Chicken dinners for two. A collection of my favorite ways to use chicken to get dinner on the table fast. 25 chicken recipes that you will love!
If it isn't a Monday when I'm staring in the freezer at two frozen chicken breasts, then it's a Tuesday. Or a Wednesday or a Thursday; you get the idea.
I frequently buy a pack of chicken breasts, but as a family of two, I find myself freezing the remaining portion of the package. I use the Food Saver system to wrap up the chicken and seal it airtight for longterm storage.
While we're technically a family of three, my toddler only eats 1 tablespoon of meat, every 3rd day and only when it's raining. So yes, I still cook for two even though we're a family of three.
This is my list of chicken dinners for two.
These recipes use all types of chicken: chicken breasts, chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on chicken, boneless skinless chicken, and even ground chicken. I also have a recipe for a whole roasted chicken and 3 ways to use it.
Lemon Chicken Piccata for Two
Two chicken breasts seared in a skillet, plus a pan sauce made with chicken broth, butter, lemon and capers. If you're weird about capers, leave them out and call this lemon butter chicken. I serve it over spaghetti because it makes extra sauce. One of my all-time favorite chicken dinners for two.
2. Chicken Cacciatore Recipe for Two
I love this one-pan chicken dinner for two! My toddler loves bell peppers, so this is an easy sell for her. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are one of my favorite cuts of chicken because they stay moist and get a great crust in a cast-iron skillet.
3. Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Quickly becoming my favorite dinner, my easy method for frying small pieces of chicken coated in a sweet honey garlic sauce. Plus, broccoli roasts right on the pan, so it's a sheet pan meal.
4. Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts for Two
Two chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese, green chiles, and cheddar cheese. So good, and so spicy!
5. Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
The minute it's chilly outside, I start making this recipe. It takes about an hour from start to finish, but the reward of creamy chicken and cornmeal dumplings is so very worth it.
6. Creamy Chicken Pot Pie for Two
Since we're on the path of creamy chicken comfort, I also have a recipe for Creamy Chicken Pot Pie for two, topped with my homemade puff pastry.
7. Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Breasts for Two
I became addicted to the combo of raspberry and chipotle when I had it in a black bean dip at a small Kansas restaurant. This chicken breast recipe captures all of those flavors in one dish.
8. Chicken Francaise
Lightly pan-fried chicken breasts in a lemony pan sauce served over pasta or rice.
9. Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
My all-time favorite meal to bring to someone who just had a baby, or someone who needs help getting dinner on the table. It packs up nicely into an easy-to-deliver package for leaving on porches.
10. How to Roast a Whole Chicken
This is my method for roasting a whole chicken. In a household of two, you'll have plenty of leftover shredded chicken to make more recipes later in the week. This is one of the chicken dinners for two that keeps on giving: make it once and use the leftovers later in the week.
11. Asian-Style Chicken Soup for Two
Leftover roasted chicken (or store-bought shredded rotisserie chicken) make the most amazing ginger chicken soup with cilantro, scallions, and rice noodles. This is the chicken soup I make when I'm sick.
12. Indian Butter Chicken for Two
We eat this Indian Butter Chicken at least once a month; it's addicting and so easy!
13. Instant Pot Butter Chicken
All the delicious flavors of Indian Butter Chicken from above, but made in a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot! Browse all of my Instant Pot Mini recipes.
14. Engagement Chicken Pasta
I took Ina's famous Engagement Chicken and turned it into a creamy pasta dish. This method for melting cream cheese on hot pasta has become my absolutely favorite way to enjoy creamy pasta. SO easy, too!
15. White Chicken Enchiladas
I'm from Texas, so I make a mean pan of enchiladas. True Texans will point out that real enchiladas are made with corn tortillas, not flour, but I like how soft flour tortillas get in the oven. Plus the 2-ingredient sauce on top is the best flavor combo!
16. Rosemary Apple Chicken Burgers for Two
These apple chicken burgers are so fun because I use half of the apple in the burger for moisture, and the other half in the tangy creamy slaw on top! I use a ½ pound of ground chicken to make these burgers, but feel free to double the recipe to make more than 2 burgers.
17. Crustless Chicken Pot Pie
If you're not up for my version of chicken pot pie with a puff pastry lid, then my chicken pot pie filling over toast is just as good. It might be lazy, but it's definitely delicious!
18. Lemon Aioli Chicken Salad (small batch)
This chicken salad with lemon aioli, pistachios and dates is my favorite thing to grab at Whole Foods, and I finally made my own version at home!
19. French Chicken Burgers with French Fries for Two
Along with a recipe for making real French fries at home (that starts in cold oil and only requires ONE fry time, YES I AM FOR REAL), these chicken burgers are punchy with cornichons, Dijon and creamy Brie on top.
20. Easy Chicken Parmesan for Two
Hardly a recipe, more of a method for pounding chicken, coating it and quick-frying it. The jarred pasta sauce and melted mozzarella on top is just a bonus.
21. Graham Cracker Chicken Fingers for Two
It's hard to believe I made this recipe before I had a kid, but these chicken fingers coated in crushed graham crackers are insanely delicious! And so very kid-friendly!
22. Sweet Tea Fried Chicken for Two
Since we're talking about fried chicken, let's really talk about it! Whenever I fry chicken, I like to start it in a sweet tea bath on Friday and fry it on Sunday. Probably the most decadent of the chicken dinners for two here, but so very worth it.
23. Rosemary Lemon Chicken for Two
Another amazing way to use bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. The flavor combo is lemon and rosemary is so classic, and I've always got some rosemary growing in the garden.
24. Apple Cider Glazed Chicken Breasts
The carrots are glazed in apple cider, too, and they cook right in the same pan! This one-pan chicken recipe for two is so simple!
25. Avocado Chicken Salad
Creamy chicken salad made with avocados, and punctuated with bacon, cherry tomatoes, and red onion slivers. The cumin lime dressing is out of this world!
I hope you love these chicken dinners for two!
