32 Chicken Dinners Even the Pickiest Eaters Will Love
These recipes are guaranteed to become your new family favorites.
Related To:
Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Photo By: Matt
Photo By: Ryan Dausch
Photo By: Matt Armendariz
Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher
Photo By: Matt Armendariz
Photo By: Ryan Dausch
Photo By: Tara Donne
Photo By: RYAN DAUSCH
Photo By: RYAN DAUSCH
Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: Ryan Dausch
Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Photo By: RYAN DAUSCH
Photo By: Ryan Dausch
Photo By: Sully Sullivan
Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Photo By: Justin Walker
Shake Things Up
Tired of boring poultry? Us too. It’s easy to reach for the same old chicken breast recipe week after week when you don’t know what to cook—which is why we’ve rounded up these family-pleasing ideas. You’ll find options for chicken tenders, budget-friendly (and oh-so-delicious) chicken thighs and even some fresh takes on the classics like Chicken Parmesan or chicken and rice. With these recipes you’ll easily use all parts of the bird and have everyone running to the table for dinner. Sounds too good to be true? These 5-star chicken strips will convince you; They’re coated in potato chips for an incredible crunch. Served with homemade honey mustard they’re the kid-friendly dinner that everyone will gobble up.
Get the Recipe: Potato Chip-Crusted Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Orecchiette With Mini Chicken Meatballs
Using ground chicken, make Giada's zesty meatballs to serve in a hearty pasta dish with orecchiette and fresh mozzarella.
Get the Recipe: Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Sunny uses quick-cooking chicken tenders and cuts them into bite-size chunks for her easy, satisfying pot pie.
Get the Recipe: Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Crispy Chicken Florentine Melt
Ree tops panko-crusted chicken breasts with melted slices of mozzarella to give this chicken dinner the perfect balance of crispy and gooey.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Chicken Florentine Melt
Chicken Florentine Mac and Cheese
A Florentine sauce is typically made with cream, white wine, butter and spinach. Not only does Ree incorporate these flavors into her pasta, she adds three different types of cheese for over-the-top decadence.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Florentine Mac and Cheese
Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
This shortcut version of chicken shawarma skips the long marinating and roasting time and relies instead on quick cooking sliced thighs and a shower of the spices that go into the classic version--think cumin, cardamom and turmeric. Served with a warm pita, greens, tomato and a tangy yogurt sauce, it makes a substantial meal. We left out fries to keep the recipe on one sheet pan, but they are always a welcome addition!
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Fingers
Chicken fingers meet pizza with a pepperoni-peppered crust and marinara dipping sauce.
Get the Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Fingers
Chicken Pot Hotdish
Kids and adults alike are sure to enjoy the crust of tater tots in this chicken pot pie-hotdish mash-up. Tip: Line the tater tot rows as straight as you can "for maximum crispiness," Molly says.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pot Hotdish
Skillet Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Store-bought tortellini are the star of this quick and creamy weeknight meal. Chicken and tortellini both simmer in their own sauce, making this a one-skillet meal with easy cleanup.
Get the Recipe: Skillet Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
Fall-Off-the-Bone Chicken
Some extra planning and prep is necessary for this chicken dinner, but the results are well worth it. A dry brine combined with low and slow roasting, produces some seriously succulent and juicy meat. A quick flash under the broiler at the end turns the skin crisp and golden.
Get the Recipe: Fall-Off-the-Bone Chicken
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
Cozy up to a big bowl of comforting chicken and dumplings, which is made thanks to a rotisserie chicken.
Get the Recipe: Chicken and Herb Dumplings
Chicken Parmesan French Breads
Bev cooks chicken cutlets in marinara, tops them with mozzarella, and puts the delicious result on toasted French bread for an open-faced chicken parm sandwich with a crazy cheese pull.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Parmesan French Breads
The Best Chicken and Rice
Could classic chicken and rice be one of the most beloved comfort dinners to ever hit the plate? We think so. And to blow your mind even more, this version is made in just one skillet. Here we use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs which cook up in exactly the same time as the rice to guarantee juicy chicken. A quick broil at the end creates the perfect crispy skin and gives a little crunch to the rice and vegetables.
Get the Recipe: The Best Chicken and Rice
Lemon-Basil Chicken with Zucchini Noodles
Skip the side salad! Instead, pair chicken breasts with fun zucchini noodles. A lemon-basil pan sauce helps bring it all together.
