70 Best Chicken Dinner Recipes So Good You'll Want To Make Them Every Day

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Chicken has been a staple protein for a long, long time — and fortunately, we've come a long way in figuring out creative ways to get it to the dinner table. It wasn't that long ago that Grandma might have been leaning heavy on the chicken-and-green-bean casserole and the old standby of roast chicken, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with either of those. They're still downright delicious, as a matter of fact! But let's be honest, there are so many more options out there. 

Chicken is brilliant because it's so versatile, and it's well suited to being the star of all kinds of dishes with all kinds of flavor profiles, inspired by all kinds of cuisines. It's also handy to have around: It's easy to freeze into conveniently-sized portions, and we're huge fans of anything that makes cooking easier — because ultimately, that means it's more enjoyable.

So, let's get creative with chicken and talk about some new dishes to try, along with some ways to add a whole new element to old favorites.

Chicken is great when it comes to all kinds of flavor profiles, and there's a reason it's so often used in Chinese-inspired cuisine — it's versatile and oh so delicious! Even if you have your standard go-to ideas, you'll want to check out our chicken stir fry recipe for some tips, including how to use up some of those veggies that you might not normally think of using in a stir fry. We're huge fans of no waste, and if you have the odd pepper, onion, a few carrots, or even a zucchini left over that you're not sure what to do with, well, it's stir fry night!

Recipe: Chicken Stir Fry

It doesn't matter how much you enjoy cooking — doing dishes afterward is the absolute worst. We're with you there, and that's why we love easy dinners like this one-pan tomato basil chicken and rice. That's right, all that in one pan! We won't give away too many secrets, but yes, after you sear off your chicken, everything else just goes in that one pan for minimal cleanup. There's more good news: If this Italian-inspired version is a win, we've also got a similar one-pan recipe for a dish that uses all Mexican flavors for a fast arroz con pollo that's sure to wow.

Recipe: One Pan Tomato Basil Chicken And Rice

Some days, you're just in the mood for some old-school, classic comfort food, and there are few dishes that say comfort food better than a chicken casserole. And here's the thing — just because it's an old favorite, that doesn't mean it has to be dry and boring. Check out our chicken casserole recipe for a dish that's hearty, filling, and covered in a delicious, creamy sauce. Bonus? It's great for hiding vegetables in, and any meal that doesn't involve arguing with the kids is a win, right?

Recipe: Chicken Casserole

In addition to being packed with savory flavors, this slow cooker dish can be adapted to fit exactly what you need. It simmers away for eight hours while you work or run errands, or be cooked on high to finish in just four hours. You can stick with the chicken, or omit it and make a vegetarian curry with the addition of more vegetables and vegetable stock. Keep it mild or add more chili peppers or chili paste to make a fiery main dish. Serve it with cooked rice or flatbreads like naan.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Cashew Chicken

Crispy fried chicken is such a delicious treat, but deep-frying is not necessarily a very healthy choice. This recipe solves that problem by oven-frying the pieces instead. Start with a buttermilk brine that adds tanginess and tenderizes the meat. Next, coat the pieces in a mixture of breadcrumbs, flour, and spices, then place them on a rack-lined sheet pan. Bake the chicken for about an hour until cooked through, then serve with your favorite fried chicken sides like mashed potatoes, mac n' cheese, buttered biscuits, or French fries. 

Recipe: Sheet Pan Fried Chicken

Indian take-away restaurants are wildly popular in the West, and especially in the UK, but fortunately, we also have a brilliant and easy recipe for one of the most popular dishes — chicken tikka masala.

Even though you can definitely adjust the amount of seasonings for spiciness, this dish isn't for unadventurous types. It's filled with spices like paprika, curry, cumin, and ginger, and for the real thing, you'll definitely want to use some hot peppers. The end result is a creamy, spicy chicken dish that will absolutely warm you up right, from head to toes.

Recipe: Simple Chicken Tikka Masala

You might think that a stunning roast chicken sounds like a meal meant for Sundays or holidays, but a slow cooker version makes it easy to serve this impressive main dish any night of the week — just start it in the morning before work. Choose a whole chicken that fits in your slow cooker, and add veggies like carrots and onion. Fresh rosemary, lemon slices, and a spice rub for the meat will make a flavorful roast. A 5-pound chicken will feed six, or give you leftover chicken for other recipes.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

Yes, it really is possible to make a copycat General Tso's chicken at home that tastes better and fresher than take out. This recipe uses chicken thighs, which are more likely to stay tender and juicy after cooking. Brown the cubed chicken in oil, then make the spicy and flavorful sauce using hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and chili flakes. Quickly cook the chicken in the sauce and it's ready to serve over rice. The whole recipe can be prepared in just 30 minutes!

