Budget Dinner Ideas: 50 Easy Ways to Cook Chicken Breast From Home Cooks & Foodies by Donna John

Online foodie and cooking groups are a great way to get new recipes, learn new cooking techniques and get any cooking question you have answered. And the members are not shy and are eager to help. A member of a group I'm on posted, "Looking for chicken breast recipes." Wow, did she get a lot of new ideas for cooking chicken breast. Members shared chicken recipes and even a cool technique to help make chicken breast more moist (see #44).

Here's some of the ways to cook chicken breasts that the cooking group shared. What is your favorite way to cook high-protein chicken breast? Tell us in the comments section below and read about the health benefits of protein and get more high-protein recipes.

1. "One of my favorite, delicious, quick chicken breast recipes: Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Season a dry chicken breast with your choice of seasonings. Coat with a thin smear of sour cream or mayonnaise. Coat with Pepperidge Farm seasoned breadcrumbs. Bake on sheet pan lined with parchment paper about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces." – Carolyn E.
2. "Crock Pot easy. Season and fry off the breast a little, put in Crock Pot, pour a can or two of your favorite tomatoes, we like Rotel and roasted, then layer sliced zucchini on top and sprinkle Italian seasoning on top. Serve over your favorite pasta. We like angel hair. Healthy, too!" – Laura K.
3. "Split breasts spread a thin layer of mayo on top, sprinkle with garlic powder, mix Italian breadcrumbs with some shaker Parmesan, salt and pepper. Dip mayo side of breast into crumb mixture and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes." – Susan C.
4. "Marinate in pickle juice, buttermilk or Italian dressing before cooking." – Susan D.
5. "Soak in ranch dressing for about an hour or longer (poke holes in chicken with fork). When ready to use, dip each piece in panko breadcrumbs (regular can be used, too) bake at 375 degrees F for about an hour, or until chicken is done." – Jera D.
6. "I like to slice mine in half, stuff with cooked sausage crumbles, cooked fresh spinach, ricotta cheese mixture fold back over toothpicks to hold it closed, mayonnaise on top, sprinkle Parmesan cheese bake 30 to 35 minutes until chicken juice is clear." – Terry M.
7. "Take the breast and fillet it, then put cream cheese all over, a winter jam like blueberry, raspberry, apricot, add greens, spinach, etc. Start at big end roll to small end, wrap with a piece of bacon, pin it with a toothpick. Bake at 350 degrees F covered for 20 minutes. Take cover off finish baking another 30 minutes. Enjoy." – Helena F.
8. "Chicken breast, salt/pepper. Melt butter on top. One half can of cranberries. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Either bake or microwave. Side of rice or sweet potato." – Barbara F.
9. "Marry Me Chicken." – Lynn S.
10. "My latest go to is to brush butter over chicken and roll in chopped fried onions (you know, the kind you put in green bean casserole) and place in baking dish and bake 350 degrees F until done." – Cindy P.
11. "Mix honey and mustard together. Put over the top of the chicken and pan fry or bake." – Dorothy H.
12. "Cut into one inch cubes, sauté with basic seasonings. Cover with jarred pesto sauce and add pasta of choice. Bonus: add a little shaved Parmesan and toasted pine nuts." – Morgan S.
13. "Put in slow cooker, sprinkle with dry ranch dressing and cream of chicken soup. Cook for four plus hours on low, add 8 ounces of cream cheese. Cook for 30 minutes more. Serve with pasta or rice." – Judy V.
14. "I put one or two chicken breasts in a Crock Pot, sprinkle with garlic salt or whatever seasoning you want, pour a can of 7Up over it, cook for four hours or so on Low. Then I shred it and put portions into individual baggies. When cooled, I freeze them. I can thaw one out whenever I want to make soup, pasta, chicken salad or sandwiches. Makes life much easier!" – Leanne V.
15. "Asparagus Stuffed Chicken." – Penny L.
16. "Garlic Butter Chicken." – Rene C.
17. "I like putting powder zesty Italian salad dressing on the chicken and bake it." – Shelly T.
