Sometimes at the end of the day, you just don’t have any time to think about what you’re going to make for dinner, let alone time to whip up an elaborate meal – you just need to get that bird in the oven! These 3 chicken recipe will let you do exactly that, and will even give you time to sneak in an episode of two of your favorite show.
1. Chicken Veggie Packets
You’ll Need (for 4):
For the lemon garlic marinade:
- 4x 6 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 3 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tsp oregano
- lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
For the veggies:
- 4 zucchini, cut into thin circles
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 8 black pitted olives
- 8 cherry tomatoes
Extra:
- parchment paper
- parsley to garnish
Here’s How:
1.1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare the chicken marinade and let the chicken marinate for 1-2 hours.
1.2 Take 4 sheets of parchment paper, fold each one in half, and cut out a half heart.
1.3 Place ¼ of the zucchini coins one side of the heart and season with salt and pepper. Place a few sliced onions on top, followed by a piece of lemon garlic chicken and about 2 tbsp of the marinade.
1.4 Top the chicken with 4 halved tomatoes and 4 halved olives.
1.5 Fold the paper heart together and seal the edges. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, for a total of 4 packets.
1.6 Place the packets on a sheet pan and cook for 15 minutes. Carefully open the finished packets and garnish the lemon garlic chicken with fresh parsley.
2. Spicy Honey Glazed Chicken
You’ll Need:
For the honey chili marinade:
- 2x 4 oz chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp honey
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp chili sauce
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 4 tbsp water
Extra:
- cooking oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Here’s How:
2.1 Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place the bits in a bowl. Add the marinade ingredients to the bowl of chicken and mix well. Refrigerate the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 2 hours.
2.2 Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, let any excess marinade drip off, and cook the chicken pieces in the pan. Once the meat has cooked through, add the marinade to the pan and let simmer. Season with sesame seeds before serving.
3. Pulled Chicken
You’ll Need:
For the marinade:
- 5 fl oz vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- starch for the stock
Extra:
- damp parchment paper
Here’s How:
3.1 Preheat the oven to 250°F. Prepare the marinade in a casserole dish, add the chicken breasts, and let the meat marinate for about 2 hours.
3.2 Cover the casserole dish with a damp piece of parchment paper and cook for 45 minutes.
3.3 Shred the cooked chicken with 2 forks and heat up the meat.
3.4 Add the marinade to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add some starch to thicken the mix and pour the finished sauce over the shredded chicken.
These speedy recipes will save you so much time making dinner, you’ll finally be able to kick back and relax after a seriously tasty meal!