Is there a meat on the planet that is more versatile than chicken? It has so much potential. Chicken breast is lean, super tasty, and can be made into so many things. Today we are going to run through some chicken breast recipes for you to try. The possibilities are endless, and you’ll find some well-known dishes, alongside one or two surprises.
25 Best Chicken Breast Recipes
1. Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
No list of chicken recipes would be complete without mentioning chicken soup from Olive Garden. We almost feel like catching a cold just to taste it. If you’ve cooked chicken the night before, you can make a super tasty stock by simmering the carcass in water for a couple of hours. Alternatively, store-bought chicken stock, combined with shredded chicken breast, some onions, and a choice of herbs, could be ideal (not forgetting the gnocchi, of course!)
2. Popcorn Chicken Bites
There is a slight element of KFC in this recipe, but that’s ok. This is delicious finger food and always features on our menu if we host a crowd to watch a football game. Just be sure to serve with a range of dips. Popcorn chicken is small cubes of chicken breast that are dusted in a special spice mix before being breaded and deep-fried. Top tip, make these last, or by the time you emerge from the kitchen, they will be all gone!
3. Chicken Tikka Masala
This dish was once voted the national dish of Great Britain, which is funny when you think about it as it is actually Indian in origin. Chicken tikka masala is the ideal fish for people who want to try Indian food without spice. It is chunks of marinated chicken breast cooked with various Indian spices before being finished off in a rich tomato sauce. It is a very mild curry that won’t leave anyone feeling too hot.
4. Lemon Chicken
Due to its mild flavor, the humble chicken breast sometimes needs a little helping hand. Citrus always works well with chicken, lemon in particular. Throw in a few tried and tested ingredients, and you’ve got an easy-to-make dish that tastes far better than you’d imagine. We are, of course, talking about the inclusion of a splash of white wine, a little garlic, and some fresh herbs like sage and thyme. Wrap ingredients in a foil parcel and bake for around 30-40 minutes. The chicken roasts and streams at the same time, so it emerges nice and juicy.
5. Chicken Quesadillas
This is a great dish to make if you’ve got leftover chicken breast from the night before. If you’ve got store-bought tortillas, all of the work is practically done for you! Just combine shredded chicken with a few Mexican-style ingredients such as tomatoes, cumin, and perhaps some cilantro. From there, bubble it down until you’ve got a tangy filling. Smother your tortillas with chicken and a thin layer of cheese, and then fry on each side for two or three minutes. These are delicious, whether served hot or cold.
6. Chicken Shawarma Nachos
For the uninitiated, shawarma is a chicken dish of middle eastern origin. It is created by layering a skewer with heaps of marinated chicken breasts which are traditionally grilled over hot coals, before being thinly sliced and served on flatbread. If you don’t have a skewer or hot coals, don’t worry. You can still make something tasting vaguely similar in the oven at home. The key lies in the spice mix, including ingredients like harissa paste, cumin, and zaatar powder. If you’ve had a barbecue and have some grilled shawarma left over, this is a great way to use it. Just shred and use it in the same way as you would in a beef nacho recipe.
7. Stuffed Chicken Breast
Because of their uniform shape, chicken breasts are ideal for filling with other ingredients. We love to cut a pocket in a raw chicken breast and stuff it with sliced bell peppers, garlic butter, and a few sprigs of thyme… Oh, and don’t forget a rasher of crispy bacon too! From there, we wrap the breast in bacon before roasting it in the oven for around 40 minutes. For an eye-catching way to serve this slice at an angle across the middle and leave one side propped against the other to showcase that delicious filling
Read More: How to boil chicken breast
8. Chicken Kiev
Chicken kiev is quite similar to stuffed chicken. We fill a pocket with lashings of garlic butter and herbs. The difference is that we then dip our chicken breast in an egg mixture before rolling in seasoned breadcrumbs. Traditionally a kiev is fried, but here’s a top tip. If you combine a little olive oil with your breadcrumbs and give it a good mix, you can bake your breasts, and they’ll turn just as golden and delicious.
9. Thai Chicken Curry
Thai curry is full of interesting flavors. You have coconut milk, lime leaves, chili, garlic… The last thing you need is anything too strong being added and overpowering the dish. Chicken breast makes the ideal choice. This dish is surprisingly simple to make and is always a firm favorite at dinner parties. The key is to find a good quality Thai curry paste… If you can’t, you’ll get much acclaim if you make your own!
10. Chicken Empanadas
You’ll find quite a few chicken dishes featuring in Mexican cooking. This is a prime example. Empanadas are like tiny Mexican hand pies that are filled with various savory meats. Chicken makes a great choice, as the pastry seals in the moisture and prevents it from going dry. If you’ve made chicken quesadillas and have some chicken leftover, this dish is ideal. They freeze well, too, so they are great to make ahead.
11. Kung Pao Chicken
Ok, let us be honest, sometimes chicken breast can be a little bland. Not so with Chinese recipes. Kung pao chicken is sweet, spicy, and amazing. It features many tasty ingredients like bell peppers, onions, and chili combined in a sauce that will leave you craving more. Add a few peanuts or cashews for a little crunch!
