6 Easy Chicken Recipes for Busy Schedules
We’ve all had those long, grueling days. Whether it’s after hours of cramming for an exam or deciding to work extra hours at your job. Coming home with the task of cooking dinner is the last thing you want to do. But thankfully, we’ve gathered a few easy chicken recipes to help you relax after a long day.
These dinners not only are delicious and nutritious, but they’re hearty enough to have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Here are a few easy chicken recipes for busy schedules.
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6. One Pot Chicken and Broccoli
A dish that produces leftovers for days that is easy to make, nutritious, and delicious is the beloved chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole. Instead of turning on the oven though, you can easily make this in one pot on the stove.
Start by cooking your onions and garlic in your chosen pot until fragrant, and then add your chunked-up chicken breast. After you leave the chicken cook, add your rice to the pan and your chicken broth. Let your rice cook for a while until it’s almost ready. Towards the end, add your broccoli on top to let steam. Once the liquid is fully absorbed in the rice, just add your cheese and serve.
You can make this dish even easier by opting for rotisserie chicken, which you’ll add towards the end when the rice is almost done cooking.
5. Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets
What makes this dish so great is that you can either serve it as is, over pasta, rice, or greens. This is definitely one of the easy chicken recipes that takes little effort and ingredients while still being filling and nutritious.
Start by preparing your bruschetta topping by chopping and combining drained diced tomatoes, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, and black pepper together. Then, sear your chicken in an oven-safe pan until you get a nice skin, but not fully cooked through. After you flip the chicken once, you’ll want to top the already-cooked side with the bruschetta mixture and cover with cheese. From there, place the skillet under the broiler and let the cheese melt and the chicken cook fully.
It only takes a few minutes for the chicken to finish cooking in the broiler, around three minutes. But make sure to check the temperature before enjoying.
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4. Instant Pot Crack Chicken
Crack chicken is a crazy name for one of the best easy chicken recipes ever. And while it’s great in the crock pot, you can easily do it in the instant pot as well.
To start, add chicken broth, chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, a dry ranch seasoning packet, and cream cheese to an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for about 15 minutes. After, let the Instant Pot naturally release the pressure for about 10 minutes. Once done, shred the chicken and put it back in the pot, whisking everything together until creamy. Add shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, and hot sauce for some kick, then serve.
Serve this mixture on sandwich buns, tortilla shells, or even in lettuce wraps. Top with green onions and bacon bits for a delicious savory crunch factor.
3. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Nothing says simple and easy like sheet pan dinners. But you don’t have to stick with boring chicken breasts with potatoes and broccoli. If you want a variety while still sticking to easy chicken recipes, then try this delicious chicken fajita option.
First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and then lightly oil a baking sheet. Place your chicken, bell peppers, onions, and garlic in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Stir in olive oil and chili powder over, and toss till combined. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked and the vegetables are crispy. Add lime juice over top and serve.
This is perfect with tortillas, but can also be added to a bed of rice for a Mexican bowl.
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2. Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
If you have a package of chicken that you want cooked and ready by the time you get home, then you need to make these simple BBQ chicken sandwiches.
All you need to do is add chicken breasts to your slow cooker along with BBQ sauce, chopped onion, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Cover and cook on high for two to three hours, or on low for six to seven hours. Once finished, remove the chicken and shred it, then put it back in the crockpot and mix until the sauce evenly coats the chicken.
This is great on hamburger buns, in lettuce wraps, on its own, or on top of baked potatoes.
1. Chicken Stir-Fry
Stir-fry is a beloved dish because of its versatility. Along with that, it’s also one of the many easy chicken recipes that you can do in just a few minutes.
Start by heating a large non-stick pan, or wok, over medium-high heat and cook the cut-up chicken. Remove from the pan and add your frozen vegetables. Once tender, return the chicken to the pan and add your preferred stir-fry sauce. Let everything simmer together to warm up and then serve.
This is a classic dish that allows you to add a variety of ingredients. You can serve it on a bed of rice or with noodles. You can even make simple spring rolls for a side dish as well.
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