People really like chicken. Unsurprisingly, they’re especially fond of chicken recipes that promise a delicious meal in 30 minutes or less. So here are the easy weeknight chicken recipes our readers turn to again and again. Take a peek, and you might find a new favourite (or two).
“This dish is easily the easiest meal I’ve made from NYT Cooking, and it was a smash hit at home.”
There’s a reason this Ali Slagle recipe has 27,000 reviews and counting: it’s the high flavour-to-effort ratio, which is praised in more comments than we can count. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s a foolproof stir-fry that relies on quick-cooking asparagus, honey and turmeric.
“Delicious. Fast. Easy.”
Pressing chicken thighs flat in the skillet as they cook, in addition to being incredibly satisfying, produces an even, shatteringly crisp crust. Ashley Lonsdale’s recipe certainly does that here. The accompanying cabbage-and-corn slaw is dressed simply with Greek yoghurt and fresh dill. One reader proclaimed that it “should have its recipe page because it’s just that good.”
“Easily the best refried-type beans I’ve made — our whole family loves them! And so easy. Adding this one to the ‘on repeat’ list!”
Full disclosure: These tostadas from Rick A. Martínez take 35 minutes, but they’re just the kind of resourceful, easy dish that deserves to be on this list. Rotisserie chicken warmed in salsa, chipotle chiles in adobo, and bacon refried beans are layered atop crunchy tostadas for a hearty and fast meal.
“This 78-year-old skilled cook, who now tires easily, loved this recipe.”
If the combination of chicken and garlicky yoghurt isn’t on your radar, try this recipe from Ali Slagle. The yoghurt does double duty: as a marinade, ensuring the chicken stays juicy, and as part of a feta dressing for a quick cucumber salad with tomatoes and olives.
“So good and super easy, perfect for the work week.”
Instead of pretending not to see that jar of pickled jalapeños languishing in your fridge, use the peppers and their brine in this five-ingredient dish from Yasmin Fahr. After searing the sliced chicken thighs, add salty crumbled feta, sweet honey and crunchy sautéed broccoli.
“I’m sorry, this is ridiculous … how can such a simple recipe be SO outstanding? The complexity, the silken texture, the popping brightness of those ginger bits.”
This sweet and spicy weeknight dish is one of Kay Chun’s best. She tempers the heat of Korean gochujang with coconut milk, forming a sauce so good you’ll find yourself carrying it over to other dishes you make. It’s simple, the kind of recipe you can make on autopilot over and over again.
“Making this was not hard at all, and it was SO good! My whole family loved it, and I’m thinking of swapping out the turkey next Thanksgiving and doing this dish instead. The meal made for a very special Thursday night!
It’s difficult to believe that you can prepare this Susan Spungen recipe with just six ingredients, but believe it. Sautéing garlic in olive oil and then using the infused oil to cook the chicken breasts results in a delicious, nuanced pan sauce. Some readers recommend using toothpicks to hold everything together.
“Made this dish a few times because it’s fast, easy, and full of great flavour—and heat. It’s also great the next day.
Zainab Shah’s take on chicken karahi, a South Asian favourite, uses boneless chicken thighs instead of bone-in chicken. Pantry staples like chiles, cumin, ginger and garlic add warmth, but it’s the three teaspoons of black pepper (or four teaspoons of Malabar black pepper, if you have it) that give this dish an underlying fire.
“This dish was super easy and punches way above its weight. My family wants to ‘put it in the rotation.’”
This recipe from Lidey Heuck is as simple as it is versatile. Take full advantage of the lemony, garlicky sauce by drizzling it over pasta or sopping it up with bread. Use store-bought lemon-pepper seasoning, or make your own.
“This dish is a unicorn, i.e., hugely rewarding for the amount of work required.”
This recipe from Emily Kim, also known as Maangchi, makes it possible for you to enjoy Korean fire chicken at home. As in many of the best Korean dishes, the meat is simply coated in a gochujang-based sauce and then braised on the stovetop. The swath of mozzarella, melted under the broiler, takes this dish from standard to incredible.
“Wow, this was so much tastier than I expected! And I’m from Texas, so I know tacos! Truly delicious! We kept mmmm-mmmming all through the meal.”
Some readers made Kristina Felix’s streamlined tacos, one of our most popular recipes this year, in even less time than the recipe suggested. Smart shortcuts, like warming your tortillas while the chicken cooks and creating a pan sauce in place of a long marinade, make the dish a worthy weeknight candidate.
“This recipe scored highly on the most important metric in our house: Do all three of my children like it? A rare, but resounding yes.”
Dan Pelosi’s recipe is a hit with readers, who gave it nearly 3,000 ratings in the first three months after it was published. Cream cheese, heavy cream and grated Parmesan form a rich sauce with butter and white wine, ideal with an absorbent side like mashed potatoes or bread.
“I have been making this dish since it was first published in The Times in the ’90s – still easy, quick and delicious just as originally written!! I am over 90 but still appreciate a great recipe.”
If a recipe, like this one from Pierre Franey, was published over 30 years ago and still gets rave reviews, you should probably add it to your rotation. The chicken breasts are coated in a pan sauce of lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, garlic and shallots that is thickened with a little flour.
“Turns out I had everything I needed to make one of the easiest, best meals I’ve made in a long time.”
Toast Thai red curry paste, turmeric and chiles with ground chicken until, as Ali Slagle writes, the chicken is “spicy first, salty second.” Then, brighten with brown sugar, fish sauce and lime zest for a fiery dinner that takes no longer than 15 minutes. If you have access to makrut lime leaves, use them instead of the lime zest; the flavour is very special.
“This was the first chicken burger I’ve ever made that actually held together perfectly.”
Many readers share the above sentiment about these tender burgers topped with a citrussy soy mayonnaise. In a stroke of genius, Yasmin Fahr keeps the patty moist by including a bit of smashed avocado in the ground chicken mixture. It’s finished with greens aplenty: more avocado, cilantro, lettuce and thinly sliced jalapeños.
“Made this dish tonight, and it will be added to my rotation for sure! This recipe is packed with flavour and is easy to make.
Leave it to Melissa Clark to make something as delicious and easy as this elevated version of plain pan-seared chicken, using ingredients you probably have in your pantry: chilli flakes, garlic, lemon juice, capers, and, of course, anchovies.
“Family loved this dish and said to put it into the regular dinner rotation. No leftovers.”
Sesame oil, rice wine and soy sauce are the pillars of this classic Taiwanese dish, which Sam Sifton adapted for a weeknight. After a quick stir-fry, sliced chicken thighs are stewed in the sauce, all of which is absolutely irresistible over white rice.
“Recipes like these make me want to put up a little shrine to Melissa C. She really knows what she is doing.”
Toasted cashews and thinly sliced dates add crunch and pops of sweetness to tender chicken thighs in this ingenious weeknight meal from Melissa Clark. If you don’t have a wok, crank up the heat and work in batches to ensure the chicken browns.
“Absolutely delicious, a popular meal on constant rotation in my home. I just wish I had come across this recipe sooner!”
Once you start making fried rice, you’ll never reheat day-old rice again. This recipe from Romel Bruno is particularly forgiving, making use of frozen vegetables and fragrant curry powder. The only thing you need to prep here is the chicken, by cutting it into one-inch pieces.
“This recipe made me like chicken salad.”
Leftover cooked chicken makes this recipe nearly effortless, although you could easily roast or poach your own. Dice the chicken, rather than shred it, and add celery, grapes, toasted pecans, red onion and parsley for a lunch that gets better in the fridge.
