40 Chicken Breast Recipes To Make For Dinner Tonight

From one-bite appetizers to elevated dinners.

Southern Living Marry Me Chicken in the skillet to serve topped with fresh basil leaves
Photo:

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Chicken is beloved for being nutrient-packed, easy to cook, and an excellent source of lean protein. Although buying a whole chicken has its advantages, chicken breast is more convenient and won't take up the whole fridge. Most of these recipes are ideal for weeknight dinners, thanks to their simple ingredient lists and easy assembly. Whether it's pan-fried, deep-fried, roasted, barbecued, or grilled, a well-prepared chicken dish can please a crowd when served right.

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Lemon Chicken Pasta

Southern Living Lemon Chicken Pasta in a bowl ready to serve

Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

This creamy, citrusy pasta is paired with crispy panko-crusted chicken for an ideal weeknight dinner. Since zucchini is always available, you can make this dish year-round. Cream cheese makes this pasta rich and creamy, while the lemon in the chicken and sauce adds a light, refreshing touch.

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Baked Caprese Chicken

Baked Caprese Chicken with Green Beans and Corn

Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner

This one-pan recipe makes dinner a breeze. In under 35 minutes, you can have this Baked Caprese Chicken ready to serve. It features boneless, skinless chicken breasts topped with tomato and mozzarella, imitating the flavors of the classic dish. A side of corn and green beans, covered in garlic herb butter, accompanies the chicken in the pan.

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Crispy Breaded Chicken Breasts

Crispy Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Breast

Food Faith Fitness

You can never go wrong with panko-crusted chicken breasts for a simple, delicious weeknight dinner that pairs perfectly with any side dish. Serve with mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, or an arugula salad for a complete meal.

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Spicy Grilled Chicken Breasts

Southern Living Spicy Grilled Chicken on a platter to serve

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

Once you've cooked your chicken breasts to perfection, the sauce possibilities are endless. We've included 3 recipes you can follow, but feel free to get creative. Our Nashville-style hot sauce, ginger-garlic-chile sauce, and sweet heat brown sugar sauce are all great options. These chicken breasts can be served with just about any side dish. Depending on the sauce, we recommend pairing this chicken with macaroni and cheese, grilled corn on the cob, or spicy pineapple slaw.

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Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken

Southern Living Asparagus Stuffed chicken ready to serve

Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke

Vibrant, green asparagus and parsley along with bright red bell peppers make this dish pop with color. Gruyère cheese and creamy butter form a rich sauce that enhances the chicken.

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Hot Honey Chicken

Southern Living Hot Honey Chicken on a plate to serve with green beans

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This crispy, sweet, and spicy chicken is sure to impress the entire family. Our homemade hot honey marinade is the star of the show in this recipe, made from only three ingredients. Any leftover chicken can be used on sandwiches or salads the next day.

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Chicken Lombardy

Southern Living Chicken Lombardy in the baking dish to serve

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This recipe combines the delicious flavors of chicken marsala with the added comfort of cheese. Sauteéd mushrooms and a creamy pan sauce cover the pan-fried chicken before baking in the oven with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Southern Living Chicken Cordon Bleu on a plate to serve with a simple green salad.

Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 

This highly impressive meal will be the talk of your next party. Deli ham and Swiss cheese are wrapped in a thinly pounded chicken breast and then fried until the cheese is melty and the chicken is perfectly crispy. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes, green beans, or an arugula salad.

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Million Dollar Chicken

Southern Living Million Dollar Chicken on a plate to serve with green beans and a dinner roll

Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

This recipe earns its name from the tender, juicy chicken breasts paired with a cream cheese-bacon dip that truly tastes like a million dollars. Sliced almonds add the perfect, nutty crunch, and scallions brighten up the dish. This 40-minute dinner can impress any crowd and is easy enough to be added to your weeknight dinner rotation.

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Key West Chicken

Key West Chicken
Will Dickey

A tart, sweet marinade made with oranges and lime juice is inspired by the vibrant flavors of South Florida. The longer the chicken marinates, the bolder the flavor will get. Pair this chicken with a hearty side of grilled corn on the cob, grilled potato salad, or even grilled peaches.

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Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Southern Living Chicken Parmesan Casserole after baking ready to serve

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

This casserole dish is an easy alternative to classic chicken parmesan. There's enough melty cheese and creamy marinara sauce for every bite of chicken. Fresh basil or parsley is garnished on top for a bright finish. You can use any leftover chicken to make sliders or sandwiches.

