Fresh Recipe Ideas for Chicken

Tuesday can have tacos. Make Saturday shawarma night, with a warm pita wrapped around spice-crusted chicken thighs, parsley-flecked Israeli salad and a swoop of the creamiest tahini.

Chicago cookbook author Anupy Singla adapted this deeply spiced, ginger-punched murgh (chicken) tari (sauce) from her husband, who is also Punjabi. The recipe is featured in Singla's cookbook The Indian Slow Cooker.

Short on time? Try the Pressure-Cooker Murgh Tari version of this recipe.   

Tamales are a project, but so worth it—especially with friends or family helping with assembly. This recipe comes from chef Jorge Guzmán of Petite León in Minneapolis.

Related: Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

This spin on a favorite Japanese comfort food uses moist, flavorful boneless thighs rather than breasts. The result is juicy and super crispy chicken to serve with a sweet-and-savory mango sauce.

Related: Chicken Thigh Recipes to Try Tonight

This dish couldn't be easier, but the payoff is succulent, sweet, savory and so much more than the sum of its parts.

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At Okra African Grill in Omaha, Togolese chef Nina Sodji serves this spicy anise-flavored chicken over rice. Her favorite sides: sauteed lightly seasoned bell peppers and Fried Plantains. For extra kick, add the West African Green Pepper Sauce.

Heap a platter with butter lettuce, poached chicken, green beans, avocado, berries, chives and basil. (The cooked components are easily made ahead.) Admire your creation, then douse it in berry-pink vinaigrette.

Related: Throw a Strawberry Party with These Fresh, Fruit-Forward Recipes

Tortilla chips provide the crispy coating for these kid-friendly (and kid-at-heart-friendly) chicken tenders. The easy dipping sauce can be flavored with Sriracha or honey mustard.

Start with a rotisserie chicken, and you can whip up this Thai-inspired soup in less than 30 minutes.

We gave homey mac and cheese a refresh. The saucepan sauce is made without a flour thickener, so it's lighter-tasting than baked versions. And adding veggies and chicken makes it a well-rounded meal.

A handy supermarket product—chipotle-flavor mayo—is the secret ingredient in this loaded sandwich. We love the convenience, but if you like, stir 1 teaspoon of minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce into regular mayonnaise instead.

Wrap meat in multigrain tortillas with adobo sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes for a fresh take on chicken enchiladas.

Team basil-seasoned chicken breasts with fresh zucchini and seasoned orzo for a fast and flavorful dinner.

Seasoned panko coating gives a satisfying crunch to this healthy twist on fried chicken. Our recipe offers a curry-flavored variation, too.

These tender waffles have mashed potatoes in the batter, along with thyme, garlic and onion. We've traded the usual pancake syrup for a silky maple-orange gravy made with drippings from the chicken.

Cremini mushrooms, asparagus, roasted peppers and almonds update this classic hotdish.

Rub a blend of lemon peel, rosemary, thyme, parsley and garlic on the chicken before baking; Add fresh thyme sprigs and garlic bulbs around the chicken for even more flavor. Potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots make this a one-pan meal.

Garlic, garam masala and fresh ginger season the chicken in this Indian-inspired recipe from The Spice House shop in Milwaukee. The refreshing yogurt-based sauce is similar to traditional cucumber raita. 

Topped with blue cheese, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and a balsamic-spiked tomato sauce, this potent pizza has definite adult flavor. 

The name says it all—serve these baked Cajun-spiced wings with plenty of napkins and a cold drink! See more chicken wing recipes.