Like many busy folks with packed schedules, I make a point to prioritize easy dinners—and especially love meals that are light on prep but don't skimp on flavor. Usually, this is some variation of chicken and vegetables, as chicken is wonderfully versatile and can be easily paired with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Below, you'll find my favorite chicken and vegetable recipes—including sheet-pan roasted chicken and crispy braised chicken thighs—that make weeknight cooking feel like a breeze.

Pan-Roasted Chicken With Vegetables and Dijon Jus

Crackling, crispy-skinned chicken and charred tender vegetables, all made in a single skillet? Sign me up. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock to gather up all the tasty browned bits and chicken drippings, then turn it into a rich, flavorful gravy brightened with lemon and Dijon mustard.

Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts

Sheet-pan dinners are easy to prep and clean up, making them a go-to weeknight meal for many people. For a dinner that pops with both color and flavor, pair bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and shallots, then top it all off with a spicy, sweet gochujang mayonnaise.

Sheet-Pan Chicken Thighs With Potatoes, Fennel, and Mustard-Beer Sauce

Juicy chicken thighs, cheesy potato-fennel gratin, and a mustard-beer sauce with just one sheet pan? Yes, it's possible. Arranging the chicken thighs around the baking sheet's perimeter—where the heat is the highest—helps brown and crisp the skin, while also protecting the potatoes and fennel from scorching.

Chicken Souvlaki With Tzatziki Sauce and Greek Salad

A simple zesty vinaigrette works double-duty as both the marinade for the chicken and dressing for the Greek salad, making this a minimal-effort meal. Pile your juicy, char-grilled pieces of chicken onto a pita with fresh vegetables and garlicky tzatziki sauce, and you'll have yourself a Mediterranean feast.

Takeout-Style Kung Pao Chicken (Diced Chicken With Peppers and Peanuts)

Former editor Kenji's spin on kung pao chicken has everything we love about the umami-packed Sichuan classic: tender marinated chicken, crisp peppers and celery, crunchy peanuts, and fiery chiles stir-fried with a sweet-sour-savory sauce. The best part? It takes just 15 minutes to cook.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set

The secret to deeply flavorful chicken rice with ultra-tender chicken? Poaching the chicken until each piece registers the ideal temperature on an instant-read thermometer to keep the meat moist, then using that same poaching liquid and any rendered chicken fat to cook the rice and vegetables. Each bite is infused with rich poultry flavor, making it the ultimate chicken dinner.

Chicken Cacciatore With Red Peppers, Tomato, and Onion

Chicken cacciatore has all the flavor and depth of a slow-cooked dish but is ready in a little over an hour. It's totally doable—even on a weeknight. Using thigh and drumsticks ensures the meat stays tender and juicy, and skipping the flour dredge that some recipes call for lets the bright, fruity flavor of the bell peppers and tomatoes to shine through. For a heartier, earthier take on chicken cacciatore, try this version with mushrooms.

Biryani-Style Roast Chicken

This one-skillet chicken dinner combines everything we love about a gorgeous roast chicken with fluffy basmati rice and a fragrant blend of toasted spices. A generous layering of zucchini, potatoes, and caramelized onion adds texture and makes it a complete meal.

Easy Weeknight Chicken Pot Pie

This easy skillet pot pie takes just about 10 minutes to prep and comes together in a single cast iron skillet, making it a meal that's light on both effort and clean up. It's loaded with vegetables and tender chicken, and topped with a crisp, flaky crust. In other words: It's the ultra-comforting meal we all need.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

For the perfect Buffalo chicken salad, you have to start with the right chicken—in this case, it's boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated with lemon juice and Frank’s Red Hot. A combination of blue cheese dressing and Buffalo sauce evokes the taste of classic Buffalo wings while crisp, fresh vegetables and creamy avocado provide a cooling counterpart to the hot sauce.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Chicken and Tomato Kebabs With Basil Chimichurri

This satisfying weeknight dinner can be prepped in the time it takes to light a chimney of charcoal and preheat the grill. While the grill preheats, you'll marinate the chicken in with garlic, oil, lemon juice and zest, and maple syrup, then make a punchy chimichurri sauce for drizzling over the skewers.

Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải (Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad)

This classic Vietnamese salad is ideal for a light supper on a warm night. The combination of tender shredded chicken, crisp cabbage, sweet carrot, pickled onion, fresh herbs, fried shallots, crunchy peanuts, and aromatic dipping sauce offers a delightful mix of textures and flavors in every bite.

Chicken Salad With Avocado, Corn, and Miso Dressing

Miso paste, mirin, and ginger give a decidedly Japanese twist to traditional chicken salad. Scallions, fresh corn, and creamy avocado take the place of celery, red onion, and mayo while Japanese mustard and shichimi togarashi add a spicy kick to the dressing.

In my fast-paced life as a food stylist and writer, I'm always looking for ways to make meal prep at home more convenient. A few things that have helped dinner get on the table quickly include my nonstick skillet, my spice grinder, and the cutest mini food processor from Cuisinart, which was one of our winners in our review. While tiny, this gadget makes it incredibly easy to get all my food prep done.

Why I Love My Cuisinart Mini Food Processor

I’ve tried in vain to be the type of person who meal preps in advance. So, a mini food processor that chops, blends, purées, and crushes in seconds is a lifesaver after a long day of work on my feet. Instead of spending time breaking down ingredients with multiple knives and cutting boards, I can quickly chop everything with a few pulses. A mini food processor can even blitz hardy ingredients like carrots in seconds.

I also use it to whip up a quick dressing for a salad, blend ginger-garlic paste for my go-to chicken curry recipe, and coarsely chop nuts for granola. When I want something sweet, it’s my go-to for pulverizing crackers or cookies for a crust for key lime or banoffee pie. The reverse function of the blade ensures no chunks are left behind. With only two buttons, chop and grind, it's easy and efficient to use. It’s quick to set up, too: Simply attach the bowl by swiveling it on the base, insert the blade, and put the lid on. 

In addition to being versatile, the Cuisinart Mini Food Processor is also compact by definition. I can easily tuck it away in my small New York City kitchen. Not to mention the bowl is dishwasher-safe, which I love, since the last thing I want to do is spend extra time cleaning multiple dishes at the end of my evening. That said, I hand-wash the blade since the dishwasher can dull it—plus, it takes mere seconds to clean. 

Why We’re The Experts

• Namrata Hegde is a food writer. When she is not creating recipes or cross-testing them, she makes food look pretty for the camera for various brands, editorial publications, and cookbooks.
• She has worked in the food industry for over 10 years in different capacities and is also a passionate home cook. 
• She uses the Cuisinart Mini Food Processor for weeknight food prep.