103 Easy 30-Minute Dinner Recipes That Will Save Your Weeknights

There’s no denying that getting a family-friendly dinner on the table can be tricky at the best of times, let alone on busy weeknights. If you’re short on time and need dinner ideas for tonight, we’ve got you covered. With easy recipes that don’t require much cleanup, it’s totally possible to serve a home cooked meal in minutes. Whether you’re craving chicken breast, a filet of salmon, thick-cut pork chops or something else, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for here—starting with Ree’s super fun take on crispy chicken cutlets. She adds everything bagel seasoning (a savory mix of black and white sesame seeds, dried garlic and onion, sea salt and poppy seeds) to the breadcrumb coating to ensure that each bite is packed with flavor.

Easily made in less than 30 minutes, this Southwestern classic has smoke and heat from the chipotle pepper. If you’re going the meatless route, use soy crumbles instead of turkey and enjoy with cilantro, sour cream, tortilla chips or avocado!

We can't get enough of shrimp scampi! Do we love it because it’s simple but seemingly fancy? Or because it’s done in 30 minutes? Or because we just can’t resist a buttery wine sauce? All of the above!

This dish tastes just like the classic alfredo dish you love, but with the addition of creamy avocado instead of added butter or oil. Just blend ripe avocados with heavy cream, garlic, and plenty of grated pecorino cheese then toss with al dente fettuccine. The result is a rich, bright, uniquely green alfredo ready in just about 25 minutes and sure to delight pasta lovers and avocado lovers alike.

The key to a pan pizza is preheating the pan so the dough starts to cook right after it is placed inside. That'll help you get a super crispy crust on the bottom.

A Japanese comfort classic, niku udon is a warming bowl of chewy udon noodles in a savory-sweet broth topped with thinly sliced meat (niku in Japanese), usually beef. It’s a simple recipe ready in under half an hour with common Japanese pantry ingredients, some of which can be found in well-stocked supermarkets and the rest available in Asian groceries or online. The two-ingredient Japanese broth known as dashi forms the base of the soup. While this recipe uses instant dashi powder for convenience, feel free to make your own homemade dashi (you’ll need 6 cups). Although the soup is usually presented very simply with a minimum of toppings and garnishes, fish cakes (narutomaki) or a soft-poached egg are sometimes added to the bowl. But you could easily add vegetables or other ingredients to bulk it up such as baby bok choy, spinach, snow peas or tofu.

Pounding the pork chops thin helps speed the cooking process, allowing you to pull this whole dish together in just 30 minutes. If you don’t have a meat mallet you can use a heavy skillet, instead.

You won't believe how easy it is to get the perfect balance of flavors for this shrimp. Just mix Chinese plum sauce, ketchup and rice wine vinegar.

Store-bought tortellini are the star of this quick and creamy weeknight meal. They simmer in their own sauce, making this a one-skillet meal with easy cleanup. Try one-inch pieces of Italian sausage instead of chicken for a variation.

Rachael proves that you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen to make a comforting pot of chicken soup. Fresh herbs and good-quality chicken stock are key here as they give this speedy recipe that simmered-all-day flavor everyone craves.

Turmeric is popular in smoothies and juices, but we upped the ante and used it to season boneless chicken thighs. Mixed with pumpkin pie spice, it makes a flavorful seasoning for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Served on top of crispy naan and drizzled on a tangy yogurt sauce, you've got a complete meal in just 20 minutes!

Hot pot is famous for being a communal meal where diners cook their bits of food in a pot of simmering broth, but there’s plenty of reason to try it as a comforting meal for one. Our fun take on beef hot pot for one is made in a microwave – a Korean food trend hack that we picked up from TikTok creator @cafemaddy. In our version, we use a bowl and layer in popular hot pot ingredients and frozen dumplings which add great flavor, but feel free to switch things up with your favorite vegetables and protein. Our dipping sauce comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients like chili crisp, but you can also stir up a personal favorite.