Recipe: General Tso's Chicken

This chicken recipe has so much flavor, and is delicious served with cooked rice or warm pieces of naan. Pick up an inexpensive package of drumsticks, and begin by searing them in a pan to brown the outsides. After adding ingredients like stock, curry powder, and coconut milk, let the chicken simmer until tender. While the meat cooks, you'll have time to prepare the sides or have a pre-dinner drink. There might even be time for both!

Recipe: Chicken Curry

Sure, some nights you just want take-out. But what about those nights when you want all the fun and delicious flavor of take-out, but you'd still like to spend some time in the kitchen, cooking and catching up on the day's events with family over a drink or two? Look no further than our sesame chicken recipe. No, really — sesame chicken might seem daunting, with a whole laundry list of ingredients and more than a few steps, but it's really not. And our recipe comes together in just around an hour, and that's just enough time to work up that appetite.

Recipe: Sesame Chicken

Coming up with something good for dinner each and every day can be a real drag, but we have the perfect way to make that at least a little easier with Instant Pot chicken. Check out our recipe for the details, but the basics are that we're going to show you how to turn some boring old chicken into the basis for a delicious dinner. It'll only take around 10 minutes to do, and that'll give you plenty of time to figure out what else you're going to do with it. Whether you're serving it shredded with rice and vegetables or slathering on some BBQ sauce for sandwiches, it's a great place to start!

Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken

What is chicken piccata? It's a noodle and chicken dish that's perfect for those nights when you're hungry... but not too hungry. Instead of hiding your chicken beneath a heavy sauce, this dish's white wine, lemon, and capers combine to make a sauce that accents the flavor of the chicken instead of hiding it, and it's an indulgent, elegant dish that won't leave you feeling like you overindulged at all.

Recipe: 20-Minute Chicken Piccata

Chicken pot pie might seem like one of those things that's easier to buy than it is to make, but gone are the days when you needed to make your own pie crust — and no, no one's going to judge you for using puff pastry, because that's exactly what our chicken pot pie recipe calls for. That makes it super simple, and then, add in the fact that this is a great way to use up those bags of vegetables that have just a little bit of bite left in them. We could all use more hearty yet easy recipes like this one, that's for sure.

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

Sure, chicken parm is great, but it can be a pain in the backside to make. There's nothing more annoying than spending all that time cooking, only to have the breading fall off in the sauce, right? Well, we have a non-traditional fix for you in our one-pot chicken parm pasta recipe, and it'll capture the heart of a delicious chicken parm and none of the headache. We use bite-sized pieces of chicken covered in a scratch-made breading then piled on top of pasta and covered with parm. All the flavor with none of the mess!

Recipe: One-Pot Chicken Parm Pasta

There are a few things that everyone should have a go-to recipe for, and it's entirely possible that this BBQ chicken recipe will be one of those staples for you. There's absolutely nothing you won't love, from the 5-minute prep time to the versatility when it comes to picking sides (literally — what do you have in the fridge?). It'll also be pretty much perfect no matter what kind of BBQ sauce you decide to use, and it doesn't get much easier — or better — than that!

Recipe: Easy BBQ Chicken

This delicious recipe from Alex Guarnaschelli of "Iron Chef" and "Chopped" combines chicken tenders with peppers and peas in a rich and savory peanut sauce. We added a couple of twists to her recipe, starting with preparing it in an Instant Pot rather than on the stove top. This simple change makes it possible to get the dish to the table in less than 20 minutes, so it can be an easy weeknight dinner option. We also added coconut milk to the peanut sauce to make it creamy and even more flavorful. 

Recipe: Alex Guarnaschelli's Chicken Stir Fry With Spicy Peanut Sauce

According to The Kitchn, schnitzel is a type of German cooking where thin cuts of meat are breaded and lightly fried. This recipe transforms boneless, skinless chicken breasts into crisp chicken schnitzel. Traditional recipes call for pounding the meat until thin, but in this dish the chicken is sliced horizontally to make thinner cutlets. The breaded cutlets fry up on the stovetop, and the whole recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make. Serve your schnitzel with mashed potatoes or a warm German-style potato salad. 

