Easy chicken dinners your family will actually eat
Chicken is the weeknight workhorse: cheap, quick, and almost every kid eats it. Here are family-sized chicken dinners from our library, each 45 minutes or less, with the grocery list one tap from your Instacart cart.
Easy chicken dinners for families
Weeknight chicken dinners, 45 minutes or less, with honest times and a one-tap grocery list. 60 recipes.
Sheet Pan Street Corn Chicken Thighs
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.75 a serving
Smoky Chicken & Pepper Pita Flatbreads
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.63 a serving
Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Veggies
30 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Quick Chicken Ramen with Soft-Boiled Eggs
30 min · 4 servings · about $3.75 a serving
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
40 min · 4 servings · about $5.00 a serving
General Tso's Chicken
45 min · 4 servings · about $3.88 a serving
Thai Green Curry Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.00 a serving
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Bacon Cream Sauce and Sautéed Kale
32 min · 4 servings · about $3.88 a serving
Smashed Chicken Patty Tacos with Melted Cheese, Tomato, and Tangy Special Sauce
33 min · 4 servings · about $3.63 a serving
Smoky Drumstick Sheet Pan with Roasted Summer Squash
40 min · 4 servings · about $3.63 a serving
Sheet Pan Sweet Chili Chicken with Broccoli
34 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.75 a serving
Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Peppers
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Chicken Sausage and Zucchini
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.75 a serving
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
30 min · 6 servings · about $2.33 a serving
Chicken Pho
40 min · 4 servings · about $6.00 a serving
Chicken Quesadillas with Peppers
42 min · 4 servings · about $3.25 a serving
Crispy Chicken Tacos with Spiced Mango Salsa
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.63 a serving
Crispy Chicken Tenders with Maple-Mustard Dip and Sheet-Pan Roasted Veggies
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.06 a serving
Chicken Fajita Cauliflower Rice Bowls
35 min · 4 servings · about $5.50 a serving
Pan-Fried Chicken with Toasted Walnut and Cranberry Brussels Sprouts
35 min · 4 servings · about $4.63 a serving
Sheet Pan Loaded BBQ Chicken Potato Skins
40 min · 4 servings · about $4.00 a serving
Baked Chicken Chimichangas
35 min · 4 servings · about $5.00 a serving
Baked Chicken Parmesan with Garlic Green Beans
40 min · 4 servings · about $3.88 a serving
Lemony Chicken Rotini with Kale and Tomatoes
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.75 a serving
Shortcut Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
20 min · 4 servings · about $4.75 a serving
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Pan Gravy and Mashed Cauliflower
45 min · 4 servings · about $3.63 a serving
Chicken Tostadas
25 min · 4 servings · about $5.50 a serving
Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder
40 min · 6 servings · about $2.83 a serving
Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Roasted Broccoli
40 min · 4 servings · about $4.00 a serving
Crispy Honey Mustard Chicken with Broccoli and Citrus Slaw
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.63 a serving
Honey Mustard Chicken and Strawberry Salad
35 min · 4 servings · about $5.75 a serving
Halal Chicken Shawarma Plate with Garlic Tahini
25 min · 4 servings · about $3.94 a serving
Smothered Chicken with Mushroom Gravy
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
35 min · 4 servings · about $4.25 a serving
Fattoush Salad with Grilled Chicken
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.38 a serving
One-Pot Chicken Alfredo Penne
36 min · 6 servings · about $3.17 a serving
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Bake
35 min · 4 servings · about $4.00 a serving
Lemon Ricotta Chicken Spaghetti
30 min · 6 servings · about $2.67 a serving
Honey Garlic Chicken Lo Mein
35 min · 5 servings · about $3.00 a serving
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken with Broccoli, Pine Nuts and Crispy Parmesan
34 min · 4 servings · about $4.06 a serving
Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
32 min · 4 servings · about $3.25 a serving
Honey Soy Chicken Stir-Fry with Rice
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Creamy Chicken and Potato Stew
45 min · 6 servings · about $2.67 a serving
Chicken Bacon Ranch Cauliflower Bake
40 min · 4 servings · about $4.38 a serving
Chicken Artichoke Avocado Salad
30 min · 4 servings · about $5.00 a serving
Grilled Chicken Club Sandwiches
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.25 a serving
Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
30 min · 4 servings · about $3.25 a serving
Chicken Egg Roll in a Bowl
20 min · 4 servings · about $2.75 a serving
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
30 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Baked Chicken Taquitos
33 min · 4 servings · about $5.25 a serving
Chicken Caesar Wraps
27 min · 4 servings · about $3.50 a serving
Chicken Yakitori Skewers with Rice
45 min · 4 servings · about $3.25 a serving
Chicken Florentine Pasta
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.13 a serving
Ground Chicken Burgers with Oven Fries
45 min · 4 servings · about $3.25 a serving
Crispy Chicken Burger with Berry Sauce and Charred Peppers
30 min · 4 servings · about $3.94 a serving
Sheet Pan Parmesan Ranch Chicken with Green Beans
32 min · 4 servings · about $3.75 a serving
Sheet Pan Hawaiian BBQ Chicken with Pineapple and Peppers
35 min · 4 servings · about $3.75 a serving
Sheet Pan Orange Hoisin Chicken
30 min · 4 servings · about $4.88 a serving
Chicken and Dumplings
45 min · 4 servings · about $3.25 a serving
Tips that make it easier
- ✓Thighs are cheaper and more forgiving than breasts: they stay juicy if they cook a few minutes long. Breasts are best pounded thin or sliced so they cook fast and evenly.
- ✓Cook chicken to 165°F in the thickest part. An instant-read thermometer ends the cutting-into-it guesswork.
- ✓One pack, two dinners: roast extra on Monday and it becomes Wednesday's tacos, quesadillas or fried rice.
- ✓DinnerDrop plans chicken into your week as often as you want it (every week, every other week) and keeps it from repeating the same dinner.
Questions
How do I keep chicken breast from drying out?
Pound or slice it to an even thickness, cook it hot and fast, pull it at 165°F, and let it rest 5 minutes before cutting. Or use boneless thighs, which stay juicy.
Can I use frozen chicken?
Thaw it in the fridge overnight (or in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes) for skillet and sheet-pan recipes. Slow cookers should start with thawed chicken so it heats through safely.
How many chicken dinners a week is too many?
That's up to your family. In DinnerDrop you set how many chicken nights you want a week, and the planner fills the rest with beef, pork, fish or meatless dinners.
Two minutes to set up. Your first week is ready right away.
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