Hundreds of home cooks entered our Chicken Tonight contest. These 12 are the winner-winner chicken dinners.
Presenting the Winners from Our Chicken Tonight Contest
Updated on Oct. 18, 2023
1/12
Grand Prize: Sweet and Spicy Chicken with Pumpkin Waffles
Total Time
1 hour 10 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Whether you’re indulging for brunch or dinner, these chicken and waffles do it all. The Sriracha syrup adds a special touch, but maple syrup would do the trick too. —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Nutrition Facts:
2 chicken tenders with 1 waffle and about 1 tablespoon syrup: 547 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 115mg cholesterol, 1325mg sodium, 70g carbohydrate (49g sugars, 2g fiber), 37g protein.
Check out our contest page to learn more about our contests and submit your own recipes for consideration.
2/12
1st Place: Lemon Basil Chicken Salad
Total Time
15 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This 15-minute Chicken Salad Chick copycat recipe has become one of my very favorite meals. But it needn’t even be a meal! The chicken salad is so scrumptious on crackers or as the dip on a crudite platter. —Laura Wilhelm, West Hollywood, California
Nutrition Facts:
2/3 cup: 362 calories, 22g fat (4g saturated fat), 89mg cholesterol, 766mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 2g fiber), 36g protein.
3/12
2nd Place: Mediterranean Braised Chicken Thighs
Total Time
45 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This chicken and artichoke dish was inspired by a-once-in-a-lifetime trip to Santorini for my parents’ 40th anniversary. It’s cooked in a big skillet until the chicken basically falls of the bone and all the flavors meld together into a sauce that will literally have you spooning into your mouth. It’s really a showstopper! —Grace Vallo, Salem, New Hampshire
Nutrition Facts:
1 chicken thigh with 1/3 cup artichoke mixture: 378 calories, 26g fat (7g saturated fat), 91mg cholesterol, 551mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 25g protein.
4/12
3rd Place: Cranberry-Orange Chicken Risotto
Total Time
45 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This pressure-cooker chicken risotto is impressive enough to be on a restaurant menu. The ingredients are comforting and make for a super filling dinner at home. —Christiane Smith-Lafarier, Leominster, Massachusetts
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 518 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated fat), 102mg cholesterol, 474mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 3g fiber), 32g protein.
5/12
Most Innovative: Guacamole Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Total Time
20 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Inspired by a local restaurant’s truly inventive guacamole studded with pomegranate seeds, this chicken salad recipe is extremely simple to make since rotisserie chicken is used. I serve this salad on homemade tomato bread, which lends a delightful contrast in flavor and color, or on lettuce leaves. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma
Nutrition Facts:
1 sandwich: 295 calories, 12g fat (2g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 370mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 6g fiber), 19g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat, 2 fat.
6/12
Runner-Up: Arroz Verde con Pollo
Total Time
1 hour 25 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This Peruvian-style recipe is hands-off and surprisingly family-friendly—even my 16-month-old son loves it. Want it spicier? Use jalapenos instead of poblanos. —Libby Kast, Madison, Wisconsin
Nutrition Facts:
1 chicken thigh with 1 cup rice: 507 calories, 18g fat (5g saturated fat), 80mg cholesterol, 628mg sodium, 55g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 30g protein.
7/12
Runner-Up: Basil Chicken with Smoked Tomato Jam
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I grow my own herbs and veggies in the summer, and when they are at peak, I incorporate them into my recipes. This is one I developed using fresh basil, parsley and tomatoes when they were at their best and ripest. —Sheryl Little, Cabot, Arkansas
Nutrition Facts:
1 stuffed chicken breast with 2 tablespoons jam: 396 calories, 20g fat (8g saturated fat), 128mg cholesterol, 543mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 2g fiber), 38g protein.
8/12
Runner-Up: Chicken and Cashew Steamed Buns
Total Time
50 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Steamed buns are a great snack or starter. Cook them in batches so the steamer is not overcrowded; they will puff slightly as they cook. Serve them with hoisin or soy sauce for dipping. —Greg Fontenot, The Woodlands, Texas
Nutrition Facts:
1 steamed bun: 132 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 13mg cholesterol, 155mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.
9/12
Runner-Up: Mighty Nice Curried Chicken with Rice
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This was one of the first chicken recipes I prepared for my husband more than 54 years ago. His exclamation? “Mighty nice!” That’s how it got its name. Sometimes I add extra broth to make more of the yummy sauce. —Kay Stansberry, Athens, Tennessee
Nutrition Facts:
7 ounces cooked chicken with 1-1/2 cups sauce: 657 calories, 39g fat (15g saturated fat), 187mg cholesterol, 1210mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (13g sugars, 4g fiber), 52g protein.
10/12
Runner-Up: Sweet and Hot Chicken with Dill Pickle Sauce
Total Time
1 hour 5 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This is my low-carb version of Nashville hot chicken. We try to cut carbs as much as possible, so the fried breaded version and the sandwich version of this dish were out. Instead, I make a baked rendition with the same delicious flavors. This is also amazing made with chicken tenders and served in wraps. —Fay A. Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas
Nutrition Facts:
1 chicken thigh with 2 tablespoons pickle sauce: 350 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated fat), 106mg cholesterol, 484mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 1g fiber), 23g protein.
11/12
Runner-Up: Three-Cup Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Total Time
50 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This recipe combines my Chinese roots with the southern-style fried chicken I’ve eaten over the past few years in Oklahoma. Three-cup chicken gets its name from the quintessential ingredients: soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil. —Edward Chiu, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Nutrition Facts:
1 cup: 456 calories, 22g fat (4g saturated fat), 76mg cholesterol, 775mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (14g sugars, 1g fiber), 25g protein.
12/12
Runner-Up: Twice-Cooked Fried Chicken
Total Time
3 hours 55 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Fried chicken is my favorite food, so it’s no surprise that I’ve tried dozens of recipes looking for the perfect batch. This recipe is the result of my mission to create my own foolproof rendition. —Audrey Alfaro, Rapid City, South Dakota
Nutrition Facts:
5 ounces cooked chicken: 571 calories, 44g fat (7g saturated fat), 105mg cholesterol, 524mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 0 fiber), 35g protein.
