Fantastic, Flavorful 5-Ingredient Chicken Dinners

Fantastic, Flavorful 5-Ingredient Chicken Dinners

When time is short (or times are uncertain), easy chicken dinners are the answer.

Did I pass you at the grocery store this past week, as we were all scooping up supplies in preparation for COVID-19? If you’re now sticking close to home and have chicken in the freezer, you’re in good company—well, in a social-distancing sort of “good company.” If I could hazard a guess, you may be wondering at this point what to do with your chicken bounty. And you may be feeling like your usual cooking bandwidth has gotten a lot shorter! That’s where this collection of 18 extra-easy, 5-ingredient weeknight chicken dinners comes in. 

Turns out you don’t need a ton of ingredients or a lot of hands-on time to make a delicious, flavorful chicken dish. All you need are the right ingredients (in fact, 5 of them, and yes, salt and pepper count), in the right combination—to make an impact without a lot of fuss. So don’t stress out over that last-minute run to the grocery store that you may or may not be able to make, or a giant pile of dishes to wash. Try these easy chicken recipes, and get a great meal on the table with less stress. You have plenty of stress already, I'm betting.

Recipes using boneless skinless chicken breasts

Maybe you have one of those Costco-size packages of chicken breasts stashed away, and if that’s the case, you have options for easy chicken breast recipes including a chicken casserole, baked chicken on a sheet pan, stovetop chicken recipes, and of course, easy slow cooker chicken recipes. Any fresh or frozen veggies you might have on hand would be a great accompaniment.

Melt in Your Mouth Caesar Chicken

A picture of browned chicken breasts in a creamy sauce topped with chopped parsley

Melt in Your Mouth Caesar Chicken by Cookie Rookie

Five minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking time in the oven, then a quick pass under the broiler for a beautifully browned top: Sound doable? The secret ingredient for this Italian-inspired chicken casserole is a bottle of Caesar salad dressing. To add to the super-creamy texture you can choose sour cream or mayo.

Cheesy Ranch Chicken

A picture of a plate of chicken breasts with a browned cheese topping

Cheesy Ranch Chicken by Our Table for Seven

Along the same lines as the previous recipe, this one matches up boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a bottle of ranch dressing and two kinds of cheese. But here, you coat the chicken in the dressing, set it out on a sheet pan, and sprinkle with the cheddar and Parmesan before baking for a melty, cheesy chicken. It’s an easy baked chicken recipe indeed.

5-Ingredient Honey-Mustard Chicken Breasts

A picture of a cut-open chicken breast on a plate with some green salad

5-Ingredient Honey-Mustard Chicken Breasts by Yummly

Chicken meets two favorite partners, honey and whole-grain mustard, along with a little garlic powder and olive oil. Coat the breasts in the mixture, bake on a sheet pan, and you’re done. No whole-grain mustard? Regular Dijon mustard would work just fine.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

A picture of a chicken breast with a browned cheese and crumb topping on a plate with salad

Parmesan Crusted Chicken by Hellmann's

Looking for an easy chicken Parmesan recipe? All you do here is set chicken on a sheet pan, top with a combo of mayo and Parmesan, and then some Italian bread crumbs, and bake. You can pull off this Parmesan chicken dish in 10 minutes prep time and 30 minutes total time.

Keto Jalapeño Popper Chicken

A picture of a plate of browned, bacon-wrapped chicken breasts

Keto Jalapeño Popper Chicken by Cast Iron Keto

Maybe you follow the keto diet or another low-carb, gluten-free, or grain-free diet. If that’s the case (or if you just like spicy food), give chicken breasts a quick pound to flatten them evenly and then roll them around a jalapeño chili, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Wrap each bundle in bacon strips, and bake until the chicken is juicy, the cheese is nice and melty, and the bacon is crispy.

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce

A picture of a cast-iron skillet filled with chicken in a creamy sauce, topped with black pepper and a rosemary sprig

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce by Let's Dish

A little cream, fresh rosemary, butter, and broth add up to a rich and tasty stovetop chicken recipe that takes only 20 minutes, start to finish. Noodles, potatoes, or rice would be perfect on the side. No whipping cream? You can sub in sour cream; or stir about 1 ½ teaspoons flour into half-and-half or plain yogurt (to stabilize it) and use that. No fresh rosemary? Use double the amount of the dried stuff.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

A picture of 3 tacos filled with shredded chicken, tomato, and cilantro leaves

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos by Belle of the Kitchen

Maybe you have a packet of taco seasoning mix and a jar of salsa stashed in the cupboard, and if that’s the case, you can add them to boneless chicken breasts in the Crock Pot and let them work their Mexican-inspired flavor magic for this easy chicken taco recipe. Serve the meat with tortillas and whatever favorite toppings you have on hand, such as avocado or sour cream. 

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

A picture of a serving dish filled with chunks of chicken, noodles, and herbs

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles by Our Table for Seven

Comfort food alert! Chicken breasts meet canned cream of chicken soup and egg noodles for a one-pot dinner that cooks right in your slow cooker.

5-ingredient recipes using chicken thighs

Some of us are chicken thigh people; we like that juicy meat, and the size offers flexibility for choosing either smaller portions or double portions that aren’t too big. These next two weeknight dinner recipes give you options to cook on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.

