24 Best Chicken Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Chicken Recipes for Busy Weeknight – Cooking a delicious, nutritious meal doesn’t have to take hours of preparation and cooking time. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner or something a bit more complex, these easy chicken recipes are sure to fit the bill! From delicious one-pan chicken dishes to flavorful slow cooker chicken dinner, these chicken recipes are perfect for busy weeknights. Whether you’re feeding a family or just cooking for one, these chicken recipes will make it simple to put a flavorful meal on the table in no time. Including recipes for sheet-pan chicken, Instant Pot chicken, chicken bake, air-fryer chicken, chicken salads, and more! So go ahead and get cooking – it’s time to make some delicious and easy chicken recipes! ❤️

by Sidney Yang

Sidney Yang

Sidney is part of the Eatwell101 family since 2014. As an editor, she shares her enthusiasm for food, cooking tips, and entertaining across more than a thousand written articles published on Eatwell101.

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Updated Feb 11, 2023

1. Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken and Green Beans Skillet

This one-skillet Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken recipe is a snap to fix. The chicken thighs and green beans are cooked with lemon garlic butter sauce in the same pan. So addicting!
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

2. Salsa Fresca Chicken Bake

This crazy good chicken breast bake with salsa Fresca is so easy to make for Quick Healthy Dinner. A guaranteed hit for tonight !
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

3. Honey Garlic Chicken Bites

Honey garlic chicken bites is the easiest dinner to throw together! Make it all in one skillet and let the flavors blow your mind!
Cooking time: 12 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

4. Creamy Garlic Chicken with Spinach and Bacon

This Creamy garlic chicken recipe with spinach and bacon is rich, creamy, and hearty - everyone will love it!
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

5. Pepper Chicken Stir Fry (15 Minutes)

Our delicious pepper chicken stir fry is sweet and savory, with incredible umami flavors. Quick, easy, and delicious - You won’t want to miss this chicken stir-fry recipe!
Cooking time: 15 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

6. Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes Skillet

This garlic butter chicken and potatoes skillet is the easiest and tastiest weeknight dinner - One skillet for amazing flavors!
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

7. Creamy Chicken Breast in Spinach Parmesan Sauce

This creamy chicken breast recipe is a 20-minutes easy chicken dinner that will wow the entire family!
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

8. Chicken Stir Fry Noodles (15-Minute )

This chicken stir fry noodles recipe is loaded with nutritious veggies, and ready in 15 minutes - Flavor overload!
Cooking time: 15 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

9. Baked Chicken Bites with Asparagus

These oven-baked chicken bites recipe with asparagus are quick to make and don’t require any frying. The chicken bites are so juicy, tender, and delicious you’ll eat them hot right off the sheet pan!
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

10. Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Lemon Asparagus

This chicken bites and asparagus recipe is a winner for dinnertime. So much flavor and so easy to throw together!
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

11. Pineapple BBQ Baked Chicken Foil Packets in Oven

These baked chicken in foil packets are easy and packed with tons of flavor. You’ll love the simplicity!
Cooking time: 35 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

12. Easy Oven Baked Chicken Bites

Try our juicy oven baked chicken recipe! Boneless chicken breasts are cut in small bites and deliciously seasoned before baked in the oven until tender!
Cooking time: 15 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

13. Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad with Avocado, Tomato, and Basil 

Healthy chicken pasta salad is packed with flavor, protein and veggies. Try this pasta salad recipe for a quick lunch or a light dinner!
Cooking time: 10 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

14. Air Fryer Chicken and Vegetables (Healthy Dinner in 15 minutes!)

This air fryer chicken veggies recipe is super easy to make and full of flavor. Air fryer chicken and vegetables make a complete and healthy low-carb or keto meal in under 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

15. Cheesy Fajita Chicken Bake

This fajita chicken bake recipe is packed with flavor and so easy to throw together. Try this quick fajita chicken casserole for dinner!
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

16. Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad

This avocado chicken salad recipe is light, flavorful, and easy to make - Perfect Healthy salad recipe for your next barbecue or potluck!
Cooking time: 6 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

17. Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs and Asparagus

This air fryer chicken thighs recipe with asparagus is a delicious family-friendly dinner in under 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

18. Spinach Chicken Casserole with Cream Cheese and Mozzarella

Chicken breasts casserole recipe is packed with delicious flavors - Try the chicken casserole with spinach, cream cheese, and mozzarella for a nice combination for a busy day's meal!
Cooking time: 30 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

19. Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

These Instant Pot lemon garlic chicken breasts are ready in 30 minutes - Perfect for busy weeknights!
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

20. Creamy Spinach Chicken Gnocchi

This creamy Spinach chicken gnocchi recipe has to be the ultimate comfort food!
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

21. Chicken Tortellini Soup with Vegetables

This chicken tortellini soup warms you up from the inside. It's quick and easy to make, perfect for those busy weeknights!
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

22. Salsa Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These chicken lettuce wraps are so delicious - Citrusy, sweet, spicy, and savory all in one, the salsa that goes with grilled chicken will steal the show. Perfect for a quick lunch, dinner, or meal prep!
Cooking time: 20 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

23. Honey Dijon Chicken and Veggies Foil Packs

Perfect chicken recipe for a quick and healthy dinner
Cooking time: 25 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

24. Garlic Butter Chicken with Pineapple

This pineapple chicken is so tender and juicy bursting with savory sweet flavor!
Cooking time: 15 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

25. Blackened Chicken Salad

This blackened chicken salad recipe with avocado is crisp and full of flavor - Salad with chicken is the simplest and healthiest meal you can make!
Cooking time: 15 minView recipe >> Save to recipe box

What chicken cuts are best for a quick dinner?

When it comes to cooking with chicken for a quick dinner, there are a variety of cuts to choose from. From the breast to the thighs to the wings, each cut of chicken has its own culinary characteristics and uses:

• The chicken breast is the most popular cut of chicken and is usually served boneless and skinless. It is a lean cut of meat and is great for grilling, baking, roasting, and stir-frying. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner!
• The chicken thighs are the most flavorful cut of chicken and are usually cooked with the bone in, which helps to keep the meat moist. They are perfect for braising, roasting, and stewing. However, boneless chicken thighs are pretty quick to cook and can be used as a substitute to chicken breast in your chicken stir-fries or grilled chicken salads.
• The chicken wings are another great cut of chicken for roasting, grilling, and baking. They also make for a great snack when cooked with a variety of sauces and seasonings. Chicken wings cook very quickly so they are ideal for a quick weeknight dinner at home.

What are the fastest ways to cook chicken for busy weeknights?

When it comes to cooking chicken for a quick dinner, there are a variety of methods to choose from. For a fast and easy meal, grilling, baking, and roasting are the best methods. With these fast and easy cooking methods for chicken, you can have a delicious meal on the table in no time:

• Grilling is a great option for chicken breasts, as it cooks quickly and evenly.
• For even faster cooking, you can opt for stir-frying or sautéing chicken strips. This method cooks the chicken quickly and is perfect for when you are in a rush. It’s our favorite!
• Baking is a great way to cook chicken thighs, as they need a slightly longer cooking time to ensure they are cooked through. Sheet-pan chicken dinners are usually quick on prep and relatively short in cooking time.
• Roasting is perfect for whole chickens, as it allows the bird to cook evenly and be crispy on the outside. It’s certainly not the fastest way to cook chicken but factoring the number of guests, it’s still an option to consider because while chicken is in the oven, you can do something else.

Did you make any of these chicken recipes? Please share on your social media using our hashtag #eatwell101!