40+ 5-Star Spring Chicken Recipes

Antioxidants called anthocyanins give radicchio its bold hue; research shows these compounds can help improve gut health. Grilled oranges help balance radicchio’s bitterness.

This rustic skillet supper is the ultimate company-worthy comfort food. Juicy, antioxidant-rich red grapes combine with shallots, vinegar, and cardamom to yield an intriguing balance of tart and sweet flavors.

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.

This simple dredge-dip-dredge method is our go-to trick for adding superb crunch to quick-cooking cutlets. The speedy salad is also a perfect partner for pork and salmon; swap frisée or your favorite bitter greens for a flavor twist.

Peanut flour gives this chicken incredible toasty flavor, while Wondra flour makes for crave-worthy crispness. It’s a Sunday supper with weeknight preparation.

Get an Italian restaurant favorite at home for just a fraction of the cost. The best part? It comes together from start to finish in just 20 minutes. Serve over hot-cooked spaghetti or your favorite pasta and spritz with additional lemon juice for added brightness to the dish.

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.

Sweet and tangy pomegranate juice gives the chicken a gorgeous garnet-hued glaze. Dress up the quinoa pilaf by adding a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese for a pop of salty flavor.

We love the smoky flavor of grilled wings, but we also like wings that are tender and juicy.  The brine, made with herbs, garlic, brown sugar, and chiles, adds tons of flavor and keeps the wings from drying out on the grill. And the trio of sauces gives everyone plenty of options to choose from. We recommend using drumettes because they are nice and meaty and easier to pick up and eat.

Looking to showcase your farmers’ market haul in its finest glory? In that case—you, my friend, are looking for this awe-inspiring spring chicken dinner. Every component brings something special to the table in a salad like this: Your greens create a sweet, crunchy base with a peppery hit from arugula, radishes contribute a pleasant bitter-edged brightness, cucumbers offer a clean crunch, potatoes pack the buttery richness, and a tangy, herbaceous vinaigrette is everything you need to tie everything together. Served alongside a golden-crisp chicken cutlet this lively plate nails the perfect balance of fried and fresh. In other words, this recipe is sure route to dinnertime nirvana. 

Succulent, crispy-skinned thighs, vibrant veggies, and pillowy potato dumplings, all dressed in a luscious lemon-butter pan sauce—really, what more could you ask for? Treat yourself to a chicken dinner that’s 100% as impressive as it sounds. It’s not one of those “ready-in-15-minutes” meals, but it is a plate you’ll be happy you pulled together after a weekend trip to the farmers’ market. 

Tossed in a simple lemon-tarragon butter, these tender baby carrots are the perfect partner for quick-cooking chicken cutlets. If you can’t track down steam-in-bag carrots, microwave baby carrots until just tender, about 5 minutes.

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. This recipe is oh-so-versatile too—swap out the turnip greens for collards or kale. Use pinto beans, black beans, or chickpeas instead of cannellini beans. You can make this meal even heartier by serving the chicken and vegetables over cooked rice, whole grains (like quinoa, brown rice, or farro) or orzo pasta. Whatever you do, don’t forget to add a dash or two of hot pepper vinegar at the end. The tang and heat of this Southern pantry staple makes the dish sing, and also adds tons of flavor while keeping the dish light and fresh.

Adding deli-fried chicken tenders to a fresh green salad not only adds interest and taste to an ordinary bowl of salad, but it turns a side dish into a main dish. This recipe, a fresh spin on the much-loved Asian-flavored coleslaw, requires only a few minutes of chopping and mixing; no cooking involved. To guarantee a smooth and creamy dressing, slowly whisk in each of the ingredients in the dressing to prevent it from breaking. If made in advance, whisk the dressing one more time to ensure all the ingredients are blended.

Cooked quinoa is a healthy way to bulk up a salad to make it more filling. We paired the protein-rich grain with shredded chicken, tender butter lettuce, crunchy radishes and cucumbers, and a tangy herbed dressing that brings everything together deliciously. If you don’t want to use all of the cooked quinoa in the salad, store it, covered, in the refrigerator. Use it to make a grain bowl or stir it into soup. This salad not only makes a healthy weeknight dinner, but it would make a perfect bring-to-work lunch the next day. It’s also springy, colorful, and has a pretty enough presentation to serve to company at a luncheon. Eating healthy during the week can be difficult when faster options await at the drive-thru, but with 30-minute recipes like this salad, you can stay on track all week.

These oven-baked pecan-and-panko crusted chicken tenders have fabulous fried chicken flavor with much less grease and mess. As the chicken cooks, the rest of this family-friendly recipe comes together in minutes. Grilled romaine lettuce gives this salad a smoky flavor. Instead of using a grill pan, you can cook the veggies on a charcoal or gas grill outside.

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. 

Chicken thighs hold up nicely in the slow cooker, surrendering rich juices that make this fiber-packed farro extra-satisfying. Castelvetrano olives are bright green and buttery; look for them at your grocery’s olive bar. Having trouble finding pearled farro? Pick some up here. 

Want to add some pep to your Chicken Paillard? Don't just stop at lemon zest. Oranges and fresh spring vegetables work wonders aganst a chicken breast canvas, all while adding nutrients and color. Add Israeli couscous, also known as pearl couscous, for a side that doesn't distract from the chicken's flavor. 

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.

Dishes like these are what Dutch ovens were made for. Just dump all the ingredients inside and let your stove transform chicken thighs into a juicy meal. Braising gives you tender, tasty results and a pan sauce to boot.

On countless visits here before I made Israel my home, I’d buy giant bags of za’atar from the shuk; that way, after I left and no matter where I was, if I was pining for the sun and spice of this magical place, I could sprinkle it back into my life, if even just for the duration of a meal. For something that takes 10 minutes to throw together, the roasted chicken is a masterpiece. I rest the bird right on top of the potatoes, so the za’atar-scented drippings coat the tangy, sumac-coated potatoes while they cook in unison. If you’re having a crowd, throw this in the oven during cock- tail hour, then pull it out for oohs and aahs. If you’re feeding a smaller group, be happy because this chicken, pulled off the bone and tossed into a salad, makes a killer next-day lunch.

Two kinds of mushrooms—oyster and cremini—give this chicken dish savory flavor and a meaty texture without adding lot of extra calories. Don’t be tempted to stir the mushrooms too much as they cook. Let them sit, undisturbed, for three minutes in the hot pan so that they brown nicely.

This grilled scape salad is crisp, light, and refreshing—in other words, it tastes like summertime. Tomatoes, corn, cucumber, and other summer veggies covered in lemon-parsley dressing and fresh mint perfectly combine with a charred, juicy chicken thigh. Garlic scapes are in season in late spring and early summer. If you can’t find them at your local farmers’ market or produce stand, try an international grocery. Round everything out with a crusty loaf of bread and a glass of white wine. 

Looking for a sheet pan meal that’s just as delicious as it is seamless? These tender, juicy sheet pan chicken thighs have just enough bbq sauce glaze to make them super tasty and beautiful. The potatoes get cooked until they’re tender in the middle, but crispy on the outside, and the green beans cook while the glaze achieves perfection. Everything comes together in an hour, and cleanup is a breeze. Be sure to section off the sheet pan and make enough room for each ingredient so you won’t have to waste time or oven heat.