Is it just us, or on busy weekdays come WAY faster? You know the type of days we mean, where you have NO time to plan dinner and now need to get it on the table, fast? We’ve all been there. If you’ve got more important things to think about than what’s for your evening meal, let us help take some of those decisions off your plate. From meat to pasta to super-simple sheet-pan dinners, one-pot meals, and casseroles, there’s something in here for everyone. Check out our 80 best quick dinner recipes—they’re big on convenience and flavor, and they all come together in less than an hour (and some in only 25 minutes)? Now that’s a weeknight dinner miracle.
The best thing about these recipes is that they can be made for any occasion, any night of the week. Making a quick, casual meal before your whole crew heads out for the evening? Try our copycat chicken lettuce wraps (30 min.), our freezer burritos (25 min.), our pumpkin tomato soup with grilled cheese sticks (25 min.), or our Italian sheet pan subs (55 min.) for easy, portable options everyone can take with them out the door. Looking for recipes that’ll get the whole family to actually sit at the dinner table? Try a quick pasta dish, like our one-pot French onion pasta (50 min.) our (45 min.), our (35 min.), or our chicken piccata with gnocchi (35 min.). Really craving take-out, but know you should cook at home? Make our (45 min.), our copycat Costco chicken bake (1 hour), our copycat CPK BBQ chicken skillet pizza (45 min.), or our egg roll bowls (35 min.). You might be able to make them faster than it’ll take for delivery to even arrive. Want to celebrate a special occasion? Even though time is tight, you can still turn out a remarkable meal. Try our Greek salmon (50 minutes), our Boursin baked ziti (40 min.), our (50 min.), or our tricolore skillet lasagna (35 min.). They all taste like labors of love, with much less work.
Need more easy dinners? Try our best cheap and easy recipes, our top 20-minute meals, and our favorite easy desserts too.
1
Chicken Stir-Fry
A stir fry is our go-to weeknight dinner when we just don’t have the energy to spend a long time in the kitchen or hit the grocery store—this chicken recipe is no exception. Make it as is, then use it as a jumping-off point to create your own perfect version.
Get the Chicken Stir-Fry recipe.
2
Steak & Potato Skillet
Meat and potatoes will always be a winning combo, but it's crucial to keep things interesting. In this simple version of the dynamic duo, a skillet of crispy potatoes and tender, seared flank steak gets bathed in a tangy, savory garlic mustard butter sauce that'll keep you on your toes.
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3
Cabbage Roll Skillet
Cabbage rolls just became a viable weeknight dinner with this quicker to make skillet dinner, which skips the cabbage rolling and gets dinner directly on the table. It’s less work, yet the payoff of a comforting home-cooked meal all the same.
Get the Cabbage Roll Skillet recipe.
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4
One-Pot Pepperoncini Chicken & Rice
Love our , but craving a little more flavor? In this rendition, deglazing your pan with the pickling liquid from pepperoncini gives creamy rice a zappy hit that leans more sweet than spicy.
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5
Egg Roll Bowls
When we’re craving crispy egg rolls but need a more filling dinner option, we turn to these egg roll bowls. These unwrapped bowls are the perfect solution when you want all the flavors of the take-out snack, but are in need of something hearty enough for a meal.
Get the Egg Roll Bowls recipe.
6
Salmon & Potato Skillet
While the potatoes cook, the salmon takes a quick bath in an easy marinade that will double as cooking fat in this simple dish. In just 45 minutes, you’ll have a delicious and filling meal that can be customized every time you make it.
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7
White Chicken Chili
Adding white beans makes this heartier than your average chicken noodle soup, and the addition of green chiles, jalapeño, and sour cream add the perfect amount of heat and creaminess to switch up classic chili. Plus, everything comes together in less than an hour!
Get the White Chicken Chili recipe.
8
Freezer Burritos
Whether you’re craving a hit of nostalgia or looking to stock up on easy on-the-go meals, these beef and bean freezer burritos will make you want to clear some space in the icebox.
Get the Freezer Burritos recipe.
9
Feta & Herb Crusted Salmon
For this Mediterranean-inspired dish, you just arrange your salmon on a sheet tray (lined with aluminum foil for the easiest cleanup), sprinkle on the toppings, and bake it for 25 minutes. No flipping, no sticking, and no mess!
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10
French Bread Pizza
Craving homemade pizza, but don’t want to deal with finicky pizza dough? Skip it altogether, and grab the nearest loaf of French bread instead. The loaf makes for a delicious pizza “crust” that will get crispy on the outside, while staying nice and soft on the inside.
Get the French Bread Pizza recipe.
11
Mexican Chicken Casserole
There’s your average casserole… and then there’s this cheesy, loaded Mexican chicken casserole. Filled with a creamy sauce, two kinds of cheese, and plenty of chicken, there’s something in this Tex-Mex dish for everyone.
Get the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe.
12
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon & Orzo
When you’re in the mood for a one-pan dinner that delivers on the comfort food factor, this recipe with creamy orzo and sun-dried tomatoes is the one to turn to.
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13
Tuscan Tortellini Skillet Bake
In this Tuscan butter recipe, pancetta gets paired with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and oregano, then simmered with heavy cream and finished with grated Parmesan and fresh spinach. It’s tossed with cooked tortellini, topped with fresh mozzarella, and broiled to creamy, melty, just-slightly-browned perfection.
Get the Tuscan Tortellini Skillet Bake recipe.
14
Taco Spaghetti
One-pot taco spaghetti is a fast-as-can-be weeknight dinner that pairs all your favorite taco fixin’s with spaghetti rather than taco shells. It's especially perfect for those nights when you just cannot stand the thought of a sink full of dirty dishes.
Get the Taco Spaghetti recipe.
15
Creamy Chicken Piccata With Gnocchi
When our weeknight dinners start to feel a little snoozy, start with a dish you love, then add something new. Here, the dish we love is chicken piccata, the Italian-American classic, and the new ingredient is one of our favorite pantry items, boxed gnocchi.
Get the Creamy Chicken Piccata With Gnocchi recipe.
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16
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Making a whole recipe on one sheet pan is perfect for meal prepping. Turn these easy chicken fajitas into tacos, serve them over rice, whatever you like!
Get the Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas recipe.
17
Everything Bagel Crusted Salmon
Bring the brunch vibes to dinnertime with everything bagel seasoning crusted salmon and a refreshing salad that’s reminiscent of the toppings on your favorite loaded . If you’ve never turned cream cheese into a salad dressing, you're in for a treat.
Get the Everything Bagel Crusted Salmon recipe.
18
Pizza Orzo
Here, we’re swapping in one beloved carb for another: the classic crust for an unconventional option, orzo. Perfect for the times that you're craving two things and can’t decide which to prepare, this pizza orzo combines everything you love about pizza and pasta into a satisfying and comforting dinner.
Get the Pizza Orzo recipe.
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19
Za'atar Sheet Pan Chicken
We’ve made a lot of great sheet-pan dinners, but this za’atar chicken recipe is a new favorite. Bone-in chicken thighs, baby potatoes, broccoli, and red onion get tossed in a simple marinade, then roasted to crispy, schmaltzy perfection (plus a creamy tahini sauce to finish it off!). 😍
Get the Za'atar Sheet Pan Chicken recipe.
20
Tofu Stir-Fry
For best results use extra-firm tofu that has been frozen so it can absorb flavors more readily, and simmer the tofu in salted water briefly to make it hardier and less likely to crumble when jostled in the pan. It is an extra step, but trust us, it's worth it.
Get the Tofu Stir-Fry recipe.
Camille Lowder
Digital Food Producer
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.