In kitchens across America, the chicken reigns supreme (we eat 160 million servings of it a day!). Its convenience and versatility make it the home cook’s go-to source of protein. You can braise, bread, brine, chunk, deep-fry, grill, grind, marinate, poach, pound, roast, rub, skewer, shred, and stuff it. The chicken stands alone as a meal or works in tandem with vegetables and grains in soups, salad, and tacos. And its mild flavor is a canvas for just about any seasoning or marinade, which also lends itself to a starring role in international cuisines.
This ubiquitous bird is synonymous with everyday home cooking, comfort, and nostalgia. But just because this kitchen staple is a weeknight dinner treasure, a whole roasted bird can set the scene for holidays too, pairing easily with celebratory, seasonal flavors: savory herbs, sweet fruit, and most any side dish under the sun (or moon, if you’re cooking at night).
These 16 chicken recipes are our favorite ways to spin a fowl. From holiday roasts, iconic soups, deeply satisfying chicken bowls, get-together sandwiches, and quick weeknight dinners, we take you from the oven to the grill, from the Instant Pot and slow cooker, and from light meat to dark. Your new chicken recipes await.
Braised Chicken Thighs with Pears
You'll crisp the skin to seal in the juices on what is arguably the best and most underrated part of a chicken: dark, richly flavored thighs. A light pan sauce with sliced, sweet Royal Riviera Pears gives it a juicy goodness.
Skillet Chicken with Pepper & Onion Relish
Well, if it isn't our old friend, Pepper and Onion Relish showboating in this comforting chicken dish. Harry & David's tangy and sweet standby serves as the base for a thick pan sauce that comes together in minutes. Yes, minutes.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
The minimal effort pays off in spades when you set and forget your chicken in a slow cooker, yielding tender meat that shreds in a jiff. (In case you were wondering, a jiff, or jiffy, is 33.35 picoseconds, which is the time it takes for light to travel 1 centimeter. So, prettay, prettay, prettay fast.) Zesty salsa verde with a hint of jalapeño brightens these comforting chicken and cheese enchiladas.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
Mooo-ve over beef, fly away turkey...a new bird has landed in Chilitown. Reach for the deep flavor of boneless chicken thighs to set the scene for this smoky, hearty, fire-roasted tomato and pepper chili.
Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Relish
Meat on a stick is great, (not as great as meat in a cone, but we digress.) But tender cubes of chicken breast bathed in smoky and sweet Charred Pineapple Relish and threaded onto skewers with bell peppers is the G.O.A.T. of summer grilling.
Al Pastor Chicken Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Humdrum chicken tacos get a bold garnish from grilled pineapple salsa. It's “kicky" from the jalapeño and red onions, and sweet and smoky from the grill.
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Subs
Peppers and onions mingle in your slow cooker for four hours to turn out chicken that is supremely moist and tender. Topping it with a cheese sauce spiked with pepper and onion relish makes this game-day sandwich ultra sub-lime.
Multicooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Grandma may have shown her love by spending hours making homemade chicken noodle soup, but this Instant Pot version using Harry & David Chicken Noodle Soup Mix fast tracks the wholesome goodness. In less than 20 minutes, you'll have a “from scratch" flavor that will even make grandma ask for the recipe...and seconds.
Thanksgiving Chicken
This delectable, bacon-strewn bird is surrounded by sweet Royal Riviera pears and sits on a bed of oniony leeks. Why wait for turkey day for this alternative holiday dish with built-in fixin's? Give thanks that you have a new recipe to make the rest of the year.
Chicken Tacos with Citrus Avocado Salsa
Change up your slow cooker chicken tacos with an array of Harry & David salsas that range from sweet peach to mellow garlic and traditional black beans. Topped with a homemade avocado and seasonal citrus salsa, these tacos are delicious any night of the week, not just Tuesdays.
Matzo Ball Soup
They sink! Or float, depending on who you talk to, but there is no more iconic dish in the Jewish canon than this comforting soup. This year-round heartwarming favorite is made with chunks of tender white chicken and flavored with garlic, celery, onion, and fresh dill.
Honey Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Baby Vegetables
The true sign of a great home cook is how well they can make a roasted chicken. This easy-to-follow recipe for a sweet and tangy honey-balsamic whole roasted bird is perfect for a celebratory dinner. And the baby vegetable side sings, "Spring is here!" Sometimes it even sings "Here Comes the Sun."
Grilled Peach and Honey Lime Chicken Bowls
Bowls, bowls, all kinds of bowls! Orzo pasta, a rainbow of vegetables, and a peach dressing that doubles as a marinade give succulent chicken breasts a kiss of sweetness. You'll be bowled over with texture, color, and flavor.
BBQ Chicken Sliders with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce
Make a meal of these lil' sliders or serve them as game-day appetizers. Either way, you can't run a-fowl with these BBQ sauce- and relish-soaked grilled chicken sandwiches.
Curry Pineapple Chicken with Orange Ginger Salad
Nestled and slow-cooked in a curry sauce full of cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and coriander, this flavor bomb of tender chicken thighs is then pulled and spun into a mixed green salad tossed in a sweet ginger-citrus dressing.
Orange Roasted Chicken
This beautifully simple whole roasted chicken is stuffed with savory rosemary and thyme, and fragrant citrus, and then rubbed with olive oil to ensure the skin achieves a crispy, golden crackle. Because, really, when it comes to chicken skin, there is no other way.
