Dinner
8856 recipes found
Roasted Chicken With Fish-Sauce Butter
Roasting chicken thighs in a hot oven is a hands-off way to achieve two of life’s greatest pleasures: crispy skin and golden schmaltz. And you want that chicken fat because it will crisp hand-torn bread into croutons. This meal is made even more lovely thanks to a bold but balanced fish-sauce butter that you whip up on the stovetop while the rest of the meal takes care of itself in the oven. Be sure to start with cold butter; the gradual melting of the fat helps thicken the sauce without breaking it.
Skillet Chicken With White Beans and Caramelized Lemon
One of the best parts of cooking skin-on chicken in a skillet, aside from the obvious (crispy skin), is the delicious fat left behind. To maximize the amount of fat yielded, be sure to cook the chicken on the medium side of medium-high heat, which gives the fat plenty of time to render before the skin browns. All this extra time on the stove means you won’t have to finish your chicken in the oven. (The only exception are extra-large pieces, which may need a brief stint in a 350-degree oven to completely cook through.) While just about anything is great tossed in this liquid gold, using it to caramelize thick slices of lemon and wedges of shallot takes the dish to an even more complex, savory, tangy place. You can let the seasons or your pantry dictate what gets added next: hearty leafy greens, chunks of summer squash or a simple can of chickpeas or beans are all welcome to the party.
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
This spicy, saucy chicken takes almost no time to prep in the morning and only 5 minutes to finish before eating. At its simplest, the recipe is a meal-in-a-bowl stew, and the toppings are key to making it feel special. You could serve the chicken over rice or a whole grain, or use it as a taco or enchilada filling (use a slotted spoon to serve the chicken, if it is very saucy). You can also add 1 cup of frozen or fresh corn, or a drained 15-ounce can of black beans or pinto beans; just add them at the end along with the fresh cilantro and scallions. The level of heat in jarred salsas can vary, so taste yours first to ensure it is to your liking. If you want more spice, leave some of the jalapeño seeds in, or use hot canned green chiles instead of mild ones.
Sheet-Pan Chicken With Shallots and Grapes
This one-pan meal is simple enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough to serve at a dinner party. Chicken thighs are quickly marinated in garlic, olive oil and za’atar, if you’d like, while the oven comes to temperature. Then, they’re roasted alongside thick wedges of shallots and sweet grapes, whose flavors are gently coaxed together and deepened by the chicken fat as they cook. Serve straight from the sheet pan, or plate on a pretty platter. Serve with a salad of chicories dressed with lemon, olive oil, anchovies and salty pecorino cheese.
Hot Mustard and Honey Glazed Chicken
Asian hot mustard powder is a versatile pantry staple that can quickly transform into a spicy sauce, glaze or dressing. Here, the hot mustard is tamed with sweet honey and balanced by fragrant garlic for a savory glaze that caramelizes on chicken when roasted. Once cooked, the chicken receives a final basting for a fresh burst of spicy flavor. Make a double batch of the glaze, as it also tastes great on pork chops and grilled shrimp. Leftover chicken can quickly become a salad the next day; just chop and toss with spinach or romaine and a simple vinaigrette.
Pressure Cooker Chicken Korma
Flavored with cardamom and saffron-infused cream, then garnished with golden raisins and slivered almonds, chicken korma is a delicate and elegant dish. This version, by the cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, is quickly made in an electric pressure cooker. You can substitute chicken breasts here, as long as you buy them still on the bone. Boneless chicken is apt to overcook. Serve this over basmati rice to soak up the rich, creamy sauce.
Roast Chicken and Vegetables With Tahini
This comforting but peppy chicken-and-vegetable combo accommodates any root vegetables that you like or need to use up. Roast them alongside morsels of boneless chicken thighs that have been tossed with ginger, dill and citrus zest. What comes out of the oven needs just a drizzle of straight-from-the-jar tahini: It is nutty, creamy and a great counterpart to sweet root vegetables, for those times you just don’t feel like making a sauce. Finish with more herbs and maybe a scattering of red-pepper flakes and sesame seeds, then pile the mixture over whole grains, a salad or sautéed greens, or into a pita. For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for chickpeas, extra-firm tofu or tempeh.
Ginger Chicken With Crisp Napa Salad
Ginger, garlic and cilantro form the base of an aromatic marinade for this easy stovetop chicken dish. Lightly pounding the chicken breasts increases their surface area, which helps them soak up the marinade and cook evenly. A refreshing and crunchy salad of napa cabbage, cucumbers and fresh mint rounds out the dish into the perfect light lunch or dinner. To make this for a larger group, simply double the recipe.
Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken)
As dynamic as it is speedy, this ground chicken and green bean recipe from “Night + Market” (Clarkson Potter, 2017) by Kris Yenbamroong and Garrett Snyder, delivers a wallop of flavor with punchy ingredients that stir-fry in just 15 minutes. While this popular Thai street food can be whipped up using a range of proteins, Mr. Yenbamroong refers to his riff as “low-rent” because it’s prepared with ground chicken rather than pricier slices of meat. It’s piled with basil; Thai basil or holy basil provide more assertive licorice notes, but sweet basil adds herbal bursts of brightness. Spiked with Thai seasoning (see Tip), the chicken mixture is salty on its own, but it’s inextricably linked with rice, and imparts the right amount of salinity when dispersed.
Honey-and-Soy-Glazed Chicken Thighs
In this simple weeknight recipe, chicken thighs are tossed with a sweet-salty glaze made of honey and soy sauce that caramelizes into a sticky coating as it roasts in the oven. Serve the sliced chicken with bibb lettuce cups for wrapping, or over steamed rice to catch all the juices. Leftovers can be chopped and combined with vegetables for a tasty clean-out-the-fridge fried rice.
Maple Roasted Chicken
This sweet, well-seasoned dish is great for Sunday dinner. You only have to marinate for an hour, but you could do it up to overnight. Set it up the night before, then simply roast the chicken just before serving. The sticky glaze adds color, but its sweetness is not overpowering, getting some good balance from the vinegar and the smoky paprika. Pair the roasted chicken with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts or bitter greens, like collard greens and kale, and use any leftovers in a salad or rice bowl the next day.
Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts With Herbs
Boneless chicken breasts suffer a bad reputation, owing in large part to their propensity to dry out. The solution here is a lovely bath in an ample amount of olive oil, white wine and lemon, which seasons and tenderizes the chicken. Later, the marinade becomes an easy pan sauce once it cooks with the breasts. Use fresh herbs in the summer; in the winter, dried herbs will do the trick.
Chicken-Zucchini Meatballs With Feta
These meatballs harbor a secret: They’re half vegetable, half chicken. More than just a surprise, the grated zucchini provides moisture that ground chicken can lack. Roast more zucchini next to the meatballs on the sheet pan, then top everything with feta tossed with lemon juice. For an easy starch, add chickpeas to the feta, or toast bread or pita on the free rack in the oven.
Air-Fryer Chicken Thighs
Simple and satisfying, chicken thighs brown beautifully in the air fryer, maintaining moisture thanks to their fat content. A quick, vinegar-spiked sour cream marinade adds oomph and helps tenderize the chicken. Despite being tossed and coated in a quick wet marinade (or overnight, if time permits), the skin still comes out deeply golden-brown and shatteringly crisp without leaving the meat lackluster. Because thighs vary in size, and air fryers range in size and power, make sure to take the internal temperature before removing your chicken from the air fryer, or pierce the chicken to check that the juices run clear rather than pink to ensure doneness.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Ragù With Herbed Ricotta
This recipe has a comforting lasagna vibe, as the spicy chicken-and-tomato sauce mingles with the rich, herby ricotta. Make the sauce as hot as you like: Begin with 1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes for a fairly mild spice level, then add more at the end if you want more heat. You’ll notice there isn’t much liquid when the chicken and vegetables go into the slow cooker, but have faith: The juices released during cooking end up making a not-too-thick ragù that is perfect for saucing pasta. In fact, because some chicken has more moisture than others, you may end up with more liquid than you’d like. If that happens, turn off the heat so the sauce cools a bit and is not bubbling, then vigorously stir in two egg yolks before you add the pasta. This adds glossy thickening power, just like it does in carbonara.
Sheet-Pan Miso Chicken With Radishes and Lime
This vibrant dish is adapted from “Keeping It Simple” (Hardie Grant, 2020), a book of weeknight recipes by the food writer Yasmin Fahr. Miso and ghee are tossed with radishes and rubbed underneath the skin of chicken thighs before both are roasted on the same sheet pan. Fresh scallions, sesame seeds and lime juice provide a bright finish. If you don’t have ghee, regular unsalted butter will do just fine. And if you’ve never had roasted radishes, you’re in for a treat: High heat eliminates the vegetable’s bitterness, coaxes out its sweetness and leaves the lovely pink color behind.