All the flavors of a classic BLT sandwich come together in this hearty bean salad. The homemade herb-mayo dressing adds freshness while the crisp bacon and croutons add a welcomed crunch. It's a great way to use up those pantry beans.

Chicken takes the place of shrimp in this dish inspired by the Olive Garden classic — making it even more weeknight friendly. This recipe gets you in and out of the kitchen in less than 30 minutes.

This yogurt and curry marinade produces moist, tender chicken that gets charred under broiler.

Stuff corn tortillas with a cheesy Buffalo chicken filling for a mashup you'll crave again and again. It's an easy weeknight winner, thanks to rotisserie chicken.

Classic coq au vin can take up to two days to prepare, including marinating the chicken overnight. We make a red wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions (the frozen variety, so you can skip the tedious peeling), then slip in rotisserie chicken parts to warm through, and voila!

What better way to use up cilantro and parsley in the fridge, than making a spiced and flavorful herbaceous sauce! This Moroccan sauce gets paired with earthy spices like cumin and coriander, making it an easy go-to coating and marinade for many proteins. In this recipe, it's pulsed in a food processor and gets spooned over salmon filets. This chermoula also calls for adding juice of lemon and the zest, but you can try it with preserved lemons for a nice relish.

The secret to this quick dinner's Indian-spiced flavor is a mixture of warm, earthy spices with bright vegetables and hot peppers.

A family-friendly meal that uses up leftovers and is on the table in just 30 minutes? This recipe's a keeper, for sure.

Playing off the classic pairing of pretzels and mustard, we've transformed the everyday pork tenderloin into something truly special. First, we slice it into thin cutlets. Then we coat the cutlets with an egg and mustard mixture and roll them in pretzel crumbs. Fried until crisp and tucked into adorable slider buns, they're topped with a creamy, tangy mustard sauce for an irresistible weeknight meal.

The next time you juice a lemon, don't toss the rinds! Instead, wrap them up and save them in the fridge, then make this easy chicken recipe. It works with zested lemon rinds, too. The rinds get cooked down with the chicken and maple syrup, resulting in sweet and tangy pan drippings designed for drizzling over everything.

We took the favorite Italian flavor combo of sausage and peppers and put them in an easy weeknight dish that can be on the table in just 20 minutes. Cook the store-bought ravioli and colorful sauce at the same time, then finish by heating them in the same pan. Melted provolone is the crowning touch.

We kept the bok choy in big pieces and stacked the mushrooms caps before slicing to cut down on the veggie prep in this quick weeknight dinner. Use leftover rice if you have it on hand, but a fresh batch cooks in well under 30 minutes.

This one-skillet dinner will look like it took you a whole lot longer than 30 minutes. Cook the potatoes alongside the crispy chicken thighs and enjoy the evening with minimal cleanup.

We love multi-purpose kitchen gadgets that make life easier, so that's why the Instant Pot (a slow cooker, pressure cooker and stove-top stand-in, all in one) is a go-to for quick meals. Especially this creamy kid-friendly mac and cheese, which cooks up in no time. And after it's been gobbled up, you'll only have one pot to clean!

A hearty dinner doesn't need to include meat — just ask Giada. This classic Italian soup is filled with tart escarole and hearty cannellini beans. A chunk of Parmesan is the secret ingredient that makes the soup silky and rich.

This simple weeknight dinner is a wonderful way to enjoy grapes in a different way. We love how juicy, sweet and tart they are when roasted.

The base of this recipe is a warm, silky hummus that comes together quickly. We used canned chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon and cumin to make it, and top it with a fragrantly spiced mixture of ground lamb. Follow our lead and serve yours with warm pita and cucumber salad.

Why mix up a batch of pizza dough when you’ve got store-bought focaccia on hand? It’s the perfect time-saving trick on pizza night.

