Commencing my foray into the culinary world, I have compiled the chicken recipes I hold most dear. They epitomize two loves of mine in the kitchen: super easy prep and big-time flavor.
From the buttery, creamy “I love you” Butter Chicken that does the job way better than a Valentine’s Day card to the always-dependable roommate dinner lifesaver that is Chicken Parmesan, here are my top five chicken recipes.
The 11 Best chicken recipes
1. Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken is a timeless dish from India. Its starring protein, chicken thighs, gets a tenderizing treatment of yogurt, salt, and the always-inventive masala blend known as garam masala.
The sauce for butter chicken is a luscious blend of tomato puree, butter, and heavy cream.
Ingredients
1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt, to taste
Instructions
1. Soak the chicken parts in a blend of yogurt, salt, and garam masala for a minimum of 1 hour in the cold cupboard.
2. In a big frying pan, medium heat the butter and add the marinated chicken parts. Cook them until browned on all sides.
3. In the pan, add the tomato puree and simmer it for around 10 minutes or so, and let it do its thing until the chicken is completely cooked.
4. Combine the heavy cream with the sauce, and season it with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve at once.
2. Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is a quintessential Italian-American dish that showcases the very best of comfort food and is extremely popular, especially with children. This eggplant Parmesan’s relative is made with chicken instead of eggplant and has the same proportions of sauce and melted cheese.
It is served at a lot of restaurants and at home.
Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 400°F (200°C). Get the chicken ready by slicing the breasts in half lengthwise to form four thin pieces.
2. Establish a breading station with three containers: one filled with flour, one sealed with beaten eggs, and one containing breadcrumbs mixed with half the grated Parmesan cheese. Take a piece of chicken and coat it with flour, then dip it in egg, and finally coat it with the breadcrumb mixture.
3. In a big oven-safe skillet, pour some oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet and cook them until they are golden brown on both sides—3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Take the skillet off the heat, ladle marinara sauce over the chicken, and place slices of mozzarella and the rest of the Parmesan over the sauce. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is all bubbly. Serve right away.
3. Chicken Alfredo
The classic Italian-American dish known as Chicken Alfredo highlights a few simple yet sumptuous ingredients. Fettuccine, an egg noodle similar in width to a little girl’s pinky, serves as the foundation of the dish.
From there, things get a bit richer: Chicken breasts, poached or simmered in a fragrant broth, are next in line. And for the pièce de résistance—fettucine and chicken are bathed in a sauce made with heavy cream, copious amounts of butter, and garlic.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces of fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
1. Prepare the fettuccine pasta as per the package directions. Allow to drain, and keep set apart.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste on the chicken breast until they are coated.
3. In the same pan, add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, stirring until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
4. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and the sliced chicken. Serve at once.
4. Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken is a dish that takes a whole chicken and fills it with the bright and tasty flavors of lemon, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and thyme. You will be hard-pressed to find a more succulent and aromatic meal than this roasted bird.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 425°F (220°C). Dry the chicken with paper towels.
2. Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin.
3. Fill the chicken cavity with sliced lemon. Put any leftover lemon slices in the roasting pan around the chicken.
4. Cook the chicken in the oven that’s been heated for about 1 hour and 15 minutes and see to it that the internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C) and that the juices are running clear and not reddish at all. You want them to be a pale, translucent yellow-brown. Don’t skimp on resting time; let the bird hang out for at least 10 minutes before you carve it.
5. General Tso's Chicken
General Tso’s Chicken, a favored dish in Chinese-American cuisine, consists of boneless chicken thighs that are first marinated in soy sauce, and then, after a brief drying period, coated in cornstarch. The chicken is deep-fried, then tossed in a sweet, sour, and slightly spicy sauce that combines sugar, rice vinegar, and hoisin sauce.
The dish is often served with steamed white rice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and allow to sit for about 20 minutes.
2. In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil and fry the marinated chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. In the identical skillet, lower heat to medium. Combine the sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and remaining soy sauce in the pan and blend together to make the sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. This should take about 2–3 minutes.
4. Put the chicken back in the pan and toss it in the sauce until everything is mixed together nicely and heated up. Serve right away.
6. Chicken Tikka Masala
Chunks of tender chicken breast combine wonderfully with the aromatic richness of garam masala, garlic, and ginger in Chicken Tikka Masala. The dish is enveloped in a luscious sauce made of tomato purée and cream.
