30 Weeknight Dinners to Make in 30 Minutes or Less These quick pastas, soups, sandwiches, and entrées make for easy weeknight meals. By Ashley Day Ashley Day Ashley Day is Food & Wine's associate editorial director. She's edited and directed food and travel content at USA TODAY, the Institute of Culinary Education, and Chef & Restaurant magazine, and contributed to The Food Institute, The Daily Meal, and the recipe app meez. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 24, 2025 SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser With these recipes for quick dinners that can be made in 30 minutes or less, you'll redefine fast food at home. Don't get us wrong, cooking an elaborate meal is great, but on most nights, cooking a fast, delicious meal is just as impressive and easier to do if you have some essential weeknight cooking tools and the right dishes. To help you make a great meal in no time, we have compiled some of the best quick weeknight dinners for every craving. Get dinner on the table in minutes with this inspiration for a fresh rotation. 01 of 30 One-Pot White Wine Pasta with Mushrooms and Leeks Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland This creamy, savory one-pot pasta dish comes together without the need to boil the pasta separately. Savory sautéed mushrooms and gently sweet leeks combine with cream, lemon juice, and white wine to create the rich sauce. Feel free to switch up the flavor by adding tarragon instead of dill. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 30 Butter Cauliflower and Chickpeas Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Renu Dhar's vegan take on Murg Makhni (Butter Chicken) calls for roasting cauliflower and chickpeas to serve with a smoky sauce and cilantro coconut chutney. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 30 Sole with Lemon Cream Food & Wine / Photo by Carson Downing / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Props Styling by Sue Mitchell Dredge fillets of petrale sole — a mildly sweet, nutty, firm, white fish — in flour and quickly pan-fry to golden-brown perfection. Then cut the buttery richness with an acidic lemon cream sauce, all in a half hour. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 30 Laotian-Inspired Pork Patties Alex Lau / FOOD STYLING by MARGARET MONROE DICKEY / PROP STYLING by JILLIAN KNOX You can broil, grill, or sear these versatile patties that F&W Editor in Chief Hunter Lewis flavors with sugar, salt, fish sauce, chopped cilantro, grated ginger, and garlic. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 30 Chicken Piccata Pasta Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Radiatori pasta soaks up chicken piccata's signature lemon, butter, and caper sauce in this 25-minute crowd-pleasing dinner. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 30 Za’atar Chicken Bowl with Broccoli, Tahini, and Israeli Couscous Food & Wine / Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Cook herbaceous chicken cutlets and garlicky Israeli couscous while roasting broccoli to streamline this dish with aromatic za’atar seasoning and a savory, acidic tahini drizzle. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 30 Orzo and Chickpeas with Turmeric-Ginger Broth Victor Protasio Coconut milk and fresh lime juice are natural flavor partners to ginger and turmeric; here they come together to form a restorative tea-based broth that’s delicious studded with chickpeas and pasta. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 30 Spicy Sausage Pasta with Tomatoes and Squash Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Added thinly sliced squash just minutes before serving means it melts into the pasta without losing its shape and texture. Use a mandoline to achieve extra-thin slices Get the Recipe Save 09 of 30 Brussels Sprouts Baba Ghanoush Greg DuPree After a whirl in the food processor, brussels sprouts and tahini come together to form a creamy dip. Serve it topped with more roasted brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, and warm pita, for dipping. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 30 Pork Chops with Sherry Pan Sauce and Ras Al Hanout Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Dry sherry lends an oxidized, nutty complexity to this pan sauce. Sweetened with fresh orange juice and dried fruit, it's perfect with pork chops or seared duck breasts. The technique here relies on rendering fat from the meat, setting it aside, and using that fat to bloom beautifully complex ras al hanout in the pan, before deglazing it with sherry to incorporate every bit of flavor into the final sauce. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 30 Cacio e Pepe Gnocchi Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Use refrigerated skillet gnocchi to skip boiling and have fluffy potato dumplings coated in a peppery, cheesy sauce on the table in a half hour. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 30 Chaaza (Burmese Curry) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Top Chef Season 21 winner Danny Garcia toasts chickpea flour, turmeric, and curry powder and sautés onion, garlic, and ginger for this hearty soup with vermicelli noodles and large shrimp. The 20-minute curry is comforting and complex. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 30 Crispy Black Bean Cakes Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco This vegetarian meal comes together quickly with pantry staples and can be prepped in advance to simply bread and pan-fry for dinner. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 30 Broccoli and Potato Soup Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones The bright green broccoli florets floating on top of this hearty soup make it especially eye-catching, but it's the broccoli stems that do the real work. They're cooked with the potatoes and then pureed to form a creamy base. A final sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese gives the soup an extra savory touch. