40 Fun Chicken Breast Recipes to Make Dinner Less Boring
Chicken breasts are the perfect centerpiece to a great dinner. But it's easy to get into a rut, making the same old, same old chicken breast meals. So, to bring some freshness and fun to your dinner table, we gathered 40 of our best skinless, boneless chicken breast recipes that are sure to put a smile on your family's face.
Try a simple southwest chicken skillet dinner, easy grilled chicken fajitas, flavorful chicken stir-fry, tasty chicken kebabs, Mediterranean chicken, and unique chicken soups, sandwiches and salads. Whether you enjoy baking chicken in the oven, cooking it in a skillet or grilling it in your backyard, we've got a deliciously fun chicken breast recipe just for you.
Fun Chicken Breast Recipes for Dinner
Southwest Chicken Skillet Dinner
With only five ingredients (plus oil and pepper), this one-pan chicken skillet dinner takes the stress out of planning your next weeknight dinner.
Lemon Chicken and Mango Kebabs
Sweet mango complements lemony marinated chicken that will dazzle for dinner.
Amazing Orange Chicken
No need to go to an Asian restaurant like Panda Express to enjoy delicious orange chicken. This tasty orange chicken recipe makes for a unique twist on the traditional chicken breast dinner. Learn how to make orange chicken and bring some excitement to the family dinner table!
25-Minute Raspberry Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Tired of boring chicken breast dinners? Here you go: Raspberry jam, vinegar, and soy sauce provide this one-pan dinner of chicken and vegetables with a medley of sweet, sour and salty flavors.
Baked Chicken Fingers
These baked chicken fingers make for a great dinner option, especially if you're looking for a healthier version of a fried chicken tender. And, best of all, kids will love them!
Mediterranean Shrimp & Chicken w/ Lemon & Feta
Preparing this Mediterranean Shrimp & Chicken w/ Lemon & Feta, I imagined savoring it on some far away sunny terrace overlooking a sparkling, azure sea. Olive oil, garlic, herbs, and good canned tomatoes comprise the sauce. Chicken, shrimp, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and thinly sliced lemons are tucked in. An adornment of fresh basil and Italian parsley and a side of pasta complete this lovely dinner.
Almond Lemon Chicken
Trying to come up with a new way to make a chicken breast dinner can be tough. Well, we've got a great twist for you. This almond lemon chicken recipe offers a unique dinner option. Made with six boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, this tasty recipe makes six servings, sure to freshen up your family's dinnertime.
Chicken Fajita Pizza
Clare Barboza/Bonnie Matthews
It's time to bring together two of your favorite foods: fajitas and pizza. This chicken fajita pizza recipe is the perfect dinner treat for kids and adults alike who are tired of the same-old, same-old.
Chicken Soup with Bacon-Thyme Dumplings
I have something that might warm you up, and it might make you feel cozy and comforted and it might just make you forget about why you're housebound in the first place: Chicken Soup with Bacon-Thyme Dumplings. It's easy to make for dinner, and it's good for the soul.
Mini Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches
You can't have a true Southern breakfast without a big plate of chicken and waffles. Try this lightened-up take on the comfort food classic — oven-fried chicken on a four-bite mini waffle sandwiches.
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Put out bowls of toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and guacamole and let everyone help themselves for this festive dinner. Serve cooked rice or salad greens for those who don’t want tortillas.
Chicken Marsala
Simple one-to-one substitutions, like replacing flour with rice flour, made for an easy makeover of this old family recipe. Quick and delicious, this dish is perfect for buffets and is a terrific Make and Take dish. Be careful not to overcook the chicken when reheating.
Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
Seasoned, grilled chicken makes this salad substantial enough for a dinner-time meal.
Bowties with Chicken
Kids will love the bite-size chicken and fun-shaped pasta in this flavorful dish—you'll love how simple it is to make.
Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl with Chicken
Filled with the bold Mexican flavors — spicy-sweet corn, creamy black beans and vegetable-flecked quinoa — this bowl is based on a favorite served at the popular California-based chain Tocaya Organica. Pick up cooked chicken breasts at the supermarket deli counter.
Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken
Slow cooker green chile chicken is perfect for a simple Mexican-style weeknight dinner, or even a holiday get together. This dish is filled with so much flavor from the green chilies and green enchilada sauce, but you never have to reveal to your guests just how simple and inexpensive it is!
Head Case Pesto Chicken
This one is named for the head of garlic used in the pesto, which doubles as marinade and sauce. This is a great dish to prepare in the morning and let marinate all day. The pesto even can be made a day ahead. Serve the chicken with plenty of pasta or rice to sop up the sauce.
Martha Stewart's Grilled Chicken Salad
"I have to admit that before working on this book, I was not an avid griller," Martha Stewart confesses in the intro to her cookbook, Martha Stewart's Grilling. But when Stewart and her crackerjack team tackle a topic, you know the result will be meticulously tested recipes and techniques. This recipe calls for starting the chicken over indirect heat and finishing it over direct heat, which ensures even cooking and moist results.
Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken Sandwiches
Those little packets of ranch dressing mix are good for more than salads and party dips. Use them to make drool-worthy Stuffed Bacon-Ranch Cheddar Burgers or in this slow cooker chicken filling that tastes great on wraps, on buns or stuffed in pitas. Related: 30+ Shredded Chicken Recipes
Comforting Chicken Noodle Casserole
Nisa Burns
This Chicken Noodle Casserole is the ultimate in comfort casseroles, and it's so quick and easy to make! It's perfect for a busy weeknight meal, clocking in at just over 30 minutes between prep and bake time. And, it features only four ingredients. How easy is that? It's a simple and delicious crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Chicken 'n' Noodles
Imagine coming home to a comfort food meal that is waiting on you and only needs about 30 minutes before you can eat! Take the hour in the morning to prep and then let the Crock Pot do all the work all day. Enjoy this delicious Crock Pot chicken 'n' noodles recipe!
Cheese-It Chicken with Cranberry Green Beans
Your kids will love crushing cheese crackers into tiny pieces as a fun way to bread chicken before it’s baked. Green beans and carrots are steamed and tossed with cranberries and roasted garlic for a deliciously sweet and savory side dish.
Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
This roasted chicken noodle soup has all of the flavors we've grown to love over the years, but with one simple change to the chicken, we've got ourselves a whole new dish!
Asian Cucumber Chicken Pasta Salad
A refreshingly quick salad that can be made ahead and enjoyed at dinner after a busy day.
Chicken with Vodka Sauce & Penne
When I make this dish for a family dinner, I toss a giant green salad for the daughter who doesn't eat carbs. For picky eaters, dip the chicken into a little olive oil, coat with bread crumbs, and bake in a separate pan. It will be ready in less time than it takes for the stuffed chicken, and you can serve it with plain penne and a plain steamed vegetable.
Chicken Apple Hash
Hash comes from the French word hacher, meaning to cut up. This popular American dish is the best use of your leftovers. You'll never miss the red meat.
Lemon Chicken Skillet
Thanks to some fresh lemon, this chicken meal is bursting with flavor—without any of the guilt!
Slow-Cooker Chicken Burritos
Slow cooker chicken recipes can make pulling dinner together a breeze. This flavorful filling from Sarah Olson is great in burritos, tacos or a chicken taco salad. Leftovers are delicious for lunch!
30-Minute White Chicken Chili
This easy, flavorful chicken and white bean chili recipe has been a favorite soup recipe at our house for years! It doesn't have tomatoes, isn't spicy, and the only green vegetable is a sprinkling of cilantro. That has kid-friendly dinner written all over it!
Peach and Raspberry Chicken Salad Is the Fresh Dinner Salad You've Been Craving
Flavors shine in this fresh, filling salad from food blogger Jamie Sherman. Substitute cherry tomatoes for the raspberries, if you prefer.
Martha Stewart's Chicken with Cucumber, Radish & Cherry Tomato Relish
Marcos Nilsson
Grilled chicken is far from boring when topped with a colorful, tangy relish like this one from Martha Stewart’s Grilling, the latest in the lifestyle expert’s cookbook lineup. It can be made up to a day ahead.
Sweet and Sour Chicken
I love the combination of sweet and sour in a savory dish and they blend together so perfectly here. Sweet and Sour Chicken is such a popular dish in Chinese restaurants, and it's actually pretty easy to make at home. There are a lot of ingredients, and each one is necessary to provide the delicate balance between the opposing flavors.
Patacones with Shredded Chicken and Avocado
Today I want to share a very simple and popular Colombian patacones recipe with you, patacones with shredded chicken and avocado. Buen provecho!
Chicken Tetrazzini
I'm officially on a casserole kick. This week, I decided to take a stab at a Kitchenability-style remake of the classic chicken tetrazzini, a chicken-and-pasta recipe that finishes in a casserole dish. It'll quickly become another comfort-food favorite. Trust me!
Chicken Penne with Grilled Zucchini
Eggplant and zucchini are grilled and tossed with shredded chicken, tomatoes and whole wheat penne pasta. Get your kids in the kitchen to help. Kids will have fun tearing up basil leaves and crumbling tangy feta cheese with their hands.
Black Bean Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken is broiled and paired with pureed black beans and a simple salsa made from tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime juice.
Lyman's Strawberry Almond Chicken
The Lyman Orchard Strawberry Fest in Middlefield, Conn., celebrates the orchard's first fruit harvest of the season. This delicious recipe is a town favorite and was created by Lyman Apple Store Manager Marc Gadoury, an executive chef who is revered in the local community for his popular cooking workshops for children.
25-Minute Broccoli-Cheddar Soup with Chicken and Rice
This Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup packed with chicken and rice goes from prep to plate in 30 minutes and has enough ‘inactive’ cook time to clean your kitchen and call your best friend. That is what I call a perfect meal! Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Chicken Quesadillas
Nowadays, tortillas and wraps come in dozens of variations. Look for whole wheat flour tortillas in the refrigerated section of your supermarket.
Quick and Easy Chicken Caprese Pasta Bake
I bought some really good pasta, added a bit of cream to flavor it up, some peperoncini to give it some heat, and tons of fresh mozzarella to hold it all together. It came out just as I had hoped and so rich and creamy and cheesy that it could not be described as anything other than completely comforting and delicious.
Chicken and Broccoli Bake
It's time to expand your chicken breast dinner options. This easy chicken and broccoli bake recipe will be a huge hit come dinnertime.