Chicken Salad With Lemon-Sesame Dressing
This main-dish salad is inspired by chicken larb, which is a dance of contrasts: light but rich, with tender meat, crunchy vegetables and seasonings that span sour, sweet, spicy and savory. This recipe dresses lean-but-juicy ground chicken or turkey with sesame oil, fresh lemon, miso, ginger, basil and celery, but there are many ways to adapt it: You could sauté crumbled tofu or cubed salmon instead of the chicken; or add yuzu kosho, wasabi paste or fried garlic. It’s good on its own, or with roasted potatoes, grains, salad greens, soba noodles or wrapped in nori.
One-Pan Chicken Thighs With Coconut Creamed Corn
If it’s possible to upstage crispy-skinned chicken thighs, the coconut creamed corn in this dish comes close. The sweetness of caramelized corn and coconut milk is balanced by the brightness of the ginger, chile, scallions and lime. As the corn simmers, the browned chicken thighs finish cooking right on top, so the flavors meld and deepen. It’s a complete summery meal in one skillet, although you can make it anytime. Just use frozen corn. Garnish it with cilantro, chives, fried shallots or coconut flakes, and serve it with a green side. If you feel like it, you could use shrimp instead of chicken. (Use this recipe as a guide.)
Chicken Francese
Chicken francese, sometimes called chicken French, is one of those rare restaurant dishes that's truly easy to cook at home. If you can make chicken cutlets, you can make this lemony, buttery recipe; the only difference is an easy pan sauce that brightens the whole plate. This version includes lemon slices browned in butter, which are pretty and tasty but entirely optional. Although the name suggests that it's a French or Italian dish ("Francese" means French in Italian), it's actually neither: Like spaghetti and meatballs, it's a mostly Italian-American invention. Serve with something starchy to soak up every drop of the sauce; pasta is traditional.
Pan-Seared Ranch Chicken
In this recipe, America’s favorite salad dressing serves double-duty: as a creamy, herbaceous sauce and as a marinade. But don’t reach for bottled ranch. Instead, make your own brighter, tangier version using Greek yogurt. Unlike lemon or vinegar-based marinades, which can toughen meat, yogurt tenderizes even the leanest of chicken breasts. When the chicken is seared in a hot pan, the yogurt-mayo coating forms a flavorful, caramelized crust. (It also makes an excellent marinade for fish, pork, shrimp or sturdy vegetables.)
Greek Chicken With Cucumber-Feta Salad
This meal has the flavors of a Greek combination plate with chicken souvlaki, Greek salad and tzatziki, but it is streamlined for the home cook. Boneless chicken thighs are coated with herby, garlicky yogurt, then seared until tender inside and crusty and browned outside. Extra yogurt dresses cucumbers and tomatoes that have had a chance to drain with salt so they taste their most vivid. Feta and olives add briny bites to the creamy, crunchy salad, but feel free to incorporate other elements of Greek salad or tzatziki, like romaine lettuce, bell peppers, mint or dill, toasted walnuts or thinly sliced red onion. Eat with lemon potatoes or toasted pita.
Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy
No need for a wok here. You can use a flat-bottomed skillet or sauté pan instead, the bigger the better. You want as much surface area as possible to get as hot as possible, so preheat the pan for at least five minutes before adding the oil. There should be a forbidding amount of smoke when the ingredients hit the pan (open the windows and turn on the fan before you start). That will give you the deepest sear. Stir-fries are infinitely variable, and you can change up this recipe by using beef or pork, and other green vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, mustard greens, cabbage, spinach or thinly sliced green beans) substitute nicely for the bok choy. Make a version of this dish once or twice and you’ll have a reliable and delicious alternative to takeout.
Chicken Braised in Two Vinegars
In this satisfying weeknight recipe, boneless chicken thighs are cooked in best-quality balsamic and red wine vinegar and plenty of garlic, resulting in a pleasantly sticky agrodolce sauce. You could easily crisp some pancetta before the garlic hits the pan or stir in some anchovies right before you begin to braise. This dish can be made a day or two in advance and gently reheated with a splash of water or broth, but wait until right before serving to garnish it with the fresh herbs. (They'll lose their vibrant color otherwise.) Serve over polenta or rice pilaf.
Pernil-Style Roasted Chicken Thighs
Pernil is a Puerto Rican slow-cooked marinated pork shoulder dish in which the pork is roasted for hours until succulent and crispy-skinned. The flavors of pernil become accessible on a weeknight with the use of quicker-cooking chicken thighs. The chicken pieces are coated in a garlicky, oregano-and-citrus rub that combines orange and lime juice for a sweet-sour hit. Serve the juicy chicken with rice or tucked into corn tortillas; a simple green salad or cabbage slaw would also make a nice accompaniment to complete the meal.