My 5 Best Weeknight Chicken Recipes — cooking recipes, healthy foods

In my original video I show five fast, craveable weeknight ideas to turn a pack of boring chicken thighs into something memorable. These cooking recipes, healthy foods are all tested for flavor and speed — each comes together in about 30 minutes and uses small, smart shortcuts so you can cook less and eat better.

Below you'll find step-by-step instructions, ingredient lists, timing tips, and a few substitutions that make these recipes realistic for busy evenings. Use the screenshots to help you visualize key moments.

Step 1: Weeknight Khao Soi (Thai-style coconut chicken noodle soup)

This is a shortcut take on northern Thai khao soi — silky coconut broth, shredded simmered thighs, and soft egg noodles. A perfect one-pot weeknight comfort bowl.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (lightly salted)
• 10g curry powder, 10g turmeric, 5g paprika, 3g coriander, 5g salt
• 30g garlic paste, 30g ginger paste, 15g lemongrass paste (or fresh substitutes)
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, 500g chicken stock, 3 cans full-fat coconut milk
• 30g fish sauce, 20g brown sugar, 15–25g sambal
• 175g dry egg noodles (egg jiu / dumpling noodles)
• To finish: fried wonton strips, shaved red onion, cilantro, pickled mustard greens or sauerkraut

1. Salt the thighs on both sides and let them rest while you make the paste.
2. Mix spices, pastes and lime zest into a paste. Fry in oil over medium-high for 2–3 minutes to remove raw edges.
3. Add stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and sambal. Bring to a simmer and nestle the thighs in. Simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add noodles, cover and cook 8–10 minutes. Remove thighs, shred and chop to spoon-sized pieces, return to pot.
5. Thin broth with a splash of stock if it’s too thick from noodles. Serve with wonton strips, onion, cilantro and pickles.

Tip: tube pastes keep weeknight life easy; if using raw applications, opt for fresh garlic/ginger instead.

Step 2: Fast Orange Chicken & Broccoli

A lighter take on takeout orange chicken — sticky, floral, and bright without the deep-fry heaviness.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 450g chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces; salt
• 250g broccoli, cut into 1½" florets
• Sauce: 125g chicken stock, 50g soy sauce, 10g sesame oil, 75g mirin, 50g sugar
• 15g garlic paste, 15g ginger paste, zest of 1 orange, 75–85g orange juice, 25g rice vinegar, 10g cornstarch
• 75g sliced scallions, sesame seeds and steamed rice to serve

1. Stir-fry broccoli over very high heat with oil and salt for about 2 minutes; remove.
2. Stir-fry salted chicken pieces 4–5 minutes until nicely colored.
3. Add scallions for 60 seconds, then pour the sauce around the hot wok edge so it caramelizes.
4. Boil until the sauce thickens and reduces ~25%, toss broccoli back in, coat and serve over rice with sesame seeds.

Quick wins: high heat = juicy thighs; zest + orange juice gives that floral orange lift without cloying sweetness.

Step 3: Chicken Thigh Al Pastor Tacos

Al pastor flavor in under 30 minutes — broiled thighs glazed with achiote, orange and pineapple, chopped small for tacos that don’t fall apart.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 900g chicken thighs
• Marinade: 50g pineapple, 100g orange juice, 10g chili powder, 2g oregano, 5g cumin, 5g garlic powder
• 30g achiote paste, 25g white vinegar, 20g sugar, 20g salt
• Fresh pineapple planks, corn tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, tomatillo salsa

1. Blend the marinade until smooth and toss the chicken to coat. Marinate briefly or up to overnight.
2. Arrange thighs and pineapple on a foil-lined sheet tray and broil 5–8 minutes per side until glazed and charred (rotate for even browning).
3. Chop chicken and pineapple to ½" pieces (small dice keeps tacos tidy). Optionally toss with pan drippings.
4. Serve on double corn tortillas with onion, cilantro and salsa.

Substitute: no achiote? Two chipotles in adobo work in a pinch. These tacos are smoky, sweet and addictive — chicken is an S-tier carrier for al pastor.

Step 4: Chicken Souvlaki Pita with Tzatziki

Grilled, mustard-forward suvlaki that’s exactly the kind of relaxed, satisfying weeknight dinner you want after a long day — cooling tzatziki and fresh pico finish it off.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 900g chicken thighs, cut into 1.5–2" chunks
• Marinade: 125g olive oil, 15g salt, 30g garlic, 5g oregano, 5g black pepper, 100g Dijon, zest of 2 lemons + juice of 1
• Tzatziki: 150g grated & squeezed cucumber, 200g Greek yogurt, 75g mayo, 1 garlic clove, 5g salt, 5g dill, 15–20g lemon juice
• Pitas, pico or chopped tomato/cucumber mix, pepperoncinis

1. Toss chicken in the marinade, skewer and grill over high heat 12–15 minutes, rotating every ~2 minutes, or broil if needed.
2. Chop grilled chicken to ~½" pieces, pile into warm pita, add generous tzatziki and fresh pico, top with pepperoncinis.

Grill marks + Dijon mustard = comfort without heaviness. This one feels indulgent yet genuinely balanced — perfect after work.

Step 5: Chicken Aloo Vindaloo (quick homestyle version)

Rich, spiced, and seriously satisfying — this vindaloo leans on onion caramelization and a concentrated, reduced gravy. Serve over basmati with a yogurt drizzle.

Ingredients (serves 2–3)

• 450g chicken thighs, cut 1.5"; 2 Yukon gold potatoes, 1" dice
• 1 large onion (grated & drained), ¼ cup oil, 20g garlic paste, 20g ginger paste, 50g tomato paste
• 10g garam masala, 5g cumin, 10g curry powder, 10g paprika, 2g chili flakes (optional)
• 750g chicken stock, 5g salt; basmati rice, yogurt and cilantro to serve

1. Sauté grated onion in oil without salt until caramelized (~5 minutes).
2. Add garlic, ginger and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Stir in spices for 60 seconds.
3. Add stock, bring to a hard boil, then add salted chicken and potatoes. Simmer uncovered 15–18 minutes until potatoes are tender and sauce has reduced.
4. Thin with a splash of stock if gravy becomes too glued. Serve over basmati with thinned Greek yogurt and cilantro.

Technique note: draining onion water before browning makes a huge difference — you need caramelization for depth.

Final thoughts & next steps

These five cooking recipes, healthy foods cover a wide flavor map — Thai coconut, citrus-glazed stir-fry, Mexican al pastor, Greek suvlaki and a punchy vindaloo — and each is built for weeknights. Use tube pastes to save time, keep your cuts uniform for even cooking, and don’t be afraid to broil or grill for big flavor quickly.

If you like small conveniences, I recommend stocking a tube of ginger/garlic paste, a jar of achiote, and a pack of egg jiu noodles — they turn busy nights into reliably great dinners.

One more plug: if you’re chopping a lot, a good chef’s knife changes everything. I use my 8" chef’s knife and recommend getting one that feels right in your hand.

Make one tonight — or work your way through all five over the week. These cooking recipes, healthy foods will keep dinner interesting without turning the stove into a second job.