Chicken is probably one of the meats I cook most often at home. My kids like it, there are hundreds of ways to prepare it, and I can usually find something to make with whatever else I have in the fridge.
And looking through the recipes I’ve made for this site, I realized just how many different chicken dinners we eat. There are creamy skillet dinners, pasta, soup, chicken thighs, wings, salads, slow cooker recipes, and a few air fryer favorites.
So if you have chicken in the fridge and aren’t sure what to do with it, here are some of my favorite chicken recipes for dinner.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
My kids love this creamy Tuscan chicken, so it has become one of the chicken dinners I make quite often at home. Chicken breasts are cooked with garlic, cherry tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan, and cream, all in the same skillet. We usually have it with pasta or crusty bread because you definitely don’t want to leave the sauce behind.
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs work really well in the slow cooker because they stay juicy even after several hours of cooking. For this recipe, the chicken cooks slowly in BBQ sauce until it’s tender enough to easily pull apart with a fork. Serve it with potatoes, coleslaw, rice, or put the chicken into sandwiches.
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
These chicken tenders are a good reason to use the air fryer instead of heating up the oven. The outside gets crispy while the chicken stays tender inside, and they’re much easier to make at home than you might think. My kids are always happy to see chicken tenders for dinner, especially with a couple of dipping sauces on the side.
One-Pot Marry Me Chicken Pasta
This is chicken pasta for nights when I don’t want to cook the chicken, pasta, and sauce separately. Chicken breast, pasta, garlic, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes all come together in a creamy sauce. It’s rich enough that you really don’t need much on the side, although a simple salad works well.
Air Fryer Greek Chicken Salad
Not every chicken dinner needs to be heavy. This Greek chicken salad combines air fryer chicken with fresh vegetables and Mediterranean flavors for a lighter meal. I make this more often when the weather gets warmer and we start eating more salads and fewer creamy dinners.
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken cacciatore is an Italian classic that I especially like once the weather gets colder. Chicken breasts slowly simmer with tomatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, garlic, and herbs until the chicken is tender and the sauce has had time to develop. Pasta is my usual choice on the side, although mashed potatoes or crusty bread work just as well.
Air Fryer Chicken Pesto Pasta
Cooking the chicken in the air fryer makes this pasta much easier to put together. Once the chicken is ready, combine it with pasta and pesto and dinner is basically done. It’s a recipe I make more often during spring and summer when pesto starts finding its way into our meals again.
Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Mushrooms and chicken are a combination I come back to quite often, especially during fall and winter. The chicken cooks in a creamy mushroom sauce that is perfect with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Make sure you put some of the mushroom sauce over whatever you’re serving on the side.
Easy Chicken Lasagna Soup
This is what I make when I’m in the mood for lasagna but don’t feel like actually making lasagna. Ground chicken, tomatoes, spinach, cheese, and broken lasagna noodles all cook together in one pot. It’s a full dinner in a bowl and particularly good on a cold evening.
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala is surprisingly simple considering how good it looks on the plate. Thin pieces of chicken are cooked with mushrooms and a Marsala wine sauce until tender. I like this one for Sunday dinner or date night, especially with mashed potatoes to catch the sauce.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
If your family likes buffalo wings, this sandwich gives you those same spicy flavors in a much easier dinner. Chicken breast is paired with buffalo sauce and served as a sandwich rather than a plate of wings. Add fries, potato wedges, or a simple salad and that’s dinner sorted.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
The slow cooker does most of the work with this chicken tikka masala. The chicken cooks slowly with tomatoes, spices, and a creamy sauce until it’s tender and full of flavor. We usually eat it with rice, and naan is always useful for getting the last of the sauce from the plate.
Lemon Butter Chicken
This is one of my simpler chicken breast dinners. The chicken is browned first and then finished with garlic, butter, lemon, and parsley. The lemon keeps the buttery sauce from becoming too heavy, and you can serve it with almost anything from potatoes to vegetables or rice.
Crispy Buffalo Wings
Some nights wings are dinner, especially on weekends or when there’s a game on. These are baked in the oven until crispy and then coated in buffalo sauce. Put them on the table with a dipping sauce and some fries or vegetables and don’t expect many leftovers.
Chicken Stroganoff
Instead of the usual beef stroganoff, this version uses chicken with mushrooms and a creamy gravy. It’s the kind of dinner that works especially well during the colder months. I usually serve it over noodles, but mashed potatoes are another good choice.
Air Fryer Lemon Parsley Chicken Legs
Chicken legs are inexpensive and don’t need much to taste good. This version uses lemon and parsley and cooks in the air fryer, which gives you browned skin without having to turn on the oven. They’re an easy choice for a family dinner with potatoes or vegetables on the side.
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
This is another chicken thigh recipe where you can put everything into the slow cooker and leave it to do its job. Thighs are particularly good for slow cooking because they don’t dry out easily. By dinner time, the chicken is tender and ready to serve with whatever sides you already have planned.
Roasted Chicken Thighs
Sometimes I don’t want a sauce or a long ingredient list. These roasted chicken thighs are much closer to the simple chicken dinners I grew up eating. Roast them until the outside is browned and the meat is tender, then serve them with potatoes and a salad or vegetables.
Roast Chicken Pot Pie
If you have leftover roast chicken, chicken pot pie is one of the better ways to turn it into another dinner. The chicken and vegetables go into a creamy filling under a flaky crust. It’s also one of those recipes where leftovers don’t really feel like leftovers anymore.