Cooking Chicken On A Skillet

15 Chicken Skillet Recipes for All Your Weeknight Dinner Needs

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I am not sure which is more tried-and-true when it comes to weeknight cooking: a trusty skillet dinner or crowd-pleasing chicken. It really doesn't matter, though, because if you bring the two together you have easy eating at its very best.

Take your pick between bone-in or boneless thighs or lean, mild-mannered chicken breasts because they're all fair game in these chicken skillet recipes. These 15 recipes come together quickly in a single skillet and many of them are complete meals, cooked with a bed of tender rice, vegetables, or an irresistible sauce. From crispy, garlickly chicken thighs with green beans to sticky-sweet firecracker chicken to a creamy chicken skillet kissed with turmeric, here are the recipes to know.

1. Easy, Creamy Lemon Garlic Skillet Chicken

In less than 30 minutes, you'll be dragging pieces of tender chicken through a puddle of creamy lemon sauce. It's a good idea to round out dinner with some rice, couscous, or bread so you can soak up every last drop of this sauce.

Get the recipe: Easy, Creamy Lemon Garlic Skillet Chicken

2. Life-Changing Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs

To label a recipe as "life-changing" is a really bold statement. But trust me when I tell you that this easy weeknight chicken and veggie dinner will rock your world.

Get the recipe: Life-Changing Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Pearl Jones

3. One-Pan Chicken and Rice with Olives and Lemon

4. One-Skillet French Onion Chicken

You'll never regret giving mild-mannered chicken breast the French onion soup treatment, with lots of velvety caramelized onions and melty Gruyère.

Get the recipe: One-Skillet French Onion Chicken

5. Creamy Turmeric Chicken Skillet

You'll definitely want to serve this tureric chicken skillet with a generous pile of fluffy rice to mop every last drop of creamy sauce.

Get the recipe: Creamy Turmeric Chicken Skillet

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

6. Creamy French Mustard Chicken

Using both classic Dijon and whole-grain mustard means you get all the creamy goodness of the former with just the right bit of crunch and texture from the latter.

Get the recipe: Creamy French Mustard Chicken

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

7. Parmesan Chicken and Kale Sauté

A big splash of white wine not only helps the kale wilt in the skillet, but it also ensures the chicken breast will stay nice and moist.

Get the recipe: Parmesan Chicken and Kale Sauté

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

8. Lemon Thyme Chicken Thighs

This just might be the smartest way to cook chicken thighs: Start them skin-side down in a cold skillet so the skin crisps up. Then crank up the heat and roast them until just cooked through.

Get the recipe: Lemon Thyme Chicken Thighs

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

9. Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken

Think of this as grown-up cream of mushroom chicken. It ditches the can for a quick homemade sauce that's seasoned with lots of garlic and Parmesan.

Get the recipe: Creamy Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

10. Easy Apricot-Glazed Chicken

This glossy chicken hits all the flavor notes — sweet, spicy, and extra savory. It's wise to serve it over rice since there's lots of good sauce to be had.

Get the recipe: Easy Apricot-Glazed Chicken

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

11. Chicken Saltimbocca with Spinach and Potatoes

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

12. Jerk Chicken Skillet Dinner

What makes this complete meal extra special is that the rice is simmered in coconut milk, so it gets sweet and fragrant and becomes a nice contrast to the spiced meat.

Get the recipe: Jerk Chicken Skillet Dinner

(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

13. Broccolini, Chicken Sausage, and Orzo Skillet

(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

14. Easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

While chicken pot pie is usually reserved for leisurely weekends, this streamlined version is a weeknight dream, thanks to a bag of frozen mixed veggies and store-bought pie crust.

Get the recipe: Easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

15. 30-Minute Chicken Francese

Chicken Francese is an Italian-American favorite for good reason: It's crispy yet juicy and full of lemony flavor. This easy version may have you forgoing your neighborhood restaurant.

Get the recipe: 30-Minute Chicken Francese

Sheela Prakash

Senior Contributing Food Editor

Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food . She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.

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