Plain chicken is practical.
It is quick to cook, works with almost any side dish and can be used in everything from salads to pasta.
But plain chicken can also become incredibly boring.
Fortunately, changing the flavour does not require a complicated recipe.
Here are 10 easy ways to make chicken more exciting.
- Add peri-peri flavour
Peri-peri is an easy way to bring heat and savoury flavour to chicken.
The combination of chilli, paprika, garlic and herbs works particularly well with chicken breast.
Serve it with rice, chips, wedges or salad.
- Try jerk seasoning
Jerk-style seasoning combines spices, herbs and chilli.
It gives chicken a much deeper flavour and works brilliantly with rice and vegetables.
- Use lemon and herbs
If you do not want spicy chicken, try lemon and herb.
Fresh citrus-style flavour combined with herbs creates a lighter option that works with almost any side dish.
- Add smoked paprika
Smoked paprika gives chicken a deeper, slightly smoky taste.
Combine it with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper for a quick seasoning blend.
- Make it Cajun
Cajun-style chicken is ideal for wraps, rice bowls and pasta.
The combination of paprika, chilli, garlic and herbs adds plenty of flavour without requiring a complicated recipe.
- Turn it into BBQ chicken
A smoky BBQ-style seasoning can completely change plain chicken.
Serve it with wedges, corn, coleslaw or salad.
You do not even need an outdoor barbecue.
- Add garlic and herbs
Garlic, oregano, thyme and parsley work brilliantly with chicken.
This combination is especially useful if you want to cook chicken that can later be added to pasta, salad or wraps.
- Change how you serve it
Sometimes the chicken itself is not the problem.
Try slicing it into a wrap instead of serving a whole chicken breast.
Turn it into a rice bowl.
Add it to pasta.
Put it over salad.
Changing the format can make the same basic ingredients feel like a completely different dinner.
- Rotate your flavours
Do not buy one seasoning and use it every night for three months.
Rotate between spicy, smoky and herby flavours.
Peri-peri on Monday.
Lemon and herb on Wednesday.
Jerk at the weekend.
Small changes stop chicken becoming repetitive.
- Try a Flavour Sheet
If your biggest problem is that you cannot be bothered measuring spices or preparing a marinade, use a seasoning transfer sheet.
Flavour Sheets already have the seasoning applied.
Place your chicken onto the sheet, wrap it and cook according to the instructions.
The flavour transfers onto the chicken while it cooks.
It gives you a quick way to change the taste of chicken without changing your entire dinner routine.
Why does chicken taste bland?
Chicken, particularly chicken breast, has a relatively mild natural flavour.
That means it needs seasoning to make it more interesting.
Under-seasoning and overcooking are two common reasons chicken ends up disappointing.
What can you put on chicken to make it taste better?
Almost anything.
Popular options include peri-peri, jerk, Cajun, BBQ, garlic, paprika, lemon and Mediterranean herbs.
The important thing is finding flavours that suit what you are serving with the chicken.
How can you make chicken taste good without sauce?
Season the chicken before cooking.
If the chicken itself has plenty of flavour, you do not necessarily need to rely on sauce afterwards.
Dry seasonings and Flavour Sheets are both good options.
Does chicken have to be marinated to taste good?
No.
You can make very flavourful chicken using dry seasoning immediately before cooking.
A seasoning transfer sheet can also add flavour during cooking without requiring any marinating time.
Stop settling for boring chicken
Chicken is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen.
The trick is taking advantage of that versatility.
Change your seasoning.
Change your sides.
Change how you serve it.
And when you want a quick shortcut to flavour, Flavour Sheets make it simple.
Wrap. Cook. Enjoy.