93 Easy Chicken Recipes For Dinner Any Night Of The Week

Winner, winner, this is the ultimate chicken dinner. With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can have a recipe featuring layers of cheesy, creamy chicken and rice together.

Bored of the same chicken dinner? These crispy, perfectly breaded and seasoned cutlets are sure to be a hit with the entire family.

Mayonnaise, one of the South’s favorite ingredients, is the secret to ultra-tender chicken breasts in this easy-to-make recipe that only takes 15 minutes of active prep time, plus a 30-minute spin in the oven.

The recipe for our Bacon-Balsamic Brussels Sprouts is included at the bottom of the recipe page for this sweet-and-savory chicken, and they’re the perfect pair for a wholesome supper. 

Garlic Knot Chicken

Ready in just 20 minutes, this chicken recipe is a serious crowd-pleaser. For anyone who’s garlic-averse, you can cut the garlic in the recipe in half

This slow-cooker recipe is the easiest way to soothe your household with a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup. White wine and lemon add a welcome bright flavor to the classic. 

This twist on the retro dinner party favorite is portable and decadent. Don’t skip the good bread for these sandwiches—it makes all the difference. 

Instead of rolling individual enchiladas or topping individual tacos, serve a big-batch fajita casserole for Tex-Mex flavor without as much effort or mess. 

Crazy-popular Marry Me Chicken has inspired several genius spin-off recipes, including these pretty roll ups. Our Test Kitchen serves them over angel hair pasta, but you can use whatever pasta shape you have in the pantry. 

Chicken parm lovers have a new recipe to try. Our Crispy Ranch Chicken gives the sandwich a flavor boost from plain breaded chicken. 

This gorgeous spring dinner gets the one-dish treatment with your trusty cast-iron skillet. It’s a great way to serve peak-season produce with budget-friendly chicken thighs. 

“No-Peek Chicken is a one-dish recipe that has just one rule,” says Senior Producer Ivy Odom. “The secret to this dish is the fact that you have to trust the process, mix everything together right in the baking dish, cover it with foil, and let the oven do all the work.” 

“When I say this is my absolute favorite chicken pot pie recipe that we have on SouthernLiving.com, I am not joking you,” says Senior Producer Ivy Odom. “Because of that puff pastry and the filling mixture has leeks instead of onions and celery, it’s just really, really, really delicious.”

There’s nothing the Southern Living Test Kitchen can’t turn into a casserole, folks! This big-batch version of Chicken Cordon Bleu is even more decadent than the original. 

This recipe mashup is what we dream about at lunchtime. It’s a complete meal in one bowl, so the only other thing you might want to make is some toasty garlic bread. 

Whether you serve them over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes or make your own meatball pitas or sub sandwiches with them, these flavorful bites will become a go-to in your house. Several of the readers who reviewed this recipe recommended doubling the sauce.

Capture a tropical vacation right in your backyard with this grilled chicken recipe that’s sweet-and-spicy perfection. You might want to make more of the glaze to have your rice soak it all in. 

This is one of our readers’ favorite soup recipes year after year. “It makes the whole house smell good,” Martina McBride says.

You’ll understand the name once you try this baked chicken recipe. It’s basically topped with a cream cheese-bacon dip, so yes, you’re going to love it. 

The real star of this hearty salad is the White BBQ Ranch Dressing. Luckily, it keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, so you can use it for dipping wraps or veggies or drizzling on salads to your heart’s content.

Readers who made this recipe rave about how much easier it is than the classic chicken parmesan preparation. “Like a lazy man’s chicken parm. DELICIOUS. Whole family loved it,” wrote one. “Killer mid week concept,” said another. 

If you’re ever wondering the best vehicle for your recipe, the answer is often a cast-iron skillet. This gorgeous dinner includes a main dish and a side from one pan. 

This chicken main dish is pretty enough for your supper club. Don’t forget to remove the wooden skewers before serving!

It’s all in the name, y’all. This one-dish dinner has filling chicken, colorful veggies, and comforting pasta, so all you need to finish it off is a glass of wine! 

You probably have everything you need to make this lovely main dish for supper. It will pair well with rich sides like macaroni and cheese or something lighter like asparagus or salad.

Simple, healthy, and easy to eat on the go, these pitas are everything you want in a weekday lunch. The total time factors in marinating the chicken, which you can actually begin up to two days before you plan to cook it. 

If you feel like hot honey is everywhere right now, you’re not wrong. But this inventive recipe takes it from the charcuterie board and brings it to the dinner table. 

Even the biggest families have a hard time finishing a honey-baked ham, so use those leftover slices in a creative way with our very own spin on Chicken Cordon Bleu. Our Herby Dijonnaise is the real star of the show, and you’ll want to slather it on sandwiches long after serving this dinner recipe. 