Recipe: Chicken Schnitzel

Chicken Divan is a delicious dinner dish that's been around since the 1950s, according to Paste Magazine. Once you try it, you'll understand why it's still such a hit. Start by preparing the individual parts of the dish: Steam the broccoli, sear the chicken breasts, and whisk together an easy, cheesy white sauce. Layer everything in a baking dish with breadcrumbs and more cheese, then bake until the chicken is done and the sauce is bubbling. Hearty and savory, it works equally as well as a family meal or to serve to guests at a dinner party. 

Recipe: Classic Chicken Divan 

Don't tell yourself that you don't have time to make a favorite take-out dish at home — This one takes only 30 minutes. Spicy Hunan Chicken really is that easy to make, and this recipe has the perfect ingredients to get that take-out flavor. (Or better!) Sauté diced chicken breast, then add the veggies, and then bring everything together in a spicy mixture that includes soy sauce, sambal oelek, and stock. Pro tip: Chop the veggies and slice the chicken in advance and have them waiting in the fridge to help get this meal to the table fast. 

Recipe: Spicy Hunan Chicken

This is such a wonderful chicken recipe, not only because it's loaded with flavor and colorful vegetables, but because it's so easy to make. To start, whisk up a blend of olive oil and aromatics like garlic and oregano. Arrange sliced peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion wedges, and artichokes on a sheet pan with boneless chicken breasts nestled alongside. Toss everything with the herby oil and roast for 25 minutes. White rice is tasty as a side, or try folding the chicken and veggies inside soft pitas with tzatziki sauce. 

Recipe: Greek Sheet Pan Chicken

The seasonings and stock that go into the slow cooker with the chicken make it tasty and tender enough to be the star of your meal. Whether whole or cubed, the chicken breast cooks up in just four hours in the slow cooker. You can also prepare the chicken to incorporate it into other dishes. Stuff it into sandwiches, toss it with pasta, or use it as filling for tacos and enchiladas. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Breast

Roast chicken is a wonderful recipe to have in your repertoire. It's easy to make, flavorful, and versatile enough to serve as supper for the family or the main course at a dinner party. We started with a roast chicken recipe from the queen of entertaining and comforting dishes, Ina Garten, and made a few changes. The flavor profile for our chicken is orange and rosemary, which go inside the chicken along with garlic. The surface is coated with mayonnaise, an unexpected ingredient that creates a crispy, golden skin and juicy meat. Serve roast chicken with potatoes, fresh salad, and warm rolls. 

Recipe: Ina Garten's Roast Chicken

This is one of the most versatile recipes we've seen, and perfect for anyone who loves Mexican food. An easy chicken stew that takes only five minutes to prep and a half hour to cook, it can be served over rice or used as a filling for burritos and tacos. Add some canned hominy and serve it as a thick pozole-style soup with shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, and sliced avocado. This recipe is on the mild side, but you can always amp the spice factor up with diced chili peppers or hot sauce.

Recipe: Mexican Chicken Stew

This dish is a favorite in northern India, featuring marinated chicken served in a rich, spiced sauce made with ingredients like butter, tomatoes, and ginger. Traditionally, this dish has lengthy steps, including marinating the chicken, sautéing it, and simmering the composed dish. Our recipe makes matters easier by putting the chicken thighs and everything else together in a slow cooker. It's ready in just four hours, and since it's hands-off, you're free to prepare sides of rice, flatbreads, and chutneys. 

Recipe: Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

If there's one chicken recipe that everyone from kids to grandparents will love, it's a classic chicken Parmesan. Thin chicken breasts get dredged in breadcrumbs and oven-baked until crispy, then they're layered in a cast iron skillet or baking dish with your favorite spaghetti sauce and thick slices of mozzarella. Give the dish a quick flash in the broiler to melt the cheese, and dinner is ready. Serve this hearty, comforting Italian dish with buttery slices of garlic bread and a side of pasta.

Recipe: Chicken Parmesan

While the exact origin of Bourbon Chicken is tricky to pin down, what is clear is that the sweet and spicy chicken dish is a take-out favorite. And now you can create your own bourbon chicken at home using diced, boneless chicken thighs and ingredients that are likely already stocked in your pantry. Cook the cubed chicken first, then mix and cook the sauce made from ingredients like ketchup, garlic, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. A simple cornstarch slurry thickens the sweet and sticky sauce so that it really coats the chicken and whatever side you serve it with, whether it's cooked rice, pasta, or steamed vegetables.

