14 Weeknight Chicken Dinners That Are Anything But Boring

By Elisabeth Sherman
Updated June 05, 2018
Weeknight dinners should be nourishing and healthy, but most importantly, they should be simple, quick, and delicious. Chicken—versatile enough to bake, braise, grill, or poach—is an obvious choice. But there’s just one problem: Chicken can feel, well, a little boring. Don’t get us wrong; here at Food & Wine we love the simplicity of a well-executed poultry dish. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to get creative. So, we've collected 14 of our favorite weeknight chicken dinner recipes that keep things interesting. (Our advice? Bookmark this now.)
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1 of 14

Curried-Chicken and Vegetable Pan Roast

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This one-pan yogurt-marinated chicken recipe cuts down on clean-up and is served alongside an always crowd-pleasing vegetable: butternut squash.

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2 of 14

Skillet Chicken-and-Mushroom Pot Pie

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Pot pies, as hearty as they are, are usually labor intensive. But this skillet version is not; it replaces puff pastry with thick slices of buttered bread.

3 of 14

Turmeric Chicken and Rice

Credit: Abby Hocking
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You just need one pot for this flavorful chicken and rice dish, which gets an extra dash of color and flavor from the deep-orange turmeric.

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4 of 14

Indian Barbecue Chicken

Credit: © John Kernick
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This sweet and tangy Indian-inspired dish takes just 35 minutes to prepare.

5 of 14

Lemongrass-Cilantro Chicken with Honey Dipping Sauce

Credit: © Petrina Tinslay
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While chicken breasts can sometimes turn out dry, this dish popular in Laos is juicy and gets a boost of flavor from the lemongrass-infused marinade.

6 of 14

Citrusy Mojito Chicken

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Give your chicken thighs a bright, citrusy twist by tossing them in grapefruit and lime juice and garnishing them with mint.

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7 of 14

Roast Chicken with Tangerines

Credit: © Quentin Bacon
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This classic roast chicken gets its flavor from garlic and rosemary, while halved tangerines add a touch of tangy sweetness.

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Baked Sriracha Chicken Thighs

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These bone-in chicken thighs are perfect for people who aren’t afraid of a strong dose of spiciness.

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Greek-Style Oven-Baked Chicken with Lemon and Oregano

Credit: © Kristen Stevens
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The fun format of these chicken skewers are a welcome break in routine for your family, plus you can serve them alongside a healthy Greek salad.

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Honey-Garlic Baked Chicken

Credit: © Kristen Stevens
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These sweet and garlicky drumsticks never get old.

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Thai Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

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Jalapeños, garlic, fish sauce, and sesame oil to make a flavorful coating for grilled chicken in this dish.

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Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Credit: © Christina Holmes
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Chicken tacos are easy to throw together, plus this version gets a kick from jalapeños.

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13 of 14

Cherry-Almond Braised Chicken

Credit: © Sarah Bolla
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This super tender chicken is cooked for three hours in sweet cherries and cherry juice to give it a hearty braise.

14 of 14

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

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This super-spicy chicken dish takes after fragrant jerk sauces used in Jamaican cooking, but if you need to lower the heat you can also replace Scotch bonnet chiles with jalapeños.

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By Elisabeth Sherman