Food Recipe Collections & Favorites 24 Easy Chicken Breast Recipes to Make in Less Than 40 Minutes Get dinner on the table in no time with these chicken breast recipes. By Phoebe Fry Updated on June 14, 2024 Close Photo: Jen Causey Quick-cooking chicken breasts are lean, versatile, and easily transformed with spices and flavorings. While infamous for becoming tough and dry, we gathered easy chicken breast recipes that guarantee to make the chicken juicy and tender, all with no more than 40 minutes of hands-on work. Whether you choose bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless, cutlets or tenders, these simple chicken breast dinners won't disappoint. When shopping for chicken breasts, you have options:Boneless breasts cook the fastest but are easy to overcook and dry out if you're not careful.Bone-in breasts take longer to cook, but more reliably yield succulent meat.Skin-on breasts retain a lot of flavor, hold in moisture, and can get nice and crispy with the right technique.Skinless breasts are the leanest cut of chicken and yield the highest protein content.Cutlets are simply thin slices made by carefully slicing horizontally through a chicken breast.Tenders are long, fast-cooking strips of chicken detached from the bottom of the breast. 01 of 24 Crispy Chicken Cutlets With Artichoke Dressing Greg DuPree Instead of pan-frying, this recipe roasts panko-coated chicken and asparagus at the same time (on separate sheets). The cutlets get an extra broil to turn out super crispy, and they're finished with a tangy artichoke dressing. GET THE RECIPE 02 of 24 Chicken Orzo Skillet Jennifer Causey This weeknight meal takes 40 minutes to make, but if you go for rotisserie chicken instead of searing chicken breasts, you could shave off up to ten minutes. Plus, you'll love that you'll only have to dirty up one pan. Made with fresh ingredients like baby spinach, orzo, and sundried tomatoes, this recipe is full of good-for-you ingredients while tasting like a guilty pleasure. GET THE RECIPE 03 of 24 Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Green Beans Christopher Baker This one-pan meal calls for bone-in, skin-on breasts that turn golden and crisp in a hot oven. Lemony green beans and potatoes roast in the same pan for a nourishing dinner with minimal effort. GET THE RECIPE 04 of 24 Chicken Paillard Rudisill/Getty Images It sounds exotic and fancy, but "paillard" is simply a French term for pounded. This chicken breast recipe puts that technique into practice, starting with a boneless, skinless chicken breast that's pounded between layers of plastic wrap, seasoned with just salt and pepper, and then pan-fried. The result is a thin cutlet that's tender and tasty, cooks quickly, and goes with just about any veggie side dish. GET THE RECIPE 05 of 24 Chicken with Salsa, Olives, and Lime Victor Protasio This chicken breast recipe keeps boneless, skinless chicken breasts tender by searing and then braising them in jarred pico de gallo (or make your own), olives, and capers, infusing them with punchy flavor. Serve with lime wedges and warm tortillas or crusty bread. GET THE RECIPE 06 of 24 Almond-Crusted Chicken With Arugula Salad Caitlin Bensel This recipe coats chicken cutlets with sesame seeds and almond flour (instead of breadcrumbs) for their golden crust. The coating gives them a toasty flavor, crispy exterior, and gluten-free status. While they're frying stovetop, you have just enough time to toss an arugula-Brussels sprouts salad in a simple lemon dressing. GET THE RECIPE 07 of 24 Crispy Chicken and Blue Cheese Salad Caitlin Bensel This easy chicken breast recipe guides you through filling a plate with greens tossed in a honey-mustard vinaigrette and dotted with creamy blue cheese. Lay a chicken cutlet on top for an easy, satisfying dinner salad. The cutlets are dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs and then pan-fried to a crispy golden brown. GET THE RECIPE 08 of 24 Spicy Grilled Chicken With Shaved Zucchini Salad Jen Causey This low-effort chicken breast recipe uses the grill to cook boneless, skinless breasts seasoned with Aleppo pepper: an earthy, mildly hot spice from Syria. Alongside the grilled chicken is a lemony, herby, shaved zucchini salad that offers a bright contrast. GET THE RECIPE 09 of 24 Oven Baked Chicken Tenders Greg DuPree Chicken tenders aren't just for kids! These not-fried tenders get dredged in seasoned flour, dunked in egg and milk, and then coated with panko before baking for only 15 minutes. Since the recipe makes a big batch (36 tenders), bake some now and freeze the rest to bake later. Serve with a homemade honey-mustard-mayo dip. GET THE RECIPE 10 of 24 Coconut Chicken Cutlets With Mango Chutney Slaw Fred Hardy Feeling tropical? Coconut and mango reign supreme in this chicken breast recipe. Coconut shreds join panko in the crunchy coating for pan-fried chicken cutlets, and mango chutney leads the list of ingredients for the make-ahead slaw. GET THE RECIPE 11 of 24 Crunchy Baked Chicken With Ham and Swiss Jen Causey This recipe transforms chicken, ham, and cheese into a homey casserole. Seasoned cutlets are pan-seared, layered in a baking dish, covered in a