5-Ingredient Chicken Recipes

July 30, 2009
Credit: Photo: Justin Walker
Chicken dinners are anything but boring and can be transformed with just a few ingredients. Try the Chicken-Tortilla Pie, the Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken, or the Mesquite-Smoked Beer Can Chicken to add bold new flavor to your dinner rotation. These streamlined recipes pair fresh ingredients with pantry staples for a quick and healthy take on chicken, so whatever style of dinner you're craving, we have a quick, healthy chicken recipe that fits perfectly.
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Crispy Chicken Thighs with White Beans

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Crispy Chicken Thighs with White Beans

This method for cooking chicken—often referred to as “chicken under a brick”—creates a crispy skin coupled with a succulent interior.

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Barbecue-Stuffed Potatoes

Credit: Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Barbecue-Stuffed Potatoes

Cooked quickly in the microwave, this is a hearty one-dish meal that will satisfy a craving for comfort food. Follow with a classic comfort-food dessert (with a twist): Strawberry-Banana Pudding.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Baking potatoes (6)
  • Sour cream
  • Green onions
  • Shredded barbecue chicken
  • Cheddar cheese

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes

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Chicken-Tortilla Pie

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken-Tortilla Pie

This recipe can be further streamlined by substituting rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken breast, and jarred salsa for the 4-ingredient Fresh Salsa, but both shortcuts will increase the amount of sodium in the dish.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Cooked chicken breasts (4)
  • Salsa
  • Spicy black bean dip
  • Multigrain flour tortillas
  • Monterey Jack cheese

Prep: 13 minutes (18 minutes if you make Fresh Salsa)
Cook: 10 minutes

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Cumin-Spiced Chicken with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Cumin-Spiced Chicken with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Cumin, cilantro, and tomatoes with green chiles transform a chicken breast into a spicy, satisfying meal. Serve with

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Apricot-Lemon Chicken

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Apricot-Lemon Chicken

The secret to this elegant dish is a sauce made from apricot spread and a little lime juice for tartness. Serve with

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Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach Butter

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Bourbon Peach Butter

Our hands-free oven method helps prevent the sugary fruit butter from scorching.

 

Pantry Checklist: 

  • Peaches
  • Lemon Juice
  • Bourbon
  • Brown Sugar
  • Chicken Breast Halves

 

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Shredded Chicken Tacos with Tomatoes and Grilled Corn

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Shredded Chicken Tacos with Tomatoes and Grilled Corn

These light and fresh tacos come together in a snap.

 

Pantry Checklist: 

  • Corn
  • Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Rotisserie Chicken
  • Avocado
  • Tortillas

 

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Tarragon Chicken

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Tarragon Chicken

Pounding the chicken breasts before cooking tenderizes the meat and ensures more even cooking. Serve with

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Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

Roasting the tomatoes releases their acidic juices, which blend with honey and olive oil to form a simple glaze. Serve with

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Mushroom-Herb Chicken

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Mushroom-Herb Chicken

Fresh mushrooms and shallots, sautéed with sherry and marjoram, top the chicken breasts with a rich combination of flavors, textures, and aromas. Serve with steamed broccoli and potatoes.

 

Pantry Checklist:

 

  • Chicken breasts (4)
  • Shallots
  • Fresh mushrooms
  • Dry sherry
  • Dried marjoram

 

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes

 

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Chicken and Shiitake Marsala

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken and Shiitake Marsala

Sautéing brings out the shiitake mushrooms' strong smoky flavor. Doing so in Marsala, a nutty and sweet fortified wine, creates a surprisingly complex flavor profile with just a few ingredients.

 

Pantry Checklist:

 

  • Chicken breasts (4)
  • Fresh shiitake mushrooms
  • Marsala wine (or dry sherry)
  • Green onions

 

Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 14 minutes

 

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Rosemary-Fig Chicken with Port

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Rosemary-Fig Chicken with Port

Ready in just 19 minutes, this dish earned top ratings in our Test Kitchen. Serve with

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South-of-the-Border Grilled Chicken and Green Tomatoes

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: South-of-the-Border Grilled Chicken and Green Tomatoes

The secret to this super-speedy marinade: Drained juice from a container of fresh salsa (look for the chunky kind, usually found by the deli counter in most supermarkets).

Pantry Checklist:

  • Chicken breasts (4)
  • Fresh salsa
  • Green tomatoes (2)
  • Queso fresco

Prep: 6 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Other: 30 minutes

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Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Rustic Mustard Cream

The bite of Dijon mustard and the piney fragrance of rosemary give this grilled dish a punch of flavor reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Serve with

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Chicken with Pomegranate-Sake Poached Raisins

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken with Pomegranate-Sake Poached Raisins

Sake gives this sweet-and-tart glaze an Asian edge that's refreshingly different. Use dried cherries for extra tartness. Serve with

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Grilled Asian Drumsticks

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Grilled Asian Drumsticks

Smoky, sweet, and spicy, these drumsticks will be on your short list of favorites in no time. Serve with

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Five-Spice Grilled Chicken Thighs with Blackberry Glaze

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Five-Spice Grilled Chicken Thighs with Blackberry Glaze

Sweet blackberry jam gets a twist from Chinese five-spice powder, a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns. Find it at an Asian market. Serve with Yellow Rice with Spring Peas.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Skinless, boneless chicken thighs (8)
  • Sugar-free seedless blackberry jam
  • Cider vinegar
  • Fresh ginger
  • Five-spice powder
  • Optional: fresh blackberries

Prep: 7 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes

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Sweet Mustard Chicken Thighs

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Sweet Mustard Chicken Thighs

Especially when grilling, dark meat's moist and flavorful qualities stand up well to bold flavors, like this tangy-sweet Carolina-style barbecue sauce. Serve with

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Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken

The mild spiciness of canned green chiles marries well with the creaminess of the melted mozzarella cheese. Fresh lime juice adds a bright note. Serve with

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Chicken Tagine

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken Tagine

Traditionally cooked in its namesake, a Moroccan earthen vessel, a tagine features braised meat seasoned with fragrant spices. The optional fresh mint and plain yogurt are worth the extra cost because they take this dish up a notch.

 

Pantry Checklist:

 

  • Skinless, boneless chicken thighs (8)
  • Salt-free Moroccan spice blend
  • Chickpeas (1 can)
  • Diced tomatoes with garlic and onion (1 can)
  • Uncooked couscous
  • Optional: fat-free plain yogurt, chopped fresh mint

 

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 13 minutes

 

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Mesquite-Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Credit: Photo: Justin Walker
View Recipe: Mesquite-Smoked Beer Can Chicken

If using a charcoal grill, heap lit coals to the right side of the grill and add chips directly to the coals. Place chicken on left side of grill rack. Add additional charcoal to the fire as needed during grilling.

 

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