Easy Chicken Recipes: 9 Chicken Dinner Ideas

Chicken is a versatile meat with a mild flavor, making it a popular option for various cuisines, including Asian, Thai, Greek, and Tex-Mex. With this protein, you don’t need complicated or time-consuming techniques for tasty results. Baked chicken breasts, chicken Parmesan, and chicken salad are great for quick, simple, weeknight recipes, and BBQ chicken and chicken meatballs are easy to make no matter your experience in the kitchen.

You can cook chicken in the oven, on the stove, in an air fryer, in a slow cooker, in a deep fryer, or on the grill, depending on the dish, the season, and available time.

Follow these tips to ensure your chicken recipes are as quick as they are easy:

1. 1. Defrost the chicken ahead of time. Cooking chicken from frozen has adverse effects on taste and texture. Place your chicken in the refrigerator twelve hours before cooking to ensure it has thawed properly. Thaw your chicken in the microwave on the defrost setting if you are short on time.
2. 2. Marinate overnight. If a chicken recipe calls for a marinade, marinate the chicken overnight or during the workday, so it is ready by dinner time. If the marinade is particularly acidic, it will require less time to marinate.
3. 3. Pick your side dishes. Planning your side dishes in advance gives you the option to cook everything at once. If fried chicken is on the menu, roast veggies like sweet potatoes or green beans in the oven while the chicken is cooking. Make fried rice or steam veggies on the stove while a chicken casserole cooks in the oven.
4. 4. Preheat the oven. Almost every baking and cooking recipe calls for preheating the oven, grill, slow cooker, or air fryer, but many skip this step. Even a wok for a chicken stir-fry should be very hot before cooking.

Chicken dinner can be a simple option for any night of the week. Below are twelve easy recipes for anyone who enjoys a chicken dinner:

1. 1. Chicken enchiladas: Chicken enchiladas are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Fill corn tortillas with shredded, tender chicken and cheese, cover in a savory and spicy sauce, and bake in the oven before topping with cilantro and sour cream. Try this easy chicken enchiladas recipe.
2. 2. Chicken Milanese: Chicken Milanese is a crispy chicken dish. Pound a boneless, skinless chicken breast and bread it in a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Panfry the chicken cutlets in olive oil and serve with a leafy greens salad or orzo salad. Check out this crispy chicken Milanese recipe.
   
3. 3. Chicken parmesan: Chicken parmesan, or parmesan chicken, is one of the most classic chicken dinner recipes. Breaded chicken cutlets, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese cook together to create a crispy and creamy meal. Try this classic chicken parmesan recipe.
4. 4. Chicken pot pie: A comfort food, chicken pot pie is a buttery pie crust filled with a creamy chicken and vegetable filling. Make the cream sauce with roux, chicken stock, and milk, and mix with shredded chicken, carrots, peas, and onions. Serve piping hot with a cool salad. Check out this simple chicken pot pie recipe.
5. 5. Chicken tinga: Braise chicken in a mild sauce of tomatoes and chipotles seasoned with garlic and cane sugar. Shred the chicken and serve in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or as the filling for chicken fajitas. Try this chicken tinga recipe.
6. 6. Chicken vindaloo: Vindaloo is a type of curried chicken popular in Indian cuisine. Braise chicken thighs in a spice mixture, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Serve this kind of curry chicken with basmati rice and bread, such as roti or naan. Try this easy chicken vindaloo recipe.
7. 7. Easy chicken tacos: There are many kinds of chicken tacos, including adobo chicken tacos, chicken tinga tacos, or simple seasoned chicken tacos. Season the chicken right before cooking, then chop and serve in a tortilla with other classic taco toppings. Check out this easy chicken tacos recipe.
8. 8. Lemon chicken piccata: Piccata is traditionally a veal dish from Italy, and chicken piccata is a variation commonly eaten in the United States. Pound the chicken thin, coat it in a thin layer of flour, fry it in olive oil, and serve it with a lemon and caper sauce. Pair it with a salad, mashed potatoes, or steamed veggies. Try out this easy lemon chicken piccata recipe.
9. 9. Oven-baked chicken breast: For one of the most basic chicken breast recipes, top a baked chicken breast with various sauces, or use pesto and mozzarella cheese for a Caprese-style chicken. Alternatively, slice this chicken and toss with pasta and alfredo sauce for a homemade chicken alfredo, or add it to broth for easy chicken soup. Check out this simple oven-baked chicken breast recipe.

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