85 Chicken Dinners for the Busy Cook

Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

This chicken parmesan is an Italian classic that's easy to make and easy on your budget.

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad Recipe

All the fresh flavors of summer come together in this easy grilled chicken salad. The homemade buttermilk dressing balances the heat of the chicken and completes the meal.

Grilled Mango-Habanero Jerk Chicken Recipe

You probably have all the ingredients on hand to make this quick spice rub. Water or chicken stock can be substituted for rum in the mango sauce.

Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken Recipe

The tangy-sweet flavor combination of this sauce will work equally well with chicken thighs or pork. Serve with hot cooked rice and steamed haricots verts or a tossed green salad.

Sweet-Spicy Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe

This colorful chicken and veggie stir-fry features a sweet-spicy sauce and a topping of dry-roasted peanuts, which add delicious crunch.

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe

Saltimbocca means "jump in the mouth"–apt for a fast dish that marries woodsy sage, bright lemon, and salty prosciutto.

Flattened Chicken with Almond and Paprika Vinaigrette Recipe

While pounding the chicken breast thin and searing is a French technique, the flavor profile here is decidedly Spanish.

Chicken Yakitori Recipe

Kids will love swapping forks for skewers to build their own kebab bites. The sweet-savory glazed chicken is perfect served with basmati rice and crisp steamed veggies.

Lemony Orzo-Veggie Salad with Chicken Recipe

This colorful orzo and chicken main dish salad is packed with an assortment of chopped fresh vegetables and tossed with a tangy lemon dressing. It's a great use for leftover or rotisserie chicken.

Fast Skillet Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Lean chicken breasts cook quickly--in just 15 minutes compared to the hour-long braise in most cacciatore recipes. If you'd like more heat in the sauce, kick up the crushed red pepper to 1/2 teaspoon.

Penne and Chicken Tenderloins with Spiced Tomato Sauce Recipe

Keep chicken, pasta, and canned tomatoes on hand so that you can toss this easy dinner together at any time. Any type of small pasta will work in place of penne.

Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta Recipe

Add grilled chicken, spinach and a light cream sauce to linguine for an easy one-dish meal.

Chicken Thighs with Roasted Apples and Garlic Recipe

Bake apples alongside the chicken, and then mash the apples for a flavorful, chunky sauce. To enhance the rustic nature of the dish, leave some of the peel on the apples.

Chicken, Red Grape, and Pesto Pizza Recipe

Grapes make an ideal salad topping, but what about on pizza...? This surprising addition is a sweet contrast to the tangy Romano cheese, herby pesto, and juicy chicken.

Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs Recipe

The tasty Asian-inspired glaze gives these chicken thighs a mahogany sheen. Rich thigh meat is higher in fat than lean white meat, so the thighs stay moist even when they're roasted without skin.

Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas Recipe

This easy, no-cook tostada recipe features store-bought tostada shells and rotisserie chicken. You only need 20 minutes to prep the ingredients and assemble.

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs Recipe

Spice up boneless, skinless chicken thighs with chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and ground red pepper–ingredients which you probably already have in your pantry.

Champion Chicken Parmesan Tout

You'll love this easy-to-make weeknight winner featuring tender breaded chicken served over linguine and topped with herbed tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.

Watch Weeknight Wine Pairings for Champion Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Scallopini Tout

Prepare chicken breasts scallopini-style by pounding them into thin, quick-cooking servings, then dredge in lemon juice and breadcrumbs and sauté for about 3 minutes on each side. The white wine sauce with capers complements the flavor of the lemon juice, and makes a great topping for wild rice.

Video: How to Pound Chicken Breasts

Stir-Fried Chicken Salad Recipe

A vibrant six-ingredient pan sauce performs double-duty as a marinade and a vinaigrette in this quick-cooking recipe. The chicken cooks in minutes, and because it's served on top of a salad, there's no real need for side dishes. Just grab a few breadsticks and a glass of tea and enjoy.

Chicken with Black Bean Salsa Recipe

Serve this flavorful dish in a bowl or wrap in a tortilla for festive Mexican flair. The simple homemade salsa adds spicy flavor and a healthy dose of corn and black beans. This recipe serves one, making it perfect for busy weeknights, and easily scales for two or four servings.

