Browse 72 quick meals recipes with photos, prep and cook times, full ingredient lists, and step-by-step instructions.
DinnerHeating the skillet until the oil, butter, and lemon juice sizzle with the salmon skin on produces a seared base. This spinach-stuffed salmon recipe uses flaky salmon fillets with skin and filled with cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and spinach that has been drained.
DinnerBoiling broth and removing the pot from heat helps steam this Moroccan couscous recipe to keep individual grains from falling apart. This Parmesan spinach couscous, which takes 20 minutes to make on the stovetop, includes tender spinach and a salty Parmesan finish.
DinnerChoose boneless, skinless chicken breasts that can be flattened as cutlets. Leaner cuts of chicken are best for high-heat cooking methods. This Parmesan chicken recipe with a mayonnaise-based breadcrumb crust adds crunch to the outside and juiciness to the inside of the chicken. This recipe takes 30 minutes or less to make.
DinnerServe shrimp scampi as an elegant but easy meal. Pink shrimp is cooked in a buttery white wine and lemon juice and herb sauce. Add Parmesan cheese when serving for a nutty, salty taste.
DinnerPan-frying the corn and red bell pepper along with the chicken brings out their flavors and keeps the other components of the dish warm and together. Sliced chicken served over quinoa or brown rice and garnished with lime, avocado, cilantro, and other toppings makes the Healthy Street Corn Chicken Bowl recipe.
DinnerChoose peeled and deveined large or jumbo raw shrimp. Raw shrimp heat quickly and turn pink in this dish. The shrimp add a mild seafood flavor to Tuscan linguine with shrimp. Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and lemon zest complement the creamy pasta dish.
DinnerHeating oil to 350 degrees creates a brown, crispy coating for tempura chicken. Additional sauces can be served. The Easy Sesame Chicken recipe provides a fast Chinese food option with cooked chicken pieces and a mild sweet-and-sour sauce made from soy and rice vinegar.
LunchThai quinoa salad with cold cooked quinoa and other raw vegetables and herbs, such as cucumber and carrot, is a good option for a simple lunch or side dish. Thai salad dressing with lime juice, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes can add tart, salty, and spicy flavors to a dish.
DinnerThese BBQ salmon bowls are ready in 25 minutes and use several other ingredients, such as sweet and smoky salmon and mango and avocado salsa, but few total ingredients. A seasoning mixture sprinkled on salmon before baking adds a crunchy topping. Fresh mango, avocado, lime, and cilantro provide juicy, flavorful additions to the bowls.
DinnerAdding hot peppers to sour cream keeps sour cream from curdling when mixed into stew. White chicken chili, a mildly spicy dish made with cooked chicken, white beans, mild green peppers, corn, and broth, can be made in 25 minutes.
DinnerAir frying rolled tortillas results in crispy, browned tortillas filled with warm chicken. Shredded rotisserie chicken, diced carrots, Greek yogurt, ranch powder, and taco cheese added to chicken taquitos create a crunchy, creamy snack or meal.
DinnerTen minutes of prep time are required to prepare Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken, which cooks for three hours on low. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cooked in a sweet and tangy Dijon mustard sauce and topped with a creamy sauce. Crock Pot Honey Mustard Chicken can be served over pasta or mashed potatoes.
DinnerSlow cooking makes the chicken thighs tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Honey, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic provide sweet and savory flavors in this recipe. Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken is served with parsley and toasted sesame seeds for additional texture.
DinnerThis 40-minute baked chicken sheet pan meal is a simple weeknight dinner with crunchy cornflakes and a hot honey topping. Chicken tenderloins are baked on the sheet pan until crisp. A sweet and spicy hot honey topping is made with honey, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and chipotle chili powder.
DinnerSimmering penne in broth and milk with flour helps thicken penne sauce and cook the pasta. Stirring often keeps the pasta and sauce from clumping together. A one-pot skillet recipe for penne with ham includes diced ham and peas combined with penne and topped with Parmesan cheese.
DinnerFlouring chicken cutlets helps them brown and remain tender when cooked in sauce. This weeknight skillet recipe combines chicken cutlets and cremini mushrooms with a buttery white wine cream sauce that coats and thickens around the chicken cutlets.
LunchChoose sandwich breads such as white bread, sourdough, potato bread, and Texas toast for an air fryer grilled cheese that will stay crispy. This air fryer grilled cheese recipe makes a crispy, golden grilled cheese with melted cheddar and Havarti in about eight minutes.
DinnerOne skillet and other kitchen items are all you need to make this French onion pasta dish for quick weeknight dinners. Caramelized yellow onions, beef broth, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce add flavor to the pasta sauce. Evaporated milk and Gruyere cheese add richness to orecchiette pasta without heavy cream.
BreakfastMake overnight chia apple pudding as a simple breakfast food. Combine ingredients like Greek yogurt, applesauce, milk, cinnamon, and chia seeds in the refrigerator to create a pudding that can be eaten with a spoon. Add fresh diced apples and nuts at serving time for additional crunch.
DinnerChoose a lean flank steak with marbling and fresh parsley for this chimichurri steak recipe. The meat and chimichurri sauce pair well. Thinly sliced steak is seasoned with lime juice, red pepper, shallot, and garlic to add a fresh flavor.
DinnerCook this shrimp scampi recipe for a quick weeknight meal. Jumbo shrimp are sautéed in butter with chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, dry white wine, lemon juice, and parsley. Shrimp scampi takes only 20 minutes to prepare and has a gentle heat and rich butter flavor.
DinnerDinner can be prepared in 20 minutes, with only 6 minutes of cook time under pressure. Follow this cheddar risotto recipe in an Instant Pot using arborio rice, dry white wine, chicken broth, sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh sage for a risotto with a chewy texture.
Snacks & AppetizersCooking the oil at 325°F-350°F helps the wonton wrapper cook before it soaks up oil. Placing the fried wontons on a rack lets the hot filling settle. These crab rangoons are battered wontons filled with seasoned crab meat that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside when eaten.
DinnerChoose flank or skirt steak with little visible fat and visible muscle fibers. Slice the steak against the grain to make small, tender portions. Pan-fry the meat to make sesame beef, a Chinese-American takeout dish that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, topped with sesame seeds and served with a sweet-and-savory sauce.