Easy Chicken Recipes: 25 Ideas for Weeknight Dinner

Choosing the right cut of chicken

The right cut speeds up the recipe. For a quick dinner, go for cuts that cook fast:

• Breast (white meat): lean, cooks fast, perfect as strips or cutlets
• Boneless thighs: juicier and more forgiving to cook
• Drumsticks and bone-in thighs: ideal in the oven or slow cooker
• Ground chicken: quick for meatballs, stir-fries and burgers
• Leftover cooked chicken: perfect for wraps, soups and salads

Chicken cooking times by cut

The only rule that really matters: chicken is done at an internal temperature of 74 °C (165 °F), measured with a meat thermometer. As a guide:

• Boneless breast in a pan (medium heat): 6 to 8 minutes per side
• Breast in the oven at 200 °C: 20 to 25 minutes
• Boneless thighs in the oven at 200 °C: 25 to 30 minutes
• Drumsticks and bone-in thighs in the oven at 200 °C: 35 to 40 minutes
• Breast in the slow cooker (low setting): 4 to 5 hours; thighs: 6 to 7 hours

Baked chicken recipes

The oven needs little watching: put it in and get on with something else. A few easy baked chicken recipes:

• Lemon-herb chicken breasts
• Roasted chicken thighs with garlic and paprika
• Sheet-pan chicken and vegetables
• Honey-soy glazed drumsticks
• Lighter baked chicken parmesan

Full recipe: lemon-herb baked chicken

A foolproof staple, ready in 30 minutes for 4. Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken thighs (or 2 breasts halved through the thickness)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• The juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence (or dried oregano)
• Salt and pepper

Making the lemon-herb chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). 2. In a bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. 3. Coat the chicken in this marinade and place it on a parchment-lined sheet. 4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 74 °C. 5. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving: the step that keeps the meat juicy.

Tip: add baby potatoes and broccoli florets to the same sheet for a complete meal with no extra dishes.

Pan-fried chicken recipes

For a chicken dinner in 20 minutes, nothing beats the pan: even faster in 5-ingredient, 15-minute mode. Ideal for strips and cutlets:

• Chicken and broccoli stir-fry, soy-garlic sauce
• Creamy mushroom chicken
• Chicken fajitas with peppers and onions
• Quick breaded chicken cutlets
• Express butter chicken

Full recipe: chicken and broccoli stir-fry (20 minutes)

The ultimate weeknight dinner, ready in 20 minutes for 4. Ingredients:

• 500 g chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 head of broccoli, broken into small florets
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp oil, rice to serve

Making the chicken and broccoli stir-fry

1. Mix the soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger. 2. In a large hot pan, sear the chicken in the oil for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden. 3. Add the broccoli and 2 tbsp water, cover and cook 3 minutes. 4. Pour in the sauce, stir and let it thicken 2 minutes. 5. Serve over rice. Tip: start the rice before the stir-fry so everything is ready at the same time.

Slow-cooker chicken recipes

Drop the ingredients in the morning, dinner is ready in the evening: perfect for busy days:

• Shredded chicken with taco spices
• Chicken, salsa and beans (burrito-bowl style)
• Chicken noodle meal-soup
• Chicken cacciatore with tomatoes and olives
• Coconut milk chicken curry

Healthy, lighter chicken recipes

Chicken is naturally lean; a few ideas for a balanced meal without giving up flavour:

• Grilled chicken bowl with quinoa and vegetables
• Chicken Caesar salad bowl (lighter dressing)
• Yogourt-marinated chicken skewers
• Chicken, vegetable and orzo soup
• Asian-style ground chicken lettuce wraps

Recipes with leftover cooked chicken

A roast chicken or yesterday’s leftovers turn into a new meal in minutes: and zero waste:

• Chicken, lettuce and spicy mayo wrap
• Quick chicken pot pie (store-bought crust)
• Chicken and vegetable fried rice
• Hot chicken and cheese sandwich
• Chicken salad with grapes and nuts

Common chicken mistakes to avoid

A few simple pitfalls explain most failed chicken dinners:

• Overcooking the breast: past 74 °C it turns dry. A meat thermometer solves it.
• Cooking cold chicken straight from the fridge: let it sit 15 minutes at room temperature for even cooking.
• Overcrowding the pan: too many pieces at once boil the chicken instead of searing it. Cook in two batches if needed.
• Slicing right away: let it rest 5 minutes after cooking to keep the juices in the meat.
• Skipping the marinade: even 15 minutes of marinade (yogourt, lemon, soy) transforms the flavour.

Let Olive pick your chicken recipe

Too many ideas, or no time to choose? In Olivi, you ask Olive for “an easy chicken recipe for tonight” and the AI suggests a dish suited to your time, your cut of chicken and your profile (diet, allergies, number of people). It adds it to your plan and updates your grocery list.

Olive can also spread chicken smartly across your week to avoid repetition, and round it out with other proteins. Prefer to pick yourself? Browse our recipes and simple recipe ideas. Available on the web (olivi.ca) and on the iOS mobile app, free to try.