26 Chicken Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes

There are so many quick, easy, and delicious ways to cook poultry.

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Rachel Vanni / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh*

I never order chicken at restaurants. Of all the things a trained chef could whip up and that I would pay for, chicken doesn't feel special enough. I cook it at home at least twice a week. After all, it has a rap for being practical and reliable even for the worst cooks. No wonder it's the most consumed meat in the United States—an average American eats almost 100 pounds of chicken each year!

Chicken is also the most popular topic on Simply Recipes, with over 2,000 recipes and stories on it (and counting!). There are so many quick, easy, and delicious ways to cook chicken.

Here you'll find 26 chicken dinner recipes that take 30 minutes or less to make, including handy tips from Simply Recipes readers, contributors, and editors.

Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts

Get Recipe: Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts

"This recipe is super simple to make and only requires five ingredients (aside from the oil, salt, and pepper) to pull it all together. If you have a lemon on hand, I suggest adding a squeeze at the end to help cut through the richness of the chicken." —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

3-Ingredient Baked BBQ Chicken

Get Recipe: The 15-Minute Baked Chicken I Make on Repeat

"The good thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to double it and feed a crowd. Use two baking sheets and rotate them from the top to the middle rack (and vice versa) halfway through cooking time." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Tuscan-Style Chicken Thighs

Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Chicken Dinner That Saves Me on Busy Nights

"I suggest serving this chicken with something that will benefit from the pan juices. I made mashed potatoes when I made this for dinner the other night, but it would also be great with buttered egg noodles or rice pilaf." —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

Italian Butter Chicken (Petti Di Pollo al Burro)

Get Recipe: Italian Butter Chicken (Petti Di Pollo al Burro)

"What really makes this recipe special (and gives it a retro feel) is the marinade. The sherry imparts a nutty, earthy flavor that is simply delightful." —Hannah Zimmerman, Recipe Developer

4-Ingredient Chicken Salad

Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad I Can’t Stop Making

"This recipe is so, so simple. Besides the chicken itself, there are just three ingredients: gochujang, mayonnaise, and sesame oil. Just dice or shred the cooked chicken, stir in the other ingredients, and enjoy." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Honey-Soy Chicken

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Pearl Jones*

Get Recipe: This 20-Minute Chicken Dinner Is Better Than Take-Out

"Chicken cutlets are lightly coated in a one-bowl batter, cooked in a skillet until golden, and finished with a sticky, sweet, and savory honey soy sauce. It’s a family and kid-friendly one-pan recipe and a huge crowd-pleaser." —Kris Osborne, Recipe Developer

Greek Chicken Skewers

Get Recipe: Greek Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Sauce (Chicken Souvlaki)

"Look for Maras, or Marash, pepper at Middle Eastern groceries and specialty markets. If you can't find it, substitute paprika with a few good pinches of cayenne pepper for some heat." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts

Get Recipe: Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts

"There is only one big problem with this recipe and that is if you like leftovers you won't get any! There was nothing left but the dishes. I will need to double it next time." —Eric Peters, Simply Recipes Reader

Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo

Get Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo

"I like to use a rotisserie chicken for this just because it's easier, but you can also poach medium-large chicken breasts and then shred that. There won’t be much difference in finished taste. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce, anyway!" —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Creamy Chicken Florentine

Get Recipe: Creamy Chicken Florentine

"Dry white wines I recommend for this recipe: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a dry Riesling." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Bourbon Chicken

Get Recipe: Bourbon Chicken

"The trick to making a good bourbon chicken dish is to lightly dust your chicken pieces with cornstarch before cooking. Coating the chicken in cornstarch and then sautéing it allows the chicken bites to form a crust on the outside. Once combined with the sauce, it thickens the sauce and helps the sauce adhere to the chicken." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Classic Chicken Salad

Get Recipe: Classic Chicken Salad

"The "secret sauce," so to speak, of this chicken salad, is the tablespoon of plum preserves my mom adds to the mayo-based dressing." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Get Recipe: How To Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

"I'm 45 years old and have been cooking for 25+ years, and this is the FIRST time my grilled chicken has come out tender and juicy! I'm going to brine EVERYTHING from now on!" —Heidi S, Simply Recipes Reader

Baked Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Get Recipe: Baked Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

"The color of your roasting pan may make a difference in your results. A dark roasting pan may impart more heat and may brown the bottom of the chicken more." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Million Dollar Chicken

Get Recipe: Million Dollar Chicken

"Adding the baking sheet to the oven while it heats up expedites the cooking process. Your chicken will start cooking as soon as it hits the hot surface and this, along with pounding the chicken, helps shorten the cooking time." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

4-Ingredient Ranch Chicken Breasts

Get Recipe: 4-Ingredient Ranch Chicken Breasts

"To save time, you can swap the chicken breasts for 4 store-bought chicken cutlets." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Chicken Marsala

Get Recipe: Chicken Marsala

"Make sure you get a good bottle of Marsala. You don't have to break the bank, just do an upgrade." —bastisraul, Simply Recipes Reader

Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets

Get Recipe: Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets

"Made this last night. We all really enjoyed it. I upped the garlic and seasoning as we like really flavourful stuff. It was delicious and cheesy. We served over pasta and it was a hit. My husband said it's a definite make again." —Cassandra Lipnicki, Simply Recipes Reader

Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Get Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich

"If you don’t have a grill, you can make this sandwich using a grill pan. Preheat the pan on the stove over medium-high heat, then grill the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side." —Hannah Zimmerman, Recipe Developer

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

*Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek*

Get Recipe: Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

"While florets get all the attention, broccoli stems are just as delicious—and sometimes more versatile, since they soften more slowly and don’t absorb liquid." —Georgia Freedman, Recipe Developer

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Get Recipe: Tarragon Chicken Salad

"This is my FAVORITE chicken salad recipe. I've been making it for 3 years now and finally decided to comment. Just made it with cubed and roasted sweet potato which expanded it and made it taste even better!" —Libbie, Simply Recipes Reader

Chicken Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta

Get Recipe: Chicken Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta

"The most important thing to remember with this recipe is to reserve some of the pasta cooking water. It helps to make a luscious sauce that brings all of the ingredients together." —Aaron Hutcherson, Recipe Developer

Chicken Mango Lettuce Wraps

Get Recipe: Chicken Mango Lettuce Wraps

"Why the cornstarch? It's a cooking trick that you often find in Chinese recipes. The cornstarch helps the chicken hold in its moisture and keep it from drying out in the high heat of the stir-frying." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Microwave Oyakodon

Get Recipe: Microwave Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)

"Skip the salt if using regular soy sauce or chicken stock instead of low-sodium versions." —Myo Quinn, Contributor

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Get Recipe: Creamy Tuscan Chicken

"If you can’t find chicken cutlets, buy 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds total). Lay the chicken breast flat on your cutting board and use a sharp chef’s knife to cut it in half horizontally. Each chicken breast will give you 2 cutlets." —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

Copycat Chipotle Chicken

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood*

Get Recipe: Copycat Chipotle Chicken

"This recipe calls for the same ingredients Chipotle lists on their site and is based on a recipe revealed by a former Chipotle employee, but easier." —Melissa Gray, Recipe Developer

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