Healthy Chicken Dinners
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Skillet Chicken with Seared Avocados
The tiniest bit of sugar helps the avocado halves char in the pan, adding robust toasty flavor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chicken Kofte with Zucchini
A hit under the broiler leaves zucchini perfectly tender.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Honey-Lime Drumsticks with Snow Peas and Brown Rice
Dinner is only $9.60 for four servings tonight. You're welcome.
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.
Thai Green Curry Chicken
The perfect dinner with some leftover rotisserie chicken you have in the fridge.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
Bone-in chicken fortifies commercial stock and adds meaty depth to these soups.
Variations:
If you like Peanut Butter try: Peanut-Chicken Soup
If you like Hot Peppers try: Spicy Chicken Soup
If you like Curry try: Curried Chicken Soup
Vietnamese Chicken Sandwiches
Lean chicken stands in for pork, yielding a light twist on traditional 'wiches.
Variations:
If you like Fresh Basil try: Tuscan Pesto Chicken Panini
If you like Pickles try: Pressed Cuban-Style Sandwiches
If you like Avocado try: Chicken-Avocado Club Sandwiches
Tortilla Chip Casserole
Less-heavy but full-flavor versions of popular chicken comfort dishes.
Variations:
If you like Wild Rice try: Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
If you like Poppy Seeds try: Poppy Seed Chicken
Chicken in Wine Sauce
French, Greek, Moroccan: International takes on classic American fare.
Variations:
If you like Kalamata Olives try: Greek-Style Stewed Chicken
If you like saffron try: Moroccan Stewed Chicken
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Pickled Jalapeños
Chicken shows its versatility with tangy BBQ flavors, peppery arugula, or 3 cheeses.
Variations:
If you like Arugula try: Chicken, Arugula, and Prosciutto Pizza
If you like Parmesan try: Three-Cheese Chicken Pizza
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Pasta, creamy mascarpone, and chicken—a winning combo any way you toss it.
Variations:
If you like Butternut Squash try: Butternut Squash and Chicken Pasta
If you like Mascarpone try: Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Meyer Lemon Chicken
A piping-hot pan browns chicken, veggies, and fruit for stunningly delicious results.
Variations:
If you like Red Potatoes try: Skillet Chicken and Vegetables
Chicken BLT Salad
Crisp chicken boosts a favorite side salad to a healthy main-course attraction.
Variations:
If you like Pita Bread try: Middle Eastern Bread Salad with Chicken
If you like Escarole try: Escarole, White Bean, and Chicken Salad
Chicken Breast with Pancetta Cream and Peas
We sautéed these chicken breasts hot and fast to get them golden brown outside and moist within. If you don’t have pancetta and mascarpone, substitute bacon and cream cheese instead.
Chicken Cutlets with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions
Just a touch of butter gets the brandy-spiked sauce gorgeously glossy and adds an elegant touch to this simple supper.
Chicken Kebabs with Cucumber Noodles
Marinated in a little honey, ginger, soy sauce, and peanut oil, these Asian-inspired chicken kebabs are paired with cucumber noodles to create an easy weeknight dinner.
Hazelnut Chicken
This oven-fried chicken recipe delivers a lot of flavor, and is ready in less than 40 minutes.
Parmesan and Pine Nut-Crusted Oven-Fried Chicken
The combination of Parmesan cheese and pine nuts lends an extra boost of flavor to this dish. The crust gets golden and crisp in the skillet, and helps insulate the chicken to keep it supremely juicy.
Sautéed Chicken with Roasted Pepper Pasta
For maximum deliciousness, we tossed sautéed chicken in rotini pasta and dressed it with a light but zingy sauce. If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, dice a block of mozzarella.
Individual White Chicken Pizzas
The key to these amazing cheesy pizzas is to make fresh ricotta cheese, which is more moist and creamy than store-bought. Pack your freezer full of these cheesy pies. You'll thank us again and again.
