Simple and Delicious Ways to Transform Chicken Breast Into Dinner Tonight

It's the most popular part of a chicken, the original white meat, and the subject of a zillion recipe searches come dinnertime. But look no further, superfans: With easy, inspired techniques that ensure it stays tender and juicy, these fresh recipes take America's favorite entrée to delicious new heights.

Where do you start when every recipe is a winner? We vote you go with the Hacked Chipotle-Chicken-Salad Sandwiches that's pictured here. Like all the recipes in this collection, we've honed our recipe for stellar results. It all starts with poaching the chicken breast meat, which almost always means submerging a protein in hot water. But that shocks (and toughens) the chicken, so we prefer to start cold, slowly warming the breast and liquid together so the meat stays silky. Our second trick is hacking (or loosely chopping) the meat, to create jagged shapes that grab onto one another and don't let go when mixed in a divine dressing of mayo, smoky chipotle, and fresh cilantro. These simple tweaks mean you end up with a truly irresistible sandwich every single time. An added bonus? The chicken salad can be made ahead!

Our attention to detail goes as far as outlining the best way to build your chicken salad sandwich. Deputy food editor Greg Lofts, who created the recipes in this collection, says: "Sandwich architecture is important. I put the lettuce on the bottom, which cups around the chicken salad in an embrace, then add radish chips, and then sliced avocado—it makes for better structural integrity."

If you love one-pot chicken dinners as much as we do, then you won't want to miss out on our latest recipe. Inspired by roast chicken, this faster take uses bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and cooks them over vegetables and bread cubes. The result is a deconstructed stuffing that's the perfect partner for the roasted chicken breasts. Turning our attention to chicken tenders, there's a marvelous recipe for moist and flavorful chicken skewers. It's a fork-free meal that will thrill the kids, and the kid in you.

If there was ever any doubt, this collection proves that chicken breasts are popular for good reason.

Skillet Chicken with Leeks and Carrots

What's not to love about a whole roasted chicken? Well, it does take more than hour in the oven. We've adapted the fall favorite for warmer weather by using bone-in breasts to cut the cook time in half, and placed on a bed of leeks, carrots, and bread cubes to soak up the meat's flavorful juices. It's like a deconstructed stuffing and turns this single-skillet meal into a special occasion.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Dipping Sauces

Chicken tenders grill quickly—almost too quickly (blink and they're suddenly dry and chewy). Not on these skewers, though, which benefit from a buttermilk brine and a blanket of bacon. Serve them with a choice of two dipping sauces: a creamy Buttermilk-Scallion Ranch and a Spicy Romesco Sauce that's also a touch sweet. Both sauces also pair nicely with crudités.

Chicken Schnitzel with Dill and Sesame

All the delicious crunch of fried chicken with less mess, that's exactly what you get from schnitzel. Pounding the breasts into thin cutlets helps them cook in a flash in a shallow layer of sizzling-hot oil, so in just a few minutes a side, they're done. Serve the dish with a lemony Watercress-Apple Relish for a bright, peppery counterpoint.

Kung Pao Chicken

This popular chicken breast dish is not the usual stir fry. Rather than high heat, it calls for for more of a steam-sauté in a covered pan which keeps the chicken breast moist. Raw peanuts are a meaty counterpoint to the chicken, while charred dried chiles and Sichuan peppercorns add a tingle of heat.

Chicken Cordon-Bleu Roll-Ups

The iconic combination of chicken, salty ham, and gooey Swiss, all mingling in a breaded, fried exterior, is like the Beatles: Each part is great alone, but together they're incredible. We refined the classic cordon bleu, putting in prosciutto for the regular ham and tangy goat cheese for the Swiss, and rolling the filling in pounded cutlets instead of stuffing whole breasts. This guarantees a taste of everything in each bite—and no lonely, overcooked ends.