When it comes to meal planning, chicken is often a popular choice since it’s a crowd-pleaser. However, it can be challenging to come up with new and exciting chicken recipes that won’t bore your family. Luckily, countless delicious chicken dishes satisfy even the pickiest eaters at the dinner table. In this post, you’ll discover these mouth-watering chicken recipes that will become instant family favorites. From crispy fried chicken to creamy enchiladas to Asian-inspired chicken, there’s something for every taste bud. So read on and get cooking.
Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs are flavorful, juicy, and perfect for weeknight dinners or casual get-togethers. Try these easy and delicious chicken thigh recipes your whole family will love:
Southern Chicken meal
For a classic Southern meal, bake chicken thighs with green beans and mashed potatoes. Season the thighs with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roast them skin-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400 F for 40 minutes until the juices run clear.
Chicken Thighs with Broccoli
Craving Asian food? Stir fry chicken thighs with broccoli, bell peppers and serve over rice or noodles. Marinate the thighs in soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, sesame oil, and ginger. Heat a skillet with oil and stir-fry the chicken and veggies until the chicken is cooked.
Crock-Pot Chicken Thigh
This dish involves slow cooker chicken thighs that are cooked to perfection in a slow cooker until they reach a fall-apart consistency. To make this recipe, Season the chicken with salt and pepper, cook in oil until browned, and add onion and garlic to the skillet. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, add paprika, thyme, bay leaf, and broth, then cook on Low for 6-8 hours until the chicken is very tender.
Chicken Pasta Dishes
Creamy pasta and juicy chicken are a match made in heaven. Here are a few scrumptious chicken pasta dishes that your whole family will enjoy:
Chicken Alfredo
To make classic chicken alfredo pasta, Sauté chicken breasts with garlic and Italian seasoning, then toss with fettuccine pasta and a creamy parmesan Alfredo sauce. Top with parsley and parmesan cheese. Comfort food at its finest
Chicken Pesto Pasta
This dish combines nutty basil pesto with pasta and grilled chicken. To make it, toss grilled chicken, cooked pasta like penne, and prepared pesto sauce. Add a splash of the pasta cooking water to create a silky sauce. Add pine nuts, parmesan, and fresh basil to give a boost of flavor.
Baked Chicken
Baked chicken dishes are comforting, delicious, and perfect for bringing your family together. Some of the ways you can bake chicken are
Chicken Pot Pie
A classic chicken pot pie with a flaky crust and a hearty filling of chicken, veggies, and gravy is always a crowd-pleaser. Mix cooked chicken, carrots, peas, and corn in a creamy sauce and pour into a pie crust. Top with a second crust, cut some slits to allow steam to escape and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Chicken Enchiladas
For Mexican-inspired baked chicken, make cheesy chicken enchiladas. Shred or dice cooked chicken and mix with enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, and veggies like bell peppers and zucchini. Roll the mixture in tortillas and place in a baking dish. Top with more enchilada sauce, cheese, olives, and green onions, and bake until the cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, salsa, and sour cream.
Barbeque Chicken
For barbeque-baked chicken, coat chicken pieces in your favorite BBQ rub or sauce and bake in a foil-lined pan. The foil will keep the chicken moist while the rub adds flavor. Remove the foil during the last part of baking to let the outside get nicely caramelized. Serve the chicken with favorite barbeque sides like coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob, and biscuits.
Fried Chicken
Who doesn’t love a crispy, juicy piece of fried chicken? Here are two mouth-watering fried chicken recipes that can become your family’s absolute favorites
Crispy Chicken Tenders
To make crispy chicken tenders, pat chicken tenders dry, whisk an egg in a dish, and mix flour, salt, and pepper in a separate container. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, dip in the egg, and dredge in flour again. Fry the chicken in hot oil, drain on paper towels, keep warm in the oven, and serve with dipping sauce.
Korean Fried Chicken
To make the infamous Korean fried chicken, coat chicken in flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, then fry until crispy. Toss the fried chicken in a sauce made of gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Serve the chicken with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. The result is crispy, spicy, and tangy chicken.
Chicken Curry
Chicken curry dishes are a great way to add some flavor to your meals. Here are some fantastic chicken curry recipes that your family will love:
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala is a delicious Indian dish with marinated chicken pieces in a creamy tomato sauce. To cook it, mix yogurt and spices, including garam masala, chili, and turmeric, to tenderize the chicken, then simmer it in the creamy tomato sauce made with spices like cumin, coriander, and ginger, along with fresh tomatoes and cream until heated. Serve it over rice or with naan. Yum!
Coconut Chicken Curry
Coconut chicken curry, flavored with coconut milk, chili, ginger, and garam masala, is mild yet flavorful. Briefly sauté the chicken, then simmer in the coconut milk sauce until the chicken is cooked. Add cilantro for freshness. Serve over rice to soak up the creamy sauce.
Grilled chicken
Grilled chicken is always a favorite for outdoor summer meals with the family. Here are some fantastic grilled chicken dish ideas your whole family is sure to love:
Lemon Garlic Chicken:
This chicken dish is perfect for summer evenings. To make it, pound chicken breasts to an even thickness, then marinate in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Enjoy the bright, citrusy flavor with your favorite sides.
Chicken Kebabs
This is one of the best middle eastern dishes one could make for their family. To make it, dice chicken and vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes and thread onto skewers. Brush with oil and grill, turning occasionally, until the chicken is opaque and no longer pink in the center. Serve in pita bread or over rice.
Conclusion
So there you have it, 14 chicken dinners guaranteed to become instant family favorites. With a variety of flavors and cooking techniques to choose from, your weeknight meal planning just got a whole lot easier. The ingredients are simple, the instructions are easy to follow, and the results are delicious. Give a couple of these chicken recipes a try — your family will be asking you to make them again and again. Now get cooking and enjoy the process!