Frozen salmon is convenient but can be a huge pain when you forget to thaw it ahead of time. Enter this recipe for simmered frozen salmon, in which you gently cook frozen salmon (yep, without defrosting!) in a spicy homemade tomato sauce until it's practically melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Start this simple dish by sauteing salty pancetta with flavorful garlic, then watch it get only better from there. Mix together eggs and Parmesan, which act as a thickener, to create the sauce. Stir into the hot pasta so the eggs cook and the sauce perfectly clings to every strand of spaghetti.

This fresh and faster take on classic steamed cabbage rolls takes half the time but does not sacrifice on flavor. It's also a cinch to prepare, with no fussy filling and rolling each cabbage leaf before cooking. Instead, the sauteed filling is simply scooped into boiled cabbage leaves and topped with a creamy tomato sauce before serving. It's a meaty, hearty and completely satisfying meal for a busy weeknight.

A few time-saving techniques make a complete grilled chicken dinner doable in under a half hour: Grating the garlic is faster than chopping it with a knife, and adds more garlicky flavor to the dish. Massaging the marinade into the chicken works its flavors into the meat, cutting down on marinating time. And you can make the sweet-and-savory watermelon salad while the chicken marinates.

It’s hard not to love a 16-minute meal — especially when it’s packed with cheesy pasta and shrimp and topped with a creamy tomato sauce.

Store-bought puff pastry dough and ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken ensure that this warming dinner can be ready in just 30 minutes.

We love a good quick-fix dinner — like this one, made from packaged ravioli. We elevate the pre-made pasta by creating a simple, homemade sauce with lemon, butter and cheese. Peas and pancetta make it a meal.

The name says it all with this quick-and-simple recipe. Ree uses a handful of pantry staples (like canned chickpeas, dried spices and jarred pesto) to turn classic Caesar salad into a satisfying main dish. How convenient!

Cube steaks are inexpensive, and they're a great way to make midweek steak dinners doable. A cube steak needs little more than salt and pepper and a quick spin on the grill before it's ready to be served alongside grilled corn and vinaigrette-coated veggies.

You'll almost want to eat by candlelight: This quick cod dish takes only 30 minutes to make, yet it's nothing if not elegant. Save time by juicing the lemon and slicing the olives while the cod and fennel cook.

It's easier than you think to make a vegetable-filled bone broth. A smoked pork chop adds tons of flavor to this soup, and a Parmesan rind gives it extra richness.

For a quick meal that's low in carbs but big on flavor, whip up Rachael's chicken lettuce wraps. Garlic and ginger is a terrific one-two punch for the sauteed chicken and mushrooms. And just a few tablespoons of Chinese barbecue sauce go a long way, lightly coating and flavoring the meat-and-veggie filling.

Let your Instant Pot do all the work tonight. Get buttery smashed potatoes, lemony salmon and perfectly cooked greens on the table in only 30 minutes — and with minimal cleanup.

See how easy it is to dress up refrigerated ravioli. A delicious brown butter sauce flavored with fresh sage leaves and toasted walnuts will make the cheesy pillows taste like you spent hours on dinner.

Trade your usual chicken breasts for tenders in Ree's easy recipe and you can have saucy and cheesy chicken Parmesan on the table in 16 minutes. Now that's how you avoid the weeknight dinner rut!

Twenty minutes and five ingredients are all you need to make this bacon pasta from Food Network Magazine. Add a runny, sunny-side-up egg and a sprinkling of chives on top for the perfect (speedy) meal.

This quick and easy dinner features everything you love about spinach and artichoke dip: salty Parmesan cheese, a hint of garlic and a rich, creamy sauce. Ree even serves it with bread for sopping up any sauce that’s left on your plate.

Raid the pantry and get Rachael's 5-star meal on the table in only 20 minutes.

Prep, cook and serve this hearty Thai noodle stir-fry, filled with sweet and salty notes, in only 15 minutes.

This 30-minute steak and potato dinner is going to be a standby in your weeknight repertoire.