Swiss cheese sauce, and topped with prosciutto and panko. Sounds complicated, but the broiler helps speed up the cooking process, making it ready in just 30 minutes. GET THE RECIPE 12 of 24 Chicken Pickle Piccata Daniel Agee "Piccata" is an Italian dish: a thin, pan-fried, flour-dredged meat (usually veal) in a sauce of lemon juice, butter, parsley, and often capers. This twist features unbreaded chicken cutlets that are pan-fried in just minutes a side. The sauce, prepared in that same skillet after the chicken is done, is a zingy shallot-dill pickle mixture that makes those cutlets sing. GET THE RECIPE 13 of 24 Chicken and Avocado Rice Bowl Greg DuPree This meal in a bowl is ready in just 25 minutes. It stars lightly seasoned, quick-cooking chicken cutlets pan-seared to a golden brown. They're set atop individual bowls of white rice and topped with creamy avocados, grilled onions, crunchy radish slices, and scallions, all drizzled with lemon juice and hot sauce. GET THE RECIPE 14 of 24 Grilled Chicken and Pepper Salad Caitlin Bensel The key to keeping boneless, skinless chicken breasts from drying out on the grill is in the marinade. This recipe treats chicken to a 15-minute soak in a lemony yogurt mixture before it hits the grill, which makes it juicy and flavorful. The chicken joins grilled peppers and onions atop a bed of mixed greens for a colorful, nutritious salad. GET THE RECIPE 15 of 24 Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie Roland Bello The ingredient list for this iconic dish leads with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are simmered in water, cooled, and shredded. Those shreds eventually join vegetables simmering in a creamy white wine sauce, destined for a baking dish topped with a store-bought crust. GET THE RECIPE 16 of 24 Chicken and Chard Dumpling Soup Greg DuPree If you have frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and no time to defrost this easy, one-pot recipe is for you. The chicken simmers with chard as well as lemon zest, Parmesan rind, and bay leaf (which later get removed) for a rich, flavorful broth. After 30 minutes, the chicken is shredded and returned to the pot with cooked gnocchi for a nourishing, comforting soup. GET THE RECIPE 17 of 24 Crispy Chicken Cutlets Jennifer Causey This quick chicken breast recipe serves as a primer for frying chicken cutlets to crispy perfection. Each is dredged in egg and then a panko mixture as a prelude to sizzling in hot oil to a golden brown. Serve as-is with your favorite sides, or use this recipe as a jumping-off point for other uses for crispy chicken cutlets like sandwiches and salads. GET THE RECIPE 18 of 24 Orange Chicken Stir-Fry With Rice Noodles Victor Protasio This recipe calls for chicken thighs, but boneless, skinless breasts work just as well. It includes a sweet, tangy sauce that's just as good as your favorite Chinese takeout (probably better). Stick with rice noodles as the base, or try it with white or brown rice. GET THE RECIPE 19 of 24 Baked Marinated Chicken Jennifer Causey A jar of artichoke hearts plays an important supporting role in this clever sheet-pan recipe. The liquid joins a cheesy-mayo mixture to coat the chicken breasts, and roasted artichokes serve as a vegetable side. A sprinkle of toasted panko gives the roasted chicken a nice crunch. GET THE RECIPE 20 of 24 Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Tomato Salad RealSimple.com. John Kernick This retro recipe calls for stuffing boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a herby, cheesy artichoke mixture, then grilling them until cooked through. A bright tomato salad is the perfect accompaniment to cut through the richness. GET THE RECIPE 21 of 24 Slow-Cooker Curried Chicken With Ginger and Yogurt José Picayo Feel free to swap thighs for boneless, skinless breasts in this warming, slow cooker recipe. Despite its 3- to 8-hour cooking time, the hands-on part is less than 15 minutes. As long as you start early, this meal is as easy as can be. GET THE RECIPE 22 of 24 Chicken Kebabs With Tomato Salad Quentin Bacon This 20-minute recipe gives your kitchen the night off. It skewers seasoned chunks from boneless, skinless chicken breasts and grills them alongside ears of fresh corn. Plate them with a lightly dressed tomato salad and dinner is served. GET THE RECIPE 23 of 24 Baked Chicken Parmesan Ellie Miller For a speedy weeknight chicken Parm, crank up your oven to 400°F and turn to these quick-cooking chicken cutlets baked in store-bought marinara sauce. The result is the same comforting Italian-American dish you know and love that's ready for the table in just 40 minutes. GET THE RECIPE 24 of 24 Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad With Avocado Con Poulos When the kitchen's too hot, cook outside with this grilled dinner salad recipe. It calls for marinating boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a lemony rosemary vinaigrette before hitting the grill alongside lightly oiled corn on the cob. Rounding out the dish are baby spinach, shaved Parm, and avocado slices dressed in the other half of that vinaigrette. GET THE RECIPE Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit