Dinner's Done in 20 Minutes (or Less!) with These Lightning-Fast Recipes (2024)

When it comes to weeknight cooking, our motto is usually the quicker, the better — and these dinner recipes definitely fit the bill. They're all ready in 20 minutes or fewer (some as little as 12 to 15 minutes) and are packed with flavor. Think soothing soups like orzo and chickpeas with turmeric-ginger broth, teriyaki shrimp and bok choy stir-fry, pastas, and frittata, too, in case you were craving breakfast for dinner. With 12 to choose from, you'll have plenty to try out on your next busy night.

Five-Herb Frittata with Prosciutto and Parmesan

Breakfast for dinner is always a good idea, especially if it's ready in 15 minutes. Such is the case with chef Nancy Silverton's five-herb frittata, filled with mint, parsley, chives, oregano, and thyme.

Orzo and Chickpeas with Turmeric-Ginger Broth

This soothing, restorative soup uses turmeric-ginger tea bags (yes, tea bags!), unsweetened coconut milk, and lime juice to create a base for the broth. The 20-minute recipe yields two servings, but it's easy to scale depending on your needs.

Shrimp Wedge Salad with Old Bay Breadcrumbs and Hot Sauce Dressing

This dish is a mashup between a wedge salad and a po'boy sandwich, with breadcrumbs toasted in Old Bay–infused oil and a Crystal hot sauce–spiked dressing.

Three-Pepper Cacio e Pepe

Recipe developer Liv Mervosh uses crushed pink peppercorns, coarsely ground Tellicherry pepper, and ground Szechuan pepper in this take on cacio e pepe. You can swap the Szechuan pepper with a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want.

Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard

British cookbook author Nigel Slater's mustard pasta (yes, mustard pasta!) is another recipe with a short ingredient list (just eight, including staples like olive oil and crushed red pepper) and a correspondingly quick cook time.

Creamy Lemon Pasta

This bright and creamy pasta will transport you to Italy's Amalfi Coast, studded with Meyer lemon supremes for a pop of tartness.

Florentine Butter Chicken

Our Florentine butter chicken recipe was inspired by F&W editor in chief Hunter Lewis's trip to Trattoria Sostanz in Florence, Italy. Breaded chicken is cooked and basted in cultured butter in a skillet, with a splash of lemon juice in the sauce as the finishing touch.

Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic

Sizzled in extra-virgin olive oil with 10 garlic cloves, these flavorful lamb chops are ready in just 20 minutes.

Steak Au Poivre with Red Wine Pan Sauce

Believe it or not, our steak au poivre and red-wine pan sauce recipe only takes 20 minutes. The sauce is a mix of the browned bits in the skillet, plus shallots, broth, red wine, and butter, the perfect balance of acid and fat.

Grilled King Salmon with Meyer Lemon Relish

Chef Suzanne Goin pairs the buttery, rich flavor of grilled king salmon with a floral and lightly acidic salsa. The salsa would also be tasty on grilled lamb, chicken, or pork, so make sure you save any leftovers.

Scallops with Fennel Grenobloise

Our readers gave these scallops a resounding five-star rating and, considering they're ready in just 12 minutes, it makes sense. They're paired with sweet fennel and a buttery lemon-caper sauce.

Teriyaki Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

A quick stir-fry is great for weeknights. This tasty recipe calls for baby bok choy, ginger, shrimp, sake or dry vermouth, rice vinegar, and more.