18. "Bruschetta chicken. Recipe is on the package back of StoveTop Stuffing, chicken flavor. Quick prep." – Diana M.
19. "Split chicken breast pound out thin and season . Add StoveTop stuffing between pieces put back together and bake! I put a little chicken broth in baking dish." – Connie R.
20. "Cranberry Chicken. I use two chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces, one can whole cranberry sauce, one envelope Lipton onion soup mix, 1 cup French dressing. Mix cranberry sauce, soup mix and French dressing together.
21. Place chicken pieces in baking pan sprayed with baking spray. Spoon sauce over the top of chicken. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 20 minutes." – Diana M. 
22. "Cooked chicken breasts, marinara sauce, black olives and feta in a skillet. Super easy and yummy!" – Marci L.
23. "Boil it with your favorite basic seasoning (salt, pepper, onion, garlic, could also use ends from celery, carrots, onion peels and then you can take the chicken out and have stock leftover). Shred it. Mix some with your favorite green salsa (I like the Herdez salsa verde mild in a can, but use whatever you like). Serve inside a corn or flour tortilla as enchilada or as taco with favorite toppings (diced white onion, cilantro, sour cream) or burrito. or on a tostada or nachos." – Molly R. 
24. "Slice breast of chicken to make a pocket. Stuff with red pepper strips and a cheese stick and spinach leaves. Use toothpicks to hold together. Marinate in Italian dressing ( overnight is best). Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, depending on size of chicken." – Holly S. 
25. "Our favorite for guaranteed moist white meat is sour cream chicken. Boneless skinless chicken breasts. Sprinkle liberally with garlic salt. 'Frost' with a thick layer of full-fat sour cream (not light or low-fat sour cream). Coat with a sprinkled layer of herb seasoned breadcrumbs. Place one pat of butter on top of each breast. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. You can make one breast, or you can make six, which is part of the beauty of this recipe." – Irene M. 
26. "I took a chicken breast divided it in half, put them between wax paper and pounded flat with a frying pan. Took a glass baking dish, sprayed with olive oil. Lay half of the chicken down, lightly salt, pepper and garlic powder. I sautéed spinach, drained well, spread over the chicken. I made boxed stuffing and spread on top of spinach. Place the other half of chicken on top. Again I lightly salted, peppered, garlic powder, rosemary and paprika. Place one pat of butter on top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Try not to overbake, it can get dry!" – Kelly H. 
27. "Cut you breast meat halfway through then fill with bruschetta, mozzarella cheese. Put toothpicks to hold together then roll in flour, egg wash and panko. Pan fry until brown on both sides then place In oven. Serve with fried rice . Delicious." – Susan K. 
28. "I like to use a boneless, skinless chicken breast and butterfly it. I then brine it in a saltwater solution for 15 to 20 minutes. After rinsing and drying, I rub with paprika and garlic salt. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes, or grill. Usually I freeze whatever we don’t eat, using a vacuum sealer. Quick, easy and delicious!" – Beverly A. 
29. Melt In Your Mouth Chicken: 4 boneless chicken breast halves, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic. Mix mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings. Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes." – Barbara W. 
30. "Crock Pot Chicken and Gravy: 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 can Swanson chicken broth, 1 jar Heinz chicken gravy, 1 package McCormick's chicken gravy mix, black pepper, pinch onion powder, parsley flakes. Mix ingredients and spread over chicken breasts in Crock Pot. Cook on low four hours, shred chicken, put back in Crock Pot. Thicken with milk and flour if needed. Great over mashed potatoes, noodles or biscuits." – Loretta M. 
31. "Filet boneless breasts. Sauté in part olive oil and butter. Remove and put a little more butter and 2 tablespoons of flour in pan. Swirl until all drippings are removed and incorporated. Add sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts (marinated) and two handfuls of fresh spinach to the pan and simmer until spinach is fairly wilted. Add chicken back into pan and simmer approximately 5 to 7 minutes more. Enjoy!" – Marion E.
32. "Cook the chicken breast then make chicken salad." – Nancy W. 
33. "Buffalo Chicken Nuggets: Cut chicken breast into chunks and marinate for a couple hours in Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and fry in small amount of oil until browned and cooked through. In microwave, heat a little wing sauce and butter together and drizzle over chicken. So good!" – Loretta M. 
34. "Yesterday in about three minutes I took a chicken breast cut in bite-size pieces. Dried with a paper towel and threw it in a frying pan with butter and garlic, salt and pepper, Then squeezed a little lemon over it. Took less than five minutes." – Diana A. 
35. "I like taking a few chicken breasts with a chopped up yellow onion, chicken bouillon and bay leaves. Then shred the meat and use it for all sorts of meals. Chicken tacos with a cabbage/avocado filling, chicken potpie or with biscuits, enchiladas, soups, the list goes on." – Josephine W. 
36. "Season and flour four chicken breasts or tenderloins. Brown in half stick butter. Lay in ovenproof casserole dish and pour drippings over them. Lay a few slivered almonds on each piece. Pour 1 cup heavy cream over all and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Serve with green beans and rice and use sauce as a gravy for the rice. Note: if chicken breast are large I pound to flatten. My husband loves this dish." – Kathy B. 
37. "I would dice up five chicken breasts, boneless and skinless. Sautee in one cube real butter, add half white onion sliced four carrots, peeled and sliced, one head broccoli crowns. Cook until almost tender. Add one can cream of chicken soup, one can cream of mushroom soup, two cans of milk. Add pepper, stir until mixed thoroughly. Add about 1 pound of cooked spiral noodles." – Nadine M. 
38. "Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Dip in egg and panko/breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F in oiled sheet pan, then add mozzarella and spaghetti sauce." – Janet C. 
39. "I cook a boneless skinless chicken breast until done, pour a can of drained Rotel over the chicken breast, sprinkle with cheese and cover with a lid until the cheese is melted." – Rachel M. 
40. "Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning, put in a baking dish with melted margarine (maybe half stick) and lemon juice (maybe 2- to 3 tablespoons). Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour. I like to serve with rice pilaf and a vegetable." – Penny W.
41. "Boneless skinless chicken breast. Marinate overnight in sweet and tangy French salad dressing (or regular French). Remove breasts from marinade . Put in baking dish, bake at 350 degrees F until almost done then coat with your favorite BBQ sauce and bake 10 to 15 minutes." – Robin G.
42. "Deviled Chicken Breast." – Donna J.
43. "Chicken breast coated with taco seasoning then pour a jar of salsa over the top and cook." – JoAnn C. 
44. "If you are cooking whole chicken breasts, at the very least, pound them until they are at least 75 percent of the area is the same thickness. They cook more evenly. And, a soak in 1 ounce water with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (velveting) will make it juicy and tender. Soak for 15 minutes. You can then do a shake-n-bake type or broil or sear or slice thinly or into chunks for stir-fry." – David L.
45. "Mexican Chicken. Season chicken with taco seasoning. Cook in EVOO until brown on both side. Add 1/2 cup enchilada sauce per chicken breast, cover and cook until done. Just before serving I spoon more enchilada sauce over the chicken add a tablespoon of queso to each breast. Cover until queso is melted and warm. I serve with a side of chopped onions, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, frozen corn seasoned with cumin and fresh lime juice. Often I add a rice dish also." – Gaylene H. 
46. "Chicken Parmesan, slow-cooker fiesta chicken, BBQ grilled chicken. So many opportunities!" – Kim M. 
47. "Chicken Lombardy." – Gina H.
48. "Café Rio Chicken is so versatile!" – Marina M. 
49. "Cut breast into two pieces, season, pour undiluted cream soup of your choice over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes until done. In the meantime, prepare rice of your choice (white, wild, long grain or brown). When done serve half breast over bed of rice. Pour soup/broth over and serve with side of our choice." – Kathy M.
50. "Chicken Roll-ups!"– Patty S.
    

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