Easy Chicken Recipes are our specialty! These Chicken Dinner Ideas are so fast, simple, and tasty. It’s tasty, it’s simple, and it’s so versatile. This chicken dinner recipes guide will answer all of your questions about making the best baked chicken, plus I’m giving you 72 easy baked chicken recipes to inspire your next delicious and easy chicken dinner!
Chicken for dinner
Easy Chicken Recipes are some of my favorite things to make for weeknight dinners. There’s so much you can do with chicken and an oven, and I never get tired of making new recipes to share (or to eat).
This guide is here to show you how to bake chicken, how long to bake chicken, what temperature to bake chicken…basically everything you need to know to make these easy recipes! Plus how to serve, store, and reheat baked chicken. If you’re looking for dinner ideas with chicken, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve also included some of my favorite baked chicken dinner recipes to show you how simple it is to make for a weeknight dinner or any meal. These recipes are absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to share them with you! Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas here we come.
In this guide we’ll be talking about:
- The basic tools you need in your kitchen
- How to make baked chicken (simple recipe included)
- Answers to all of your baked chicken questions
- Easy chicken dinner recipes to make any night of the week
Helpful Tools
Here are a few basic kitchen tools you’ll need to make an easy chicken dinner:
How to Bake Chicken Breast
We wanted to include a simple baked chicken breast recipe in this guide as a base for any chicken recipe you might want to create. I hope it’s helpful! Remember there are tons of recipes at the end of this post to peruse!
This easy baked chicken breast recipe is the perfect starting point for a simple dinner. Roast chicken breast, make a simple side dish (like roasted vegetables, potatoes, or another favorite), and you’ve got an easy chicken dinner ready to serve!
Easy Baked Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and paprika. Then place chicken in a broiler pan.
- Bake chicken breasts at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Flip chicken and cook another 15 minutes, until no longer pink in the center and the juices are clear. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F
- Serve immediately alongside vegetables, potatoes, or your favorite side dish!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
How long do you bake chicken?
The answer to this question really depends on the recipe, the part of the chicken (breast, thigh, wing, whole chicken, etc.), and what temperature the oven is set to. 350° F is good temperature to bake chicken.
Here are some basic guidelines for how long to bake chicken at 350° F according to the USDA:
- Chicken Breast (Boneless): 20-30 minutes
- Chicken Breast (Bone-in): 30-40 minutes
- Chicken Legs & Thighs: 40-50 minutes
- Chicken Wings: 30-40 minutes
- Drumsticks: 34-45 minutes
Regardless of how long you cook baked chicken or at what temperature, you always need to make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165° F. Check out our Meat Temperature Guide for more in depth info!
The Best meat thermometer!
I love using this meat thermometer for making sure the meat is at 165 degrees! Easy for beginners & totally worth the $10 cost!
Baked Chicken FAQ
I have a lot of delicious and easy baked chicken recipes here on the site. I’m sharing all of my favorites with you down below, so you can choose which is best.
If I had to choose, it would definitely be my Oven Fried Chicken Breast! It’s one of the most popular recipes here, so I guess I’m not the only one that loves it.
The best seasonings and spices for chicken are salt & pepper, parsley, paprika, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme.
You can use all kinds of things to add flavor to your recipes, so that’s just a short list of basic spices I like to use. Things like lemon juice, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and more can make great seasonings as well. The sky is the limit here!
Once it has been fully cooked, you can safely store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. So if you have leftover pieces or a leftover chicken bake or casserole, you can save it in the refrigerator for another meal.
Chicken should ALWAYS be cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F before eating. No matter the recipe, no matter how you cook it, 165°F is a safe temperature. Use a meat thermometer to check every time.
If you need help remembering the recommended internal temperatures for different meats, download my free printable Meat Temperature Chart to keep handy in your kitchen!
To reheat baked chicken, place it in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Covering it with foil can help to keep moisture in so the chicken doesn’t dry out.
If you are reheating frozen chicken, let the chicken sit in the refrigerator to thaw before baking.
If you are reheating chicken, eat it while it’s still warm, and throw out anything that is not eaten. If you have a large amount of leftover chicken, store it in meal-sized portions and only reheat what you plan to eat.
