101 Ways To Make Chicken

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This list of 101 ways to make chicken will keep boredom at bay.

We all know that eating healthy often includes chicken. It’s a lean source of protein and can be made an endless number of different ways.

A bunch of different types of food with Chicken, in a collage.

I’ve been blogging for 11 years now, and it’s hard to believe that I have come up with so many ways to make chicken. But I have! So I put all those recipes together in a list for you as an easy reference. This list of 101 ways to cook chicken will help you build your chicken recipe arsenal so that chicken night is never boring or unhealthy again!

What Is The Proper Way To Cook Chicken?

While there are always more than 101 ways to cook chicken, there are many different approaches, depending on your cut and recipe. But there are a few tips you can use to help your chicken turn out great each and every time, no matter how you cook it.

  • Pat your chicken dry before adding anything to it. I use a paper towel for and easy discard of all those surface contaminating juices.
  • All chicken needs to be cooked to at least 165 F. in order to be safe to eat. The cut doesn’t matter. Take the temperature at the thickest part of the meat.

How To Cook Chicken

While there may be 101 ways to cook chicken, the methods we use to do that are not quite so varied. But there are still quite a few options.

Baked Chicken

You can bake (or roast for a whole chicken) any cut of chicken. See notes below on each individual cut for how to keep your chicken from drying out during baking.

Rotisserie Chicken

If you are fortunate enough to have a rotisserie (or an oven that offers that function), cooking an entire chicken this way is amazing.

If your whole chicken comes packed with gizzards and such, remove those from the inside of the chicken. Put the rotisserie stick through the chicken and set the stick inside the rotisserie oven. Cooking times vary by the size of your chicken. But a 5 lb. chicken will take, on average, about an hour to cook fully.

Tuscan Chicken Thighs just out of the air fryers, piled up on the air fryer tray.

Air Fried Chicken

Air fryer chicken is a thing of beauty. Different cuts require different cooking times. But cuts that are well suited for an air fryer are chicken breasts, chicken thighs and for air fryers that are big enough, even a whole chicken can be cooked in an air fryer with delicious success.

Pan Fried Chicken

The best cuts of chicken for cooking in a pan are chicken breasts and chicken thighs. You can season them any way you want prior to cooking.

Deep Fried Chicken

The best cuts of chicken for a deep fryer are legs, thighs, and breasts. The best option is to bread them first. While not the healthiest option, it’s a delicious way to prepare chicken.

Smoked Chicken

You can cook pretty much any cut of chicken in a smoker. On average, it will take approximately 3 to 5 hours to smoke a whole chicken. Or 45 minutes per pound for different cuts.

Slow Cooker Chicken

Slow cooker chicken turns out similarly to rotisserie chicken, but without a crisp exterior. A whole chicken (as long as it fits) is pretty much mistake-proof when cooked in a slow cooker. You can season your chicken just like you would if you were baking it.

For different cuts of chicken, the slow cooker will give you very shreddable pieces that pretty much fall apart just with stirring. The result is a very moist bowl of shredded chicken that works great for tacos, burritos, and salads. Even soups!

Instant Pot Chicken

If you have a large enough Instant Pot and a small enough chicken, you can cook a whole chicken in an Instant Pot. But I have found that a better option is to use cuts of chicken. Chicken breasts and thighs do particularly well in an Instant Pot. And like a slow cooker, the meat will be moist and it will shred easily.

A plate of food, with this sheet pan Mexican chicken dinner on it.

Sheet Pan Chicken

The best cuts of chicken for sheet pan dinners are chicken breasts, thighs, and legs. Pair them with some roastable veggies, add some seasoning and bake for approximately 40-60 minutes, depending on what you’re roasting and how thick your cuts of chicken are.

How Do You Bake Chicken Without Drying It Out?

The easiest way to keep your chicken from drying out during the baking process is to either rub the raw chicken with a bit of oil before seasoning it or make sure it’s cooking in a good, thick sauce that has a little added fat.

Is It Better To Bake Chicken Covered Or Uncovered?

Here again, it will depend on your cut of chicken. If you are baking/roasting a whole chicken, it’s best to cook it with a cover on it for about 1 hour, and then remove the lid to crisp up the outside for about 10-15 minutes.

For cuts of chicken, a lid will work well to keep things moist but isn’t always necessary. You can use a lid to cook things faster, and then remove the lid in the last few minutes of cooking. But again, a lid is not always necessary for different cuts. Lids are great for chicken breasts in particular since they tend to dry out the most due to being so lean. Thighs and legs tend to do better without a lid. This is not a hard and fast rule, however. More of a general guideline.

How Do You Season Chicken Before Cooking?

That all depends on the cut of chicken you want to cook.

  • Whole Chicken – Run a spoon or your hand between the flesh and the skin to separate the skin from the meat, without removing it. You want to create a “pocket” to hold your seasonings. Once done, mix some oil with your chosen spices and roast the chicken.
  • Chicken Breast – Oil the entire outside of the cut of meat with a layer of oil and then sprinkle on your seasoning. You can also marinate the breasts in an oil rub or marinade.
  • Chicken Thighs – Similar to a chicken breast, you’ll want to oil and season or marinate your chicken thighs.
  • Chicken Legs – Also called drumsticks, they can be seasoned the same way as thighs or breasts.