This weeknight chicken recipe will please picky eaters and seasoned cooks alike. Here, we serve it over hot buttered pasta, but it’s delicious on sandwiches or salads, too. 

Our Test Kitchen created this mash-up recipe that combines the comfort of Thanksgiving stuffing with the ease of a weeknight chicken dinner. You can freeze the baked casserole or any leftovers for up to three months.

Store-bought pesto sauce is the secret to getting this pretty pasta dinner on the table so quickly. Plus, it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. 

This is a true set-it-and-forget-it recipe. The most effort you’ll need to make is cooking the rice to serve with the chicken, but you can always grab a microwaveable bag and fix that problem!

Fast and delicious, this should be your go-to way to whip chicken up for any weeknight. Plus, it will taste good with basically any side dish you have on hand. 

Thanks to your Instant Pot, you can serve up a fancy dinner that looks like it came from your local Italian restaurant. The recipe calls for dry red wine, which just so happens to pair beautifully with the meal once complete! 

Instead of grabbing a bottle of store-bought barbecue sauce, go homemade with this easy recipe. All you’ll need is one of our favorite barbecue side dishes to finish the meal! 

Chicken and rice are budget-friendly staples to dinner recipes from around the world, and this Lowcountry dish puts them both to work. It’s simple, easy, and oh-so-comforting. 

Just from the name of this casserole, you know that even the pickiest eaters in your household will gobble this chicken dinner up! And yes, you can use Cool Ranch Doritos instead, if those are your preferred flavor.

This recipe comes from the kitchen of Senior Travel & Culture Editor Tara Massouleh McCay’s mom, who actually served it to Tara’s bridesmaids on her wedding day as they got ready. 

Let’s be real: No football party host wants to pick up chicken wing bones left behind on napkins and plates around the house. These homemade chicken bites are equally delicious and help everyone remain mess-free. 

With this 40-minute recipe, everyone wins! The kids get their favorite dinner, and the parents can know they’re serving a homemade meal instead of something from the freezer section. 

This recipe is a beautiful new way to serve roasted chicken that’s not a snore. “This was so light and refreshing and also comforting at the same time. It was a big hit on our Easter table!” wrote one reviewer who gave it five stars.

We gave it all away with the name here: This quick chicken dinner is garlicky, buttery goodness. Our Test Kitchen recommends simple and light sides like asparagus or tomato-cucumber salad. 

This delicious chicken pasta dish is ready in just 35 minutes. Creamy and cheesy, yet light and bright, this satisfying mix is made perfect with the crunchy panko-coated chicken on top.

While this chicken dinner does take some time to marinade, once you’ve got it ready to deep fry, you’ll be at the end goal in no more than 45 minutes. Consider putting the chicken in the marinade mix and creating the flour blend in the morning, so that when dinner time comes around, you’ll be ready to dredge and fry. Serve with potato salad or mac and cheese and a roasted veggie for a comforting and balanced meal.

This family-friendly casserole comes together in under an hour. Chicken, bacon, and ranch create a creamy, cheesy, flavorful pasta dish. This casserole is ideal for a make-and-take dish or to reheat as leftovers.

This simple sheet pan roasted chicken is salty, nutty, sweet, and bright. The orange juice, vinegar, and honey sauce add a zesty flavoring, pairing perfectly with rosemary and shaved Parmesan cheese. A sheet pan helps the chicken and vegetables soak up all the marinade’s flavoring.

Make dinner with minimal effort and even less cleanup by making a simple sheet pan supper. Combine skinless chicken breasts with mozzarella and tomatoes to become a cheesy, zesty, and bruschetta-like dish. Marinated tomatoes, corn, and green beans add brightness to this chicken dish.

Satisfy your Tex-Mex craving with this one-pot pasta that comes together in 35 minutes. Pepper Jack cheese and pasta water combine to create a creamy sauce that is still light. Flavored with chili powder and cumin, add the ideal amount of heat. Add more or less chopped jalapeños depending on your heat preferences.

This casserole, held together by a creamy sauce, combines chicken, vegetables, and pasta. The melty cheese and creamy soup are ideal for feeding a hungry crowd. Overall, this easy-to-assemble dish is well-rounded with sauteed vegetables and cream of mushroom soup.

These wings take only five ingredients to make. The tangy, zesty seasoning pairs perfectly with the butter base on these air fryer chicken wings. This cooking method helps create a crispy crust without drying out the inside of the chicken. Pair with your favorite dipping sauce.

This family-friendly dish is sure to become a new holiday staple. Use fresh herbs in the cobbler for even more flavoring. To help assemble this comfort food faster, use store-bought rotisserie chicken.

White Lightning Chicken Chili gets its name because it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish to get this one-dish meal to the table. Don’t drain the chopped green chiles or navy beans. Serve chili with cornbread.