Ingredients
Chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
1 pound, cut into chunks
Plain yogurt
1 cup
Garam masala
1 tablespoon
Garlic
3 cloves, minced
Fresh ginger
1 inch piece, grated
Tomato purée
1 cup
Cream
1/2 cup
Instructions
1. Combine the yogurt, garam masala, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Add the chicken parts and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour, but if you can, let the chicken rest in the marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Set your oven to 425°F (220°C) to start. Dredging the marinated chicken pieces in a coating and arranging them neatly on a baking sheet is what should be happening next. Following that, it’s time to bake. So that goes in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
3. In the meantime, in a large skillet, simmer the tomato purée over medium heat. Stir the cream into the purée and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Stir the sauce well to combine with the baked chicken. Allow to simmer for a few more minutes. Serve the chicken in the sauce with hot rice or naan.
7. Chicken Fajitas
A Tex-Mex staple, chicken fajitas consist of thinly sliced marinated chicken breast, the marinade consisting of olive oil, lime juice, and fajita seasoning; vibrant bell peppers (red and green); and onions—usually served with warm tortillas in a manner that allows for easy assembly of individual fajitas.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
Instructions
1. In a bowl, mix together the olive oil, lime juice, and fajita seasoning. Then add the sliced chicken, and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
2. In a big frying pan over a medium-high flame, cook the marinated chicken until done and nicely browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Heat the pan first, then add the oil; don’t scrimp on the oil.
3. Place sliced bell peppers and onions in the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Chicken fajitas can be served with your choice of warm tortillas and topped with an array of ingredients like sour cream, cheese, or salsa.
8. Teriyaki Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken is a well-liked Japanese dish that stars succulent chicken thighs or breasts, which are tender and moist. The dish’s namesake sauce—teriyaki—is straightforward yet packed with flavor.
And its flavor is what makes it such a crowd-pleaser. So, what gets you there?
You marriage soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake (if you’ve got it), with garlic nestled in there somewhere for added flavor.
Ingredients
1 pound chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sake
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake, and minced garlic to make the teriyaki sauce. Whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm vegetable oil. Add an even layer of chicken pieces and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Spread the teriyaki sauce over the chicken that’s in the skillet. Mix it pretty well and then lower the heat to medium-low. Let the sauce thicken and cook the chicken for another 5-10 minutes. Stir it a bit since it’s pretty easy for the chicken to start sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Immediately accompany with steamed rice and adorn with slivers of green onion or sesame seeds if desired.
9. Chicken Stir Fry
A stir fry made with chicken is healthful and speedy. You can have it on the dinner table in no time.
Use the following recipe as a guide, and feel free to substitute other vegetables (say, sugar snap peas or zucchini) in place of or in addition to the ones you see here. SERVES 4.
Ingredients: 1 pound skinless chicken breast, sliced thinly; 4 cups vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces; 4 teaspoons vegetable oil; 4 tablespoons soy sauce; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced; and salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients
1 pound (450 grams) of boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups mixed vegetables (such as broccoli, bell peppers, and carrots)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of corstarch. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
2. In a sizeable frying pan, over a medium-high flame, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked all the way through, about 5 to 7 minutes. When the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
3. In the same frying pan, heat the leftover 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir them together for 30 seconds until they give off a good smell. Add the mixed vegetables and stir them around until they’re tender-crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Place the chicken back in the skillet and pour in the rest of the soy sauce. Mix everything together until it’s uniformly combined and warmed through. Serve immediately.
10. Buffalo Chicken Wings
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Wings of Buffalo Chicken are a classic American starter. They are fried chicken wings that have been tossed in an invigorating, piquant sauce.
They key ingredients for the sauce are hot sauce, unsalted butter, and white vinegar, for an intensely flavored experience.
Ingredients
Chicken wings (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
1. Your oven should be at 400°F (200°C) and a baking sheet should be lightly greased. Chicken wings should be well seasoned with salt and pepper.
2. In a saucepan, combine over low heat the hot sauce, vinegar, and butter in the amounts specified below. Stir until well combined to make the buffalo sauce.
3. Cook the wings in hot oil until they are crispy and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. Drain the wings on paper towels.
4. Coat the fried wings in the buffalo sauce until they are well coated, then set them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake them for a further 10 minutes, then serve them hot.
11. Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Casserole of Chicken and Broccoli is a comforting dish. It takes tender chicken, steamed broccoli, and cream of chicken soup (or an excellent substitute, see my notes).
Then it adds mixed cheddar cheese, some rice, and a little mayonnaise, which is topped with slightly crunchy breadcrumbs for a satisfying casserole bake.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
1 can (
10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
1. Set your oven to bake at 350°F (175°C).
2. In a big mixing bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, cream of chicken soup, cheddar cheese, cooked rice, and mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly until everything is evenly distributed.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish that measures 9 inches by 13 inches. Add breadcrumbs and distribute them evenly across the surface.
4. Place in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. When the oven timer goes off, check on the casserole. It should be bubbly, and the breadcrumbs should be golden brown. If it looks underdone, give it a few more minutes.
