Twelve chicken dinner ideas, from a saucy chicken and broccoli stir fry and Hokkien noodles to creamy mushroom chicken, Thai curry and a baked parmy.
Chicken is the default dinner in a lot of houses, which is exactly why it gets boring. The fix usually isn't a new cut but a new direction: a stir fry instead of a roast, a curry instead of another crumbed fillet.
These twelve run from 15-minute weeknight dinners to slower bakes for when there's time. If you've already got the other half of dinner sorted, the narrower guides go further: chicken with rice, pasta, potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, noodles, spinach, tortillas, corn, coconut milk or lemon.
01
RecipeTin Eats16 min5 servingsWeeknightStart with Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry from RecipeTin Eats for a 15-minute stir fry with plenty of sauce for spooning over rice.
Broccoli is just the start. Any crunchy vegetable in the crisper can go in with it.
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02RecipeTin Eats20 min4 servingsFakeawayWhen it's a noodle night, go for Hokkien noodles with chicken from RecipeTin Eats which tastes like takeaway and takes about 20 minutes.
Hokkien noodles keep in the pantry, so this one rarely needs a special trip to the shops.
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03RecipeTin Eats20 min4 servingsComfortFor something creamy, make Chicken Breast in Creamy Mushroom Sauce from RecipeTin Eats where pan-fried chicken breast meets a rich mushroom sauce.
Serve it with mash, rice or pasta, whichever you have. They all catch the sauce.
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04To get enchilada flavour without rolling anything, try Chicken Enchilada Skillet from Well Plated which cooks it all in a single skillet.
Fewer dishes, and the same cheesy, saucy result.
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05
The Cookie Rookie40 min4 servingsFamily mealFor a Friday night, make Crispy Chicken Tacos from The Cookie Rookie and set everything out so everyone can build their own.
Tacos are an easy win with kids, and any leftover chicken works in a wrap the next day.
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06When there's a jar of pesto in the fridge, cook Chicken Pesto Pasta from Well Plated which does a lot with a few ingredients.
Shop-bought pesto is fine here. Add a handful of spinach or cherry tomatoes if you have them.
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07For curry night, make Thai Chicken Curry from Well Plated and put the rice on before you start.
Keep a tin of coconut milk and a jar of curry paste in the pantry and this is always within reach.
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08The Cookie Rookie30 min4 servingsPub classicTo get a pub parmy at home, try Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan from The Cookie Rookie which bakes the chicken instead of frying it.
Serve it with chips and salad and it's the full counter meal.
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09The Cookie Rookie45 min6 servingsCosyOn a cold night, make Creamy Chicken Stew from The Cookie Rookie for a creamy, comforting pot that goes well with crusty bread.
Stews don't mind what veg you add, so this is a good home for a couple of carrots or a few potatoes.
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10For a hands-off dinner, bake Baked Lemon Chicken from Well Plated and let the oven do most of the work.
A lemon from the fruit bowl does a lot of the heavy lifting here.
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11RecipeTin Eats1 hr4 servingsSunday dinnerWhen there's time for a tray bake, make Baked Italian Chicken with Potatoes from RecipeTin Eats with the potatoes cooking alongside the chicken.
It's a full dinner with no separate side to think about.
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12RecipeTin Eats55 min5 servingsPantry rescueAnd for the night when the fridge looks bare, there's Emergency Chicken Rice Casserole from RecipeTin Eats built on pantry staples and whatever chicken you have.
The name says it all. It's made for nights with no plan and not much in the fridge.
Open in PantryPalChicken is easy to buy and easy to get stuck on. Tell PantryPal what else is in your kitchen and it will find a chicken dinner that uses it.
