment they turn pink and curl. Carryover heat continues to cook them a little after you take them off, so pulling them slightly early and letting them rest gives you perfectly juicy results. A digital meat thermometer takes all the guesswork out for larger pieces — chicken is safely cooked at 74C — and is a cheap, worthwhile bit of kit. Combined with gentle methods like steaming, and always resting your meat, getting the timing right is what separates dry, sad, healthy dinners from juicy, delicious ones. It is a skill worth practising, because it applies to almost every protein you will ever cook.
Quick to cook, prep the marinade
This is a genuinely fast dinner, and marinating the chicken ahead — even overnight — deepens the flavour and makes it a two-minute job to get the steamer going. Steamed chicken is also brilliant cold, sliced into a next-day high-protein lunch salad or noodle bowl, so it is worth cooking an extra breast. A fast, clean, high-protein staple of my meal prep ideas for Mounjaro.
How it fits a full day of eating
At 39g of protein for under 300 calories, this is the most protein-efficient dinner in the whole series, and it makes hitting my target effortless without a heavy meal. I still aim for a solid high-protein breakfasts and high-protein lunch, but a lean, high-protein dinner like this is ideal when I have had richer food earlier or want to keep the day’s calories in check.
Being very low in calories and carbs, it leaves loads of room in the day, and I add rice or noodles if I need the energy. a protein shake covers any gap after training. This is exactly the lean, high-protein dinner a GLP-1 evening calls for — my complete GLP-1 guide explains how I plan around it.
No appetite today?
Light, clean and gentle, steamed chicken with greens is one of the easier dinners to face on a low-appetite evening while still banking a big protein hit. The fresh ginger and chilli can even help wake up an appetite that has gone. When cooking is beyond you, HelloFresh keeps proper meals coming. More in what to eat with no appetite.
Supplements that pair well
This lean dinner is low in fat, so I make sure to take Super Omega-3 EPA for omega-3, which a very lean meal like this lacks. A daily Super Supplemental covers general gaps. If you are eating this lean, make sure the rest of your day includes enough healthy fats. The free Lily & Loaf lifestyle analysis matches a routine to your goals.
Frequently asked questions
How is this so high in protein and low in calories?
Steamed chicken breast is almost pure protein with very little fat, and steaming adds no oil. That gives you a huge 39g of protein for under 300 calories — about as efficient as a protein dinner gets.
How do I stop the chicken drying out?
Steam it gently rather than frying, do not overcook it, and let it rest before slicing. Marinating it first helps too. Chicken breast is done the moment it is no longer pink inside — any longer dries it out.
Can I use chicken thighs instead?
Yes — boneless thighs are juicier and more forgiving if you find breast too lean. They are slightly higher in fat and calories but still a great, moist option.
Do I need a steamer?
No — a colander or metal sieve over a pan of simmering water with a lid works fine, as does a bamboo steamer or a steamer basket. You can also cook it in a foil parcel in the oven.
Is it filling enough on its own?
With plenty of greens, yes, especially given the big protein hit. Add rice or noodles for a hungrier day or after a workout if you need more energy.
The bottom line
Steamed chilli chicken is maximum protein for minimum calories — a huge 39g of protein for under 300 calories, clean, light and packed with bold Asian flavour. Cracking the moist chicken breast problem, and learning not to overcook your protein, unlocks the most useful ingredient in a weight-loss kitchen. Load up the greens, add rice if you need energy, and enjoy. To match your supplements to a lean, high-protein diet, the free Lily & Loaf lifestyle analysis is a quick, no-pressure check.
The tools I lean on
If you are putting a GLP-1 routine together, this is the order I would do it in, free tools first:
- Track a fortnight of food in Cronometer so you can see your real protein and calories.
- Take the free Lily & Loaf lifestyle analysis to find the supplements actually worth buying.
- Start an Audible trial for something to listen to while you cook or walk.
- Keep HelloFresh on standby for the weeks cooking from scratch just is not happening.
- Batch-cook and freeze portions in a set of freezer-safe containers so there is always a healthy dinner a few minutes away.
A bit about me
I am Alan Spicer. I lost around seven stone on Mounjaro and filmed the whole thing, warts and all, on my YouTube channel. Simple, protein-first dinners like this were a real part of how I held onto muscle and kept the weight off.
This article shares my personal experience and general information only. It is not medical advice. Food and supplements support a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle and do not replace it or any treatment prescribed by your doctor. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before making changes, especially while on a GLP-1 medication. Nutrition figures are approximate and will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.
Inspired by the kind of fresh, wholefood dinners in the Lily & Loaf evening meals collection. This is my own version, written from my own kitchen.
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