If you are like the majority of us, coming home after a long day at work just to slave in the kitchen for a few hours is not your idea of a relaxing evening. But you’ve gotta eat, right? Especially if it’s not just you at the table. And if you don’t feel like cooking, well, it’s much easier to make unhealthy and/or expensive decisions like fast food or ordering in too much. While either of those options are pretty simple, there are also a ton of easy recipes out there that can take you from prep all the way to table in no more than an hour; all without skimping too much on ingredients or quality. See below for a list of our most favorite easy chicken skillet dinners.
Don’t let soup have all the fun. Shredded Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, beef broth, and Dijon mustard work just as great (maybe even greater?) on chicken. Better yet, not as much labor is required (especially if you prep some of it beforehand) and this dish is ready in under an hour. The recipe serves four, perfect for the average family meal or more for the taking for a smaller group. The recipe finishes in the broiler, so make sure you move your oven racks up to melt the cheese properly!
Bringing the brightness of roasted red peppers and fresh broccoli florets to your chicken strips and ziti, this dish not only looks fantastic, but it also tastes just as good. Not to mention the bonus of a 30-minute total prep time for four servings. This dish will afford you plenty of time to either relax and unwind before dinner, after, or probably both! Even the ziti cooks in the same pan, so cleanup is a cinch!
Here’s another 30-minute easy chicken skillet dinner; this time making use of chicken tenders. Here we add in the sourness of lemons (juice and slices) and the pungency of garlic (four cloves) flavors, and top that off with some low-calorie green beans. There is also a little heat in this recipe, with both red pepper flakes and hot sauce added. The recipe provides an entire meal for up to four.
While 30 minutes’ time for a weeknight dinner is great, what about 20 minutes? And only five ingredients? Sounds amazing, and well, it is. You even have your choice of what cut of chicken you prefer, be that thighs or breasts; although either way, be sure to sear the chicken. The other four ingredients (garlic, ginger, honey, and soy sauce) will be used to make your sauce. While this recipe is only for the chicken itself, consider using the sauce over some simple steamed veggies or rice!
As opposed to many of the other recipes here, this one actually takes a little over an hour from prep to table. But once you taste this chicken, overloaded with sherry wine and sherry vinegar, you will agree that that extra time is well worth it! Plus, this recipe makes four-six servings, so that effort can actually yield more than one meal. The recipes calls for chicken thighs, which will need to roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. While this dish also does not come with a side prepared, it’s so juicy that you could virtually add anything in to scoop it up!
Mac and cheese, please! Not only do you get some always-needed protein from the chicken breasts, but this version of your favorite childhood meal is also all prepared on the stovetop. In only 35 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table for up to five. You’ll also add some not-so-traditional ingredients to this dish; spinach and tomatoes give the dish bolder flavor and pack in a load of antioxidants.
Why is it that wings always get to have all the fun when it comes to buffalo style? This recipe proves that in just about 40 minutes, you can have the same heat and sweet that you get from wings through breast tenderloins! Just keep in mind that the serving size on this is a whopping eight, so unless you have a large family to feed or want leftovers for a few days, adjust this recipe accordingly. You can also sub regular breadcrumbs for the panko, use breasts instead of tenderloins, or use provolone instead of mozzarella. Make the recipe your own in whatever way you see fit!
Contrary to its name, no pot or pie plate required here! This pie actually bakes in your skillet! While it’s no “from scratch” pot pie, what you lose in freshness, you gain back in time. This is the comfort food for someone who needs to be comforted mid-week and doesn’t have the two hours or so to put it together. This one will only cost you a little under an hour and yields about six servings. Just be aware that this is not all stovetop like many of the other skillet recipes; you will need 20 minutes bake time at 400 degrees to finish off the dish.
Go Greek! No, not that kind of Greek! Here, we are talking about a chicken skillet dinner that features the best ingredients and flavors that Greek food has to offer: olives (pimento-stuffed and Greek!) and artichoke hearts. With only 25 minutes of total prep-to-table time, you’ll be feasting on this in only a matter of time. You’ll get four servings with each of those servings only 225 calories!
Sometimes it can be extremely hard to say no to Mexican-style dishes. And when it comes to you in only 30 minutes’ time, well, why even think about saying no? Make your own burritos (six of them with this recipe) at home! You’ll use all your favorite spices and ingredients like cumin, chili powder, black beans, and rice. Feel free to add in your own favorite Mexican-inspired ingredients as well, like salsa, hot sauce, avocado, etc.
Stop trying to convince yourself that a healthy, filling, and most importantly, delicious meal is impossible for weeknights and start trying your hand at some of these easy chicken skillet dinners! Your belly will thank you!
