Best Watercress Chicken Recipes

CRISPY CHICKEN FINGERS WITH SWEET AND SOUR BLOOD ORANGE SAUCE, BLOOD ORANGE WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Blood Orange Granita, for serving, recipe follows
• For the blood orange rub: Place chicken pieces in a large dish and add the garlic powder, pepper, ground fennel, olive oil and blood orange zest. Coat the chicken with the rub and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• For the crispy chicken fingers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pot one-third full with the vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with a cooling rack.
• Place the flour, whisked eggs and panko into individual dishes. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, followed by the eggs and then the panko breadcrumbs. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking tray. In batches, place the chicken strips in the oil and fry until crispy and golden. Place on a baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
• For the sweet and sour blood orange sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the red onions and sweat until tender and translucent. Mix the honey, red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Add to the saute pan and stir. Add the blood orange zest, blood orange pieces and cinnamon stick. Season with salt and pepper, stir and cook until the mixture has reduced by half.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve into a new pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Place the pot back over medium heat, add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer to cook the cornstarch out, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.
• For the blood orange watercress salad: Segment the blood oranges over a sieve and bowl to ensure all the juices are reserved; set the segments aside. Place the olive oil, red wine vinegar and shallots in the blood orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Place the watercress and iceberg lettuce on a serving plate. Spoon the blood orange dressing over the greens. Garnish with the blood orange segments and crushed rice crackers.
• Serve the salad alongside the crispy chicken fingers with the sweet and sour blood orange dipping sauce.

SOY-MARINATED CHICKEN BREAST WITH WATERCRESS-PASTA SALAD AND MANGO-LIME PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. For marinade, combine soy sauce, chili paste, scallion whites, red wine, garlic, ginger, and black pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and let marinate. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente; drain. For dressing, whisk together mustard, vinegar, sesame oil, and 2 tbsp canola oil. Toss pasta, red pepper, watercress and all but 2 tbsp scallion greens with dressing. In a blender, puree mangoes, lime juice, and remaining 1 tbsp canola oil. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray and add chicken in a single layer. Broil 6 to 7 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Cut breasts diagonally in half. On each plate, place 1/4 pasta and 2 pieces chicken. Drizzle with mango puree and garnish with remaining scallion greens.

CHICKEN BREAST SANDWICHES WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, WATERCRESS, AND PAPRIKA AïOLI

Steps:

• Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Aioli can be made 2 days ahead. Cover prepared aioli and chill.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Caramelized onions can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with mallet to 1/3-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface. Brush cut side of rolls with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill rolls, cut side down, until grill marks appear, about 1 minute. Spread rolls with some of aioli. Assemble sandwiches, dividing chicken, caramelized onions, and watercress among rolls. Serve warm.

GINGER CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Put all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions in a blender; add the ginger, jalapeno, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato and 1/4 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the chicken and mushrooms to the slow cooker and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low, 4 hours.
• Roughly chop the watercress and stir into the slow cooker. Serve the chicken and vegetables with rice; top with the reserved scallions.

WATERCRESS & CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Steps:

• To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until completely blended. Heat the oil in a frying pan until very hot. Throw in the chicken, cashew nuts, pepper and onion, then stir-fry for about 4-5 mins until the chicken is cooked and the nuts are toasted. Pour over the sauce and simmer with a splash of water. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir through the watercress just before serving with boiled rice.

QUICK ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, ONIONS, AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in upper third. Place chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at thigh end, with kitchen shears, cut along one side of backbone, then the other side. (Discard backbone or freeze it for stock.) Open chicken like a book and flip it over. Press firmly on breastbone (as shown) to flatten. Rub chicken all over with 2 teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Line bottom of a broiler pan with foil. Drizzle foil with 2 teaspoons oil and arrange potatoes in a single layer, turning to coat. Top with onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover vegetables with slotted top of broiler pan and place chicken, breast side up, on top. Roast until chicken is cooked through (a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh, avoiding bone, should read 165 degrees), 35 minutes. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
• Toss watercress with 2 teaspoons oil and orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Divide potatoes and onions among 4 plates, top with watercress, and serve alongside chicken.

CHICKEN, WATERCRESS, AND AVOCADO SANDWICH WITH TARRAGON AïOLI

Steps:

• Whisk mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons oil, tarragon, vinegar, minced garlic, and lemon juice in small bowl to blend well. Season aioli with salt and pepper.
• Place chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper. Using rolling pin, flatten chicken to even 1/2-inch thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Cool chicken, then tear into narrow 3-inch strips. Place chicken in bowl. Mix in 3/4 cup aioli; season with salt and pepper (reserve remaining aioli for another use).
• Rub 1 side of each toast slice with cut side of halved garlic. Arrange 4 toasts garlic side up. Top each with 1/4 of watercress, 1 fanned-out avocado half, and 1/4 of chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; top with remaining toasts, garlic side down.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SPELT, PEAR AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium heat and brush some oil onto the grates.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the spelt and return to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the berries are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Grill until nicely marked and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to rest.
• Put the lemon juice in medium bowl. Thinly slice the pears and the fennel lengthwise with a mandoline into the bowl. Toss with the lemon juice. Add the spelt, watercress and oil . Toss to dress evenly. Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and some pepper.
• Divide the salad and chicken evenly among four plates. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Gruyere or Gouda cheese over each plate. Serve.

CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, combine oil and lemon juice; season dressing with salt and pepper.
• Lay chicken flat. Holding a sharp knife parallel to work surface, split each chicken breast in half horizontally. Cover with plastic wrap and pound each piece with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small pan until 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing and sprinkle with cumin.
• Clean and oil grill. Grill chicken until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. To bowl with dressing, add watercress, radishes, and avocado and toss to combine. Serve chicken topped with watercress salad.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place onion and garlic inside chicken cavity. Slide fingertips between chicken breast skin and meat to loosen skin. Stuff chopped watercress under skin. Tie chicken lets together. Place chicken in roasting pan. Rub butter over chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Bake chicken until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Let stand 10 minutes. Surround with remaining watercress and serve.

CHICKEN AND WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Marinate chicken with salt, cornflour and rice wine, pepper and sesame oil.
• Bring chicken stock to boil in a saucepan.
• Add in the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in the chicken and stir to separate the chicken slices.
• When soup starts to boil, add in the watercress and stir.
• Cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove and serve in a soup bowl.

STIR-FRIED CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Toss chicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. In a small bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, sugar, garlic chili sauce, soy sauce, and remaining cornstarch; set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Saute chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes; remove chicken and set aside. Add leek, jicama, bell pepper, ginger, and garlic; cook, stirring frequently until jicama is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to pan along with watercress; cook until watercress has wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk soy sauce mixture, then add to pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

FRIED CHICKEN LIVER PITAS WITH RED ONION MARMALADE AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• 1. Place the chicken livers in bowl with the buttermilk. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• 2. Saute the red onions in 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add the sugar and balsamic and cook until the balsamic is reduced by half and is a paste-like consistency, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• 3. Heat the mini pitas over a grill or a burner for 10 seconds per side. Cut into wedges and set aside.
• 4. Heat canola oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, cornmeal, cayenne, baking soda, and some salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate. In batches, remove the chicken livers from the buttermilk and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess flour. Gently add the livers to the fryer and cook 1 1/2 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
• 5. Place 1 tablespoon onion marmalade on a wedge of pita, then top with watercress leaves and a chicken liver.

WATERCRESS AND LEEK SOUP WITH CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• 1. Mix together ground chicken, onion, and garlic. In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs, dill, chili flakes, salt, and pepper, mix to combine, add half & half to moisten breadcrumb mixture, use a fork to combine. Add breadcrumb mixture to chicken mixture, mix, then form into 1 inch balls. Put in fridge until ready to add to broth.
• 2. Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in soup pot. Add carrots, celery, and leek. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Add meatballs to boiling broth, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes.
• 3. Divide watercress in bowls, ladle soup over top. Serve.

