24 Chicken Recipes That You Can Use for Lunches the Next Day

August 12, 2020

These chicken recipes are perfect when you need a versatile meal. You can enjoy the recipes for dinner one night, and then use any leftovers for lunch the next day. Add the leftover chicken to salads, soups or sandwiches to create a hearty meal. Recipes like Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken and Mango-Ginger BBQ Chicken are delicious, healthy and easily adapted to whatever meal.

Start Slideshow

1 of 24

Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Serve these saucy, ultra-quick chicken cutlets over your favorite pasta. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 24

Crock-Pot Pineapple Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This slow-cooker chicken with pineapple has a hint of ginger and sesame and is made with simple ingredients you may already have in your pantry! Look for fresh pineapple that's been peeled and cored already to make assembly even easier. Serve with brown rice to sop up the sweet and savory sauce. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020

3 of 24

Antipasto Baked Smothered Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

We like the touch of heat that pepperoncini give to this briny chicken, but if you really want to turn up the spiciness, swap them for hot cherry peppers. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2020

Advertisement

4 of 24

Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Looking for a quick, easy dinner? This baked lemon-pepper chicken recipe is it. Chicken breasts are cooked in a skillet, then finished in the oven with lemon slices that soften and become part of the sauce, with a touch of maple syrup and butter to carry the flavor. It's so simple and delicious, you'll be making this healthy dinner again and again. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2019

5 of 24

Grilled Peach & Brie Smothered Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This super-fast and healthy smothered chicken tastes best on the deck with a chilled glass of gewürztraminer. The fruity white pairs nicely with the peaches here. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July / August 2020

6 of 24

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms & Leeks

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

The leeks get silky when they cook down in this luscious, tangy mustard sauce. Serve over mashed potatoes. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 24

Mango-Ginger BBQ Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Here, we blend classic barbecue sauce ingredients--ketchup and vinegar--with mango, ginger, Chinese five-spice and turmeric, for a sweet and fragrant glaze for grilled BBQ chicken. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July / August 2020

8 of 24

Grilled Chicken with Red Pepper-Pecan Romesco Sauce

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Many variations of the Catalonian roasted tomato sauce, romesco sauce, add roasted red peppers for a little sweetness. Here, we scorch the peppers and tomato on the grill alongside the chicken to keep things simple. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020

9 of 24

Pesto Chicken Bake

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This pesto chicken bake is easy to make as well as delicious! The chicken stays moist while the cheese on top gets bubbly and crispy. The pesto, mozzarella and tomato combination is a home run every time. Serve the chicken over pasta or your favorite grain. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 24

Baked Piri Piri Chicken Thighs

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Piri piri is a popular Portuguese sauce made with African bird's eye chiles. Here we blend the hot peppers with sweet bell peppers, vinegar and spices to season baked chicken thighs. This easy, healthy chicken recipe is designed to make more than you need for one dinner. See Tips for ideas for using the leftovers to make healthy chicken tacos, grain bowls and salads. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019

11 of 24

Spicy Tamarind Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This marinade is best on quick-cooking cuts of meat like this spicy grilled chicken, as the sugars in it can burn if on the grill for too long. Use the grill to cook the rest of your meal, too--Japanese eggplant and shishito peppers would be nice. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2020

12 of 24

Skillet Buffalo Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

If you like Buffalo wings, you'll love this quick skillet Buffalo chicken recipe. Chicken cutlets are sautéed, then smothered in a creamy-spicy sauce. A side-salad garnish of carrots, celery and blue cheese pulls it all together. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 24

Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Here's an easy chicken recipe you'll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor in this healthy version of a take-out favorite. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Fall 2019

14 of 24

Slow-Cooker Lemongrass-Coconut Marinated Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In this slow-cooker chicken recipe, minimal effort produces big flavor, making it the perfect starter recipe for anyone learning to cook their own Thai food. If you can't find wide rice noodles, any rice noodle can be substituted. For quickest day-of meal prep, make the chicken and coconut broth a day in advance and refrigerate. When ready to eat, simply reheat them, cook the noodles and serve. Source: Everyday Slow Cooker

15 of 24

Sheet-Pan Harissa Chicken & Vegetables

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This one-pan dinner gets a hit of flavorful heat from harissa, the popular North African chile-and-garlic paste. We use harissa paste from a tube for this recipe. It's got a concentrated chile flavor that makes an excellent spice rub for chicken and adds a subtle punch of heat to a refreshing herbed yogurt sauce. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 24

Spice-Roasted Chicken & Lemon Potatoes

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

If it isn't already, this vibrant dish will make oven-roasted chicken a favorite at your house. With the lemon potatoes, it's an irresistible and simple meal. You can use the leftover meat in soup, sandwiches, and salads. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2020

17 of 24

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Spinach

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This simple, ultra-quick chicken dinner--packed with spinach and peppers--is delicious on its own or served over brown rice or your favorite pasta. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2020

18 of 24

20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Serve these quick chicken cutlets with creamy pesto sauce over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2020

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 24

Spice-Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Crispy skin, tender meat and charred skin make for a delicious dinner main. Plus, the blend of paprika, cumin and cinnamon match deliciously with the chicken. You can eat this grilled chicken as-is--perhaps with a side of grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes--or shred it and put it in a salad. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2019

20 of 24

Crispy Roast Chicken & Carrots

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Nothing says comfort like a roasted whole chicken, but it can take a while to cook. Using parts instead puts this easy roast chicken on the weeknight menu. Fresh herbs, lemon juice and capers in this Italian salsa verde sauce brighten things up. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March 2020

21 of 24

Make-Ahead Chicken Pasta Salad

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Need something to bring to a party or backyard barbecue? This make-ahead chicken pasta salad recipe is classic and completely adaptable-you can swap in whatever veggies, herbs or cheese you like. Source: 400 Calorie Recipes

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 24

Slow-Cooker Sweet & Spicy Glazed Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

You can fully indulge in the sticky-sweetness this slow-cooker chicken dish offers when you know that calories, saturated fat, carbs and sugar are in check. Source: Everyday Slow Cooker

23 of 24

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

It's hard to believe you can get such a full-flavored, deeply spiced chicken tikka masala in just 30 minutes, but we did it! And, like the title says, this classic chicken tikka masala recipe really is as easy as it gets. Source: EatingWell.com, September 2019

24 of 24

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This easy-to-assemble combination of citrus, fresh herbs and pepper comes together quickly, uses very few dishes and leaves you time to prepare a side dish while the chicken cooks in the oven. This easy sheet-pan dinner feels like a fancy French chicken dish, but you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry. Source: EatingWell.com, October 2019

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next