15 Chicken Skillet Dinners for Hectic Weeknights

Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner Recipe

It doesn't get much easier, or more satisfying: a complete dinner in one pan in half an hour. Lemon brightens this cozy winter meal.

Skillet Chicken Breast with Beans and Greens Recipe

Our Skillet Chicken Breast with Beans and Greens is truly a one pan wonder. Our Test Kitchen came up with this tasty, family friendly chicken dinner which comes together in a single skillet. Packed with protein, loaded with fiber, and just 390 calories per serving, Skillet Chicken with Beans and Greens makes a healthy dinner any night of the week. 

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. 

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet Recipe

This single-skillet recipe is impressive enough to make it company-worthy, but easy enough to make on a weeknight. It's important to minimize moving the chicken and the onions as they cook in order to help them brown nicely and to reduce the chance of their releasing excess liquid into the pan. Pro tip: Keep a clean bowl or sheet tray handy when you're making a single skillet meal such as this; that way, you can easily take items out of the pan and set aside as needed. 

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.

Skillet-Toasted Penne with Chicken Sausage Recipe

Here's a saucy, creamy pasta dish without a lick of cream or milk and only a wee bit of cheese. The trick is to cook the pasta like risotto, which releases starch into the liquid that becomes the sauce. The toasting step adds nutty, rich character and is a step we don't advise skipping.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Mushrooms Recipe

We've combined one of our favorite comfort foods with our favorite kitchen staple: a skillet. This Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Leeks and Mushrooms is creamy and flavorful. The chicken starts out in the slow cooker allowing it to develop rich flavors. Don't forget reserve the stock from the chicken. It is the perfect addition to the creamy sauce for the pot pie.

Skillet Chicken Souvlaki Recipe

Prepare a family-friendly, Mediterranean-style dish that's sure to please even the pickiest eater. The quick-cooking chicken and simple homemade yogurt sauce make this a perfect dish for a busy weeknight. Serve with a simple side salad.

Skillet Chicken with Seared Avocados Recipe

The tiniest bit of sugar helps the avocado halves char in the pan, adding robust toasty flavor.

Chicken Potpie Skillet Pizza Recipe

Try this quick, playful spin to turn pizza night on its head—in a good way. You get all the creamy goodness of chicken potpie, in a fun, eat-with-your-hands way that kids will love. Grown-ups will dig it, too, especially if you offer hot sauce at the table. Cooking the pizza in a preheated cast-iron skillet makes the crust wonderfully crispy so that it doesn't sog out when the creamy sauce goes on. Be sure to use only 10 ounces of dough (though you'll likely have to purchase in a 1-pound or larger ball); save the remaining dough to make breadsticks the next night.

Creamy Chicken-Tomato Skillet Recipe

Yes! You can make chicken and rice in 20 minutes. When a craving for comfort food hits and you need it in a hurry, this fast take on chicken and rice hits the spot. Stirring chopped baby spinach into warm brown rice is a smart way to get more vegetables and jazz up an otherwise plain starchy side. Our pro tips for speedy cooking: Cut chicken into bite-size pieces so it cooks in just a few minutes, use precooked rice and heat it in the microwave, then use the hot rice to wilt the spinach for you while you finish the chicken. Fresh thyme, chopped basil, or parsley are all good stand-ins for the rosemary. Round out the meal with a glass of sauvignon blanc.

Skillet Apple Chicken Thighs Recipe

This dish is perfect for easing into fall and comes together in one pan to boot. To make the September 2016 cover recipe, use 4 (6-ounce) bone-in pork chops in place of chicken thighs. The thighs will finish cooking in the apple mixture, and the flavors will combine beautifully as they sit in the pot.

Skillet Barbecue Chicken Recipe

With this dish, you'll get the flavor of barbecue without having to fire up the grill. Two of the best features of this easy chicken dish are that it dresses up a store-bought barbecue sauce and everything is cooked in the same skillet. Use presliced onion and bell pepper to make preparing this meal even faster.

Skillet Chicken and Root Vegetable Potpie Recipe

No chicken collection is complete without a potpie. You can substitute diced Yukon Gold potatoes and kale or chard for the turnips and turnip greens.

Cheesy Chicken and Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Recipe

If you're in need of a simple, tasty dish that works for a weeknight meal, consider that need fulfilled. This skillet dish is effortless to throw together and super customizable—you can use black beans or kidney beans instead of pinto. If you're not in the mood for chicken, try shredded pulled pork from your favorite BBQ place. You can tailor the toppings as you see fit, so keep an open imagination. Serving is simple: just put everything on the table and let everyone make their own tacos.