On our busiest nights, we can pretty much guarantee we’re doing two things to make sure that dinner gets on the table. First, we’re serving chicken. (We know, it’s been done. But it’s also healthy, affordable and everyone likes it.) And second, we’re making a “dump dinner”—throwing everything into a pot, a pan, a slow cooker or an Instant Pot, and walking away until it’s done. Here are 17 of our go-to recipes for busy nights.
17 Chicken Dump Dinners That Are Easier Than Heating Up a Frozen Pizza
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Published Apr 24, 2019
1. Slow-cooker Chicken And Sweet Potato Curry
This one is fantastic for a night when you really have no time—the ingredients are all assembled in advance and stored in the freezer. All you have to do is turn on the slow cooker and voilà—you’re coming home to a creamy, comforting meal.
2. Slow-cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Our five favorite words? “Ten minutes of prep time.” We love serving this dish with sliced avocado and plenty of crunchy tortilla chips.
3. One-pan Roasted Chicken With Carrots
When you don’t have time to fuss over dinner, you definitely don’t have time to worry about a pile of dishes. This easy dinner cooks together on one pan, making cleanup a snap.
4. Slow-cooker Chicken Stroganoff
This super-comforting casserole tastes just like the one Mom used to make (right down to the can of cream of mushroom soup). But thanks to the slow cooker, it doesn’t have to take all day.
5. Slow-cooker Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken
We like to think of every day as Taco Tuesday. Especially when these spicy-sweet chicken tacos are on the menu.
6. Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Souvlaki And Potatoes
We love the bold Greek flavors here (feta, fresh lemon slices and plenty of oregano make all the difference). Serve with warm pita and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
7. Slow-cooker Creole Chicken And Sausage
Make sure to throw on some Mardi Gras beads to eat this spicy, savory stew. We love it over steamed rice but also have been known to eat it straight from the pot (no judgement).
8. Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls
No need to stop off for Mexican takeout on the way home. These burrito bowls are faster, healthier and totally customizable (and guac is never extra in our kitchen).
9. Slow-cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Nothing beats a cold better than a bowl of homemade chicken soup. But what do you do when you’re too sick to make it? This version is easy enough for even the sniffliest days.
10. Keto Sheet-pan Chicken And Rainbow Veggies
You don’t have to follow the keto diet to appreciate this mix of glazed chicken breasts and a colorful array of veggies. And aside from a bit of chopping, the oven does all the work.
11. Slow-cooker Chicken And Wild Rice Soup
Coterie member Maria Lichty knows that the way to our hearts is with a hearty, belly-warming soup. With plenty of carrots, wild rice and shredded chicken, this one definitely fits the bill.
12. Slow-cooker Chicken Chili
We love that everyone in the family can add their favorite toppings (we recommend sour cream, avocado slices and extra hot sauce).
13. Slow-cooker Pulled Chicken
We always think of slow cookers as cold-weather appliances (ideal for soups and stews). But they’re actually great for summer cookouts, too—especially this crazy-easy recipe for barbecue chicken sandwiches.
14. Two-ingredient Salsa Chicken (instant Pot Or Slow Cooker)
We love making this ridiculously simple chicken as a part of our meal prep routine, or wrapped in tortillas for a quick dinner. (Sometimes, anything more than two ingredients is just too complicated.)
15. Slow-cooker Chicken Teriyaki
Fact: We’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like chicken teriyaki. And with the help of your slow cooker, it can be on the table minutes after you walk in the door. We call that a win.
16. Instant-pot Chicken Congee
We don’t really think of congee (aka savory Chinese rice porridge) as being a 15-minute, hands-off kind of dinner. But thanks to the magical Instant Pot, we’ve been proven wrong yet again.
17. Hawaiian Chicken Sheet-pan Supper
We know that pineapple on pizza can be a bit, um, controversial? But pineapple and chicken (with plenty of fresh, crunchy veggies) should be a no-brainer.