Quick and Easy 15 Minute Chicken Stir-Fry [+ Video]

Looking for quick dinner ideas for tonight but only have 15 minutes to whip together a fresh but easy meal? Try our quick and easy 15-minute chicken stir-fry and ditch the grilled cheese.

I always thought that life was busy with kids and that it would slow down a little once they were in school and I was alone at home to get things done. I laugh out loud at my naive self. You don’t get more done with kids in school, you become a taxi, a tutor, a teacher, a maid, a lunch lady, a soccer mom, a shopper, an errand runner, a project planner, a nurse (because heaven knows once they start school they bring home every germ in the world) — and the list only goes on and on. But this Quick and Easy 15-Minute Chicken Stir Fry recipe is totally attainable even with all of that work.

Creating This Quick Dinner Recipe

Between packing and unpacking lunches and backpacks and making sure everyone gets out the door on time with all homework finished, there isn’t a lot of time left for meal planning. And we know you’re in the same boat as us.

I thought I made quick and easy dinners before, but we’ve stepped up our game. Who’s got time for a 30-minute meal on a day when 3 kids have to be in 3 different places all over town between 4-4:30?!

Cade called to see if I needed anything from the store, and when I told him a super quick dinner idea I could make before the girls had dance he showed up with Yakisoba noodles he found in the produce department and that only require a quick rinse in warm water to eat, and all the veggies for a chicken stir-fry.

He rinsed the noodles and chopped the broccolini and peppers. I opened the matchstick carrots, the pre-sliced package of crimini mushrooms, and cut the baby bok choy open. Two minutes was all it took, and I bet you could find a package of stir fry-veggies that would cut back on your prep time even more. 

In a measuring cup, we threw together a little sauce for it all and opened up a package of already cubed chicken from the meat department (which does cost more, so next time we will just use our own. But hey, convenience on a night like that was important). 

What’s in This Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe? 

For this quick and easy dinner recipe, you’ll need: 

• Cubed skinless chicken breasts
• Yakisoba noodles
• Cooking oil
• Your favorite stir-fry vegetables (I’ve shared ours in the recipe card below)

We opted to make a quick homemade s

Easy Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Save this recipe for easy baked boneless skinless chicken thighs for a quick chicken dinner recipe ready in just 30 minutes!

This easy chicken thighs recipe is for those busy evenings when dinner would just be far too much work and the whole family is pacing the kitchen for food.

Chicken thighs are affordable, full of flavor, foolproof, and always end up juicy! And this recipe is so versatile, it can be served with just about anything! We will give you some suggestions down below.

Easy Dinners

I remember as a kid my mom would occasionally bust out a very easy dinner, which looking back now I know that meant she was probably exhausted from being our mom, but back then I thought she was just being awesome. Easy dinners would range from sausage links and Grandma’s Czech fried potatoes (you MUST make them), or baked bbq chicken to things as easy as hot dogs and mac n cheese in that big silver pot, chicken nuggets or even fruit and toast. Yes, this easy baked chicken thighs post is actually going to be all about the fruit and toast thing.

You see, fruit and toast was actually a favorite Saturday night dinner at our house growing up. Our family had 5 kids, 2 bunnies, a cat, and later a dog. Which is hilarious if you know me now. Anyway, Mom would be so busy and by the time Saturday hit dinner was the last thing she wanted to worry about.

All summer she had worked hard to bottle (can) fruit for us and we loved busting out a can of raspberries and some hot, buttered toast. Now that I’m the mom I’ve tried to do the same, but Cade will not have it. “Fruit and a piece of toast is not dinner. I’ll be starving!” has been heard coming from Cade’s mouth. He would much rather go out to eat, but I grew up in a home where we NEVER went out to eat. Or at least rarely. So I would rather stay in.

I’ve given up on fruit and toast but I still keep things simple like baking a few chicken thighs and serving them with a side of fruit or fresh cut veggies, which Cade does because heaven knows that’s just far too much work for a Saturday. Am I right?

Ingredients for Baked Chicken Thighs

• Chicken Thighs: boneless, skinless
• Olive Oil: helps stick the dry rub to the chicken and keeps the chicken from sticking to the pan
• Dry Rub: Kosher Salt, Smoked Paprika, Ground Mustard, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Ground Cumin, Italian Seasoning
• Red Onion: adds a little pop of flavor and texture

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Are Chicken Thighs Considered Lean Meat?

Some people prefer the taste of dark meat over white meat and consider it to be more tender and flavorful. They are considered to be a good source of lean protein.

Cade’s Chicken Gyros

For Cade’s chicken gyros, the chicken is marinated in a tangy yogurt sauce loaded with garlic, lemon, fresh herbs and spices. Then it is baked and piled into soft pita bread and topped with veggies, feta and creamy tzatziki sauce!

Alright, so Cade has reentered the kitchen and I’m beyond thrilled because he knocked this one out of the park!! I cannot get enough of the juicy, succulent chicken and I’m just sure we can find more uses for it than just gyros. Scroll down to see some of my ideas.

How to Pronounce Gyros

Let’s start with how NOT to say “gyros”…basically don’t say it how it looks! It is not pronounced jai-rohs. Though I’m sure everyone would know what you were ordering if you did say it that way. The correct way to pronounce “gyros” is yee-rohs.

What is a Greek Gyro?

A gyro is sandwich typically made with either lamb, pork, beef or chicken (or some combination of the those) on pita bread topped with tomato, red onion, lettuce and tzatziki sauce. It’s eaten like a wrap. It makes a great lunch or dinner.