Get the Recipe: Lemon-Basil Chicken with Zucchini Noodles
Tex-Mex Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan just got a Tex-Mex twist. Slice two chicken breasts in half to get four and swap out the classic Italian ingredients for tortilla chips, spicy cheese and salsa. If you truly miss the Parmesan in your Parmesan, add a sprinkle or two to the finished dish.
Get the Recipe: Tex-Mex Chicken Parmesan
Nacho Chicken Cutlets
Cilantro, chili-lime tortilla chips and a tangy lime yogurt sauce help transform a typical weeknight chicken and salad into a fun meal for the whole family.
Get the Recipe: Nacho Chicken Cutlets
Italian Chicken Sheet Pan Supper
Cook a full meal on a sheet pan with bone-in chicken thighs, veggies and ciabatta bread.
Get the Recipe: Italian Chicken Sheet Pan Supper
Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
Put your Instant Pot to work in turning chicken breasts into flavor-packed pulled chicken, table-ready in 45 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken
Bring the family together for a whole chicken dinner. Tyler's recipe is simple and classic: He stuffs the cavity with lemon, garlic and herbs and roasts it over new potatoes that absorb the bird's flavorful juices.
Get the Recipe: Lemon And Herb Roasted Chicken With Baby Potatoes
Chicken, Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole
Jeff’s delicious casserole is filled with feel-good ingredients like lemon, cranberry and hearty mushrooms. It does take a while for the wild rice to braise, but you can use that time to prep the other ingredients and clean up the kitchen.
Get the Recipe: Chicken, Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole
Ramen Chicken Fingers
Add some Asian fusion to chicken fingers with a fun ramen noodle crumb crust and teriyaki-pineapple dipping sauce.
Get the Recipe: Ramen Chicken Fingers
Stovetop Chicken Spaghetti
Ree is the queen of family-friendly dinners, and this cozy chicken spaghetti is no exception. She incorporates onions, peppers and peas, which is a great way to sneak veggies into picky eaters’ plates.
Get the Recipe: Stovetop Chicken Spaghetti
Miracle Mango Salsa Chicken
Ree builds a simple, yet favorful skillet dinner with just three ingredients: chicken thighs, white rice and jarred mango salsa.
Get the Recipe: Miracle Mango Salsa Chicken
Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs
Ellie proves that white meat isn't the only "good-for-you" part of the chicken. She uses bone-in chicken thighs and removes the skin, brushing the meat with a tangy glaze.
Get the Recipe: Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs
Grilled Sesame Chicken Lettuce Cups
Ditch the forks and go hands in at the dinner table with these Asian-inspired sesame chicken lettuce cups.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Sesame Chicken Lettuce Cups
Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
Pineapple lends a pop of sweetness to Ree’s easy chicken stir fry.
Get the Recipe: Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry
Hasselback Cajun Chicken
Yes, hasselback potatoes are amazing — but why should veggies get all the fun? Add some Cajun seasoning and flair to hasselbacked chicken breasts with slices of andouille sausage, green bell pepper and onion.
Get the Recipe: Hasselback Cajun Chicken
Chicken Chili Sheet Pan Quesadilla
What can’t a sheet pan do? Ree uses her to make enough chicken quesadillas for the whole family at once — no flipping required.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Chili Sheet Pan Quesadilla
Ramen Noodle Frittata
Fry up Asian-inspired frittata fun with cooked ramen noodles, ground chicken, coleslaw mix and eggs (of course).
Get the Recipe: Ramen Noodle Frittata
Carolina Smothered Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce
More than 20 five-star reviews don’t lie: Kardea’s recipe is a keeper. Fry chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet, then use the juices to make a flavorful and creamy mustard sauce.
Get the Recipe: Carolina Smothered Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Couscous-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Leave it to Guy to come up with a recipe for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that's anything but boring. He stuffs them with a Mediterranean couscous studded with feta, olives and tomatoes.
Get the Recipe: Couscous Stuffed Chicken Breast with Feta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives
Foil-Packet Chicken Puttanesca
Make it a pan-free night and use foil packets to simultaneously cook and infuse chicken breasts with briny puttanesca flavor.
Get the Recipe: Foil-Packet Chicken Puttanesca
