50 Chicken Recipes for Kids That They’ll Actually Like

The combination of savory and sweet will secure this one-dish meal a part of the weekly rotation.

When in doubt, put everything in a muffin tin and bake it. The shape is a guaranteed hit with the pre-K set.

Ahh, tenders. We’re not kids anymore, but we’ll still happily eat them for dinner, especially when they’re baked instead of fried.

Noodles + pesto + tender, savory meatballs = a match made in little kid heaven.

They’ll be hooked at the first mention of ranch.

And the award for cutest lunch goes to…

It’s a classic for good reason, but with a modern update. Read: It takes 35 minutes from start to finish and comes together in a single saucepan.

If they can wrap their little fingers around their meal, all the better.

Extra crispy and stuffed with mozzarella? Yep, this has Friday dinner written all over it.

The key to a kid’s heart is breaded and bite-size with marinara for dipping.

Paprika is just spicy enough to add intrigue without scaring anyone away. Serve this with roasted broccoli and you’re golden.

We paired this sticky chicken with cauliflower rice and broccolini, but you can mix up the sides to please their palate.

It’s kind of like macaroni and cheese with chicken and spinach. What’s not to love?

Tortillas get filled with chicken and cheese, then fried until they’re crispy. Pass the sour cream.

Pile on the freshly grated Parmesan and serve it with toasted bread for a real dinnertime hit. (And hey, you hardly had to lift a finger.)

They can’t have nuggets with honey mustard every night, but this tastes close enough to satisfy their developing taste buds.

You’ll feel good about serving a lightened-up chicken salad, and they’ll think you’re a genius for putting it in bell pepper boats. Win-win.

Since standing at the stove is not happening on a Tuesday night, move the entire production to the oven. In 35 minutes, dinner is done.

Breaded chicken is fine…but garlic breaded chicken is so much better.

Short on time? Enter the stir-fry. This one takes 20 minutes tops and is way healthier than ordering takeout.

The chicken gets brushed with pesto and topped with cheese before baking until bubbly. Need we say more?

Honey, we shrunk the sandwiches. (And no one is mad about it at all.)

Skip the whole sauce-on-the-side business and glaze the tenders in it from the get-go.

By adding creamy avocado to an already kid-friendly classic, you can ease up on the mayo while simultaneously winning the award for coolest parent.

We can’t deny the power of a chicken nugget. But we can make them a little more nutritious by coating them in quinoa and skipping the deep fryer.

Plop some warm tortillas on the table and let them go to town.

Just like your mom used to make, except *so* much easier.

The smaller and more portable, the better.

If you’re thinking, No way will my kid eat that, think again. The gochujang is similar enough to ketchup that they’ll be all over it.

Even better than a dinner your kid won’t turn up her nose at is one that requires minimal cooking time and cleanup.

It’s sweet, saucy and actually pretty healthy. (Not today, takeout. Not today.)

Give us a skillet and we’ll make you a dinner you can’t refuse.

The hardest thing you’ll have to do is make the rice.

They don’t like toppings? Leave ’em off.

Pick a mild buffalo sauce if you’re dealing with sensitive palates. Just don’t forget the dressing for dipping (or the napkins).

Aside from being low-maintenance to make, this one freezes beautifully. Last-minute dinner, done.

Risotto? On a weeknight?? You bet—just let your oven do the hard work.

If you’re worried about spice level, make the green chilis optional.

No one is immune to dreamy, pillowy, potato-y gnocchi. Not even picky kids.

These babies work as a side dish, but they also make a mean main course. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

Someone at the table doesn’t like sauce? No problem. Keep it for yourself and thank us later.

This one goes with anything and everything.

Lunchmeat doesn’t know what’s coming.

Once everything’s cooked, you can toss the foil. Look ma, no dishes!

The entire family will be instantly hooked when you dish up this one. Pretend it was so much work.

The stickier and sweeter the sauce, the better.

These tacos have a secret: They get wrapped up before being fried, so nothing falls out when you go for a bite.

Meatballs are already hard to resist. Add a buttery, creamy tomato sauce for a complete home run.

File this one under “how to get kids to eat Brussels sprouts.” (It’s all about that glaze.)

Thanks to rotisserie chicken, these lunchtime heroes take 20 minutes to make. Who’s the greatest of all time? You are.