Shrimp is a weeknight timesaver that belongs in everyone's arsenal. Ree uses it in this veggie-filled stir-fry, perfect for those nights when you don't have a minute to spare.

The rich flavor of a carbonara combined with the crispy, crunchy texture of fried rice. Need we say more?

Try mixing white rice with riced vegetables, like we did for this dish. It’s an easy way to get extra nutrients!

Creamy and comforting, penne alla vodka is an impressive dish to serve up when you're entertaining, but it's also perfectly appropriate for a weeknight. (Go ahead and treat yourself!)

When you need a quick-and-easy, meatless meal, noodles and edemame are the answer. They're paired with bright crunchy veggies and a savory tahini sauce for a delicious bowl in just 20 minutes.

A mixture of spices, jalapeno and chipotle spice up this lamb (or beef) shakshuka. This tomato and egg dish is so hearty and savory you will want breakfast for every meal.

Refrigerated ravioli are a staple for making dinner fast as they cook quickly and come in many varieties. The mild creamy mozzarella ravioli in this recipe goes well with the baby kale, tomatoes and chicken sausage, but feel free to experiment with other flavors too.

Pick up a rotisserie chicken and get dinner on the table quicker than it'd take you to call in an order from your favorite Mexican restaurant. And don't forget the avocado cream!

When you want an easy dinner that tastes like it came from your favorite Japanese restaurant, look no further than quick-cooking salmon. Sauteed in a mirin-based sauce with bell peppers, the fish is ready for its noodle bed in minutes.

Ina's buttery shrimp linguine is just what you need when you want a fast but elegant dish. Cooking the pasta and the sauce together for the last few minutes is her trick to getting the pasta to really absorb the fresh flavor.

Why go out when you can have a great burger at home in 30 minutes or less? Smashing slices of Vidalia onions into burger patties makes them juicy and delicious, while the simple sauce makes them the best version of your favorite fast-food burger.

Chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion and garlic: Ree packs all the flavor of Tex-Mex taco seasoning into these creamy, cheesy shells. Best of all, she tops it off with salsa and a dollop of sour cream!

Giada De Laurentiis boils pasta until tender but still firm to the bite, as it will then be tossed with tomatoes and cooked spinach; the end result will be perfectly cooked noodles.

Fish is one of our go-to proteins when we need a time-saving dinner. It cooks up quick and can be used in so many different dishes. Here, we’re grilling it and wrapping it in corn tortillas (along with all the fixings) for delicious, 20-minute tacos.

This super-quick and indulgent weeknight dinner takes a slight left turn from the standard fettuccine Alfredo. Red peppers and paprika turn the expected into spectacular.

Ground pork and beef are mixed with new ingredients like pears, sesame oil and gochujang to create this quick, easy, Korean-inspired take on the old favorite sloppy joe.

A salad can certainly be satisfying dinner, especially when it comes filled with protein-packed hard-boiled eggs and hearty cannellini beans. The fresh mix of greens in this all-in-one meal will not disappoint.

This Moroccan-spiced stew, filled with ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes and chickpeas, will taste like it simmered for hours. Serve it with spinach-and-cheese-stuffed pitas for a hearty dinner in a flash.

Nutmeg and cayenne are the secret ingredients to Rachael Ray's decadent macaroni and cheese. Top the casserole dish with more cheese, then bake until bubbling and slightly browned.

You're more than willing to give peanut butter a spot at your lunch table; now's the time to invite it to dinner. Stir it together rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil and chili sauce to create a creamy, sweet-salty sauce just right for coating soba noodles.

Shake up your fried chicken game with this Korean-inspired batter and slaw. Vodka and cornstarch in the batter are the secret to light and crispy skin, and kimchi and gochujang add a new kick to a traditional cabbage slaw.

Get all the tortilla chips and shredded cheese you love about nachos in dinner form. Seasoned chicken and chopped romaine lettuce help transform the starter into a complete meal.

