26 Chicken Dinners You Can Make in 30 Minutes

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

By
Myo Quinn
Myo Quinn
Myo Quinn
Myo's recipes, writing, and food styling can be found on King Arthur Baking, Food Network, Delish, Food52, and more. She collaborated on the cookbook Delish Vegan Dinners and trained at Gramercy Tavern and Untitled at the Whitney Museum.
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Updated April 24, 2025
Myo Quinn
Overhead view of a blue dutch oven of tuscan-style chicken thighs recipe

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

    Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "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

    Overhead view of a baking sheet of four bbq baked chicken breasts topped with cheese and green onions on parchment paper

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "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

    Overhead view of a blue dutch oven of tuscan-style chicken thighs recipe

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

    "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)

    Italian butter chicken (petti di pollo al burro) in a skillet at a table with a plate of lemon slices, a glass of water, and a table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    "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

    Continue to 5 of 26 below

  • 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad

    Overhead shot of a plate with gochujang chicken salad topped with chopped scallion

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "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

    Overhead view of a teal dutch oven with three honey soy chicken breasts and sauce topped with green onions next to a bowl of white rice, a striped fabric napkin and blue plate of recipe and chicken

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

    "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

    Greek Chicken Skewers with Flatbread and Yogurt Sauce (Chicken Souvlaki)

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "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

    Lemon Pepper Chicken in a Pan Garnished with Shredded Parsley and Lemon Slices

    Simply Recipes / Marta Rivera Diaz

    "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

    Continue to 9 of 26 below

  • Rotisserie Chicken Alfredo

    A serving plate of rotisserie chicken alfredo

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "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

    Creamy chicken Florentine in skillet.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

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

  • Bourbon Chicken

    Overhead view of The BEST Bourbon Chicken Recipe served over rice.

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "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

    Chicken Salad with celery and bell pepper

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "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

    Continue to 13 of 26 below

  • Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

    Grilled chicken breast on resting on each other on a cutting board.

    Simply Recipes / Eliezer Martinez

    "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

    A serving tray with homemade chicken nuggets and ketchup on it.

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "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

    Million dollar chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet with a bowl of sliced scallions

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RDN

    "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

    Ranch chicken on a plte with a bowl of ranch mayo sauce

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

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

    Continue to 17 of 26 below

  • Chicken Marsala

    chicken marsala in a cast iron skillet

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "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

    Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets in a stainless steel skillet

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "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

    Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwiches on a Parchment Lined Tray, and on the Counter Next to the Tray, Plates With Individual Ingredients

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    "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

    Pan of Chicken and Broccoli Pasta with the Handle Wrapped in a Kitchen Towel and Next to It, a Small Bowl of Shredded Cheese

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "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

    Continue to 21 of 26 below

  • Tarragon Chicken Salad

    Plate of Tarragon Chicken Salad

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    "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

    chicken scampi

    Simply Recipes / Aaron Hutcherson

    "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

    chicken mango lettuce wraps

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "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

    Microwave Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) in a Microwavable Dish Surrounded by a Small Plate With Cooked Rice and a Small Plate of Kimchi

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

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

    Continue to 25 of 26 below

  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken

    creamy tuscan chicken in a pot next to sliced bread on a wooden board

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "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

    Bowl of copycat Chipotle chicken with a spoon, and in the surroundings, a bowl of lime quarters, glasses of water, and a scarlet table napkin

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

    "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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