Pan-Roasted Chicken Cutlets with Maple-Mustard Dill Sauce Recipe

Serve this one-pan dish in less than 20 minutes. The rich maple syrup and Dijon mustard sauce is flavored with fresh dill and orange rind, the perfect combination to spice up a basic scallopini-style chicken dinner.

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken-Apricot Skewers Recipe

Bring the flavor and ease of cooking outdoors into the kitchen with simple chicken skewers infused with the bright flavors of fresh lemon juice, apricot jam, and dried herbs. They broil in about 10 minutes, just long enough to steam a green veggie and microwave quick-cooking rice.

Beer-Braised Chicken Thighs with Cremini Mushrooms Recipe

A wide skillet and less liquid allow for a relatively short, intense braise--less than 20 minutes, compared to many hour-long versions.

Kung Pao Chicken Recipe

Make this Szechuan restaurant classic in just 30 minutes. The chicken, cut into uniform strips, browns quickly and absorbs the flavor of the zesty hoisin sauce. Serve with quick-cooking white or brown rice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Bake a hearty chicken dinner with over-the-top flavor in less than 30 minutes. Smoky prosciutto, paired with mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses, spices up scallopini-style chicken breasts. Steam a side of broccoli and call the family to the table for an impressive dinner.

Sweet Vermouth Chicken Recipe

Go ahead, invite last-minute company over on a weeknight. This saucy chicken dish with sweet vermouth, fresh tarragon, and dried cranberries, is impressively quick and delicious. Brown the chicken in a skillet, then bake in the oven until done. While the chicken bakes, quickly make the fragrant vermouth sauce and let it simmer while you open a bottle of wine or toss a simple salad.

Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

Cut chicken breasts into strips and pan-fry for a crispy, low-fat version of fried chicken tenders. A simple, six-ingredient dip, flavored with blue cheese, garlic, and red wine, accents the peppery buttermilk batter on the strips. Serve with a side of extra veggies for dipping, and you'll have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa Recipe

Three minutes in a flavorful cilantro-lime marinade is all that's needed to deliver big flavor to these pan-cooked chicken breasts.

Chicken with Sherry-Soy Sauce Recipe

Brown chicken breasts in a skillet, then make a tangy Asian-style sauce with soy sauce, sherry vinegar, red pepper flakes and green onions in the same skillet for a flavorful one-dish chicken entree. Serve with bagged salad greens and quick-cooking rice noodles.

Asian Chicken Salad Recipe

Fresh and colorful, this main dish chicken salad get its Asian-style flavor from fresh ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili paste. Almonds add crunch and orange sections add sweetness for a well-rounded meal.

BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe

Online reviews raved about the contrast of flavors provided by tangy tomato chutney, savory chicken, and sharp cheddar cheese.

Chicken-Butternut Tagine Recipe

Combine sweet, smoky, and salty flavors in this easy version of a classic Moroccan stew.

Chipotle Chicken and Tomato Soup Recipe

Navy beans, chicken and canned tomatoes make this main dish soup hearty and satisfying, and chipotle chile gives it a rich smoky flavor.

Chicken with Lime Sauce Recipe

Adding cornstarch to the tangy sweet lime sauce gives it a silky texture, and a small amount of butter adds richness.

One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Recipe

You’ll love the bold flavors of this Mediterranean-inspired dish. Lemony chicken and artichokes are topped with a bright and tangy relish of green olives, parsley, and thyme. We love serving this dish over pearl couscous to soak up the delicious pan sauce, but you can swap it out for rice or even pasta.

Chicken-Penne Salad with Green Beans Recipe

Combine colorful fresh veggies, herbs, pasta and shredded chicken for a nutrient-packed main dish salad. This one-dish meal is a great way to use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas Recipe

Pile grilled chicken, feta cheese, refried beans, and homemade slaw on top of a crunchy tortilla shell for a simple dinner that's ready in a hurry.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Cucumbers Recipe

Add a little Asian flair to your dinner with this chilled noodle main dish featuring udon noodles and chicken flavored with rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and chili paste.

Mushroom-Herb Chicken Recipe

The delicate flavor of marjoram is ideal with the pan-cooked chicken, mushrooms and green onions in this 5-ingredient main dish. Serve with refrigerated mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Tarragon Chicken Recipe

Five ingredients and 11 minutes is all you need to get this flavorful chicken entrée on the table. Serve with a quick-cooking barley or rice salad for a super-speedy dinner.

Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Take a break tonight and make this easy, hearty chicken sandwich for dinner. Ciabatta bread, roasted red peppers, basil and mozzarella give it a distinct Italian flair.

Easy Bistro Chicken Recipe

This Italian-inspired chicken dish is a one-pot meal your family is sure to love. Serve over hot cooked macaroni or cavatappi pasta.

Mediterranean Chicken Recipe

Stuff chicken breast halves with Feta cheese and olive tapenade for a Mediterranean chicken meal. Serve with a side of wilted spinach tossed with fresh lemon juice and capers.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts Recipe

It's hard to find a simpler chicken dinner than sautéed chicken breasts. Simply season with kosher salt and pepper and cook in a skillet in hot olive oil until golden brown.

Chicken & Summer Vegetable Tostadas Recipe

A south-of-the-border supper is ready in a snap thanks to quick-cooking chicken tenders. The tostadas can easily become soft tacos if you skip broiling the tortillas. Serve with black beans.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad Recipe

Serve a zesty chicken taco salad drizzled with a chipotle chile, cumin, and cilantro dressing. The smokiness of the chipotle brings out the rich flavors of the roasted chicken breasts.

Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream Recipe

The pronounced lemon-pine character of rosemary goes well with olive oil and Dijon mustard, giving this grilled chicken a rustic Mediterranean flair.

Spicy Chicken Shawarma Recipe

This chicken shawarma is a Middle Eastern version of a gyro and features thin slices of chicken mixed with yogurt and wrapped in pita bread spread with tahini. The sandwiches are then topped with fresh cucumber, tomato and onion for an easy 20-minute meal.

Jamaican-Spiced Chicken Thighs Recipe

Complete the menu with mashed sweet potatoes and a mixed green salad. For more heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeño.

Roast Chicken Salad with Peaches, Goat Cheese, and Pecans Recipe

Fresh peaches and goat cheese headline this simple no-cook salad recipe. The 8-ingredient vinaigrette, made with pantry staples, takes minutes to make and is a delicious complement to the other ingredients in the salad. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

Deli-roasted chicken, cream of chicken soup, and canned biscuits make a quick-and-tasty version of classic chicken and dumplings.

Grilled Chicken with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce Recipe

A tangy sauce enlivens simple grilled chicken breasts; a hint of sugar balances the tangy flavors of mustard and red wine vinegar.

Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce Recipe

Try this flavorful Asian-style chicken skewers with a spicy peanut sauce for an easy weeknight dinner. Serve with noodles or steamed rice.

Chicken and Strawberry Salad Recipe

For an easy springtime no-cook meal, combine rotisserie chicken with strawberries, serve over fresh greens and top with cashews and crumbled blue cheese.

Southwestern Chicken Soup Recipe

This top-rated Southwestern chicken soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken. The creamy chunks of avocado add a richness that's unusual to find in most chicken soups.

Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe

This easy chicken recipe features the winning combinations of pasta, creamy mascarpone cheese, and chicken, all enhanced by the addition of wild mushrooms and fresh herbs.

French Onion Roast Chicken Recipe

Make a big batch of this juicy roast chicken and caramelized onions and you've got enough for three meals. Save the leftovers to make Thai Chicken Pizza the next night, and Chicken and Herb Crêpes the night after!  

Chicken Fricassee with Browned Butter Noodles Recipe

This French-country-meets-retro classic gets a weeknight twist with quick-cooking chicken cutlets and egg noodles. Keep the sear on the chicken to a light golden color so it won't darken the delicate white wine sauce.

Simple Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken Recipe

This easy pressure cooker recipe yields perfectly cooked, juicy chicken, along with a flavorful broth, that can be served over rice or used in any number of other chicken dishes—such as soups, pastas, casseroles, salads, and more. You can use a traditional pressure cooker here, but this is also a great recipe for the Instant Pot, if that’s your cooker of choice. Typically, cooking a whole chicken in the oven can take close to an hour, but using the pressure cooker, you have a whole bird’s worth of succulent chicken in 40 minutes. This largely hands-off method for chicken is a great meal prep move to make on Sunday to give yourself a healthy supply of lean protein to use in meals throughout the week. 