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 30 Cha Kroeung (Khmer Chicken Stir-Fry) Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Cha Kroeung is a Cambodian chicken stir-fry full of salty, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors. It gets its flavor from kroeung, a Cambodian lemongrass paste. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 30 Pasta Carbonara Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster The ultimate version of the iconic, decadent pasta with a rich, eggy sauce and bits of salty, crispy pork, this Spaghetti Carbonara promises finely tuned ratios and a fully dialed-in method. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 30 Spicy Eggplant and Zucchini Stir-Fry with Plant-Based Meat Photo by Ellen Mary Cronin / Food and prop styling by Radin+Croney Collective Eggplant and zucchini cook quickly and absorb the flavors of chile-garlic and soy sauces — the heat of which is tempered by fresh cilantro. Serve this vegan stir-fry over rice for a filling, 20-minute meal. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 30 Grilled Cheese with Corn and Calabrian Chile Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson Chef Nancy Silverton's upgraded grilled cheese is filled with a charred sweet corn-studded blend of nutty English cheddar, sharp caciocavallo, and just enough mayonnaise to bind it all together. Thick slices of sourdough get a beautifully buttery, golden crust in a cast iron skillet, while Calabrian chile sneaks in with just the right amount of heat. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 30 Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard Diana Chistruga In matching spicy sausage with a creamy mustard sauce and fragrant basil, British cookbook author Nigel Slater created a quick pasta supper with warm, mildly spicy flavors. It's perfect for a cool fall or winter evening. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 30 Easy Chicken Fajitas Cara Cormack Fajitas are a great option for a family or large group of friends. Set up the components on a buffet, so everyone can pick and choose the toppings they want. If you like, feel free to swap in pork loin for the chicken. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 30 Shrimp Scampi with Garlicky Miso Butter Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen This garlicky pasta includes a touch of miso added to the white wine base for extra-briny depth. There's no searing the shrimp or other fuss: They cook to a lovely, delicate state in just a couple of minutes. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 30 Veal Piccata Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Make a silky pan sauce with garlic, lemon juice, capers, and parsley to serve with veal, pork, or chicken cutlets, for a buttery, tangy main. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 30 Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser Sweet-spicy Italian sausage and bitter broccoli rabe are amplified by a lot of garlic, a handful of grated or shaved Parmesan, and a healthy pinch of crushed red pepper flakes — all in 25 minutes. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 30 Ground Beef Bulgogi Sloppy Joes with Fiery Napa Slaw Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Ground beef gets the Korean barbecue flavor treatment with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and a hint of gochujang so it becomes saucy, sweet, and salty in this amped-up version of the American classic. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 30 Patty Melts with Charred Scallion-Chipotle Mayo Photo by David Malosh / Prop Styling by Amy Wilson / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero Classic versions of the patty melt often include caramelized onions, but those take time, so here cookbook author Molly Stevens leans on quick-charred scallions instead. Chipotle-spiked mayonnaise adds an extra dose of lushness and a punch of smoky heat. For the cheese, semi-soft cheeses like Oaxaca or Monterey Jack add a satisfying tang, but any good melting cheese works — Cheddar or Swiss are perfectly delicious stand-ins. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 30 Weeknight Skillet Chili Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Mexican chorizo, fire-roasted tomatoes, and chipotles add bold, smoky flavor to this weeknight-friendly beef chili recipe. Get the Recipe Save 27 of 30 Miso-Red Bean Patties Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen These tender bean patties would be perfect in sliders with a sriracha mayo, on a salad with creamy herb dressing, or atop a grain bowl with zucchini and crema. Get the Recipe Save 28 of 30 Filipino New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman Classic New Orleans barbecue shrimp are not grilled or barbecued, but sauteed in a spiced butter sauce. This version comes from Filipino Cajun chef Cristina Quakenbush, who remains true to the dish’s origins by using Abita Beer and Creole seasoning, and gives it a spin by adding soy sauce, calamansi juice, ginger, and banana ketchup. Get the Recipe Save 29 of 30 Honey-Mustard-Glazed Salmon Steaks © Christina Holmes Any time a novice cook asks Jamie Bissonnette for a simple recipe, he gives them this soy-honey-mustard sauce. It’s delicious on the salmon here, but he also recommends spreading it on chicken wings or pork chops before grilling them. Get the Recipe Save 30 of 30 Wild Mushroom and Red Wine Risotto © Frances Janisch The creamy, red wine-tinged rice gets adorned with mixed wild mushrooms and shallot sautéed in butter. Freshly grated Parmesan brings even more umami goodness to the dish. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Recipes Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit