Boneless chicken breasts get a bad rap when it comes to cooking proteins. Unlike its dark meat brethren, which are usually described as “juicy” and “succulent,” chicken breasts are often associated with being “dry” and “boring.” That can’t be further from the truth.
When cooked right, chicken breasts are full of flavor and oh-so-versatile—not to mention they’re lean and healthy. They can be found fresh and frozen in individual portions, as thinly sliced cutlets, in fully cooked casseroles and salad-ready strips. There are truly endless ways to cook with them.
Whether chicken breasts are a staple in your household or it’s been a while since you reached for a package at the grocery store, there are lots of flavorful recipes to help get you out of a dinner rut. Pan fry them, grill them, toss them in the Instant Pot, or smother them in cheese—however you choose to cook with chicken breasts tonight, you and your family are guaranteed to love them.
1. Chicken Piccata With Lemon and Parsley
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The Spruce Eats / Diana ChistrugaThe classic combination of chicken and lemons will never go out of style. This comforting Italian dish is full of flavor, thanks to briny capers and a hit of fresh parsley at the very end.
Slicing the breasts into cutlets help them cook faster, so this chicken dinner is ready in about half an hour, making it a great weeknight meal.
2. Moo Goo Gai Pan
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The Spruce Eats / Cara CormackThe name of this Cantonese-American dish translates to “mushrooms and sliced chicken,” referring to its two featured ingredients.
Chicken breasts are cut into thin strips and marinated in a savory sauce and cornstarch so they come out nice and juicy once cooked. Mushrooms, water chestnuts, and shredded carrots help make it a filling, veggie-packed meal. Serve over rice to sop up the rich umami-packed sauce.
3. Instant Pot Pulled Chicken
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The Spruce Eats / Bahareh NiatiThe Instant Pot is a weeknight timesaver, able to coax flavor and texture out of the toughest cuts of meat.
This pulled chicken cooks in five minutes after the pressure builds and you can use a store-bought barbecue sauce to save even more time (though we recommend making the from-scratch one if you can).
4. Oven-Fried Chicken With Crispy Panko Coating
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The Spruce EatsMustard, mayonnaise, and a crispy Japanese panko breadcrumbs flavor this oven-fried chicken.
Easy to scale up or down, this baked chicken is ready in under an hour and has both a nice zesty tang and great crunch. Put some honey mustard on the side for dipping bites of the baked chicken and serve with your favorite veggies.
5. Classic Chicken Marsala
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The Spruce Eats Chicken Marsala is a one-skillet dinner that’s flavorful and easy to prepare. Use the pan to brown the chicken, then to sauté the mushrooms and finish cooking both in the fragrant wine sauce.
Flatten the chicken yourself if you have time; if you don’t, thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets are convenient and cut down on the prep. Serve this chicken with hot pasta or rice, along with a green salad or side vegetable.
6. Marry Me Chicken
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The Spruce Eats / Bahareh NiatiWhether you’re seeking matrimony or not, creamy Marry Me Chicken is sure to make a memorable impression on everyone at the table.
Ready in 30 minutes, the one-skillet is, thankfully, not a once-in-a-lifetime dish and as wonderful on a weeknight as it is for a special occasion. The sauce has all the hallmarks of flavor: dry white wine, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes grated Parmesan. and, of course, heavy cream for an added dose of richness.
7. Sesame-Ginger Grilled Chicken Breasts
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The Spruce / Sonia BozzoThe sesame-ginger marinade for these grilled chicken breasts is so good, you may start using it for other proteins, too.
The soy sauce base is amped up with rice vinegar, honey, ginger, sesame oil and seeds, and chopped scallions, adding sweet-salty flavor to the chicken. Cook the breasts on the grill in the summer, or you can bake or pan-fry In the cooler months—either way, they’ll be irresistible with some veggies and rice.
8. Pulled Chicken Tacos
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The Spruce Eats / Laurel RandolphThis easy weeknight dinner of pulled chicken tacos comes together quickly for a busy family.
Boneless skinless breasts are poached in chicken stock and shredded, then the broth is cooked down with Mexican-inspired seasonings to make the sauce. You can also tuck the pulled chicken between brioche buns to form sandwiches or pile them on top of tortilla tips as a fun loaded nacho dinner.
9. Simple Fried Chicken Breast Cutlets
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The Spruce EatsThin-pounded or sliced chicken breast cutlets make this fried chicken fast and super easy.
Dipped in an egg mixture and coated with a flour mixture, it’s the addition of hot sauce and Cajun seasoning that gives this chicken a bit of zing that makes it a standout meal.
10. Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
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The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray Chicken tikka masala is a classic Indian entrée featuring a fragrant, spiced cream sauce. It’s quick and easy when made with chicken breasts and cooked in the pressure cooker.
While the chicken needs to marinate for 30 minutes, this dish is still ready in under an hour. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with basmati rice and naan.
11. Easy Skillet Chicken With Bacon and Sour Cream
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The Spruce EatsThis easy skillet chicken with bacon takes just minutes to prepare and cook. Simple, everyday ingredients make up the dish, with room to add others to make it your own.
Ready in about 30 minutes, the bacon and green onions flavor the chicken perfectly. The tasty sour cream sauce is the ultimate finishing touch.
12. Alice Springs Chicken
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The Spruce Eats / Leah MaroneyThis copycat recipe of a popular Outback Steakhouse dish is easier than you think to make at home.
Chicken breasts are marinated in mustard and browned in the skillet before being topped with mushrooms, bacon, and cheese. The entire skillet is then baked so the top gets nice and gooey.
The chicken needs to marinate in the fridge for two hours, so be sure to plan your time accordingly.
13. Balsamic Marinated Chicken Breasts
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The Spruce Eats / Sonia Bozzo A balsamic vinegar marinade flavors boneless chicken breasts in this simple recipe calling for pantry ingredients.
The chicken is grilled or broiled to perfection in about 15 minutes. Grilled veggies or a Caesar salad are a great accompaniment to the dish.
14. Basil Chicken With Pesto Cream Sauce
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The Spruce Eats / Nita WestPesto and some heavy cream make up the sauce for this super easy chicken dish.
Ready to put on the table in around 40 minutes, the chicken is dredged in flour and cooked in a skillet along with mushrooms and the sauce. Boil up some pasta or rice for a fabulous meal.
15. Ritzy Chicken Casserole
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The Spruce Eats / Diana ChistrugaThis popular chicken casserole is destined to become a family favorite.
After all, who doesn’t love Ritz crackers? The crackers become both the bottom and top crust for the dish, which has a creamy sauce and diced chicken in between.
Steamed broccoli or green beans are good choices for a side dish.
16. Chicken Divan With Broccoli and Rice
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The Spruce EatsChicken divan is a simply, yet comforting casserole made with chicken breasts, broccoli, and cheddar cheese. Diced cooked chicken is used in the dish, and a simple white sauce with sour cream forms a smooth and creamy topping.
Decadently delicious, it can be served over cooked rice or pasta. Leftovers reheat wonderfully for a meal the next day.
17. Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders
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The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond Chicken tenders are a hit with kids and adults alike, and this one is destined to become a regular in your recipe repertoire.
The tenders are dredged in flour and dipped in egg, then rolled into a bed of spiced toasted panko breadcrumbs. Baked in the oven for around 15 minutes, they achieve that crispy, crunchy, yet juicy texture that everyone craves. Enjoy dipping these into the provided honey mustard dressing recipe.
18. Chicken Fajitas
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The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Boldly flavored chicken fajitas are a dinner staple for good reason.
Boneless chicken breasts are cut into strips and seasoned with chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, and other spices, then sautéed with peppers and onions to make the perfect filling for tortillas.
Have some guac, sour cream, cheese, salsa, and other favorite toppings on hand and round out the meal with cooked rice and refried beans.
19. Baked Chicken With Spinach
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The Spruce EatsThis baked chicken spinach dish is a snap to make. Just grab a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, throw in some chopped fresh spinach, lay on the seasoned flattened chicken breasts, top with diced tomato and onions, then bake.
Finish with a generous sprinkling shredded mozzarella in the final five minutes and serve with noodles or a salad.
20. Potato Chip Chicken
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The Spruce Eats / Leah MaroneyOnce you take a bite of this potato chip chicken, you’ll be craving more.
A few seasonings, eggs, and some barbecue potato chips, and of course, the chicken is all this recipe requires.
We adore using the kettle-cooked chips to get that extra crunch. Change up the flavor of the chips to whatever your heart desires.
Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed — FOR KETO: use brown sugar substitute
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, (or thyme, parsley, rosemary)
- 1 teaspoon salt, (use seasoned salt, Adobo or chicken salt for extra flavour)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, (or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper) — optional for a kick of heat
- 4 large chicken breasts (7oz | 200g each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F | 220°C (standard ovens) or 390°F | 200°C (fan forced or convection ovens).
- Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound each chicken breast to 0.8-inch | 2cm at the thickest part. Make sure your fillets are all the same thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Combine sugar, paprika, oregano, salt, powders, pepper and chili (if using).
- Line a baking pan with aluminnium foil (or parchment/baking paper). Transfer chicken to the pan, drizzle with the oil and rub seasoning into the chicken to evenly coat.
- Bake chicken in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165°F (75°C) using a meat thermometer. It should be golden with crisp edges.*
- Remove parchment paper. Broil (grill) on high heat during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking until golden and crisp.
- Remove pan from oven, transfer chicken to serving plates and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- OPTIONAL STEP: While chicken is in the oven, melt butter in a small skillet. Sauté garlic until fragrant (30 seconds), and remove pan from heat. Stir in parsley, then pour butter mixture into pan juices, stirring well to combine all of the flavours together.
- To serve, drizzle pan juices over the chicken and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.