Food and Recipes Meat Chicken One-Pot Chicken Dinners for When It's Your Turn to Do the Dishes By Patricia Shannon Patricia Shannon Patricia has worked as a lifestyle editor for Southern Living since 2013. Her work focuses on cleaning, gardening, decorating, etiquette, and beauty. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree The age-old question of what to cook for dinner is a daily conundrum for home cooks. Between busy schedules and picky eaters, it's easy to overcook the same old weekly menu. Chicken often enters the equation when you're out of ideas: It's a reliable main that's quick and sure to please everyone around the table, so we're often guilty of turning to it a bit too often. Luckily we're here to help liven up your chicken dinner lineup with crowd-pleasing suppers that require just one pot, pan, or skillet. A speedy, flavorful dinner that doesn't require much cleanup? Sounds too good to be true, but try our Chicken Bog or our Garlicky Roasted Spatchcock Chicken, and you'll see a good dinner with minimal dishes on a weeknight doesn't have to be a dream. From chili to pot pie, these easy recipes are anything but boring. 01 of 29 Chicken Bog Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Bog This creamy, dreamy chicken dish is tasty enough for company and quick enough for a weeknight. Everyone will want seconds of this 30-minute meal. 02 of 29 One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes Greg DuPree Recipe: One-Pan Chicken with Lemon, Olives, and Artichokes There's nothing boring about this chicken dinner. Flavorful Mediterranean ingredients come together in a delicious, one-dish chicken dinner that your whole family will love. 03 of 29 Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Lemons Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Braised Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Lemons This savory chicken recipe tastes like it has been slow cooking all day. In less than an hour (and only 10 minutes of hands-on time) you'll have this company-worthy dish on the table. 04 of 29 Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables Greg DuPree Recipe: Chicken Fricassee with Spring Vegetables This spring chicken recipe showcases some of the season's best flavors like carrots, leeks, and asparagus, all smothered in a delicious cream sauce. 05 of 29 Garlicky Roasted Spatchcock Chicken Alison Miksch Recipe: Garlicky Roasted Spatchock Chicken Ask your butcher to remove the chicken's backbone—a technique called spatchcocking (or butterflying) to save yourself the hassle. Be sure to ask the butcher to wrap the backbone up for you. It makes great chicken stock. 06 of 29 Chicken Sausage with Fennel and Apples Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chicken Sausage with Fennel and Apples A simple vinegar mixture dresses up chicken sausage, fennel, apples, and rice. 07 of 29 Chicken-and-Collards Pilau Greg Dupree Recipe: Chicken-and-Collards Pilau This savory one-pot meal is full of tasty ingredients like quick-cooking basmati rice, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, collard greens, and Cajun smoked sausage. 08 of 29 Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl Greg Dupree Recipe: Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl Skip your favorite order-at-the-counter Tex-Mex joint and whip up this savory chicken bowl at home in no time. 09 of 29 King Ranch Chicken Southern Living Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Everyone's favorite casserole is a lot easier (and made with just one pan!) thanks to precooked smoked chicken. 10 of 29 Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole A tangy gravy that gets a big hit of flavor from county ham and mushrooms makes this skillet recipe a homerun. 11 of 29 Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes This reader-favorite is the ultimate one-dish dinner recipe for entertaining. Serve with crusty French bread to soak up the delicious pan sauce. 12 of 29 Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad You're going to love the way we kicked up a traditional Caesar salad by jazzing up store-bought dressing and charring Romaine lettuce. 13 of 29 Skillet Chicken Pot Pie Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie You won't need to roll out piecrust dough when you're using our easy Skillet Chicken Pot Pie recipe. Just prepare the filling, pour into your favorite cast-iron skillet, and top with refrigerated piecrust. 14 of 29 Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon-and-Cheddar Biscuits If you thought chicken pot pie couldn't get any tastier, think again. Homemade biscuits kick up the flavor in a delicious way. 15 of 29 King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese Jennifer Davick Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese Two of the South's favorite casseroles are morphed into one delicious dish with our King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese recipe. 16 of 29 White Lightning Chicken Chili Becky Luigart Stayner Recipe: White Lightning Chicken Chili There's a reason this chili is called White Lighting—it comes together in only 30 minutes. 17 of 29 Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata Greg Dupree Recipe: Cast-Iron Chicken Piccata Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are the star of this recipe that comes together with just 20 minutes hands-on time (30 minutes total). 18 of 29 One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice Recipe: One-Pan Hot Honey Chicken and Rice From the stove to the oven, one skillet makes everything a seamless transition. Honey, plus Asian chile-garlic sauce and fresh ginger, make for a flavor-packed dish that's easy to prepare. 19 of 29 One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards Greg DuPree Recipe: One-Pan Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Collards When we say one pan, we really mean it. Everything—pasta, vegetables, chicken, and all—gets tossed in, and the results are delicious with minimal effort on your part. 20 of 29 One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo Creamy alfredo meets Cajun seasoning for a mashup that'll win over kids and adults. All you need is your handy Dutch oven and you're ready to get dinner on in a jiffy, minimal cleanup required. 21 of 29 Green Chile-Chicken Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Green Chile-Chicken Soup In just 20 minutes, you can have the whole enchilada (literally) ready to go. This soup is smoky, spicy, creamy, and bright—what's not to love? 22 of 29 Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice The great thing about an Instant Pot is that it also doubles as a sauté pan, so you can do all the cooking without transferring things from the stove. This rendition of chicken and rice will give your mom's a run for its money. 23 of 29 Chipotle-Maple Chicken Thighs with Candied Acorn Squash Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Chipotle-Maple Chicken Thighs with Candied Acorn Squash The chipotle-maple glaze may give everything a sprinkle of fancy, but the truth is, this recipe couldn't be easier. All the action happens on a single sheet pan, and before you know it, you've got a complete meal. 24 of 29 Sesame-Crusted Chicken Breast with Sugar Snap Pea Salad Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Sesame-Crusted Chicken Breast with Sugar Snap Pea Salad While the chicken cooks in the oven, you can throw together this simple, vibrant salad to go along with it. Crunchy, juicy, slightly sweet—it will beautifully accompany the savory sesame flavor. 25 of 29 Chicken Parmesan Meatballs Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Meatballs This twist on chicken parmesan has all the hallmarks of the well-loved dish. The key to great flavor is a quick sear, but thanks to your cast-iron skillet, one pan will take you from the stovetop to the oven. 26 of 29 Creamy Chicken Sausage-and-Kale Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Creamy Chicken Sausage-and-Kale Soup When the cold weather comes, it's always good to have a few chicken soup recipes in your back pocket. Here's a fresh take on the classic that swaps in kale, onion, and garlic for celery and carrots. Chicken sausage and heavy cream add a touch of decadence. 27 of 29 Chicken Thighs with Tomato-Caper Sauce Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Chicken Thighs with Tomato-Caper Sauce The addition of capers adds a briny, tangy note to your otherwise standard tomato sauce, and trust us, you'll want to serve it generously heaped over hot grits. 28 of 29 Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes Jennifer Davick Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Potatoes All you need for this easy meal? A slow cooker, 20 minutes, and some pantry staples. Dinner is served. 29 of 29 Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Photographer: Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Recipe: Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Warm and comforting, this chili is a breeze to make but delivers on flavor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit