Sexy Chicken: 12 Recipes to Spice Up Dinnertime!

You know what I’m talking about…say the word chicken at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and a pall falls over the family. B -O -R -I -N -G ! But really, it doesn’t have to be that way. I agree that boneless skinless can be a little dull, but chicken has an amazing ability to reinvent itself. These recipes are proof that chicken can be, well, sexy! They’re colorful,  full of flavor, easy to make, and anything but dull.

My MEYER LEMON ROAST CHICKEN literally glistens in a Limoncello mustard glaze. Those thinly sliced charred lemons are part of the meal, you eat them right along with the chicken and they’ll give you a burst of unexpected flavor in every bite.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON AND MUSTARD makes use of lemons and mustard too, but in a completely different way. The tarragon takes center stage and along with Marsala wine and cream makes an elegant, European style dish. It’s made for candle light.

And then there’s this showy little number…those grill marks are so sassy. POMEGRANATE AND LIME CHICKEN is stupidly easy to throw together, but because of the ingenious combination of ingredients, you’d never peg it for a weeknight meal. The lime wedges and pomegranate seeds add a glamorous touch.

MISO RAMEN WITH SHITAKE AND CHICKEN is proof that even chicken and noodles has an exotic side. This soup is loaded with mixed textures, from the chewy mushrooms and slurpy noddles to crisp baby bok choy and creamy egg. The broth is pure umami.

One of my absolute favorite ways to bring sexy back to the dinner hour is with my SPICY CASHEW CHICKEN, I love this recipe. It’s simple ingredients like chunks of chicken and meaty cashews in a perfectly blended spicy sweet and sour sauce. It’s  a wow.

FIRECRACKER CHICKEN is a dish guaranteed to heat things up — I used all sorts of colorful peppers for this dish, both spicy and sweet, it’s as pretty as it is delicious.

One of my favorite chicken recipes is this Mediterranean inspired CHICKEN WITH LEMON SAUCE AND OLIVES. The flavors are unusual and absolutely fabulous. There is no cream in the luxurious sauce, it’s thickened with egg yolks!

CHICKEN WITH CLEMENTINES is another citrus-y dish from my favorite cookbook of all time, Jerusalem. With ingredients like mustard, fennel, orange juice and brown sugar, you can’t go wrong.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ALLSPICE AND CITRUS is a gorgeous meal that I bet none of your family or friends has ever had before. Make it in mid-winter when citrus fruit is at its height and everybody is craving a little sunshine.

LEMON BUTTERMILK CHICKEN SKEWERS can be made all year round on a stove top grill pan or under the broiler. A buttermilk marinade is the secret to super tender meat.

INA GARTEN’S ROASTED MUSTARD CHICKEN is simply the best. The rustic mustard crumb crust keeps everything crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside.

And finally, perhaps the sexiest of all chicken dishes, my EASY CASSOULET. It has all the bells and whistles of the French classic, in a more user friendly form. If you’re looking for meal to set a romantic tone, this is it!