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Homemade Chicken Salad

Homemade Chicken Salad
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Everyone needs a go-to chicken salad recipe they can rely on and our version is as good as it gets. We keep it simple by using all of the classic ingredients like thyme, chicken broth, celery, lemon, and mayo. Rotisserie chicken can be used in this recipe but scratch-made is always the way to go. Chicken salad is a versatile dish but is often used in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or as a dip for crackers.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken And Dumplings

Southern Living Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings in a bowl to serve

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Chicken and dumplings is the definition of comfort food. Filled with seasoned shredded chicken, homemade dumpling pieces, flavorful broth, and a variety of vegetables, this dish is guaranteed to please a hungry crowd.

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Mississippi Chicken

Mississippi Chicken

Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

You'll only need to spend 10 minutes of active time on this easy chicken recipe. Affordable, easy-to-find ingredients make this dish the perfect go-to meal when looking for an effortless dinner. For serving, prepare mashed potatoes or cooked rice.

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Chicken, Sweet Potato, And Corn Chowder

chicken-sweet-potato-and-corn-slow-cooker-chowder
Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

There's no ahead-of-time cooking required in this recipe--everything is prepared in the slow cooker. This chowder gets a pop of color from the sweet potato, red bell pepper, and corn. We recommend using bone-in chicken breasts for a more tender and juicy result.

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Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Minis

Southern Living Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Minis on a platter

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins

When that Chick-fil-A craving hits on a Sunday, you can make these chicken minis from home. Store-bought rolls make this recipe a little easier. The nuggets are marinated in dill pickle juice and seasoned to perfection with a buttermilk-cayenne pepper mixture.

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Lemon Chicken Soup

Lemon Chicken Soup - Southern Living

Morgan Hunt Glaze; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

This classic soup with a couple of yummy additions is the perfect cold-weather meal. We've added white wine, English peas, parsley, lemon juice, and zest to the original recipe for a little more flavor. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the broth.

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Marry Me Chicken Soup

Southern Living Marry Me Chicken Soup in bowls to serve

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese tortellini, and parmesan cheese come together to form one of our favorite easy-to-make comfort foods. This recipe comes together with ease in the slow cooker.

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White Bean Chicken Chili

Southern Living White Bean Chicken Chili in a bowl to serve topped with sour cream and cheese

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This creamy, filling white bean chicken chili is bound to become a family favorite meal. Chopped green chiles, fresh cilantro, and cumin brighten up this dish, and the final touch of tortilla chips adds a nice crunch.

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken pot pie soup served with biscuits

 Stacy K. Allen; Props: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

We've turned one of our favorite Southern classic meals into a delicious, comforting soup. Make sure you have plenty of fresh-baked biscuits to serve with the soup.

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Chicken-Fried Chicken

Southern Living chicken-fried chicken

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This is our Southern take on German schnitzel. Boneless chicken breasts are lightly breaded in a flour-and-cracker mixture and then fried in peanut oil. It's often served with white gravy or mashed potatoes.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Southern Living Chicken Tortilla Soup in bowls to serve

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

There's nothing not to like about this tortilla soup filled with beans, corn, and tomatoes. Juicy, tender chicken makes this dish hearty and filling while toppings like avocado and cilantro lighten it up. It's no wonder this recipe is the most searched soup in the South.

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Instant Pot Chicken And Rice

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee

There's no room for error in this easy recipe. This take on Chicken and Rice features seasoned chicken breasts, cremini mushrooms, yellow onions and carrots, and white rice that all come together in one pot. It requires only 15 minutes of active time and will taste just as good as your mother's classic recipe.

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Blackened Chicken

Southern Living Blackened Chicken prepared on a plate to serve

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Bold flavor meets fast cooking in this Blackened Chicken recipe. A handful of staple spices coats boneless, skinless chicken breasts which are cooked on the skillet in under 35 minutes. Blackened Chicken can be served with rice, steamed vegetables, and pasta, but is also used for sandwiches, tacos, and salads.

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Skillet BBQ Chicken

bbq chicken in a skillet
Alison Miksch

Both chicken breasts and thighs work in this recipe. After pounding and cooking the chicken, you can customize the barbecue sauce to your preference. We like to make ours with a homemade sweet and spicy sauce, Alabama white BBQ sauce, or Texas-style BBQ sauce.

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Chicken Scallopini

Southern Living Chicken Scallopini on a platter to serve

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This 30-minute recipe made in just one skillet tastes like it was worked on for hours. A creamy mushroom sauce adds bold flavor to the crispy chicken breasts. Lemon zest and fresh parsley keep the sauce from feeling too heavy.

