16 Best Diced Chicken Recipes [Easy Dinner Ideas]

Delicious diced chicken recipes for easy dinners. Enjoy classics like stir-fry, Kung Pao, teriyaki bites, or one-pot orange chicken.

Diced chicken is an excellent base for many dinners. It cooks quickly and is popular, making it an easy choice for picky eaters. However, it can be easy to get stuck in a dinner rut. If you are looking for fresh ideas on what to do with diced chicken, here are a few suggestions.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Buffalo chicken bites have all the flavors we love about the classic party favourite without the mess or bones. Some people term these ‘boneless’ wings, but really these are delicious pieces of pan-fried diced chicken breast.

Try This Recipe: This buffalo chicken bites recipe boasts a light and crispy coating that perfectly allows the flowing spicy sauce to soak in. Perfectly delicious by themselves, these bites also go great with classic blue cheese ranch sauce or sweet potato fries.

Lo Mein

This Cantonese classic literally means ‘scooped noodles’, whereby cooked noodles are scooped into a wok of wok-fried shredded chicken and vegetables, along with a broth of sesame oil and soy sauce. The final result is a cleaner version of noodle soup that is equal parts sweet and savory.

Try This Recipe: For a quick and easy noodle dinner, this chicken lo mein takes only half an hour from scratch and is loaded with flavor. Diced chicken pieces and egg noodles cooked in oyster sauce, chicken broth, and dark soy sauce. It’s a serious upgrade on standard Chinese takeout.

Stir Fry

A chicken stir-fry is a variation in traditional Chinese cooking techniques that involves cooking food on high heat quickly while stirring it in a wok. Diced chicken works well in stir fry recipes because it cooks faster than whole chicken pieces and is easier to stir.

Chicken stir-fry is easily customizable. You can add vegetables of your choice, serve them with noodles, or ladle it over rice. Add diced chicken and other ingredients to a wok or skillet, cook, then cover with stir-fry sauce.

Try This Recipe: This quick and healthy stir fry only takes 20 minutes to rustle up, making it an ideal weeknight dinner. As well as chicken breast, it contains a soy sauce and sesame oil glaze, broccoli, spinach, and red bell peppers. 

Baked Chicken Bites

Baked chicken bites are a healthy, protein-packed snack or lunch that consists of seasoned diced chicken baked in the oven. Using diced chicken keeps each bite moist and makes the dish easier to serve as a snack or appetizer to large groups.

There are many variations on baked chicken bites, but most start by coating diced chicken in your choice of herbs, spices, and fat. Some recipes call for breading the chicken, but you can also bake the pieces as is. Add to a casserole dish and bake until done.

Try This Recipe: These garlic butter chicken bites add a beautiful layer of zest to your dish. They’re baked in panko breadcrumbs and served alongside lemon asparagus to become a quick appetizer or no-fuss meal.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

For a twist on classic chicken fried rice, swap out the grains for cauliflower rice. The low-carb rice substitute isn’t just healthier but also outrageously quick and easy to make. Skip the store-bought stuff and instead blitz fresh cauliflower florets into rice-size pieces.

Try This Recipe: Made in just 30 minutes from scratch, this chicken cauliflower fried rice is a fuss-free dinner option for when you want quick without compromising on nutrition. Boasting cubed chicken breast, crushed garlic, fresh ginger and fish sauce, this twist on fried rice still boasts the flavors that make this classic Chinese dish so popular.

Salt & Pepper Chicken Thighs

It’s hard to find a better appetizer than salt ‘n’ pepper chicken. Double fried for that dream crunch, this Chinese street food classic has just the right amount of spice. With every bite, you’ll taste the juicy chicken thighs, dry seasoning, and classic Asian marinade.

Try This Recipe: Our salt and pepper chicken boasts shredded chicken thighs infused with soy sauce and sesame oil marinade. We fire them over high heat until golden brown and serve with ginger, chilies, and Chinese five-spice. Easy.

Chicken Tikka Biryani

This combination of chicken tikka masala and biryani might sound unusual, but working basmati rice into the creamy-but-earthy tikka masala works perfectly. It’s easy to make in bulk, and a great way for cooking novices to use cubed chicken together with class Indian spices.

