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Wondering what to make with chicken breast? I put together this list of chicken breast recipes for dinner just for you! From mouthwatering chicken tacos to classic chicken Parmesan, these easy dinner ideas with chicken are guaranteed to be family favorites. Personally, my family can't get enough of them!
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Chicken Breast Recipes
I get so excited when I see chicken breasts on sale that I always wind up buying extra for meal prep! Whether you're like me and bulk buying when it's on sale, or you're just wondering what to make with chicken breasts on the average weeknight, this list of chicken breast dinner recipes is for you.
I've been prepping chicken breast dinners for more years than I can count, so there are plenty of options here for you to choose from. And, honestly, once you know how to make most of these recipes, you can get really creative with chicken breasts for dinner!
Chicken Breasts vs Thighs
Pros of chicken breast for dinner:
- Super lean, low-fat meat makes chicken breast one of the healthiest protein options out there.
- Using the oven to easily cook up a ton of baked chicken breasts for meal prep is a great way to make tons of protein for different meals!
- Cooked chicken breast freezes beautifully, so you can make a bunch and save it for later.
- Chicken breast tends to come in boneless skinless chicken breasts form, so you don't need to fuss with trimming the meat.
- No bones means chicken breast can be cut down into chicken cutlets easily, or pounded out into an even thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Cons:
- Due to the lack of fat and bone, chicken breast isn't always as flavorful as chicken thighs or other dark meat.
- It takes a bit more work and careful temperature checking to ensure tender chicken breasts, as they can dry out faster than other cuts.
- Chicken breast tends to be more expensive than other cuts.
- The uneven thickness of chicken breast means either flattening, filleting, or otherwise carefully watching the internal temperature.
What to Make with Chicken Breasts for Dinner
Below are some great ways to cook chicken breast in bulk. Chicken breast recipes are perfect for easy weeknight dinner ideas, so having them already cooked means you can mix and match your prepared protein into anything you'd like! Plus, cooked chicken freezes very well, so it's perfect for thawing and tossing into a tasty sauce or salad for later.
Shredded chicken functions much like shredded pork or beef, making a perfect protein to stuff into all sorts of easy dinners or sprinkle on top of chips or pizza! Mix it up with homemade BBQ sauce for BBQ pulled chicken or toss it in all your favorite cheesy recipes. Check out my guide on what to make with pulled chicken for even more ideas!
Marinating Chicken Breasts
If you're getting chicken breasts in bulk, cook them up multiple different ways to ensure you've got everything you need for a range of different recipes! I like to grill a few, shred a few, and set the rest in a marinade bag full of oil and seasonings in the freezer.
There are so many great dinner recipes with chicken breast out there! One of my favorite ways to cook chicken breasts is by popping them in a slow cooker with a delicious sauce like honey-sesame soy sauce, tomato sauce and mozzarella, or even something as simple as lemon juice and herbs. These chicken recipes all require raw chicken breast, not cooked and reheated ones.
One of the biggest benefits of chicken breast is the low fat content, making it a super healthy option. By pairing it with vegetables and fiber-rich choices like beans, brown rice, quinoa, or my much-beloved cauliflower rice, you can achieve a filling and delicious meal with low carbs, low fat, and tons of flavor.
Cooking Chicken Breasts Tips
- Always use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of chicken. Chicken must be cooked to 165°F to be safe to eat.
- If you're going to cook and freeze chicken to eat later, I recommend slicing the chicken and freezing it on a baking sheet before adding it to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Freezing whole tenders can work as well but takes much longer to thaw.
- You can add tons of flavor and moisture to chicken breasts by using marinades like my Pickle Juice marinade, buttermilk marinade, or chicken fajita marinade!
- Adding a quick coating of flour, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and paprika can make chicken breast extra crispy and flavorful.
What to Serve with Chicken Breasts
As a lean and tender meat, chicken breast pairs especially well with simple seasoned veggies and lots of delicious sauce! Here are my favorite easy and delicious sides for chicken:
- Tender Garlic Sauteed Spinach
- Perfectly Sauteed Peppers and Onions
- Button Mushrooms and Onions
- Pan-Fried Asparagus
- Blistered Tomatoes on the Vine
Sauces for Chicken
For chicken breasts, sauce can make or break the flavor and texture. Adding a cream based sauce will make your chicken lusciously silky and rich, while thinner, soy sauce based sauces will be perfect for stir fries and serving over rice!
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce
- Mustard Pan Sauce
- Sweet Honey Garlic Sauce
- Tangy Peppercorn Sauce
- Perfect Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Chicken Breast Recipes FAQ
Frozen chicken breast is a great way to get budget-friendly chicken breast! However, you should never cook chicken breast from frozen. Always fully thaw it before starting to cook, or else it will remain at an unsafe temperature for too long.
Yes! I highly recommend storing raw chicken breasts in marinade bags with various types of marinade, then placing them all in the freezer, labeled with the type of marinade. Then you can thaw the chicken overnight and it will perfectly marinade as it thaws.
Chicken Breast Dinner Ideas
Which one of my chicken breast recipes for dinner is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below! I love cooking up chicken for dinner. It's simple, and there's so much you can do with it! Hopefully these recipes showed you just how much you can make using chicken breasts for dinner.
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