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    Home » Recipe Roundups

    22 Hassle-Free Chicken Dinners You Can Set And Forget

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on February 7, 2025, updated January 16, 2025 - Leave a Comment

    Cooking chicken can be simple and stress-free with the right recipes. These 22 easy chicken dinners allow you to set everything up and let the flavors develop while you go do something else. Perfect for busy nights, these meals require minimal effort yet deliver satisfying results.

    Garlic Parmesan Sheet Pan Drumsticks

    Garlic Parmesan Sheet Pan Chicken Drumsticks.
    Photo credit: xoxoBella.

    Oven baked chicken drumsticks are a tasty option for dinner, especially when you can cook them on a sheet pan to make cleanup easier. This recipe features the great flavors of garlic, parmesan, red pepper, and parsley.

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    Baked Pesto Mozzarella Chicken

    Easy Baked Pesto Mozzarella Chicken.
    Photo Credit: The Forked Spoon.

    This baked pesto mozzarella chicken is a quick and tasty dinner option that you can have ready in just 30 minutes. It's low-carb, gluten-free, and uses simple ingredients, making it perfect for busy nights.

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    Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole

    A casserole dish full of spinach artichoke casserole.
    Photo credit: Nibble and Dine.

    This creamy casserole combines rotisserie chicken and frozen veggies, making it super easy to prepare. You can have it ready in under an hour.

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    Slow Cooker Queso Chicken

    Slow cooker queso chicken tacos.
    Photo Credit: Maria's Mixing Bowl.

    This chicken dish is creamy and full of flavor, making it great for quesadillas or sandwiches. It's an easy option that works well for any meal.

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    Slow Cooker Ritz Chicken

    SLOW COOKER RITZ CHICKEN.
    Photo credit: The Cookin Chicks.

    Tender chicken breasts are slow-cooked in a creamy sauce and topped with a buttery Ritz cracker crust. This simple and tasty dish is great served over rice or noodles.

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    Cajun Chicken Pasta Casserole

    Cajun chicken pasta casserole.
    Photo credit: Practically Homemade.

    Cajun flavors are always a hit, and this casserole is super easy to prepare. You can skip boiling the pasta, and the creamy sauce that develops while it bakes is sure to impress.

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    Baked Chicken Drumsticks & Veggies

    Drumsticks and veggies.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This sheet-pan dinner is perfect for quick weeknight meals. With just a little chopping to begin, you end up with a delicious mix of chicken, veggies, and sauce all cooked together in one pan.

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    Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Mayo

    Slow Cooker Whole Chicken with Mayo.
    Photo Credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

    This slow cooker mayo chicken is packed with flavor and is sure to please everyone at the table, including the kids. It's an easy dish that requires minimal effort, making it perfect for busy nights.

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    Slow Cooker Sour Cream & Onion Chicken

    Slow Cooker Sour Cream & Onion Chicken.
    Photo Credit: The Quicker Kitchen.

    Slow cooker sour cream and onion chicken is a simple recipe that delivers great flavor with minimal effort. This dish is ideal for anyone who enjoys the classic taste of sour cream and onion chips.

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    Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

    Buffalo chicken pasta bake.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is quick to prepare and ready in under an hour. It's packed with spicy buffalo sauce, hidden spinach, and plenty of cheese, making it a tasty option for a weeknight dinner.

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    Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken

    Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken.
    Photo Credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

    Slow Cooker Bourbon Chicken features tender chicken thighs coated in a tasty sauce made from apple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and a mix of seasonings. This dish offers a sweet and flavorful experience that's perfect for any meal.

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    Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake

    Chicken pasta bake.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This dish features plenty of chicken and broccoli, creating a hearty meal that will definitely provide some leftovers. It's a simple and satisfying option for dinner.

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    Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken

    Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken.
    Photo Credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

    This cranberry chicken dish is simple and only requires four ingredients: chicken breasts, French onion soup mix, French onion dressing, and cranberry sauce. It's an easy meal that you can throw together without much effort.

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    Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake

    sun-dried tomato pasta bake.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This dish features cheesy chicken and pasta packed with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, creating a hearty comfort meal. It's simple to prepare, making it perfect for a satisfying dinner.

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    Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs

    Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs.
    Photo Credit: The Dizzy Cook.

    BBQ chicken thighs are super simple to prepare; just toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker. You can serve them whole or shred them for delicious BBQ chicken sandwiches, making this a great option for weeknight dinners.

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    Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Chicken

    Maple Balsamic Slow Cooker Chicken.
    Photo credit: Fit as a Mama Bear.

    This recipe features tender and juicy chicken breasts that require only 5 minutes of prep time. It's a simple option for a weeknight dinner.

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    Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

    Slow Cooker Chicken Curry.
    Photo credit: A Cedar Spoon.

    This slow cooker chicken curry is a simple way to enjoy the rich flavors of curry, coconut, and cumin. It's a great meal to come home to, especially when served with rice and warm naan.

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    Salsa Chicken

    A bowl of salsa chicken.
    Photo credit: Belle of the Kitchen.

    Crockpot Salsa Chicken is a simple dinner option that requires minimal effort. With just a few ingredients and under five minutes of prep time, this dish is bound to become a family favorite.

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    Sheet Pan Chicken Stir Fry

    Sheet Pan Chicken Stir Fry.
    Photo credit: Seasonal Cravings.

    Sheet Pan Chicken Stir Fry is a simple and fast dinner that everyone will enjoy. Cooking it all on one pan means you can just set it and forget it, making dinner time a breeze.

    Get the recipe

    Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Soup

    Slow Cooker Chicken and Corn Soup.
    Photo Credit: One Pot Only.

    This creamy slow cooker chicken and corn soup is a comforting dish that everyone enjoys. It's simple to prepare and works well any time of the year, whether you use fresh or frozen corn.

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    Instant Pot Chicken Stew

    Chicken stew.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Stew is super simple to prepare. Just spend 10 minutes getting it ready, then let it cook on its own for a hearty meal filled with veggies in less than 45 minutes.

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    Crispy Oven BBQ Chicken

    Oven baked BBQ chicken.
    Photo credit: Bowl of Delicious.

    This crispy oven recipe uses only two main ingredients: barbecue sauce and chicken (plus a little olive oil, salt, and pepper) – to make the crispiest, most perfectly glazed, sweet, sticky, and juicy baked barbecue chicken you will ever have.

    Get the recipe

    More Recipe Roundups

    • Beet cucumber salad.
      20 Cucumber Dishes That Will Keep You Cool All Season Long
    • Creamy Pesto Pasta Bake.
      22 Easy Dump-and-Go Meals Straight from Grandma’s Recipe Box
    • Carne guisada.
      Set It and Forget It: 23 Slow Cooker Dinners That Basically Cook Themselves
    • Chow mein.
      5 Chinese Crockpot Recipes to Try This Week

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has 20+ years experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

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