Ah, the boneless chicken breast: so healthy, so light, so versatile … so boring. Are we right? Like so many of life’s little essentials, that bagful of frozen chicken breasts that you haul out of your local warehouse club every time you go to stock up on laundry soap and kitty litter can seem as necessary to your weeknight dinner plans as it is uninspired. It’s about as exciting as picking up a jumbo pack of sweat socks.

 

But what if we switch up how we think about this workaday dinner staple? Instead of comparing the lowly boneless chicken breast to, say, a mild-mannered tax accountant, what if we thought of it instead, in all its intriguing versatility, as something of a world traveler, the culinary equivalent to the fabled international man of mystery? Think that’s silly? Well, maybe not after you taste how our fine unfeathered friend seems so entirely at home in a cheesy Welsh rarebit, only to jet further south and simmer deliciously in a West African stew. Or what about the virtual merengue of flavors that fairly burst forth from a simple tequila-and-lime grilled chicken? Mild-mannered? Hardly.

 

Here are 10 globe-trotting boneless chicken breast recipes to add some international spice to your weeknight dinners — no passport required.

 

 

England

Welsh Rarebit with Chicken

The creamy mustard-and-cheddar sauce of this classic rarebit makes for a savory accompaniment to chopped boneless chicken breasts.

 

 

 

 

France

Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

A slow-cooker take on the traditional French comfort-food classic: c’est magnifique!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italy

Lemon Chicken Scaloppini

Pounding the chicken breasts thin and dredging them in flour allows them to soak up the light, bright Mediterranean flavors of lemons and capers.

 

 

 

 

 

Middle East

Golden Chicken and Chickpea Couscous

Here chicken is soaked in a cumin-and-curry spiced-yogurt marinade, which makes the meat a wonderfully tender and succulent pairing for the couscous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine

Chicken Kiev

Thinly pounded chicken breasts are wrapped around a simple stuffing of butter and green onion, and then fried until they’re a deep golden brown — warm comfort on those cold Ukrainian nights.

 

 

 

 

West Africa

West African Peanut-Chicken Stew

The pairing of peanuts with chicken long ago migrated across the Atlantic from its West African origins to the Caribbean and beyond, but wherever it’s found, it’s delicious.

 

 

 

 

India

Indian-Spiced Chicken with Relish

A sweet-tart relish of cranberries and pears becomes the perfect foil for the delicately spiced chicken here.

 

 

 

 

 

China

Szechwan Chicken-Pasta Salad

Why order takeout when you can whip up this fresh, colorful and spicy chicken stir-fry at home in less time than it would take to go round trip to the Chinese place?

 

 

 

 

 

Vietnam

Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Breasts

Serve these grilled Vietnamese chicken breasts, with their sweet-and-smoky coating of sesame oil, either as sandwiches, or skip the bread entirely for an elegant Far East entrée.

 

 

 

 

Mexico

Tequila and Lime Chicken

Marinated in tequila, lime juice and a bit of orange, this simple grilled chicken gets a decidedly south-of-the-border kick. Olé!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Dinner Tonight | Tags: Asian Cuisine, Boneless Chicken, Boneless Chicken Breasts, Chicken, Mexican Chicken Dishes
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