101 Ways To Cook Chicken

Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

  1. Air Fryer Tuscan Chicken Thighs
  2. Air Fryer Chicken Wings
  3. Air Fryer Chicken Breasts

Need a good air fryer? This is the one I have and love.

Instant Vortex Pro Air Fryer sold on Amazon.

Instant Pot Vortex Pro 9-in-1 Air Fryer, 10 Quart, Air Fry, Roast, Toast, Broil, Bake, Reheat, Dehydrate, Proof & Rotisserie

Asian Chicken Recipes

  1. Easy Teriyaki Chicken
  2. Easy Orange Chicken
  3. Sesame Chicken
  4. Chicken Stir Fry
  5. Chinese Chicken Salad
  6. Crazy Good Stir Fry
  7. Kung Pao Chicken
  8. Wok Style Garlic Chicken And Carrots

Chicken Salad Recipes

  1. Chicken Endive Salad
  2. Low Carb Southwest Chicken Salad
  3. Chicken And Cucumber Salad
  4. Chicken Quinoa Salad With Apples
  5. Lemon Chicken Salad
  6. Chicken And Apple Salad
  7. Autumn Cabbage Chicken Salad
  8. Mexican Style Chicken Salad
  9. Chicken Avocado Salad
  10. Chicken Salad

Chicken Dinner Ideas

  1. Peanut Butter Chicken
  2. Chicken And Cabbage
  3. Dutch Oven Chicken
  4. Chicken Kebabs
  5. Chicken Asparagus Skillet
  6. Bacon Stuffed Chicken Thighs
  7. Chicken Enchiladas
  8. Lemon Caper Chicken
  9. Baked Chicken Wings
  10. Easy Chicken Casserole
  11. Chicken Pot Pie
  12. Chicken Vegetable Curry Rollups
  13. Cheesy Mexican Chicken Casserole
  14. Catalina Cranberry Chicken
  15. Stupid Simple Rotisserie Chicken
  16. Italian Stuffed Chicken Breasts
  17. Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
  18. Mushroom Quinoa With Chicken
  19. Taco Chicken Zucchini Pasta
  20. Roasted Balsamic Chicken And Tomatoes
  21. Southwestern Barbecue Chicken And Shrimp Skillet
  22. Baked Chicken Marinara
  23. Baked Pesto Chicken
  24. Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  25. Citrus Grilled Chicken
  26. Chicken Alfredo Pasta (Tex Mex Style)
  27. Chicken Korma
  28. Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Soft Tacos
  29. Grilled Moroccan Chicken Tenders
  30. Grilled Tandoori Chicken
  31. Grilled Chicken Souvlaki
  32. Coconut Almond Cranberry Chicken
  33. Chicken Fajitas
  34. Sun Dried Tomato and Olive Chicken
  35. Chicken Gnocci
  36. Chicken Nuggets
  37. Tarragon Chicken
  38. Chicken Taquitos
  39. Chicken Bok Choy
  40. Healthy “Fried” Chicken
  41. Chicken And Brussels Sprouts
  42. Chicken Sushi
  43. Whole Roasted Chicken
  44. Chicken Kebabs
  45. Nut Crusted Chicken
  46. White Chicken Chili
  47. Mango Chicken Wraps
  48. Wok-Style Chicken And Carrots

Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

  1. Southwest Chicken CrockPot Recipe
  2. Crockpot Curry Chicken
  3. Crockpot Taco Soup
  4. Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
  5. Pineapple Chicken Verde
  6. Honey Sesame Chicken
  7. Crockpot Turmeric Chicken
  8. Slow Cooker Creole Chicken
  9. Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
  10. Slow Cooker Dump Chicken
  11. Low Carb Tacos
  12. Mexican Chicken Lettuce Cups With Mango Salsa
  13. Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
  14. Thai Massaman Curry
  15. Cinnamon Chicken
  16. Slow Cooker Spinach And Chicken
  17. Crockpot Mexican Chicken
  18. Chicken Masala
  19. Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken
Crock pot brand slow cooker sold on Amazon.

Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker | Stainless Steel (SCV700-S-BR)

Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

  1. Honey Mustard Chicken
  2. Chicken Chili
  3. Maple Chicken
  4. Chicken Ropa Vieja
  5. Egg Roll In A Bowl
  6. Mexican Chicken
  7. Chicken Soup
  8. Spinach Chicken
  9. Crockpot Taco Chicken
Instant Pot pressure cooker sold on Amazon.

Instant Pot Ultra 60 Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, and more, Stainless Steel/Black

Sheet Pan Chicken Dinners

  1. Sheet Pan Mexican Chicken Dinner
  2. Cinnamon Carrots And Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
  3. Chicken And Sweet Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
  4. Sheet Pan Chicken And Cauliflower
Nordic Ware sheet pans sold on Amazon.

Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet (3 Pack)

If you have found this article on 101 ways to cook chicken helpful, please share, pin and leave a comment below. Tell me what your favorite chicken recipe is!

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Who me?
I'm Tiffany, a cookbook author, food lover, mom, and writer for MSN and the AP Newswire.
   
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