Chicken

These were the recipes you loved the most in 2016, from potatoes to chicken parm.

This crisp-skinned chicken wants to hang out on a bed of mushrooms.

We tested this tamales recipe with both instant and fresh masa. Fresh masa yielded the best corn flavor and best texture, but we’ve included instructions for using instant since the flour is easier to find. You can find fresh masa and dried corn husks at tortilla stores/factories, in the international section at larger grocery stores, or online. Whichever masa you choose, be sure to save some of the tomatillo purée from the chicken filling.

These were our best, brightest, and most awe-inspiring chicken recipes of the year.

You’ve heard it before: You can’t rush a good braise. Take your time browning the chicken and mushrooms and building the velvety sauce for this coq au vin recipe.

Don’t have an acorn squash for this chicken thighs recipe? Use butternut. Not into mustard greens? Use kale, Swiss chard, or spinach.

If you’re not following our weekly meal plan and not making the Grilled Cheese (though you really should; it’s delightful), which you need wheat bread for, use country loaf or sourdough bread, crusts removed, for optimal breadcrumbs for this chicken stew recipe. Check out step-by-step photos here.

A half a cup of olive oil may seem like whoa, too much, but that's the key to crisping up the chicken.

Step one: Pick up a rotisserie chicken at the supermarket.

Sauerkraut is our new secret flavoring weapon. It adds a little bit of acid and funk, and this chicken pot pie recipe proves there are so many other uses for it than a hot dog topping. Check out step-by-step photos here.

When should you use homemade versus store bought chicken stock? Our Test Kitchen editors weigh in.

Avgolemono might as well be Greek for heaven (it's Greek for egg-lemon)

It's goes a lot faster than your grandma's version

Instead of chicken, this curry recipe is really good with boneless pork chops. Cut into ½" pieces and proceed as written. Check out step-by-step photos here.

It’ll take a couple of hours to make the homemade broth and cook a whole chicken (your house will smell amazing) for this soup recipe. If you’ve had a long day, use 2 quarts store-bought broth and shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken. Whatever method you choose, use the chicken breasts to make this amazing salad with crispy rice. Check out step-by-step photos here.

So get ready to bust a move in the name of deliciousness

As you’re crisping the rice for this chicken salad recipe, the leeks and carrots may look very dark. Don’t be scared or angry at us; the veggies aren’t burnt, they’re just deeply caramelized and will add lots of flavor to the final dish. Check out step-by-step photos here.

Okay fine, pretty much throw anything over crispy rice and we'd be happy

The time for a big bowl of chicken and bean stew is now

It adds umami, lends sweetness, and makes meat more tender. Meet the ingredient of the future: koji

You can soak toasted mustard seeds for this recipe, but you'll get a similar pop of texture simply by using whole grain mustard.

Sorghum is a gluten-free grain, with a texture similar to wheat berries, barley, and millet—so feel free to substitute those for this chicken recipe instead.

If possible, plan in advance for this easy chicken recipe; letting it chill for 2 days after being seasoned has a huge impact on the flavor and also gives the skin time to dehydrate, which magnifies its crispy potential.

Depending on your personal preference, you can brush off and discard the peppercorns before cooking, or leave them on for stronger flavor.