Try This Recipe: This chicken tikka biryani uses a rich tikka marinade to infuse the diced chicken pieces with flavor before bringing it all together in a skillet. If you’ve never made Indian food at home before, this is a great place to start.

Burrito

Burritos are a favorite lunch or dinner dish that you can make with your choice of protein, including diced chicken. Diced chicken works well because the smaller pieces make it easier to add to a wrap and eat on the go.

To make a chicken burrito, start by seasoning the chicken with your choice of spices and searing it. Prepare the other burrito components such as onions, bell peppers, rice, and refried beans. Add all the ingredients to a warmed tortilla, top with melted cheese, and roll into a burrito.

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is a staple of Indian cuisine, and it is even easier to make using an Instant Pot. The small pieces of chicken cook faster and absorb the delicious sauce.

To make Instant Pot butter chicken, turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and add the fat and aromatics. Once the butter is melted and the garlic and onions are translucent, add tomato sauce and spices. Finally, add the chicken and enough water to cover the meat and cook on the poultry setting.

One-Pot Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is a favorite takeout dish in Chinese restaurants, but you can easily replicate this family favorite at home without getting out all of your pots and pans. Using diced chicken ensures that every bite is perfectly coated with sauce.

To make one-pot orange chicken, make the sauce with orange juice, zest, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and other seasonings. Brown the chicken, then cook with onions and garlic. Finish with the sauce.

Bourbon Street Chicken

Bourbon Street Chicken is inspired by the famous New Orleans street and relies on Cajun flavors to make it work. Diced chicken perfectly absorbs the flavorful sauce for a chicken dish that is anything but bland.

To make Bourbon Street chicken, brown the chicken, cook onions and garlic, then cook all the ingredients together until the chicken is done. Make a sauce using soy sauce, light brown sugar, your choice of seasonings, and bourbon (replace with apple juice if you do not want to add alcohol). Coat the chicken in the sauce and serve.

Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps are a great lunch or dinner idea that inspiration from the famous Japanese takeout dish. Teriyaki chicken is traditionally served in small pieces (which does make it easier to eat with chopsticks), so diced chicken is the logical choice.

Start by sautéing the chicken until cooked. You can buy teriyaki sauce or make your own by combining soy sauce, mirin, honey, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch. Coat the chicken in the sauce and place it into a lettuce leaf. You can also make vegetables such as bell peppers and carrots to add to your wraps.

Try This Recipe: A light and quick weekday meal, these chicken teriyaki lettuce wraps are perfect when you need an easy, no-fuss dish. These wraps are filled with a wonderfully crisp and sharp filling, and they are an instant favorite. The recipe is easy to make and only takes 20 minutes to complete.

Caprese Chicken

Caprese chicken uses the traditional flavors of a Caprese salad, including mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. While most recipes call for using whole chicken pieces, using diced chicken absorbs the flavors better and gives you the option of tossing the dish in pasta.

To make Caprese chicken, cook chicken with grape tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This recipe has several variations that use tomato puree instead of whole tomatoes or add other seasonings such as balsamic vinegar. Feel free to play around with Italian flavors.

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

A buffalo chicken wrap is a sweet, spicy lunch or dinner idea. Using diced chicken makes it easier to formulate the wrap and eat it later without getting messy.

Start by marinating the chicken in Buffalo sauce. You can buy the sauce from a store or make your own by combining hot sauce, garlic powder, and vinegar. Sauté the chicken until it is cooked, then add to a tortilla or flatbread along with lettuce, blue cheese, and your choice of fillings. 

Honey Garlic Chicken

Honey garlic chicken is a delicious recipe that combines a sweet and savory sauce to appeal to all tastes. Using diced chicken ensures an even coating of sauce in every bite and cuts down on cooking time as smaller pieces of meat cook quicker.

To make honey garlic chicken, make the sauce by combining honey, garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar. Sear the chicken in the sauce so that the meat absorbs the flavor. Serve with rice or your choice of vegetables.

Poblano Peppers

Poblano peppers are large, green Mexican chili peppers known for their mildly spicy flavor. In Mexican cuisine, they can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients, including chicken. Using diced chicken makes it easier to combine the meat with the other filling ingredients.

For this recipe, start by roasting the peppers. Make the filling by combining chicken with cheese and your choice of seasonings. Stuff the peppers and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.