20+ Best Chicken Breast Recipes

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Updated Feb 04, 2024

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Need some chicken dinner inspiration? I’ve rounded up the best chicken breast recipes for you! These reader-favorite recipes turn a blank canvas chicken breast into something exciting (with the help of sauces, marinades, and a handful of simple ingredients). You’re gonna love these!

Tips On Buying And Storing Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts are a weeknight savior and a meal prep lover’s best friend. That’s why you’ll always find a stash in my freezer! But before you go shopping, there’s a few things to keep in mind when it comes to selection and storing.

Keep your eyes peeled for pink hued chicken. When shopping for chicken, the breasts should be a pink, flesh color. If there’s any signs of dullness or even gray coloring – avoid those at all costs as those are not fresh!
Grab frozen chicken breasts. There is nothing wrong with grabbing frozen chicken in bulk. In fact, you’ll often save a bunch of money!
Freeze chicken breasts in bags. If you’re freezing fresh chicken breasts, make sure to store them properly in freezer-safe bags by pushing out as much air as possible before zipping the bag up. If you prefer to freeze the chicken in its original package, the USDA advises that you wrap it in plastic wrap or freezer paper. This will help to prevent freezer burn.
Don’t wash your chicken. To avoid the risk of contamination, don’t rinse your chicken! Once the faucet water hits your chicken, it can easily splash onto various surface areas of your kitchen.

Chicken breast recipes including poached and baked chicken.

The Basics: Poached And Baked Chicken Breasts

Gotta love those basics! When it comes foolproof and speedy chicken dinners, you really can’t beat poaching and baking chicken. Just add a smattering of herbs for simple, elevated flavor!

Easy Poached Chicken: Poached chicken is a great option for easy, healthy, and tender chicken, with no cooking oil needed. Just add some aromatics for extra flavor!
Best Baked Chicken Breast: This method is by far my favorite way to cook chicken breasts. It’s a no-fail recipe with tons of tips and an epic seasoning to give your chicken life.
Herb Baked Chicken Breast: Switch up the seasoning on your baked chicken with loads of herbs for a light, yet flavorful bite.

Chicken Breast Marinade Recipes

Before baking your chicken breasts, try one of these delicious chicken marinades the night before! It’ll help lock in those sweet and savory flavors, and makes the breasts extra tender. Alternatively, you can freeze these chicken marinades for a freezer-friendly meal prep.

Southwest chicken salad in a white bowl next to a small bowl of avocado dressing.

Grilled Chicken Breast Recipes Packed With Flavor

There’s nothing quite like grilled chicken in the summertime. And what better way to welcome the season than with colorful grilled chicken skewers and hearty chicken salads? These recipes (and more) come off the grill super tender, super juicy, and beautifully charred.

Greek Chicken Kabobs: Chunks of chicken breast are coated in a lemony, garlicky marinade, threaded with colorful vegetables, and served with the best homemade tzatziki sauce.
Grilled Chicken Souvlaki: Consider this a more simplified (but still tasty) version of my Greek kabobs. They’re tender, juicy, and served with a vegan tzatziki that tastes just like the real thing.
Southwest Chicken Salad: This extra hearty salad is filled with the best of Tex-Mex flavors! Chopped lettuce is layered with black beans, corn, tomatoes, grilled chicken, and drizzled with a creamy avocado dressing.

Easy chicken breast recipes with teriyaki chicken and chicken fajitas

The Easiest Chicken Breast Recipes

We can always count on chicken for quick and easy meals. But that doesn’t mean boring and bland. Instead, these chicken breast recipes get creative with spices, sauces, and simple ingredients to help round out a delicious and healthy meal.

