Published: by Kelsey Smith
These easy 4-ingredient chicken recipes use simple ingredients and are perfect for a busy weeknight to feed the whole family.
There are many different ways to make an easy meal out of different cuts of chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are a go-to in my house, but chicken thighs are a favorite for moist and juicy chicken.
You will love these recipes because...
- Cooking time: Head to the 30-minute meals below for a fast dinner recipe.
- Easy dinner recipes: Perfect for busy people who want a nice hot meal
- Basic ingredients: With only four ingredients, you'll spend less time in the kitchen.
Four ingredients or less: Generally, salt, pepper, water, cooking oils, and optional garnishes or side dishes don't count toward the total ingredient count since these are either common ingredients or optional additions.
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Jump to:
- 30-Minute Meals
- Slow Cooking
- Instant Pot
- Air Fryer
- Whole Chicken
- 5 Ingredients or Less
- FAQ
- Food Safety
- 💬 Comments
30-Minute Meals
For a really simple recipe, bookmark these family favorite meals for a busy night.
Apricot Glazed Chicken
Apricot glazed chicken is a quick and easy meal ready in under 20 minutes made with boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, apricot jam, fresh ginger, and apple cider vinegar.
Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders
These garlic parmesan chicken tenders are made with chicken tenderloins, mayo, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt for an easy dinner in under 30 minutes.
Chorizo Chicken
Add some spice and flavor to your meals with this super easy one pan chicken skillet recipe. Simple to make, this chorizo chicken is ready to serve in around 30 minutes.
Bacon Wrapped Cranberry Brie Stuffed Chicken Breasts
These delicious cranberry brie stuffed chicken breasts are simple to make, and loaded with brie cheese and cranberry sauce before being wrapped in bacon.
Juicy Cast Iron Chicken Breasts
This cast iron chicken breast recipe makes perfect pan-roasted chicken breasts in under 30 minutes. A cast iron skillet is all you need.
Spicy Italian Barbecue Grilled Chicken
Chicken breast is marinated in italian dressing, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce for 24 hours and then grilled until it’s cooked and juicy. It’s sweet, savory, spicy and so good.
Slow Cooking
The slow cooker is one of my favorite kitchen tools because you can set it and forget it. Slow cookers cook your food low and slow, so you can set it up in the morning, and dinner is warm and ready with little effort.
Crockpot chicken is especially good if you want shredded chicken. I use a Crockpot 6-Quart Cook and Carry.
Onion Soup Mix Chicken
Try this easy 4-ingredient Crockpot chicken recipe. With chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and dry onion soup mix, it's a flavorful meal with minimal effort. Enjoy this on its own or serve over egg noodles, white rice, or broccoli.
Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
This crack chicken is creamy ranch flavored chicken that’s cooked in the crock pot until tender. An easy slow cooker recipe that contains 4 ingredients or less.
Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken
Dump-and-go with this quick, easy recipe using jarred pesto and ranch dressing mix.
Zesty Italian BBQ Chicken Slow Cooker Recipe
Shredded slow cooker chicken with BBQ sauce and zesty Italian dressing, perfect for BBQ chicken sandwiches and sliders.
Slow Cooker Maple Dijon Chicken
This crockpot maple dijon chicken is an easy, hands-off dinner made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a few kitchen staples.
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
These slow cooker chicken drumsticks are coated in a spice rub and barbecue sauce, then cooked to tender perfection in the crock pot.
Slow Cooker Chicken with Stuffing
This 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken with stuffing recipe is filling and flavorful. All you need is 10 minutes to prep and the slow cooker does the rest.
Instant Pot
An electric pressure cooker is a great addition to your kitchen. It can cut down on cooking time and is a great way to make one-pot meals. The best part of an Instant Pot meal is you can sauté veggies, brown your meat, and pressure cook all in one. I use the Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart.
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
No more complicated recipes. Only 4 ingredients and you’ve got the perfect Instant Pot Salsa Chicken: frozen chicken breasts, taco seasoning, salsa, and chicken broth. Perfect for beginners. This is an easy pantry meal through and through.
Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken
This Instant Pot BBQ pulled chicken recipe is a family favorite and is so easy to make, makes great leftover pulled chicken, and tastes fantastic. This is the best way to make a big batch of shredded chicken.
Air Fryer
An air fryer is a countertop convection oven. It preheats incredibly quickly because of the circulating air and small oven size, so it cuts down on cooking time dramatically. There are basket-style air fryers and oven-style air fryers.
Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Enjoy these tasty air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs with herbs and spice for an easy weeknight dinner.
Quick Air Fryer Chicken Wings
These Air Fryer chicken wings are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and best of all, they’re a breeze to make. This is also a great recipe for game day.
Air Fryer Pesto Chicken
Full of flavor and so easy to make, enjoy these juicy air fryer pesto chicken thighs as a quick weeknight dinner idea.
Whole Chicken
Making a whole chicken is an affordable option as long as you make use of all of the different chicken cuts. Here are some tips for cooking a whole chicken.
4-Ingredient Roast Chicken Dinner
Easy and with almost zero prep, this 4-ingredient roast chicken dinner is sure to become a new family favourite. A fail-proof juicy whole roast chicken recipe that lets the oven do all the work.
Roasted Lemon Chicken
This roasted lemon chicken, or pollo a limone, is a classic Italian recipe that makes the juiciest and most flavorful chicken. The lemons are pierced and cooked inside the chicken so the lemon juice releases as it cooks.
5 Ingredients or Less
Love these 4-ingredient chicken recipes? Try some of these easy recipes with less than 5 ingredients.
- 3-Ingredient Sausage Cream Cheese Dip
- Velveeta Sausage Cheese Dip
- 27 Easy 3-Ingredient Desserts
- Cool Whip Cream Cheese Frosting
FAQ
What are some different ways to cook chicken?
Chicken can be roasted in the oven, cooked in an air fryer, instant pot, or a slow cooker, grilled, pan-fried, sous vide, poached, and more.
Food Safety
- Always wash your hands before and after handling raw chicken.
- Chicken should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C).
- Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and store them in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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About Kelsey Smith
I am a freelance content writer by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing comfort food recipes.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Ambet says
Thank you for this chicken recipe round up!! I'm excited to try many of the recipes!
Reply
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