The 16 Best Chicken Recipes of All Time
If you love chicken, you need these recipes. They're the ones Simply Recipes readers return to again and again. They range widely and might not be the classics you expect, so take a peek and get some inspiration for tonight.
I've worked for nearly 10 years in food media, and in all that time, one of the biggest things I've learned is that chicken for dinner is always a good idea—readers will always love a good chicken recipe. It's one of the most popular meats in the United States and is pretty much a winner, no matter how you serve it.
So it's for all the chicken lovers I compiled Simply Recipes' 16 best-ever chicken recipes in one place. There are classics you know and love, but also some sleeper hits. Find the one you want to make tonight and enjoy the tips and tricks from our readers, contributors, and editors.
Classic Baked Chicken
"This recipe works best using chicken with the skin on. Even if you intend to eat the baked chicken without its skin, leave the skin on for baking. It prevents the chicken pieces from drying out while they bake." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder
The Best Chicken Fajitas
"The cutlets are marinated for a minimum of 30 minutes in a spicy marinade. You can marinate up to 24 hours in advance, but any longer than that and the lime juice in the marinade will start to 'cook' the chicken." —Elise
Chicken Piccata
"Delicious! This is a pretty easy recipe, just get everything prepped ahead of time because it moves quickly once in the pan. I doubled the sauce, and added a shallot and some garlic before adding the wine, lemon and capers." —Kirsten, Simply Recipes Reader
Easy Chicken Parmesan
"One trick that will save a little time with making the sauce is to peel and grate the onion instead of chopping it. Use the large holes of a box grater. The onion will cook faster this way, release more of its juices, and your sauce will come together more quickly." —Elise
BBQ Chicken on the Grill
"It's a good idea to bring your chicken, or any meat for that matter, up to room temperature before you start grilling it. If it's cold it may take longer to cook or burn on the outside while being undone on the inside. I would put it out on a baking tray, season it and let it sit for at least half an hour before putting it on the grill." —Debbie, Simply Recipes Reader
Lemon Chicken
"You can use chicken breasts if you prefer. Depending on the size of your pieces, you probably won't need to cook them as long as thighs." —Elise
Tandoori Chicken
"To make it in the oven: I browned the marinated pieces in dry frying pan, then put in an oven dish with the rest of the marinade. Baked it for around 30 minutes. Will be making this again, thank you!" —Barb, Simply Recipes Reader
Sweet and Sour Chicken
"We don't deep fry for this sweet and sour chicken recipe. Instead, we use a method for creating a delicate, smooth and succulent chicken that goes perfectly with a lighter, sweet and sour sauce." —Jaden Hair, Simply Recipes Contributor
Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts on the Grill
"Pickle juice is a great alternative to use as a brine option as well. I use it all the time and makes for deliciously moist chicken." —Chris, Simply Recipes Reader
Beer Can Chicken
"You don't have to use a can to make this chicken. There are holders that you can purchase—search for 'beer can chicken holder'—that both hold the chicken upright and have a can-shaped middle that you can pour beer (or other liquid) and take the place of a can." —Elise
Honey Mustard Chicken
"This is one of the best and easiest chicken recipes I've ever come across. It's so easy and so good. I always add a little bit of thyme and some chicken broth when I want more sauce." —Crystal, Simply Recipes Reader
Air Fryer Fried Chicken
"There are some recipes that I don’t think adapt well to the air fryer, but fried chicken works really well. The chicken will come out crispy and browned, plus it only takes 30 seconds to flip on the air fryer and the cleanup is worlds easier than dealing with big pots of hot oil." —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor
Chicken Paprikash
"Use recently purchased, quality sweet Hungarian paprika for this dish. Old paprika will diminish the flavors of the dish. This recipe also calls for hot paprika, and that should be fresh, too." —Simply Recipes Editors
Chicken and Dumplings
"Using cake flour in place of all-purpose flour will also help the dumplings be lighter, as cake flour has less gluten than regular flour." —Elise
Classic Chicken Salad
"This is the best chicken salad I've ever had! I used a grocery store roasted chicken for this and diced up the crunchy parts of the skin too." —Margaret, Simply Recipes Reader
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
"If you're looking for a recipe that doesn't require a lot of work the day you're cooking it, this jerk chicken is perfect. It marinates overnight, so the work of creating the marinade happens a day before you cook it. You can even make the marinade up to a week in advance and refrigerate it." —Simply Recipes Editors
