Chicken Dinner Recipes

January 01, 2012
Photo: Brian Woodcock
We revisit America's favorite weeknight staple. Find fresh new ways to deliciously moist and tasty chicken dinners.
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Healthy Chicken Dinners

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Big-flavor recipes add up to a chick-tacular flock of fresh ideas for simple and healthful chicken dinners. From a 20-minute stir-fry to a slow-cooker chicken stew, find the perfect weeknight recipe in our collection.

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Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Baby Potatoes

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Baby Potatoes

A very hot oven quickly roasts the potatoes and finishes the chicken without overcooking. You can substitute fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise, for the small Yukon gold potatoes. Tarragon and mustard are a perfect pair—the herb's slightly sweet anise notes balance the mustard's pungency. Serve with Chile and Lime Roasted Carrots.

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Flattened Chicken With Almond and Paprika Vinaigrette

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Flattened Chicken With Almond and Paprika Vinaigrette

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

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Grilled Mango-Habanero Jerk Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Grilled Mango-Habanero Jerk Chicken

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.

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Skillet Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Skillet Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

The skillet is used in a few clever ways: Chicken and vegetables get a head start on the stove, finish in the oven, then come out briefly so a simple cream sauce can pick up all the roasted flavors in the pan.

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Basil, Feta, and Quinoa Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Basil, Feta, and Quinoa Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Sweet piquanté peppers, also called sweet cherry or Peppadew peppers, are about the size and shape of a strawberry. Look for them at the olive bar or in the pickle section.

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Ginger Chicken, Shiitake, and Scallion Soup

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Ginger Chicken, Shiitake, and Scallion Soup

A quick boil enhances the chicken stock with aromatics for a fragrant broth. Gentle poaching keeps the chicken breast juicy and tender.

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Skillet Chicken with Seared Avocados

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Skillet Chicken with Seared Avocados

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

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Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Penne

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Penne

If broccoli rabe is a bit bitter for your family or if you have trouble finding it, chopped broccoli would be a delicious substitute. Serve with extra lemon for more zip.

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Shredded Chicken and Avocado Nacho Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Shredded Chicken and Avocado Nacho Salad

Dinner doesn't get any easier than this five-ingredient salad. And it's bursting with Super Bowl Sunday potential.

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Skillet Chicken with Escarole and Pecorino

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Skillet Chicken with Escarole and Pecorino

Escarole is amped up with a salty kick from fish sauce and pecorino and is brightened with sweet, crunchy carrots.

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Chicken Yakotori

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Yakotori

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.

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Chicken Kofte with Zucchini

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Kofte with Zucchini

A hit under the broiler leaves zucchini perfectly tender.

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken

Our take saves 446 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 1,260 milligrams of sodium over one serving of a leading chain's sweet and sour chicken.

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Grilled Chicken Thighs with Ginger Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Ginger Sauce

Flavorful chicken thighs might just be our favorite cut. Here we dress them up with a simple ginger-scallion sauce.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The flavors of classic cordon bleu translate delectably as a rave-worthy grilled cheese. Serve with a side of wilted spinach or a salad.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

We love the heat level in this slow cooker take on tikka masala to fend off winter chill. If the spice kick is too much for your family, you can cut the red pepper down by half without losing any of the dynamic flavor layers.

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Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Chipotles can be a touch spicy, but you can use only half of what's called for to decrease heat and still get great smoky flavor.

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Honey-Lime Drumsticks with Snow Peas and Brown Rice

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Honey-Lime Drumsticks with Snow Peas and Brown Rice

Dinner is only $9.60 for four servings tonight. You're welcome.

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Garlic-Sage Roasted Chicken with Kale and Radicchio Caesar Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Garlic-Sage Roasted Chicken with Kale and Radicchio Caesar Salad

Two juicy, crispy birds cook in just 45 minutes and yield enough for 3 nights of meals.

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Thai Green Curry Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Thai Green Curry Chicken

The perfect dinner with some leftover rotisserie chicken you have in the fridge.

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Chicken Tinga Tacos

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Tinga Tacos

These bold and smoky tacos provide the perfect route to reinventing some leftover chicken. Serve them up with a crisp green salad for a light and refreshing weeknight supper.

