22 Low-Cal Dinner Recipes

It’s not unusual to assume that if you want to reduce your calories you have to say goodbye to all of your favourite foods. This is absolutely not the case.

Here’s 22 recipes that will fill you up for just 550 kcals, or less. Soon, these recipes will be making it into your weekly rotation.

1. One-Pan Roast Chicken Dinner

A Sunday roast to rival your local, and it’s almost as easy. I'm serious. After the chopping is out of the way, chuck it all into the oven and 45 minutes later you’re tucking into a home-cooked Sunday lunch.

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2. Salt & Pepper Chicken

A chip shop fave, and for good reason. It’s packed full of flavour, and not shy on veg. A top-tier midweek meal. Better yet, cook double and stuff some into a wrap and serve alongside some rice for a delish work lunch. Now we’re talking.

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3. Crispy Sriracha Prawns with Black Rice

Prawns are always a bit of a treat for me, and this crispy sriracha version takes them to the next level. It’s a midweek tea you look forward to all day.

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4. Butternut Squash & Kale Salad

Crispy kale and sweet butternut squash. As salads go, this one’s up there.

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5. Sticky Sesame Chicken

Chicken and rice, but make it 1000% better. Succulent, saucy, and oh so tasty. With plenty of zingy, sweet and sour taste you’ll never need to go back to your local Chinese takeaway.

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6. Sweet Chilli Glazed Salmon

Salmon and rice took the world by storm earlier this year when Emily Mariko’s revealed her deconstructed sushi on TikTok. We loved it, but one thing was missing — a sweet chilli glaze. Say no more…

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7. Chicken Gyros

In my view, you can never go wrong with anything inspired by Greece. And these gyros are further proof.

Packed full of succulent spiced chicken, salad, some chips, and a boatload of tzatziki for good measure, you just can’t go wrong with this recipe.

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8. BBQ Chicken Pizza

It’s possible to make every night pizza night when you have this recipe in your repertoire. It’s perfect for a lazy night alone in front of the TV, or get your friends round for a pizza-making dinner party. Either way, it’s delicious and macro-friendly.

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9. Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

Say goodbye to bland, dry chicken and rice and hello to your new favourite alternative. It’s amazing what a bit of teriyaki can do to liven up a meal.

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10. Naked Chicken Burrito Bowl

Perhaps not as indulgent as a regular burrito, but this naked chicken burrito bowl makes up for it and more — it’s got less calories for one, and it’s definitely easier to eat when you’re scrolling TikTok. Oh, and it’s delicious, too.

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11. Vegan Lentil Bolognese

You can never go wrong with pasta. That’s for any meal of the day, in my opinion. This macro-friendly dish will have you looking forward to your next serving as soon as you’ve finished. Plus, it’s vegan!

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12. Tofu Teriyaki Noodles

Crispy tofu is top tier every day, but the perfect choice for a high-protein, meat-free Monday. Sizzling flavour, veggies galore, and plenty of plant-based protein. Sign me up.

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13. Creamy Garlic Chicken

With a whopping 45g of protein this is a sure-fire way to help you hit your daily goals. Winner winner chicken dinner. Literally.

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14. Chicken Chow Mein

A Chinese takeaway classic, and macro-friendly. Packed full of veg, protein, and noodles — there’s a reason it’s one of the nation’s favourites.

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15. BBQ Chicken Calzone

A folded pizza is a great excuse to load it to the brim with sauce and toppings. This one is stuffed full with rich BBQ sauce and plenty of chicken to help you hit your macro targets.

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16. Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

The perfect dinner if you’re trying to cut back on meat — and you’ll never look back. Far from the soggy cauliflower you might remember from school dinners, it’s crunchy and coated in delicious buffalo sauce.

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17. Vegan Fajitas

There’s nothing quite like a fajita. Who knew portobello mushrooms made the perfect alternative to chicken?

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18. Air Fryer Chicken Skewers

I don’t know about you but I'm always looking for new recipes to chuck in the air fryer. I just know these honey sriracha chicken skewers are about to become a weekly occurrence.

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19. Beef Crunch Wraps

For the days when you can’t seem to let go of the thought of tucking into some fast food try this instead. Follow the recipe to a tee if it sounds like a bit of you, or customise it with some extra chillies or even guac.

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20. Crispy Honey Beef Noodles

A dinner you’ll be looking forward to all day — crispy beef strips, crunch veg and a tasty sauce. Here’s some advanced notice to make extra for your lunch the next day. Thank me later.

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21. One-Pan Creamy Mushroom Chicken & Rice

In this recipe

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22. Chicken Curry with Broccoli Rice

Simple yet effective. Put down the jar of sauce, this curry is incredibly easy to make and tastes loads better, promise. Laid on a bed of rice and broccoli is velvety curry, topped with refreshing Greek yoghurt. Only 450kcal and packed with 45g of protein per serve.

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Take home message

If you take anything away from this listicle, let it be that macro-friendly does absolutely not mean bland. With a little inspiration, you can stay on top of your macros and still satisfy your tastebuds.

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