Chicken Piccata: This Italian-American classic created beautifully crusted chicken breast simmered in a lemon garlic wine sauce, in just 30 minutes!
Teriyaki Chicken: It’s a meal that sounds difficult, but really it only takes 20-30 minutes to make! The secret here is my homemade teriyaki sauce for an authentic and flavorful experience.
Lemon Pepper Chicken: This 15-minute chicken recipe is my personal favorite – golden chicken breasts coated in lemon pepper seasoning, then finished with a garlic butter sauce.
Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken: If you love set-it-and-forget-it type dinners, this crockpot chicken recipe is just what you need. Just make my homemade salsa verde sauce beforehand, and the rest comes easy!
Turmeric Chicken and Rice Casserole: An all-in-one, easy dinner idea that’s loaded with curry-like flavors, sneaky veggies, and juicy chicken breasts.
Chicken Fajitas: This is hands down a weeknight dinner favorite! Chicken is sauteed with bell peppers and onions, then served front and center in the ultimate fajita spread.

Coconut Curry Chicken: Craving curry spices? This curry chicken comes together quick with the help of Indian spices, coconut milk, and a fresh bed of warm rice.
Kung Pao Chicken: If you love Asian stir-fry dinners, this 30-minute kung pao chicken is one you won’t want to miss.
Mexican Chicken Zucchini Noodles: If zucchini noodles are your jam, you’re going to love this Mexican spin. Zoodles are tossed with spiced chicken, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and cilantro of course.
Zucchini Noodles With Chicken, Spinach, and Parmesan: Another zoodle favorite is this chicken, spinach, and parmesan combo. It’s super easy to whip up and ticks the box for a light and healthy meal.

Chicken breast recipes with chicken salad and cobb salad.

Refreshing Chicken Salad Recipes

Chicken always makes for a delicious protein boost in salads. You can make it deliciously creamy or keep it fresh and crisp. The options are endless, but here’s a few favorites I always come back to every season.

Ultimate Chicken Salad: Now that you know how to poach chicken, dice it up and toss it into this fresh and creamy salad! The celery, green onion, grapes, and tarragon really take this summer favorite up a notch.
Greek Chicken Salad: My classic greek salad gets bulked up with juicy chicken slices to make it a delicious, complete meal.
Kale Salad with Apples and Chicken: This salad belongs on your holiday table! It’s tossed with massaged kale, fresh cut apples, shredded chicken, dried cherries, and all your favorite crunchy toppings.
Cobb Salad: I always default to this classic cobb salad for a crazy good meal. Because everything is better with crumbled bacon, boiled eggs, and avocado right?

The Versatility of Shredded Chicken Breast

If you’ve never shredded chicken before, you gotta hop on that! There’s so much you can do with it. Top it on salads, stir it into soups, and make it the star of these easy, tasty meals.

Mandarin Chicken Salad: Juicy, sweet, and fresh, this salad is a no brainer for Mandarin season!
Chicken, Bacon, and Black Bean Wrap: This wrap comes together fast with a few meal prep ingredients such as black beans, kale, crispy bacon and a slather of green goddess hummus.
BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes: Turn your average baked sweet potato into this hearty and insanely delicious meal!

Chicken breast recipes including white chicken chili and chicken casserole.

Comforting Chicken Breast Dinner Ideas

There’s no denying that chicken is the heart of our favorite comfort foods. From a cozy pot of chili to baked casseroles, these recipes are a delicious yet healthy take on classics that hit close to home.

White Chicken Chili: This winter favorite is easy, flavorful, comforting, and packed with veggies and protein. What’s there not to love?
Chicken Soup: This chicken soup recipe is a kitchen staple! It’s great for easy weeknight dinners or to heal you when you’re feeling under the weather.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken: Juicy Italian seasoned chicken breasts simmered in a creamy, spinach and sun-dried tomato sauce? Now tell me that doesn’t sound good.
Whole30 Chicken Broccoli Casserole: Chicken and broccoli are a match made in heaven in this baked casserole. Oh, and did I mention my homemade vegan alfredo sauce is a cinch to make?
Parsnip Noodle Chicken Alfredo: With that same alfredo sauce comes this veggie-heavy chicken alfredo. But instead of pasta noodles, you’ll use parsnip noodles!
Mini Chicken Pot Pies: If you’re a chicken pot pie lover, you’re going to love this creamy filling and golden, flaky crust.

For more easy, delicious meal ideas… check out these other roundups, including my best salmon recipes, chicken thigh recipes, and shrimp recipes!

If you make any of these chicken breast recipes, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.