Breaking out of your chicken routine doesn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen. Chicken soup doesn’t need to take hours, nor does roasted chicken. We’ve gathered 17 quick recipes that all take under an hour to prepare—many require just 30 minutes or less. From Stir-Fried Chicken with Basil and Snap Peas to chicken curry, expect to add at least a few of these to your regular rotation.
Stir-Fried Chicken with Basil and Snap Peas
This is a hard stir-fry to beat. Using both chopped basil (mixed with the cooked chicken) and whole basil leaves (stirred in at the end) provides a full herbal flavor and fragrance. Be sure not to start cooking until all ingredients are prepared, because the dish comes together that quickly.
Coriander-Roasted Chicken
Burmese Chicken
A flavorful paste, made in the blender, allows us to skip a marinade and instead season the chicken as it cooks. A dose of red pepper flakes lends moderate heat, and you can always increase the pepper for a spicier dish.
Slashed Chicken
This recipe, from Vietnamese food authority and cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, is brilliant. Thanks to the deep slashes in the chicken legs, the simple, savory-sweet marinade flavors the meat throughout, not just on the surface. The slashes also speed the cooking process.
Chicken Teriyaki Donburi
Contrary to popular belief, “teriyaki” refers not to a sauce, but a technique. Meat is seared or broiled, then given a lustrous shine with a glaze of soy, mirin and sugar. In this recipe taught to us by Elizabeth Andoh, chicken thighs are tenderized with a brief marination. A coating of cornstarch gives it a hint of crunch
Jerk-Roasted Chicken
Typical Jamaican jerk seasoning packs a big punch of heat from Scotch bonnet chilies. Here, we call for just one chili; it roasts along with the chicken and garlic and becomes part of the sauce.
Somali Chicken Soup
This brothy soup is particularly good for serving family style. Bring the pot to the table along with the radishes, cabbage and lime wedges, then have diners fill and garnish their bowls they like. Offer a simple homemade or store-bought hot sauce alongside.
Mango-Tomato Chicken
Curry spices and a lightly spicy mango-tomato relish infuse these quick-cooking chicken cutlets. We speed up the process by pounding the cutlets ¼ inch thick. We then seasoned them with garam masala, an aromatic Indian spice blend, before sautéing.
Three-Cup Chicken
Bone-in chicken legs that have been hacked into pieces are customarily used in this one-pan dish (originally named for the formula once used to prepare the dish: one cup each of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine), but we opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs for easier prep and eating.
Poached Chicken Breasts
Serve this chicken over steamed rice (the hot broth can be used instead of water to cook the rice), with sautéed or stir-fried broccoli, green beans or bok choy. When cooled, the moist meat is terrific folded into chicken salad or chopped and stirred into to fried rice.
Za’atar-Roasted Chicken
Here, we mix za'atar (a Middle Eastern blend of herbs and sesame seeds) with dried oregano to boost its herbal flavor. Use chicken breasts, legs, thighs or a combination, and don't use a roasting pan. The low sides of a sturdy rimmed baking sheet allow the chicken to cook quickly and brown evenly.
Moroccan Ginger-Lemon Chicken Skewers
In this recipe, we love how grilled lemon halves, drizzled with honey and squeezed over the charred chicken skewers, add a final note of sweet-tart acidity that helps balance all the bold, savory seasonings.
Miso-Ginger Chicken Salad
For this super-simple, flavor-packed salad, we dressed the shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken with a tangy, gingery miso-based dressing. Sliced cucumber and a generous dose of herbs add freshness, and slivered almonds bring a pleasing crunch.
White Balsamic and Tarragon Chicken
Orange-Guajillo Chili Pulled Chicken
Chilorio, a pulled pork from the Mexican state of Sinaloa, inspired this dish. But instead of the traditional pork shoulder, we use faster-cooking chicken thighs. Fresh orange juice amplifies the fruity notes of the guajillo chilies while giving the sauce a natural sweetness; a little vinegar and honey helps the balance.
Milk-Poached Chicken with Tarragon Salsa Verde
We love the Italian trick of gently simmering pork and chicken breasts in milk, not water, to produce meat that is tender and succulent. Before poaching, we pounded the breasts until they were ½ inch thick, which keeps the cooking quick and even
Chicken Curry with Coconut and Tomatoes
This dish was inspired by chicken Chettinad, a robustly spiced curry from southern India made with chilies, poppy seeds and coconut. To grate the tomatoes, first cut them in half. Place the cut side of each half against the large holes of a box grater and grate until you're left with just the skin; discard the skin.
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