Many Americans don’t achieve their new year’s resolution of eating healthier is because they don’t know what tasty yet healthy recipes to make. Eating healthy don’t have to be boring with the same old salads and green smoothies because there are many healthier alternatives for your favorite dishes – like beer-braised chicken thighs.

A nutritious diet can consist of all parts of the chicken, not just the well-known chicken breast. Chicken thighs, for instance, have a nutrient-dense mix of unsaturated fatty acids plus vitamins and minerals like iron. The following beer-braised chicken thighs with cremini mushrooms recipe from MyRecipes was developed with Let’s Move!, the USDA’s MyPlate, and the Partnership for a Healthier America.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces uncooked no-yolk egg noodles
• 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons chopped, fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 4 – 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 – 8-ounce package cremini mushrooms, halved
• 3/4 cup dark porter beer
• 3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Cook the egg noodles according to package’s directions, excluding the salt and fat. Once cooked, drain the noodles.
2. Combine the thyme and paprika with 3 tablespoons of flour in a large zip-top plastic bag. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add the chicken to bag and seal the bag. Then, turn the bag and chicken inside to coat the chicken with the flour mixture.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to pan and swirl the oil to coat the skillet. Remove the chicken thighs from flour mixture, then discard the flour mixture.
4. Add the chicken thighs to skillet and cook for 4 minutes or until browned. Afterwards, flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove chicken thighs from the skillet even though they will not be fully cooked.
5. Add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are browned while stirring occasionally. Next, stir in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of flour and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt as well as the beer, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Bring this to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, reduce the heat, and cook partially covered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is done. Then, sprinkle the chicken thighs with parsley and serve with the egg noodles.

Cooking Details

• Yield: Serves 4, each with 1 chicken thigh, 1/2 cup of egg noodles, and 1/2 cup of sauce

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