50 Chicken Breast Recipes to Win Weeknight Dinners

August 27, 2019
No. More. Boring. Chicken. These easy and healthy recipes are all quick to pull together or throw in the slow cooker or Crockpot, so they're perfect for busy weeknights and families. Chicken breast is a protein powerhouse and dinner favorite.
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Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

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This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.

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Chicken-&-Mushroom Marsala

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For the best flavor in this classic one-pan chicken dinner recipe use real Marsala wine, not the cooking-wine kind. Serve with mashed potatoes.

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Quinoa, Chicken & Broccoli Salad with Roasted Lemon Dressing

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Roasting lemons mellows their tartness and creates a layer of caramelized flavor that pairs well with the raw broccoli and savory quinoa in this healthy chicken dinner salad. Even better, the chicken and lemons roast on one sheet pan, making cleanup a breeze.

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Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

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Sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese pack a flavorful punch along with the tantalizing aroma of fresh marjoram in this rustic Italian-inspired dish. Serve with sautéed fresh spinach or steamed broccolini.

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Spaghetti Squash Peanut "Noodles" with Chicken

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Chinese five-spice powder, a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, adds a hint of warmth and the suggestion of sweetness to this healthy chicken recipe. It's great on just about anything you grill or roast, so it's worth keeping in your spice cabinet.

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Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan

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This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew

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This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.

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Skillet Chicken Parmesan

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If you can't find cutlets for this easy chicken Parmesan recipe at your supermarket, place a boneless, skinless breast flat on a cutting board, hold it steady with your palm and, using a sharp knife, slice the breast horizontally into two thin pieces.

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Creamy Mustard Chicken

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In this healthy, creamy mustard chicken recipe, thin-sliced chicken breasts (sometimes labeled chicken cutlets) cook quickly and are delicious smothered in a velvety, light mustard sauce and garnished with fresh chopped sage. If you can't find chicken cutlets, cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into 4-ounce pieces and place between pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet, rolling pin or heavy skillet until flattened to about 1/2 inch thick.

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Lemon-Sopressata Chicken

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You'll only need 5 ingredients and 30 minutes for this healthy chicken recipe. Serve with mashed potatoes and a mixed green salad with red-wine vinaigrette to round out dinner.

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Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Freezer Pack

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Prep all of the ingredients for this hearty soup and freeze until you're ready to cook it for a fast meal. All you have to do is pop the frozen ingredients into your multicooker and turn it on. Using a pressure cooker to make this warming pot of chili results in extra-tender chicken that's easy to shred. The addition of chopped zucchini and corn gives each bowl a nutritional boost.

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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl

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This chipotle-flavored burrito bowl recipe is even better than takeout and just as fast. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthy dinner.

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Chicken with Tomato-Balsamic Pan Sauce

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Fennel seeds give this tomato and balsamic sauce an extra kick, but if you don't have them on hand, try using cumin or coriander seeds, or 1 teaspoon of a ground herb or spice. Serve this easy chicken breast recipe with whole-wheat spaghetti or crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Save the unused chicken tenders in an airtight container in your freezer for up to 3 months. Once you have enough, thaw them out for another use.

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Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice

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Cauliflower rice lends similar taste and texture to this Asian-inspired fried rice dish, but is lower in carbohydrates than real rice.

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Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken

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A rich and creamy sauce coats chicken breasts in this quick and comforting dinner. If you don't have chicken cutlets (thin-sliced boneless chicken breast) on hand, you can make your own by slicing two 8-ounce chicken breasts in half horizontally.

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Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

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This one-pan chicken-and-broccoli recipe comes out of the oven all browned, cheesy and bubbling like a casserole, but is really prepared more like a skillet meal on the stovetop. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

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BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza

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Upgrade chicken-BBQ pizza with this Alabama-style white sauce recipe made with mayo and a little vinegar. Using premade dough helps get dinner on the table quickly and easily.

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Jalapeño-Popper Stuffed Chicken

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Stuff all the flavors of fried jalapeño poppers into a creamy filling for stuffed chicken breasts. This healthy baked chicken recipe is great with a side of green beans for an easy dinner.

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Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew

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This quick, protein-rich chicken stew recipe gets great flavor from cumin, lemon juice and garlic. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick healthy dinner. Serve the stew with couscous and steamed broccoli.

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Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

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This easy, creamy chicken enchilada recipe uses premade green salsa for a quick enchilada sauce. Not in a verde mood? Use tomato salsa instead.

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Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken with Fingerlings

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Fingerling potatoes are small, long, knobby spuds that are shaped like fingers. Look for them in the produce department or at farmers' markets.

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Thai Chicken Stir-Fry with Basil & Cashews

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This quick chicken stir-fry recipe is flavored with classic Thai ingredients: savory fish sauce balanced with tangy lime juice and plenty of fresh basil. Have all the ingredients prepared and ready to add to the wok before you turn on the heat. Serve with brown rice.

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Crispy Chicken Schnitzel with Herb-Brown Butter

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This healthy recipe for crispy chicken schnitzel involves coating the chicken breasts with fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs and oven “frying” using a mist of olive oil cooking spray instead of frying in lots of oil. Serve on a bed of mixed greens or with mashed potatoes.

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Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Warm Barley Salad

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Barley and pistachios give this healthy chicken recipe a double dose of nutty flavor. For an easy change-up, swap in your favorite whole grain, such as brown rice, farro or quinoa.

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Asian Ginger Chicken

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This quick-and-easy meal combines crisp-tender vegetables, brown rice and chicken in a tasty Asian-inspired sauce. Not in the mood for soy and ginger? No problem. We've included two simple variations with lemon and Italian flavorings.

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Feta-Stuffed Chicken

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The feta and fat-free cream cheese stuffing make this main dish chicken recipe rich in taste yet low in calories.

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Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

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This zesty Cajun-style pasta is full of lean chicken, peppers and onions. Serve with sautéed green beans.

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Chicken Parmesan with Broccolini

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This delicious Chicken Parmesan dinner for two is ready in just 30 minutes!

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Chicken Hummus Soup

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Adding hummus to a soup may sound odd, but give it a try! It thickens up this 15-minute chicken and vegetable soup recipe and provides added protein and fiber.

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Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

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Chicken and sweet potatoes unite with the delicious taste of rosemary in this easy, one-skillet meal. Because we use parcooked and unseasoned sweet potatoes, the cooking time is much shorter--making this recipe perfect for weeknight cooking.

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Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas

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Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños.

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Chicken Piccata

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Tenderized chicken breasts are cooked with lemon slices and served in a mouthwatering sauce of garlic, wine and lemon juice in this chicken piccata dinner.

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Thai Chicken Soup

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The only pot you'll need for this quick and delicious Thai-inspired chicken soup is a Dutch oven. Everything is cooked in the same pot, which means after 30 minutes you'll be enjoying your soup and not worrying about a messy cleanup to follow!

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Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch

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This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalapeños help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken.

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