Recipe: Sweet Bourbon Chicken 

When you stash a store-bought rotisserie chicken in the fridge, it's easy to put together a speedy dinner dish that everyone will love — like these chicken enchiladas. Shred the chicken, then make an easy, homemade enchilada sauce on the stovetop. (Homemade is way more delicious, and can be as spicy or mild as you like.) Fill tortillas with chicken, sauce, and onion, then roll them up and tuck them in a baking dish. Topped with more sauce, they bake up in less than 30 minutes. Serve your enchiladas with seasoned rice, refried beans, and cold Mexican beer for a festive, satisfying meal. 

Recipe: Chicken Enchiladas

This dish has a tantalizing play of textures, color, and flavor, and best of all? It only takes 15 minutes to cook up, so it's an easy, go-to dinner any night of the week. You can save time on some of the prep work by chopping your scallions and peppers ahead of time, and by purchasing already-sliced chicken tenders. The browned chicken and toasted cashews are tossed with a blend of soy sauce, hoisin, chicken stock, and honey. Serve it with steamed rice or freshly-made scallion pancakes. 

Recipe: 15-Minute Cashew Chicken

This hearty chicken dish is a Southern favorite, frequently appearing on family dinner tables and in local cookbooks, according to Southern Living. Chicken is simmered in a tomato-based sauce with veggies and spices like curry and pepper. Our recipe for Country Captain Chicken utilizes the slow cooker, so it's almost completely hands-off. You can brown the chicken breasts beforehand in oil or bacon grease if you'd like, or to keep it simple just add them to the slow cooker as is. Serve the chicken and sauce with rice.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Country Captain Chicken

Put away the take-out menu and make your own, infinitely better-tasting Szechuan chicken at home. As with all home cooking, you'll know exactly what's going into your dish and can tweak flavors and ingredients to make it your own. Cubed chicken breast gets browned and cooked first, followed by chopped onions, peppers, and broccoli. Then everything gets cooked together in a simple sauce — that's it! Serve Szechuan chicken with rice noodles, fried rice, or white rice.

Recipe: Szechuan Chicken

It's easier than you think to make the traditional Hungarian dish known as paprikash. Start by browning the surface of bone-in chicken pieces in a Dutch oven, then cook chopped onions and garlic in a little oil. Stir in paprika, tomatoes, and stock, then simmer until the chicken is done. A dollop of sour cream stirred in at the end makes a rich, creamy sauce. Use sweet paprika or the spicier Hungarian paprika — just be sure that your paprika is really fresh so that the flavor is vibrant. Serve paprikash with egg noodles or even mashed potatoes. 

Recipe: Chicken Paprikash

Do you have picky kids — or adults — who won't budge from their beloved boxed mac n' cheese? It's time to introduce them to a delicious, grown-up mac n' cheese: pasta alfredo. Because this recipe takes only a half hour to cook, it's a good one to add to your weeknight dinner rotation. This recipe combines a creamy garlic-Parmesan cheese sauce with fettucine and sliced chicken. (Save even more time by cooking the chicken in advance, or using meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.)

Recipe: Chicken Alfredo

Coronation Chicken Salad is a creamy mixture of diced chicken, curry, chopped apricots, and almonds. This is a perfect recipe to make with leftover cooked chicken or meat from a rotisserie chicken, because the rest of the recipe only takes about three minutes to assemble. While we love this salad in a sandwich (and sandwiches are perfectly fine for dinner) you can also pair it with cooked pasta or with steamed rice to make a heartier meal. Add a little heat to this salad if you'd like by using a spicy curry blend or a little cayenne pepper. 

Recipe: Coronation Chicken Salad

Masterclass shares that the traditional flavors of Italian bruschetta are olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and fresh basil. Here, those flavors are combined with chicken breast and pasta to make a flavorful meal that's really beautiful on the plate. While the chicken bakes, sauté onion, garlic, and diced tomatoes and then add cooked pasta to the pan so it can soak it all up. Serve the finished chicken over the pasta and sauce with basil, balsamic vinegar, and a big glass of wine.

Recipe: Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

Chicken Marsala is a classic dish that gets its name from a sauce made with Marsala sweet fortified wine, along with cream and sliced mushrooms. Served with pasta or a green salad, it's a meal with an elegant feel, and yet only takes a half hour to prepare. Make for a weeknight dinner or as the main course of your next dinner party. If you can't find marsala wine, you can use Medeira or pinot noir wines or a nonalcoholic substitute of grape juice and sherry vinegar blended together. 

Recipe: Chicken Marsala