6 Ways I Turn Trader Joe’s Savory Herbed Chicken Thighs Into Quick Weeknight Meals

There are a handful of convenience foods I buy because they save a little time, and then there are the ones that have genuinely changed how I cook dinner. Trader Joe’s Savory Herbed Chicken Thighs fall into the second category. They’re well seasoned, cook quickly, and, most importantly, make everyone in my house happy. I almost always cook two packages at once. Even if we don’t eat all the chicken that night, having extra cooked chicken in the refrigerator means I’m halfway to another dinner.

How I cook them depends on what else I’m making. If I need chicken fast and it’s the only thing I’m cooking, I use the air fryer. I arrange the thighs in a single layer and air-fry at 400°F, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes. If I’m also roasting potatoes or vegetables, I use the oven instead. I spread the chicken on a rimmed sheet pan and roast it at 450°F until it reaches 165°F, about 20 minutes.

The high heat is important: Marinated chicken thighs can release quite a bit of liquid, and a hot oven helps evaporate it so the chicken gets lightly browned and a little crisp around the edges instead of steaming. I generally don’t roast vegetables on the same pan for this reason. In the right situation, however, all that flavorful liquid is an advantage, such as when there’s rice, pasta, or another grain around to soak it up.

Here are six dinners I make with these pre-seasoned chicken thighs again and again.

1. Chicken grain bowls

Total time: about 25 minutes

Simmer farro until tender and make a quick sauce by stirring Greek yogurt with grated garlic, ground cumin, lemon juice, salt, and a splash of water to loosen it. Divide the farro among bowls and top with chopped cooked chicken, drained white beans, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, and scallions. Spoon the cumin-garlic yogurt generously over everything. It hits that sweet spot between nutritious and genuinely satisfying, and everyone can assemble their bowl exactly how they like it.

2. Chicken Caesar sliders

Total time: about 20 minutes

Cook the chicken until browned, then let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it thinly. Split slider buns and pile them with chicken, chopped romaine tossed with Caesar dressing, a thin slice of tomato, and plenty of shaved Parmesan cheese. I like to toast the buns briefly while the chicken rests, but it’s not essential. These are particularly good for nights when everyone is eating at slightly different times because you can keep all the components separate and assemble sliders as needed.

3. Chicken club pasta salad

Total time: about 25 minutes

This dinner turns all my favorite parts of a club sandwich into a pasta salad. Boil a sturdy, curly pasta such as rotini; drain it; and let it cool slightly. Toss it with chopped cooked chicken, crisp bacon, cubed cheddar, chopped tomatoes, and baby spinach, then add your favorite creamy dressing. Iceberg or romaine would be the classic choice for a club sandwich, but I prefer spinach here because it holds up much better if there are leftovers.

4. Chicken spanakorizo

Total time: about 35 minutes

My kids love chicken and rice, and this version is anything but boring. Sauté chopped onion in olive oil, add medium-grain or arborio rice, and cook for a minute before adding chicken broth, lots of chopped spinach, lemon zest, and chopped dill. Nestle the uncooked chicken thighs into the rice, cover, and gently simmer until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F, about 20 minutes. The rice absorbs the chicken’s flavorful cooking liquid, becoming creamy and almost risottolike. Sometimes I stir in frozen peas during the last few minutes, then finish everything with plenty of fresh lemon juice.

5. White chicken lasagna

Total time: about 50 minutes

Cook the chicken ahead of time and chop or shred it. Mix ricotta with an egg, Parmesan, salt, and pepper, then layer it in a baking dish with parcooked lasagna noodles, chicken, shredded mozzarella, and your favorite white sauce. Repeat the layers and finish with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until bubbling and browned, about 15 minutes more. This one requires a little more assembly, but using pre-seasoned chicken keeps the filling remarkably simple.

6. Chicken and bean salad

Total time: about 15 minutes

This may be the easiest dinner of all. Chop cooked chicken and toss it with chickpeas or white beans, thinly sliced celery, scallions, crumbled feta, and plenty of herbs if you have them. Dress everything with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. I’ll eat the chicken salad straight from the bowl, pile it onto greens, or tuck it into a wrap. And because the chicken is already packed with garlic and herbs, the whole thing tastes much more considered than a 15-minute dinner has any right to.