With the help of a spiralizer, butternut squash becomes the noodles in this sweet-and-savory, satisfying dish that's impressive enough for a dinner party, but easy enough for a weeknight meal.

Why order takeout when homemade is so simple to make? Ree’s fun take on fried rice is ready in a flash — and uses ingredients that you probably already have on hand like pepperoni, bell pepper and jarred pizza sauce.

Linguine simply flavored with olive oil and garlic is an easy and comforting meal on its own; tossed with a chunky tomato sauce and sauteed shrimp it becomes a 25-minute winner.

Breakfast-for-dinner doesn't have to mean pancakes and scrambled eggs. This hearty, savory dish will make you want breakfast for every meal. A rich red chile sauce with guajillo peppers gives the chilaquiles their kick.

These yummy burritos are packed full of flavor to give you a weeknight dinner unlike any other. Each one has beefy meatballs, savory refried beans, fluffy brown rice, melty Colby Jack cheese, creamy avocado and spicy salsa. And if you're really pressed for time, you can even make the meatballs the night before! Talk about a win!

This dish (which will remind you of classic Italian sausage and peppers) comes together quickly, thanks to the use of frozen, premade meatballs.

Don't worry about having to wait for the dough to rise. Pitas make pizza night come together in 30 quick minutes. Give the toppings a grown-up touch with a tomato-olive mixture, baby arugula, and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.

Pick up a rotisserie chicken and you'll be well on your way to 30-minute enchiladas the whole family will love. Seriously, who can resist this much cheesy goodness?

Creamy and packed with peppers and onions, the whole meal can be made in just 30 minutes. A tortilla chip topping adds some surprising (and welcome) crunch.

It pays to perfect the classics. Pasta with vodka sauce is an easy dish that is both simple and sumptuous. Adding quick shrimp scampi elevates it to a hearty 30-minute meal.

You know how easy it is to turn a can of tuna into a great lunch, so why not use the trusty standby to make dinner? Pile it onto a bagel and top with veggies, herbs and sliced hard-boiled eggs; you'll wonder why you've never done this before.

Fresh-squeezed orange juice brightens up the peanut butter-based dressing atop this salad. Shredded rotisserie chicken and edamame add to its filling power, and chow mein noodles provide a nice, crunchy texture.

This savory dish gets its devilish flavor from a mixture of spicy Calabrian chili paste, tangy Dijon mustard and sharp Pecorino Romano cheese.

Frittatas are terrific for breakfast and brunch, yes, but they're also fantastic for dinner. This one is filled with olives, tomatoes and feta cheese for a Greek take on the early morning favorite.

Rachael's colorful meal is complete with protein, vegetables and a starch. While the potatoes and veggies roast in the oven, prepare a cheese-coated chicken breast and everything will be ready to plate at the same time.

Make a chunky sauce of Japanese eggplants and crushed plum tomatoes for this pasta. A dollop of ricotta cheese on top is the perfect finishing touch.

Bring your love of everything bagels to the dinner table with this 30-minute meal. Salmon fillets get a flavor boost from everything bagel seasoning, and they're perfect served alongside cheesy mashed potatoes.

You can serve up mouthwatering Mexican pizzas any night of the week, thanks to flour tortillas. Crisp them up in the oven, then top with fresh chorizo, refried beans and cheese. When the cheese is warm and melty, the pizzas are ready for their cool finishing touches: think lettuce, lime juice, avocado and Mexican crema.

Store-bought tostadas and a rotisserie chicken help this meal come together in 15 short minutes. Layering on the flavors is easy enough that you can even enlist the kids!

These crunchy Vietnamese-style rolls are healthy and light, and the addition of rice makes them a filling dinner option. They're gluten-free, but anyone — even kids — will love them.

Bulk up your typical weeknight fallback — quesadillas — with buttery mushrooms and a thinly sliced red onion. Frozen corn and lima beans make for a quick side to round out this family-friendly meal.