12. General Tso’s Chicken
This has to be our favorite dish from Panda Express. But if you don’t want to leave the house or just want to make a healthier version, then give this a whirl. It has a real kick! The key to making this recipe is to get all of your ingredients organized and in order before starting cooking. The instructions and steps come thick and fast.
13. Chicken Pad Thai
This dish is super healthy and really tasty. Pad thai is flat ribbon noodles combined with fish sauce, a little sugar, and soy to create a delicious sauce. It is supplemented by a large helping of shredded eggs and crunchy roasted peanuts. To make this recipe authentic, cut your chicken pieces into tiny morsels. If you are using leftover chicken breast, shred it with a fork. Tasty!
14. Chicken Caesar Salad
Once we’d tried chicken Caesar salad, we could never go back to having it without. Large cups of Romain lettuce, lovingly dressed in a tangy cheese sauce, finished off with a sliced chicken breast, croutons, and slivers of parmesan cheese? It’s one of our favorite light dishes! (but you can hold the anchovies, thanks!)
15. Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
Here’ another Indian dish for you to try. Butter chicken is a curry that is creamy and mild. You can make this in a few minutes in a pan, but this slow cooker version will free you up for the day if you have other things to do. It includes cream, some mild Indian spices, oh and here’s a secret ingredient, don’t forget coconut flour! This makes it really thick and creamy.
16. Southern Fried Chicken Breast
No list of chicken recipes would be complete without giving the nod to this kfc recipe, their southern fried chicken! If you have a poke around, you’ll find several lists claiming that they have discovered the colonels’ secret’ recipe… Our mouth is watering just thinking about a juicy chicken breast coated in a crisp breadcrumb served alongside a pile of French fries and dipping sauces.
17. Chicken Tenders
If you want to go a bit classier than ‘southern fried’, then chicken tenders could be for you. These are like mini strips of chicken lovingly fried in a crispy coating. It is up to you how you get that crunch, we find that making a light tempura batter gives the best results, but some people prefer to bread their tenders.
18. Cajun Chicken Breast
For a dish so packed with flavor, we were shocked when we found out how easy it is to make Cajun chicken. You can go down the sticky chicken route and add some honey to your spices. Alternatively, just toss a chicken breast in a bag with some cumin, brown sugar, black pepper, and smoky seasoning before roasting in a hot oven for a slightly drier dish.
19. Chicken Teriyaki
This is definitely one that you will want to serve sticky. This dish is Japanese in origin and ideal when served with fluffy white rice. We get it sticky by cooking the marinade before painting it over the chicken. You’ll need brown sugar, Chinese five-spice, honey, and soy sauce. Don’t skimp on the sugar either, as this cooks down and gives you a dark marinade.
20. Chicken Zucchini Casserole
Sometimes we like to avoid spice and keep it simple. Chicken casserole is really simple to make. Just combine chicken chunks with some stock, a few chopped root vegetables, and then let your crockpot do its work. To add another level of flavor, make sure to include some fresh herbs such as sage and thyme. I love zucchini recipes and in particular when they’re combined with chicken.
21. Coronation Chicken
This is another dish that is great for using up chicken breast if you have made one too many. This combines lashings of cool and creamy mayonnaise with curry powder, sultanas, and lemon juice. We cut the chicken into small chunks and mix with the sauce. It makes for a great sandwich spread, but it is equally nice alongside a green and leafy salad.
22. Panda Express Orange Chicken
There’s a trick with this recipe. Here’s the secret. Cook your chicken first, in a separate pan if needs be. You can get a superb crispy coating simply by rolling your chicken breast pieces in spiced corn starch. Don’t overcrowd the pan either! Once it is golden brown and cooked through, leave it to one side while you prepare and cook the rest of the ingredients, adding the chicken only. We sometimes add a spicy sauce, but this dish is also delicious with the simple addition of so, garlic and ginger.
23. Chicken Pot Pie
An all-time classic! We cheat a little with our chicken pot pie… Well, actually, that is a fib. We cheat a lot! How? Well, we use store-bought pastry for the case for a start. We are busy and don’t have time to be making a creamy sauce. For that reason, we find that a tin of chicken soup makes a great tasting substitute! Add in a few frozen peas and some fried onions, and you’ve got a family favorite that will disappear before your eyes.
24. Chicken Chow Mein
Chicken chow mein is one of our favorite Chinese dishes. It’s so simple, and it is also really filling. We love that there aren’t too many ingredients, and we find it pretty hard to mess up stir-frying some noodles before adding the chicken and a really basic soy sauce. Be sure to include beansprouts to add a little crunch to this recipe.
25. One Pan Honey Mustard Chicken
One-pot dishes are our idea of perfection. When they taste as good as this, we are in heaven. We start by roasting shallots, green beans, and a few potatoes in a baking dish. We add honey, mustard, and a little seasoning, and top with the chicken breasts. From then on, we just keep an eye on it in the oven. When the chicken breast is cooked, the dish is ready! Simple and tasty, just how we like it!
Conclusion
Our list of chicken breast recipes spans the globe. You’ve got Thai, Mexican, Japanese… And even Indian among the dishes you can cook. Chicken is easy to cook. Just make sure it is done all the way through and let your imagination go wild. Which is your favorite?