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Marry Me Chicken

Southern Living Marry Me Chicken in the skillet to serve topped with fresh basil leaves

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Our readers raved about this recipe so much that we made a casserole and soup version. Satéed chicken breasts are cooked in a sun-dried tomato and cream sauce and parmigiano reggiano adds a finishing touch of savory flavor. Marry Me Chicken is filling enough to serve on its own but if you're looking for a side dish, try pairing it with pasta, mashed potatoes, or garlic bread.

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Buffalo Chicken Bites

Buffalo Chicken Bites - Southern Living

Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

These one-bite delights will be a hit at your next party or tailgate. Buffalo Chicken Bites are similar to chicken nuggets but with a bit more spice. A serving of ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side helps to cool them down.

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Chicken Tamales

Southern Living Chicken Tamales on a plate ready to serve

Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

These tamales are worth the effort it takes to make them. Although tamales require a good bit of time to assemble and prepare, they're a great cooking project to tackle with friends and family. This recipe featured chicken tinga, chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, tomatoes, and plenty of toppings and spices.

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Curry Chicken Salad

Curry Chicken Salad - Southern Living

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This recipe is perfect for when you have leftover cooked chicken breast. Our take on classic chicken salad features curry powder and fresh cilantro for a spicy, bold flavor. The recipe is customizable so you can add anything from nuts to veggies to dried fruits.

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Chicken Gumbo

Southern Living Chicken Gumbo in a bowl to serve

Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Meet the chicken gumbo that features all the bold flavors of the classic recipe, if not more. Tender vegetables, smoky sausage, and juicy chicken come together to make this Southern classic dish that can be found on dinner tables any time of the year.

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Homemade Chicken Nuggets

homemade chicken nuggets on a white plate with pickles and a side of ranch dressing - Southern Living

Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee

These chicken nuggets are tastier–and healthier– than the ones you can get at a drive-thru. They are wonderfully seasoned, golden and crispy, and extra juicy. We like to pair ours with homemade ranch dressing.

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Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Photographer: Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

If you love bold flavors and simple recipes, you've just discovered the perfect meal. Parmesan Crusted Chicken is ready in under 30 minutes and only requires a handful of simple ingredients. Similar to schnitzel, this recipe consists of thin chicken breasts coated with a crumb mixture and fried in a skillet until crispy.

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Buffalo Chicken Salad

Southern Living Buffalo Chicken Salad on a platter to serve

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

Fresh veggies like celery, purple cabbage, Roma tomatoes, and carrots complement smoky buffalo chicken and mixed greens in this salad. It's all tied together with blue cheese crumbles and a buffalo-dill-ranch dressing.

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Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

instant pot buffalo chicken dip
Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke

This Instant Pot dip is inspired by well-loved buffalo chicken wings but made easier with the handy kitchen appliance. This recipe is perfect for game days, parties, and tailgates when paired with Fritos Scoops or tortilla chips.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches

Southern Living Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich sliced on a plate to serve

Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Step up your sandwich game and make these Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwiches made with chicken breast, gruyere cheese, black forest ham, and homemade Dijon Parmesan Sauce. Once you're done cooking, round out the plate with some sides. We suggest pairing these sandwiches with smashed baby red potatoes, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, or corn on the cob.

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Waldorf Chicken Salad

Southern Living Waldorf Chicken Salad in a bowl to serve

Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Costen King, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel

Chopped chicken, tangy dressing, and toasted pecans in Waldorf Chicken Salad make the classic even better. This simple, cool, summery meal is easy to make and can be served on a sandwich, with crackers, or in lettuce wraps.

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Greek Grilled Chicken Pita

Southern Living Greek Grilled Chicken Pita ready to assemble and serve

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

If you're in need of fun, delicious lunch or dinner ideas, look no further. Chicken breasts are marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper and pocketed into a warm pita, topped with fresh tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, and tzatziki. Serve these pitas with chips or fresh fruit for a satisfying meal.

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Chicken-And-Biscuit Pot Pie

Chicken-and-Biscuit Pot Pie
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

We loved the classic so much that we decided to add our own little twist. The biscuit topping makes this chicken pot pie extra comforting and satisfying. When brushed with butter, the biscuits turn a beautiful golden brown, and the fresh parsley leaves add a touch of color. This dish definitely gets extra points for its presentation.

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French Onion Chicken Casserole

French Onion Chicken Casserole

Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower

This decadent casserole's short ingredient list and simple assembly make this dish perfect for busy nights. Rich, cheesy, oniony flavors show off in this delicious casserole.

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