Cheese-filled tortellini and a chopped pecan topping add extra flavor to this kid-friendly Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake. At the same time, broccoli and red bell pepper contribute pops of color throughout this one-dish meal. Add even more fun colors by using colored tortellini. Ingredients like white wine and pecans will impress guests, while the delicious buttery crackers and grated Parmesan cheese will please even the pickiest eaters.

This hearty dish is a more substantial version of classic Buffalo chicken dip. Fill corn tortillas with a creamy combination of cheeses and peppers. Place the tortillas with the seam side down so it holds together when baking.

Pimiento peppers, cheese, chicken, and broccoli are a dreamy combination. The extra-sharp Cheddar cheese melts perfectly in this pasta bake, mixed with pimiento peppers, reminding you of your favorite dip. Top with buttery crackers for the ideal topping.

Crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside, this sandwich requires little effort and makes a satisfying lunch or light dinner. You can make hot sandwiches with two heavy cast-iron skillets—no panini press required. While cooking a sandwich in one skillet, heat the second one on a separate burner. Once hot, place the second skillet on top of the sandwich for one to two minutes. Repeat on the flip side.

Enjoy tasty enchiladas without rolling or filling tortillas. This skillet supper is a crowd-pleasing way to serve enchiladas and let everyone enjoy and customize their dinner with toppings. Create a toppings bar with lime wedges, thinly sliced radishes, crumbled cotija cheese, sliced scallions, pickled red onions, and pickled jalapeño slices.

Fresh veggies add prep time but allow you to customize this stir-fry with summer favorites. Add any veggie you like for a meal to please the whole family. The best part? This one-dish wonder will be ready in just 10 minutes.

Make the dressing and prep the veggies the day before, and dinner will be on the table in minutes. This chicken is a great recipe to customize to your preferences, adding and subtracting fresh veggies to suit your taste. Save even more time by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

There’s no need to reach for your rolling pin to make this version of chicken pot pie. Frozen, not refrigerated biscuits help this dish come together quickly while also not burning in the oven. Let this dish stand for 10 minutes before serving to let the filling thicken slightly.

This fresh and light dish will be your go-to supper this season. The chicken breasts get a flavor boost from the perfectly seasoned brine. Be sure to allow enough time for the chicken to chill uncovered for 30 minutes before grilling.

Leftover chicken gets a fresh makeover with fresh lemon juice, chopped and toasted pecans, and sweet grapes. We love the convenience of whipping up a batch of this easy-to-make chicken salad to have on hand throughout the week. Serve in lettuce cups or with crackers.

Turn your kitchen into the family’s favorite pizzeria with this gourmet recipe. Choose your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce for the base.

This winner of a chicken dinner is our new favorite roasting-pan supper. This dish, prepared in a little over an hour, comes together with 20 minutes of hands-on cooking time. To season this dish, use a dynamic trio of citrusy lemon, fragrant rosemary, and flavorful garlic.

Cleanup is easy with this one-pan dinner (you’ll make the sauce in the same pan you used to cook the cutlets). If your grocery store does not have cutlets readily available, use regular chicken breasts and slice them in half, then use a mallet to flatten them lightly. Make it in batches if your skillet is too small to accommodate all the cutlets at once.

We used corn tortillas in this recipe, but feel free to swap them for flour tortillas if you prefer. We topped them with sour cream and fresh cilantro, but a bit of avocado would be a delicious addition.

The “top-shelf” in this recipe speaks to the bird’s crispy skin, superior flavor, and juiciness. The “under a brick” technique uses the weight of a cast-iron skillet filled with potatoes to flatten the chicken against the hot grill grates. This cooking method reduces time standing over the grill and helps seal the flavor while creating a perfectly brown, crispy skin.

All the flavors of a favorite casserole come together in the comfort of mac and cheese. To simplify preparation for this dish, use store-bought conveniences like cream of chicken soup, pre-shredded cheese, and rotisserie chicken. Freeze this hearty, cheesy favorite in lidded bakeware for easy transport between the oven, freezer, and fridge.

Add significant flavor to these chicken tacos using a jar of salsa. Purchase chunky salsa to help tenderize the meat, which complements the adobo sauce. Try topping the tacos with avocado, sour cream, lime, and cilantro.

This classic chicken salad recipe enhances store-bought rotisserie chicken with chopped celery, sweet pickle relish, and other seasonings. Toss everything in Dijon mustard and mayonnaise for a smooth and creamy result. Substitute cubed apples for cranberries if you prefer.

Soak chicken twice in the egg-milk mixture and double-dredge in the highly seasoned flour for a superior crust. When serving, brighten up fried wings with lemon slices and parsley leaves. Voilá!

Chicken, rice, and greens fill one soulful pot in our family-friendly take on a Lowcountry staple. Quick-cooking basmati rice helps turn this recipe into dinner in no time and stays fluffy throughout the entire cooking process. Stir halfway through the baking process and serve immediately.

