The 15 Easiest Weeknight Dinners Ever

Get dinner on the table in 30 minutes with these easy recipes.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published September 23, 2025
Robin Shreeves
Ground beef and broccoli stir fry over rice in a bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, a bowl of sliced scallions, and a bowl of sesame seeds

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

If time is a barrier to putting a home-cooked dinner on the table, you're in the right place with these meals you can make in about 30 minutes or less. I've scoured our site for these 15 dinners that don't involve too much prep or too many ingredients yet are still satisfying, delicious, and fun. There's even a pantry pasta meal to make when you swear you've got nothing in the house.

Find a new favorite to cook tonight or easily save the ones that catch your eye to your MyRecipes account—it's free. Simply click through to the recipes here and tap on the heart icon located next to the recipe title.

  • Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken fried rice in a bowl with chopsticks
    Lisa Lin

    This is a delicious dinner to make in a flash if you have leftover rice. Chicken and veggies fry quickly in a wok. An optional sprinkling of Chinese five spice powder kicks up the flavor. This dish rivals takeout in all ways except one: it'll be fresh and hot, whereas takeout will be lukewarm by the time you get it home.

  • Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

    Plate of Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze and a Side of Green Beans

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    This salmon bakes in about 12 minutes and ends up with a crispy caramelized top thanks to the brown sugar glaze spiked with Dijon and honey. Steam broccoli in the microwave while the salmon bakes and you'll have dinner on the table in 25 minutes or less.

  • Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Bell Peppers

    Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Bell Peppers

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Feed (and please) a crowd in 30 minutes with gnocchi roasted with bell pepper, squash, garlic, and tomatoes topped with shredded Parm. You'll need two rimmed baking sheets to hold all the goodness, but they both go in the oven at the same time.

  • Salisbury Ground Beef

    salisbury ground beef with a side of green beans on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "Instead of making individual patties and searing each one, simply cook ground beef in a skillet and combine it with sautéed mushrooms and a savory gravy for a 30-minute meal. It has all of the flavors of the original without the hassle."—Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

    Continue to 5 of 15 below

  • Crispy Ground Beef Tacos

    Baked tacos on a platte surrounded by bowls of toppings (bowl of shredded iceberg lettuce, bowl of diced onions, bowl of tomatoes, bowl of salsa, and a bowl of sour cream)

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RD

    This is the way to make a bunch of perfectly hot and crispy tacos all at once. Cook a ground beef filling and put the filled tacos on a sheet pan, then bake for four to five minutes a side. The result? Everyone, including you, can start eating at the same time.

  • Hamburger and Macaroni

    Hamburger and Macaroni

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    So many quick dinners start with a pound of ground beef. For this one, brown the meat and make a sauce with canned diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, and seasonings while you boil the water and cook the pasta. You can customize with ground chicken or turkey, extra veggies, or topping with the cheese of your choice.

  • Copycat Olive Garden Chicken & Gnocchi Soup

    Bowl of copycat Olive Garden chicken and gnocchi soup on a beige table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

    A copycat of an Olive Garden favorite, this creamy soup takes a few shortcuts that the restaurant doesn't take, yet it's still as delicious. By using store-bought rotisserie chicken and refrigerated gnocchi, you can get this soup on the table in less than half an hour.

  • Paccheri With Sausage Ragu

    Pot of Paccheri With Quick Sausage Ragu With a Spoon, and in the Surroundings, a Glass, a Block of Parmesan, a Stack of Plates, and Basil Leaves

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Any given weeknight, there’s a 75% chance that I’m making pasta for dinner. There are many reasons for this—it’s quick, easy, and helps me use up leftovers in the pantry and fridge—but the #1 reason is simple. I just love a good plate of pasta!"—Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 9 of 15 below

  • Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts

    Lemon Pepper Chicken in a Pan Garnished with Shredded Parsley and Lemon Slices

    Simply Recipes / Marta Rivera Diaz

    Pan-fry thin chicken breasts sprinkled with lemon pepper in a lemony broth made with chicken stock. The thin breasts fry up quickly and the pan sauce, thickened with flour and butter, is scrumptious. Serve the chicken with sauce, but save a little of it to drizzle on a side of rice.

  • Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

    Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Italian deli meat
    Nick Evans

    This gooey sandwich is a mashup of a sub (or hoagie, depending on what you call it) and a grilled cheese sandwich. Add three kinds of Italian deli meat—pepperoni, salami, and prosciutto—and provolone cheese, then grill on the stovetop.

  • Pizza Salad

    Bowl of Pizza Salad Surrounded by a Bowl of Grated Cheese With Blocks of Parmesan, a Cup With More Dressing, Breadsticks on the Counter, and a Pink Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    No cooking here, and there's not even much chopping to do. A quick homemade vinaigrette with oregano and garlic powder meets all of your favorite pizza toppings over crisp lettuce. Bake up frozen breadsticks and you're all set.

  • Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta With Garlic and Oil)

    Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Pasta With Garlic and Oil) Topped with Herbs and Parmesan

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "If ever there was a pantry pasta, this is it. A humble Italian recipe, aglio e olio is primarily made with four easily accessible, shelf-staple ingredients: pasta, olive oil, garlic, and chiles. It’s just the dish to lean on when someone cries “there’s no food in the house!”—Katie Morford, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 15 below

  • Marry Me Beans

    Marry Me Beans in a white bowl

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "For cooking purposes, I tend to prefer oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes to dry-packed since they stay moist and plump. I also love using the oil for cooking, from frying eggs to using it to make a vinaigrette. In this recipe, I use the oil straight from the jar to add extra flavor to the beans."—Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

  • French Bread Pizza

    Sliced French Bread Pizza Topped With Fresh Basil (Unsliced) and a Small Bowl of Crushed Peppers on a Wooden Platter and on the Counter Next to It, an Olive Oil Dispenser, a Jar With More Crushed Red Peppers, and a Bushel of Fresh Basil

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "The key to keeping French bread pizza from getting soggy is easier than you might think: toast the bread before adding toppings. Toasting serves two purposes: it creates a nice crisp surface against which to rub garlic to add flavor and allows the sauce to soak in gently without becoming a soggy mess."—Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

    Ground beef and broccoli stir fry over rice in a bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, a bowl of sliced scallions, and a bowl of sesame seeds

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "If you love the flavors of beef and broccoli, whip up this quick, easy, and affordable version. Ready in only 30 minutes—just enough time to cook up some rice at the same time—it’s an ideal family meal."— Jasmine Smith, Recipe Developer

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