Midweek meals: Five family-friendly chicken dinners to add to the rotation

Quick, easy and always delicious. If you're struggling for meal inspiration then these are recipes you'll want to have on repeat 

Winner winner chicken dinner

Chicken, cider and bacon traybake

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This is a wonderful example of how bacon can help elevate the taste of the other ingredients in a dish

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 organic skin-on chicken thighs

• 4 thick-cut smoked rashers

• 1 banana shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

• 450ml dry Irish cider

• 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• Butter

• Olive oil

• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.

2. Heat a little olive oil in a large oven proof pan or casserole on medium high. Add the chicken legs to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side so it is brown and crispy on the outside.

3. Remove the chicken to a side plate. Add the bacon to the pan along with the shallot and cook for 3-4 minutes until the bacon crisps up and the shallot softens. Stir the flour into the pan. Gradually pour in the cider, simmering for 4 minutes and then stirring in the mustard.

4. Place the chicken legs back in the pan and place in the oven, baking for 35-40 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and the sauce, bubbling and turning golden. Serve.

Chicken schnitzel with garlic, lemon and parsley butter

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

This super-crispy breaded chicken is made even more delicious with the addition of a garlic and lemon butter sauce.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

• 2eggs

• 4 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)

• 200g panko breadcrumbs

• 125g plain flour

• Salt and pepper

• For the butter sauce:

• 50g butter

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 lemon

• 30g flat leaf parsley

• A little honey

Method

1. Start by preparing your chicken breasts. Turn each one upside down and remove the mini fillet. Put your chicken breast on a chopping board and, with your hand flat on top of it, use a sharp knife to carefully slice into one side of the breast, starting at the thicker end and ending at the thin point. Cut right through the breast to give yourself two roughly even sized portions of breast meat. Place a piece of the chicken between two sheets of baking paper and using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound it gently until it is about 2-3mm thick. Do not get too aggressive with this, you want the meat to be thin, but not bruised or torn. This is what will make your chicken very tender. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts until you have eight portions of flattened chicken breast. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the Dijon mustard and whisk that in well to combine it with the eggs. Set up an assembly line on your worktop with the flour on a large plate, then the egg and mustard mix , the panko breadcrumbs on another plate and a lined or non-stick baking tray big enough for all the chicken portions at the end.

3. Dredge a piece of chicken in the flour, lightly shake off any excess and then dip it in the egg mixture, making sure to coat it evenly. Finally, transfer it to the plate of panko breadcrumbs and cover it well with breadcrumbs, pressing them in gently to make sure the chicken is well covered. Now place it on the baking sheet and repeat until all your chicken pieces are coated. Pop the tray in the fridge for twenty minutes or so.

4. Use this time to prepare your sides, a simple coleslaw of white cabbage, shredded carrot and apple dressed with toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a little honey is fantastic with this chicken schnitzel. You could also make some crispy Hasselback baby potatoes maybe, or just a simple side salad.

5. Start your butter sauce while the chicken is resting in the fridge. Finely chop or grate the garlic. Melt the butter over a high heat until it starts to foam and add the garlic. Turn the heat down to low and cook the garlic for a few minutes. Now add the zest and juice of half a lemon, as well as a good grind of black pepper and take the pan off the heat. Set aside until you are just about to serve.

6. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil and another of butter. When the butter starts to foam, pop in some of your breaded chicken. You will have to cook the chicken in a few batches, depending upon the size of your pan. I generally do three pieces at a time. Cook the chicken on one side for about three minutes until it is golden brown and crispy and then turn it over. Give it another three to four minutes on the other side until it is cooked through and lovely and crispy all over. Remove from the pan and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the chicken. I generally wipe out my pan between batches and add fresh oil and butter for each batch as it makes sure you get a lovely consistent cook for each portion. If you do not do this, you may find that the butter starts to burn, and later batches are not quite so golden and evenly cooked.

7. When all your chicken is cooked through, chop the parsley, warm the garlic and lemon butter a little and add the chopped parsley. Taste the sauce, and if it is a little too sharp for your liking, add a little runny honey to sweeten it and balance out the lemon, I usually add half a teaspoon which works beautifully. Serve the sauce on the side with the schnitzel and some lemon wedges.