Layers of corn tortillas give this ultra-creamy casserole some texture. Structured like lasagna but flavored like the classic Tex-Mex enchilada dish, this chicken casserole is bursting with a smoky, spicy flavor and is sure to impress. We seasoned it with poblano peppers, green chiles, taco mix, and two creamy kinds of cheese to satisfy your Mexican-food cravings without leaving the house.

Mashed white Great Northern beans thicken and enrich this broth in the chicken soup. Add more chicken broth to even out the dairy ingredients for a lighter, thinner soup. This soup is smoky, spicy, and creamy, but garnishes like cilantro, sour cream, and radishes add great flavor and texture.

This version of Chicken Divan is a perfect blend of easy and company-worthy. While this recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, substitute cheddar if you prefer. Folding whipped cream into the sauce helps make it ultra-rich.

Baked Chicken Roulade is fancy enough for a special occasion but quick enough to make on a busy weeknight. After placing the chicken between sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to help flatten the chicken to a uniform thickness. To keep the spinach mixture tucked into the chicken, secure it with wooden picks.

Save time (and dirty dishes) with lidded bakeware that goes from oven to freezer to fridge easily. Sliced almonds, water chestnuts, cream of mushroom soup, and Cheddar cheese add a depth of flavor and texture to this satisfying casserole.

Perloo is a comforting one-pot rice dish. This recipe combines bacon, smoked chicken, white wine, smoked paprika, and plenty of bell peppers for an aromatic dish. While this recipe uses red rice, any medium-grain rice will work.

Double the crust, double the delicious! These personally portioned chicken pot pies ensure everyone gets the same amount of comfort food.

This lightened-up casserole pairs crispy onions and Parmesan cheese for a dynamic duo of flavors. The Test Kitchen refers to this dish as a distant cousin to green bean casserole, an all-time favorite dish. Instead of brown rice, substitute it for whole-wheat penne pasta in this recipe.

Replace the traditional pastry crust in chicken pot pie with homemade biscuits. These biscuits are made with sharp Cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, and chives, making them just as tasty solo as atop this chicken pot pie.

Create a uniquely flavored chicken dish with only six ingredients. This poppy seed chicken is a perfect meal to throw together on busy weeknights because it requires 10 minutes of hands-on time. Serve this chicken with rice or a fresh salad for a complete dinner.

This French Onion Chicken Casserole is perfect for chilly nights. It’s rich, cheesy, and loaded with onion flavor. This casserole is great for preparing in advancing, freezing, and taking out when you need dinner quickly.

Help this dish assemble quickly by using rotisserie chicken. Replacing the heavy cream with buttermilk creates a velvety and satisfying cheese sauce. Use whatever pasta you have available.

Cheesy, hearty, and customizable—these are only a few of the reasons we love ziti. Instead of ground beef or Italian sausage, this recipe uses rotisserie chicken to shred and toss into this pasta dish. In addition to pre-shredded cheese and homemade sauce, this dinner will be a real crowd-pleaser.

This chicken sausage and kale soup is an upgraded version of classic chicken noodle soup. Kale provides plenty of nutritional value—It’s high in potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin B6. Enjoy the smell of this soup cooking from the beginning, as the onions and garlic create a savory aroma.

Learn how to prepare a homemade crispy, juicy fried chicken sandwich. Add a creamy, tangy, and special flavoring by marinating the chicken in buttermilk. The secret to getting perfect crisp chicken is letting the oil reach the desired temperature before adding your chicken.

Prepare this delicious cassoulet with a Toasted Herbed Breadcrumb Topping for added crunch and flavor in every bite. Smoked Cajun sausage and bell peppers add extra heat, but you can decrease the overall spiciness by adding less Cajun seasoning. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is bubbly.

This traditional Southern recipe features buttermilk, flour, salt, and pepper. The result is juicy chicken on the inside and crispy on the outside. Soak your chicken in the buttermilk at least two hours before frying.

Make a classic comfort food recipe with this chicken casserole. This family-friendly dish takes less than an hour and provides a filling one-dish meal. Portion individual servings and freeze them in freezer-and-microwave-safe containers. Separating this dish in this way allows you to reheat dinner for one, two, or the entire family.

This creamy chicken salad pairs perfectly with the crunch of pecans, Granny Smith apples, red onions, and celery. Enjoying this chicken salad recipe is worth the extra ingredients and preparations. Lemon juice and chopped fresh tarragon add additional flavoring to this refreshing dish.

Start by rubbing chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning before placing them in a slow cooker. Add carrots, parsnips, celery, and sweet onion to whisk into a soup. Pour the soup mixture over the vegetables and continue to cook until the chicken easily shreds with a fork.