Shabbat dinner doesn’t have to involve chicken, but the very best ones do. No matter how we mix up our menus, we always find ourselves coming back to this delicious, comforting, thrifty ingredient. Which is why, over the years, The Nosher has built an extensive, varied archive of chicken recipes.
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Here, you’ll find 26 of our best Shabbat chicken dishes for every mood, season and level of culinary skill — whether you’re looking to keep it simple with one-pan chicken and potatoes, celebrate with Persian fensenjan or turn up the heat with za’atar fried chicken.
1.
Too good to save for the High Holidays, this apple-forward recipe (fresh apples! Apple cider! Apple cider vinegar!) yields the most tender chicken.
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2.
Roast chicken for when you’re in a rush. A comforting, flavorful Friday night dinner in one roasting pan.
3.
A one-pot wonder brimming with old world nostalgia. Use whatever kind of paprika you like and serve over spaetzle.
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4.
Ready in under an hour, this smoky, briney one-pot meal is way more than the sum of its parts.
5.
Sticky, savory, juicy perfection. This time-adjacent dish is great for Rosh Hashanah, too.
6.
If you love a succulent roast, look no further. And you still get the crisp from both the bronze skin and the croutons. Win-win.
7.
“A one-skillet chicken for the soul.” Tastes like chicken soup, but better.
8.
There’s a reason this is the go-to Shabbat chicken for Seattle Jews. All the flavor and char of the iconic dish achieved on one sheet pan.
9.
Spatchcok chicken = the best chicken. This simple recipe is mind-blowingly delicious.
10.
Grandma-style comfort food in a fraction of the time. A cozy dish made for cold winter nights.
11.
Treat your kids (or yourself) with this naughty, extra-crispy schnitzel.
12.
Minimal work, huge payoff; this is roast chicken with extra “oomph.”
13.
Filling and fragrant, make sure you have bread on hand to mop up all that sauce. We only have one question: What will you eat first, the chicken or the egg?
14.
Tender yet crispy, zesty yet sweet, your Shabbat table needs this super easy recipe.
15.
Creamy with coconut milk and aromatic with ginger and garlic, we regularly dream about this chicken recipe from the Jewish community of Cochin.
16.
A celebratory chicken stew flavored with walnuts, lime and pomegranate juice that is truly a party in your mouth.
17.
This one-pot rice pilaf keeps it cheap and cheerful with chicken thighs, jazzed up with fragrant spices and aromatics.
18.
Everything you want in a wing: crispy, spicy, sweet and tangy. We won’t blame you if you end up eating the entire batch yourself, in one sitting.
19.
This overnight Iraqi Shabbat dish yields fall-off-the-bone chicken and soft, schmaltzy, spiced rice. Prepare for your entire house to smell incredible.
20.
A Jewish take on chicken and dumplings, this hearty, riffable dish proves that matzah balls aren’t just for soup.
21.
This one-pot chicken and rice dish is loaded with fresh herbs and is ready in under an hour. Perfect for summer days when you don’t want to linger over the stove.
22.
Sweet, tart and delicately spiced, this easy recipe is a crowd-pleaser. (Bookmark this one for Rosh Hashanah!)
23.
Chicken thighs are treated like the culinary stars they are in this recipe, bathed in herbs, citrus and spices.
24.
If “spicy thyme honey” hasn’t convinced you to make this recipe immediately you might be beyond hope. Fried chicken simply doesn’t get better than this.
25.
This nostalgic Ashkenazi classic pays homage to underrated chicken parts, like wings and gizzards. Bulked out with beef meatballs and potatoes, this will lull you into a peaceful Shabbat slumber.
26.
There’s a time and a place for fancy-schmancy chicken, and there’s a (more comforting, cozy) place for this simple chicken-and-potato dish from Jerusalem. As golden as the city itself.