Important Note: Cooked chicken should not be reheated more than one time.
You can freeze chicken if you have leftovers or if you just want to prepare some ahead of time.
Make sure you let the chicken cool completely before storing, ideally letting it sit in the refrigerator to cool. Then, you can move the cooked chicken into freezer safe bags or containers.
Keep it in the freezer for up to 4 months and defrost in the refrigerator when you’re ready to reheat and eat.
Overall, baked chicken is a healthy option for dinner. Chicken is a flavorful, lean, protein-rich meat, so it’s a great thing to incorporate into your meals. Baked or roasted chicken is definitely better than fried, but that’s not the only way to decide how good it is for you.
Light meat without skin is healthier than dark meat with skin on. So skinless baked chicken breast is a really healthy option!
Obviously making chicken dinner covered in cheese or cooked with certain ingredients will be higher in fat and calories. But at the end of it all, baked chicken is a healthy thing to add into your diet, especially when eaten with vegetables as part of a well-balanced meal.
What to serve with chicken for dinner?
Chicken goes well with just about any side dish you can think of. I like eating it with potatoes, vegetables, or rice. Serve it up in a casserole or with a heap of veggies.
72+ Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas
I’ve collected over 70 of the best easy chicken dinner recipes from my site to inspire your next weeknight dinner. Whether you’re looking for something simple, something cheesy, or something healthy, I’ve got a recipe here for you that you will love!
Recipes have been broken down into sections covering: baked chicken, grilled chicken, skillet chicken recipes, chicken casseroles, one pan chicken dinners, and finally, a few more recipes thrown in you can make in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Easy Baked Chicken Recipes
Baked Chicken Recipes are EASY and perfect for feeding a family! Typically they’re healthier than frying, so what’s not to love?
Easy Grilled Chicken Dinners
Grab the grill! These grilled chicken recipes can be made indoors on a grill pan or outdoors if the weather is right. Easy dinners the entire fam will love.
Easy Skillet Recipes
My skillet is my best friend! These easy meals are typically made in one pan (a skillet!) and usually very quick and easy.
Easy Chicken Casserole Recipes
There’s no better comfort food than easy chicken casseroles. Throw everything in one pan, bake, and eat! So simple and perfect.
Easy One Pan Chicken Dinners
I always love when there are less dishes to clean. These one pan chicken dinners are so simple and delicious, just bursting with flavor!
More Easy Recipes we Love
If you couldn’t tell, we love easy recipes. Here are some more faves that we make again and again. I hope your family loves them as much as we do!
I hope this guide answered some of your questions and helped give you a few chicken dinner ideas to make. If you try any of these easy recipes (baked, grilled, or otherwise), please let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Im wondering what the liquid is that show on the finished picture…Look like a gravy almost, but doesnt show in the ingredients…I Do want to try this recipe…
No chicken meatballs?
Use the magnifying glass at the top of the page to search for chicken meatballs
Please unsubscribe me from the The Cookie Rookie I did not join and I do not want anything else sent to me Thank you
Hi sally, what are you receiving? So I can better assist you in unsubscribing!
you need all the cooking help you can, says your husband!!!
I wish you had an app so I could put it on my iPad.
That’s definitely an idea!!
All it shows is the prep stuff and not even how to make it with the ingredients
Thanks for all these yummy recipes! These are simple and my kids will like all of these. I also like to make chicken in my crockpot. Here are some interesting recipes that can be made in the crockpot that I like to make. https://www.upparent.com/lists/crockpot-chicken-recipes
Thanks again!
No problem!! Thanks for sharing your ideas as well!
Fantastic post! Definitely needed these recipes. Thanks for sharing. Pinned.
Thanks, Mary!! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipes!
Been purchasing boneless-skinless breasts for a few years now. Usually pay $1.99 / lb. Last purchase $1.49 / lb. How can anyone go wrong doing this? Only inedible item, some fat. Just bake them and freeze in ziplock bags. Looking for recipes for these especially the one showing lime sections.
Looking for good easy chicken meals that can be frozen
so excited to get the book
I can’t wait either!