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Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna

Chicken thighs poach until tender in stock, which becomes the base for a creamy béchamel sauce. No-boil noodles absorb more liquid during baking for a sturdy slice after freezing and reheating.

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Chicken Piccata

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken Piccata

Sautéeing is a high-heat, quick-cooking method that puts a chicken dinner on the table in a flash. Dust bird with a supersheer layer of flour for a crisp, golden exterior, or simply season with salt and pepper.

First up, briny capers and bright lemon really make this bird sing. Serve tangy Chicken Piccata with mashed potatoes or roasted seasonal root vegetables.

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Open-Faced Chicken Club Sandwiches

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Open-Faced Chicken Club Sandwiches

This flavorful sandwich will add brightness to even the coldest winter day. Serve it with fresh seasonal citrus or other fruit.

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Sautéed Chicken with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Sautéed Chicken with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

If you can't find arugula, substitute mixed salad greens or fresh baby spinach for this warm salad.

 

 

Variations:
If you like Brussels Sprouts try: Maple-Brined Chicken with Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
If you like Olives try: Sautéed Chicken with Olive Tapenade
If you like Onions try: Sautéed Chicken with Onion Jam

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Double Plum Baked Chicken

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Double Plum Baked Chicken

Plum wine and dried plums level the heat of the chile sauce and Chinese mustard in this quick and easy weeknight baked chicken dish. The sweet and salty flavors in this dish balance each other out very well with the sweetness of the dried plums, spice from the raw ginger and heat from the mustard. Serve with Garlic-Studded Brown Rice for a complete dinner and perfect base to soak up the rich and layered sauce. If you can't find plum wine, substitute a sweet white wine, such as Riesling, or plum brandy.

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Chicken with Olives and Lemons

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken with Olives and Lemons

Briny olives and tart lemons combine with fresh herbs for a Mediterranean-influenced chicken dish. Serve with hot cooked orzo.

 

 

Variations:
If you like Pepper Jack Cheese try: Chicken and Rice
If you like Sweet Potato try: Chicken with Root Vegetables

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Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Maple-Mustard Glazed Chicken

Brush chicken with a savory-sweet glaze for gorgeous results. Browning in a skillet first gives it a delicious crust and pretty appearance. Finishing it in liquid ensures it will be moist.

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

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Miso Chicken

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Miso Chicken

If you can't find miso, substitute 2 teaspoons anchovy paste and 1 teaspoon tahini instead. With miso, the darker the color, the more pronounced the salty flavor.

Variations:
If you like Pomegranate try: Pomegranate Chicken
If you like Chipotle try: Chipotle Chicken
If you like Balsamic Vinegar try: Balsamic Chicken

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Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Szechuan Chicken Stir-Fry

Chop or slice chicken for fastest possible cooking. Bonus: More exposed surface area allows the chicken to absorb flavor from sauces or other high-flavor ingredients.

All the tasty take-out flavors you crave come together with fresh ingredients for a quick 25-minute meal.

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Chicken Pizza

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken Pizza

Cubed chicken breast halves along with sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, and plenty of veggies make for a tasty pizza sans red sauce. Ask for fresh pizza dough in the bakery of your supermarket to yield a crust with pizzeria quality.

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Chicken Spaghetti

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken Spaghetti

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti is comfort food at its best. We use frozen English peas so this dish can be made year-round.

Variations:
If you like Brie try: Chicken Quesadillas
If you like Butternut Squash try: Moroccan-Style Chicken Tagine
If you like Coconut Milk try: Green Curry Chicken

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Chicken Enchiladas

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

Poaching is a gentle cooking method, less popular but absolutely worthwhile. Beautiful flavor and moist meat result, and the cooking liquid can double as a tasty element in the recipe.

Use the freshest tortillas you can find for these Chicken Enchiladas since older ones tend to dry out and crack even though they're moistened in the flavorful sauce. We love La Tortilla Factory brand. Look for their low-fat, lower-sodium tortillas.

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Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Chorizo comes in two forms: Spanish, which is used in this recipe, is cured and firm.

Variations:
If you like Crème Fraîche try: Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms
If you like Brown Rice try: Chicken and Rice Salad

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