Honey Garlic Chicken Skillet

A picture of honey getting drizzled over chicken in a cast-iron skillet

Honey Garlic Chicken Skillet by The Cooking Jar

Garlic, ginger, honey, and soy sauce: That, a pound of bone-in chicken thighs, and 20 minutes are all you need to make this crowd-pleaser, one of Yummly's best chicken recipes for a weeknight meal, based on the number of Yums.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

A picture of a plate with browned chicken breasts, rice, and green beans

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken by Dinner Then Dessert

Similar in spirit to the previous recipe, this one adds ketchup to the mix for a little fruity sweet complexity. Cook everything on low heat in the slow cooker for 6 to 7 hours, and then pass things under the broiler if you’d like to brown up the topping.

Chicken wing recipes with only 5 ingredients

That bag of party wings you have on hand (party wings are chicken wings that are separated into segments, with the tips removed) is your friend for a couple of easy dinner ideas. 

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Honey-Dijon Chicken Wings

A picture of glazed chicken wings on a platter

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Honey-Dijon Chicken Wings by Fit SlowCooker Queen

For a set-it-and-forget-it easy crockpot recipe, combine chicken wings with a generous ½ cup Dijon mustard, some honey, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a little dried rosemary. Cook on high heat for 2 to 3 hours or low heat for 4 to 6.

Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

A picture of browned chicken wings on a sheet pan with lemon slices

Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings by The Wicked Noodle

Talk about an easy recipe: Coat chicken wings with vegetable oil (olive oil would be great too) and bake until crispy. Then liberally brush them with melted butter mixed with lemon pepper seasoning. Think of the wings as fried chicken, but without the frying.

5-ingredient chicken sausage recipe

Chicken sausages give you a big step-up when you’re trying to cook with only a few ingredients, since tasty seasonings are already incorporated. You could use cooked or uncooked sausages in this next recipe.

5 Ingredient One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage

A picture of a spoon dipping into some penne pasta coated with tomato sauce and topped with melted cheese

5 Ingredient One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage by Kristine's Kitchen

Just as the name promises, everything for this easy chicken pasta recipe cooks in the same pan: a large ovenproof frying pan. Brown chicken sausages and a bell pepper, add uncooked penne pasta and a jar of marinara, and simmer until the pasta is al dente. For the final touch on your skillet chicken, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and broil until melted.

5-ingredient recipes using rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken

Versatile cooked chicken lends itself to whatever flavors you might be in the mood for, from Mexican to Italian, Asian, and good-old American (ranch dressing, we’re back to you) in this group of easy chicken dinner recipes.

Easy 5-Ingredient Chicken Enchiladas

A picture of a plate of several chicken enchiladas topped with melted cheese and chopped cilantro

Easy 5-Ingredient Chicken Enchiladas by Yummly

If you’re searching for an easy chicken enchilada recipe, you’ve hit gold here. Canned enchilada sauce supplies loads of bold chili and tomato flavor. You’ll start by combining a little of the sauce with shredded cooked chicken and shredded cheese. Use that to fill corn tortillas, then bake them with more sauce until bubbling.

Easy Chicken Chilaquiles

A picture of a cast-iron skillet filled with tortilla chips, green salsa, chicken, and melted cheese

Easy Chicken Chilaquiles by The Optimalist Kitchen

Splurge time! Layer up the meat from a rotisserie chicken (or some leftover cooked chicken) with tortilla chips, plenty of shredded cheddar cheese, and some salsa verde and you’ve got yourself a crowd-pleasing baked chicken casserole recipe. 

20-Minute Pesto Chicken Pizza

A picture of 4 naan pizzas topped with pesto, melted cheese, and chopped tomato

20-Minute Pesto Chicken Pizza by Yummly

If you have a container of pesto on hand and some naan breads (or a pre-baked pizza crust such as Boboli) as well as cooked chicken, you can make yourself some very tasty chicken pizza. Fresh tomato adds a spot of color, but you could omit that if need be.

Chicken Soup for the Soul w/ Rice Noodles & Sesame Oil

A picture of a bowl of rice noodle soup with sliced carrots, green onions, and chicken

Chicken Soup for the Soul w/ Rice Noodles & Sesame Oil by My Paleo Marin

Rice noodles, chicken broth, cooked chicken, carrots, and toasted sesame oil are all you need to create this simple chicken noodle soup recipe, though if you have a few green onions, they would be delicious on top. In the mood for ramen noodles instead? They'd totally work here; just don’t cook them quite as long.

Chicken Ranch Wraps

A picture of a stack of 3 wraps cup open to show chunks of chicken and melted cheese

Chicken Ranch Wraps by Gimmedelicious

That ranch dressing you’ve got hanging out in the fridge, and a little shredded mozzarella cheese, are the perfect deliciously creamy binders to pair with cooked chicken. Stuff the filling in flour tortillas and cook the wraps on a grill pan for an easy grilled chicken dinner that's actually cooked indoors.

Always more chicken recipes

Still hunting for the perfect recipe? We have so many more chicken recipes on Yummly for you to explore, including favorites like chicken fajitas, chicken salad, chicken chili, roast chicken, and chicken stir-fry. You can also search for your favorite ingredients to go with chicken, such as artichokes, sweet potatoes, or smoked paprika, for example, by typing them into the search bar as "chicken + artichokes."

More recipes for quarantine cooking

We're with you at Yummly during the coronavirus to make home cooking as easy and flexible as possible. You'll find lots more ideas in our quarantine cooking collection.