Nashville Hot Chicken Bake Recipe

If you’re craving hot chicken but don’t feel like doing the work, try this quick and fun dish. It’s spicy with hints of sweetness, with juicy and flavorful chicken and crunchy bread topping. 

Oven-Fried Chicken with Spring Salad Recipe

Making crispy, golden-brown chicken is ­possible on a weeknight if you use the oven instead of the stove-top. Enjoy the contrast between the hot cooked chicken and the tangy caper-and-lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled Ginger-Lime Chicken Thighs with Peaches Recipe

Bursting with fresh flavor from minced fresh ginger and lime juice, these boneless chicken thighs are anything but a boring chicken dinner. Served alongside juicy, grilled peaches on a bed of greens with pecans and goat cheese, this hearty poultry dish makes for an easy, go-to summer supper.

Easy Chicken Biryani Recipe

Flavored with fragrant, Indian spices, traditional chicken biryani is an incredible comfort food, but it typically requires cooking the chicken and vegetables separately, using several pans. Our simplified method delivers the classic, crave-worthy flavors with a little less effort and cleanup. 

One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Recipe

You’ll love the bold flavors of this Mediterranean-inspired dish. Lemony chicken and artichokes are topped with a bright and tangy relish of green olives, parsley, and thyme. We love serving this dish over pearl couscous to soak up the delicious pan sauce, but you can swap it out for rice or even pasta.

Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken Recipe

Sure, they may be known for steak (being a steakhouse and all), but everyone knows that Longhorn’s Parmesan Crusted Chicken is the real MVP on their menu. Enjoy this cheesy chicken dinner any night you please with our easy copycat recipe. 

Chicken, White Bean, and Spinach Salad Recipe

The beans, chicken, and dressing can all be made a day ahead in your slow-cooker. Assemble this meal in minutes and round out this light summer salad with a loaf of crusty bread. If you have any leftover, it will make a great lunch the following day. Slow cooking requires little fat, so trim the excess from meats and poultry. Preserve the flavor of fresh herbs by adding them to the dish once it comes out of the slow cooker. Removing the slow cooker lid while cooking releases valuable heat, so resist the urge to check on the dish as it cooks.

Skillet Chicken Thighs with Spring Vegetables and Shallot Vinaigrette Recipe

This elegant single-skillet meal for two is deceptively easy to make. Ready in under an hour, this skillet chicken dinner includes your protein (perfectly golden-crisp chicken thighs), green veggies (peas and asparagus), a starch (baby Yukon gold potatoes), and a whole lot of vibrant flavor (hello, shallot vinaigrette). A great recipe for anyone cooking for one or two, this easy weeknight chicken dinner is one you’re sure to come back to again and again. 

Braised Chicken with Olives, Capers, and Prunes Recipe

This recipe for a braised chicken with olives, capers, and prunes is inspired by Chicken Marbella, the recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook that went “viral” in the 1980s. It’s been updated with far less added sugar (the original recipe calls for a cup of brown sugar) and the welcome addition of citrus.

Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

We adapted our simple and delicious Pressure Cooker Chicken Spaghetti recipe to be a perfect fit for your Instant Pot. It's sure to become a new weeknight favorite. 

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Chicken Penne Recipe

Creamy, cheesy, chicken pasta—what’s not to love? This cozy 25-minute meal from The Food Gays is sure to become your new go-to this Fall.

Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipe

This chicken noodle soup may be simple, but nothing's wrong with that. Your Instant Pot or pressure cooker of choice makes this comforting and savory classic in just an hour. 

Creamy Chicken Quesadillas Recipe

A creamy base helps the cheese go further and keeps the chicken moist. For a crisp exterior, coat the filled tortillas with cooking spray instead of coating the pan.

Classic Roast Chicken Recipe

A classic roasted chicken served with greens and your favorite side makes a delicious and easy dinner that never goes out of style. Be prepared to turn on your vent; the high-heat finishing may generate some smoke.

Roast chicken is juiciest and tastiest when it’s cooked to an internal temperature of 165°. To get an accurate reading, place your meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken or in between the breast and the thigh. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before serving—this locks in moisture and ensure perfectly juicy meat.