Ingredients for Chicken Gyros

Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need for this gyro recipe. The measurements of each can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Chicken Thighs: You want them to be boneless and skinless and chicken breasts also work fine. Chicken thighs just tend to have more flavor.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: adds flavor to the marinade and helps tenderize the meat. It also makes the marinade thick so it sticks to the chicken when you bake it.
• Garlic: the purpose for garlic is always to add flavor and you’ll want a lot of it in this recipe!
• Olive Oil: adds richness to the marinade and also helps it not stick when baking
• White Wine Vinegar: adds tanginess and flavor
• Lemons: fresh is a must and you’ll want the juice and zest for maximum flavor
• Oregano: fresh is definitely preferred here, if you have to use dried then use 1 teaspoon
• Parsley: same story as the oregano
• Herbs de Provence: Italian seasoning also works too, and this is a dried herb blend
• Salt: adds flavor
• Smoked Paprika: adds a delicious smokiness to the chicken
• Black Pepper: adds flavor and a little heat
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: use as much or as little as you want for the heat on the chicken

For the Gyros:

• Small Campari Tomatoes: You could use type of tomato you want but I love the size and flavor of the campari tomatoes!
• Red Onion: slice them super thin, they add so much flavor and beautiful color to the gyros
• Parsley: adds a delicious pop of freshness to the finished gyro
• Pita Flatbreads: you can buy these at the groce

Healthy Greek Turkey or Chicken Tostadas

We are stealing tostadas from Mexican cuisine and piling them high with Greek-inspired toppings for the most delicious Greek turkey or chicken tostadas!

I’ve never been to Greece, but I picture it to be perfection. I don’t eat seafood much, so that part may be difficult. I just keep picturing a beautiful, light and breezy room that looks out over the most serene water with a stunning sunset and relaxation all around. My goodness we want to visit.

I wish someone would just plan a trip for us. Tell us where to go, what to see and especially what to eat. I’m bound and determined to make it happen. It’s a dream I can’t let go of. In the meantime I’ll keep making these healthy Greek turkey tostadas with lemon tzatziki sauce.

Recommended Equipment

• Tomato Knife
• Meat Chopper

Before You Start…

I like to start this recipe by making the tzatziki sauce! The flavor really elevates if you make it and let it sit for an hour or so.

You’ll also want to roast the chickpeas by tossing them with some olive oil, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and some canned grated parmesan cheese. Roast them at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes on a baking sheet.

What is a Tostada?

A tostada is basically an open faced taco where a crunchy corn tortilla is piled high with all the typical taco toppings. In this case, we are swapping out the ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream for ground turkey, feta, spinach, cucumbers and tzatziki.

Ingredients for Greek Tostadas

At first glance this may look like a lot of ingredients, but most of the ingredients are toppings and you can pile your tostada with as much or as little toppings as you want. Here is what you will need:

Tomato Cucumber Salsa

• Olive Oil: combined with the vinegar, this creates a simple dressing to amp up the flavor of the cucumber and tomatoes
• Red Wine Vinegar: combines with the oil to create the dressing
• Cucumber: I like to use English cucumbers so I don’t have to worry about peeling or seeding them.
• Tomatoes: you can use grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or dice up some roma tomatoes
• Olives: I just diced up a few black olives, but you could definitely go more Greek and use kalamata olives you want.
• Salt and Pepper: just adds a little flavor boost

Chicken or Turkey

• Chicken Thighs: you can use the marinade for the chicken souvlaki if you want or just brown ground chicken thighs or ground turkey
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Mexican Chicken Burrito Bowl

This Mexican chicken burrito bowl starts with delicious cilantro lime rice topped with our sticky Mexican chicken and then pile on all the toppings! I’m here for allllll the toppings — corn, peppers, onions, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and avocado cilantro lime dressing! Drooling!

For some reason, I’m bowl obsessed. There’s something about all the flavors and textures that makes me all giddy. It just feels so exciting to me! It’s also a family-friendly, affordable, healthy and easy weeknight meal.

What is a Burrito Bowl?

It seems like Chipotle was the restaurant to make the burrito bowl popular, but now you can find them almost everywhere. A burrito bowl is basically the filling of a burrito put into a bowl instead of wrapped in a tortilla. They are lower in carbs without the tortilla making them quite popular and also gluten free. And they are so versatile, you can make them exactly how you want them.

Ingredients for a Chicken Burrito Bowl

This recipe is a little different than our usual recipes because you start with three of our other favorite recipes to assemble a whole bowl. I will briefly describe each of those recipes (head to those individual posts for the full recipes). and then finish off with the ingredients to make these burrito bowls.

Cilantro Lime Rice

• Ingredients: rice, water, unsalted butter, chicken bouillon, garlic, cilantro, lime, and green chiles
• Time: 25 minutes
• PRO TIP: This is a copycat recipe for the rice served at Cafe Rio. It’s so easy to make at home!

Sticky Mexican Chicken

• Ingredients: chicken breasts, taco seasoning, olive oil, green onions, honey, and lime juice
• Time: 10 minutes
• PRO TIP: You only need 6 ingredients for this simple recipe, and the flavor is phenomenal!

Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

• Ingredients: avocado, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, tomatillo, garlic, apple cider vinegar, honey, coriander, olive oil, Kosher salt, and water
• Time: 5 minutes
• PRO TIP: Can be made up to a day ahead of time. The flavor actually gets better if it sits for a few hours before serving.

Toppings

• Greens: feel free to choose whatever is your favorite — mixed greens, all romaine lettuce or green leaf
• Corn: fresh corn on the cob with the kernels sliced off is best, but you can also use frozen corn if needed, adds sweetness and crunch
• Red and Orange Bell Peppers: seeds removed and diced, adds flavor, color and texture
• Red Onion: adds flavor, color and texture
• Jalapeno: adds heat and flavor
• Avocado: adds a creaminess and healthy fat
• Cherry Tomatoes: adds brightness, col