CHICKEN AND WATERCRESS SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND FETA

Steps:

• Combine vinegar and shallot in medium bowl. Whisk in both oils. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place watercress, chicken, cheese, and apricots in large bowl. Add dressing; toss. Divide salad among 4 plates. Sprinkle each with almonds.

BROILED BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATOES AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heating element. Place sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and sprinkle with brown sugar. Wrap each cutlet with a bacon slice; tuck onion between bacon and chicken. Arrange alongside potatoes on sheet, onion side up; season with salt and pepper.
• Broil until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss watercress with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Divide chicken, potatoes, and watercress evenly among 4 plates and serve.

WATERCRESS AND RADICCHIO SALAD WITH BARBECUED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Make the mustard vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine mustard, tarragon, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk well. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil. Drizzle until the oil is incorporated into the dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the whole garlic cloves and blanch for 1 1/2 minutes. Drain and thinly slice. Set aside.
• Using your fingers, gently separate the skin from the chicken breasts, making a pocket. Be sure to keep the skin attached to the chicken breast. Place a few blanched garlic slices and parsley leaves under the skin of the chicken breast. Pull the skin back over the breasts. Season the outside well with salt and pepper. Drizzle the breasts with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• Place the chicken breasts on the grill, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until cooked through and the juices run clear, about another 6 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Remove and set aside.
• Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and heat. Add the shallots and the chopped garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown and cooked, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Slice each chicken breast into 4 slices on the diagonal.
• Combine the watercress and the chopped radicchio in a large bowl. Toss with desired amount of dressing. Place the whole radicchio leaves around the edges of 6 plates. Pile the watercress mixture in the center. Divide the mushrooms among the plates. Top each plate with the sliced chicken breast. Drizzle with a little more dressing.

CHICKEN MEATBALL SOUP WITH WATERCRESS

Steps:

• 1. Chicken Meatballs: Mix together ground chicken , red onion and garlic. Add the dill, olive oil,salt chili flakes and bread crumb mixture. Season to taste with s/p. Form into small meatballs....(1 teaspoon per meatball) Cover & refrigerate until ready to use.
• 2. Soup: In a medium stockpot, cook the vegetables in 1 tbsp oil for about 2 mins. Add the stock and chicken stock and simmer for approx 15 mins until meatballs are cooked.When ready divide watercress in bowls and ladle soup over top. Serve.
• 3. Chicken Stock: In a large stockpot heat 2 tbsps of olive oil on med-high heat. Add chicken bones or carcass /backs etc , stir to coat and cook for 5 mins to brown. Add all the vegetables along with herbs and peppercorns, Stir and add water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 4-6 hours. Adjust seasoning. The stock will have reduced by half. * Any leftover stock can be frozen You can alter this recipe to your own liking or as is..... I added cilantro to my soup,I left the breadcrumbs out of the meatballs...I am trying to go wheat free. I also didn't brown my chicken bones as they were backs and I threw them in the pot frozen. Next time I will be more prepared as I think browning the bones/meat will give the stock a richer flavor.I also threw in some fresh corn kernels. The watercress really is delicious with this.I don't recommend you leave it out!!

CRISPY ASIAN CHICKEN AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• In a small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients. Halve radishes lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Diagonally cut scallions into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Discard coarse stems from watercress. In a bowl chill radishes, scallions, watercress, and bean sprouts while preparing chicken.
• Prepare chicken:
• Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch-thick strips, without removing skin. In a bowl stir together flour and cornstarch and add chicken, tossing until coated well. In a 12-inch skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and fry chicken in batches, separating pieces and turning them occasionally, until crisp and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer chicken as fried to paper towels to drain.
• In a bowl toss chicken with three fourths dressing. Toss vegetables with remaining dressing and combine with chicken.

CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD CREAM ON WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Divide watercress between 2 plates. Place chicken between sheets of waxed paper. Using rolling pin, pound chicken to even 1/2-inch thickness. Peel off paper. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
• Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; sauté until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Place chicken atop watercress. Add broth, cream and mustard to skillet. Boil until sauce thickens, whisking often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken.