30 Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes For When You are Tired

Most of our weekdays are laden with busy schedules and the first thing we want to think about at evenings isn’t going to be about cooking dinner. We all want those quick easy dinner recipes that would take just 30minutes or less to get us done.

easy dinner recipes pin image

And while there are numerous slow cooker recipes that can be prepared ahead of time with so many sheet pan dinners, I have researched quick fix recipes for your dinners which include most of your well desired dishes; ground beef recipes, chicken dinner recipes, and top-notch recipe ideas for vegetarians that would make every of your dinner experience memorable.  

Some of these dinner ideas are also family-friendly that will get every member of your family satisfied. And for those who want their meals rather nutritious, you have no worries.

However, some of the quick easy dinner recipes might require a trip to the grocery store or some planning decisions, but in all, they are simple, quick, and amazing to gladden your taste buds.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links from Amazon or other publishers I trust (at no extra cost to you). See disclosure for details.

But before we dive deep into super quick dinner ideas, I have some cooking tips you should take away to make your cooking much faster as you have always wanted.

Tips To Cook Dinner Fast

1. Put Your Expectations In Control

You know you do not have to do everything perfectly. There are a lot of meals to cook, but some will just not be best for your plans for a quick easy meal. If at least you had your dinner cooked at home, and you could eat it – even if you think it wasn’t a great meal – it is fine you achieved that instead of eating out. Take that move as a success.

2. Manage And Preserve

You have to save yourself the time spent buying groceries by getting your items in bulk — you’d get them cheaper that way. Get your favorite spices, meat, and marinade freezed. You can easily pull them to defrost for later that day to be grilled, sauted, or broiled.

3. Prepare You Most Used Kitchenware Ahead

Organize all your most-used kitchen tools on the spot where you do most of your work in the kitchen, and put away items you rarely use or would not be needing anytime soon. Items you may want to consider are pots & pans, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knives, vegetable peeler, whisk, wooden spoons, and rubber spatula.

4. Keep All Ingredients And Pantry Essentials Within Reach

The time spent fetching salt, or looking for pepper can really make the whole cooking experience daunting. Make cooking easy by keeping your oil, pepper, and salt on top of your counter. And also ensure that other ingredients you will be needing often – spices, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and seasoning –  are within your reach.

5. Read The Recipe Entirely Before Starting

Save yourself unwanted surprises by reading everything you have in the recipe entirely before starting out on cooking. You do not want to get halfway only to discover that you should have warmed up the oven or kept your eggs at room temperature. 

6. Set Out Everything You Need In Front Of You

Display all the ingredients you will be needing on the counter ready for use. The problem with not doing this is that you may easily forget to apply an ingredient because you do not have it staring at you. Another thing is that when you have everything displayed in front you, your cooking will speed up and nothing vital will be left out.

7. Multitask

In the corporate world, multitasking is being countered. But there are some things you can do together at the same time in your kitchen. For instance, you can devote quick time to chop onions while you have oil heating up in a pan, and slice your veggies for salad in the process of having your chicken marinated. Also, while having your water come to boil, measure your pasta, and put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher while your oven is getting your food done.

Here Quick And Easy Dinner Recipes Ideas To Try Out

1. Italian Pasta And Peas

Get full recipe from The Clever Meal 

This meal idea only needs simple ingredients to get ready. It is tasty, creamy, delicious, and affordable. The dinner will be ready with just 5 ingredients. It’s a no brainer. Sauté onions in olive oil, get in peas, add water or vegetable broth, boil. Add pasta, and allow to cook in starchy water. Add grated cheese and stir well. The melted cheese and starch will make a nice covering of your pasta.

2. Chicken Salad Sandwich

Get the full recipe from Delish

Chicken salad sandwich uses just a few simple ingredients to give that delicious meal experience. Fresh chicken is great but you can also make use of canned chicken. Ensure the chicken is cooled and chopped into  small sizes. You are sure going to fall in love with the wonderfully creamy texture and blend of flavours.

3. Sausage and Peppers Ravioli Skillet

Get full recipe from Foodnetwork 

This sausage and peppers combination is put together in an easy weeknight dish, and can be all set in just 20 minutes! Cook the sauce and ravioli at the same time and finally heat them in a pan. 

4. Herbes de Provence Shrimp with Basil and Pea Couscous

Get full recipe from Countryliving 

Herbes de Provence is a combo of herbs which includes oregano, rosemary, marjoram, lavender, and tarragon. And it is used in seasoning this easy and quick meal, in addition with a flavorful lemony pea couscous.

5. Tomato Pasta

Get full recipe from Gathering Dreams 

With a combo of fresh tomatoes, basil, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and capers, this meal makes an incredibly sweet experience for you. However, carper is optional. Just put everything together in a food processor, shake, and turn. You may also want to add some parmesan for some added flavor.

6. Tasty Sour Glazed Shrimp

Get full recipe from Foodnetwork   

A perfect mix of Chinese plum sauce, rice wine vinegar, and ketchup provides this shrimp a sweet balance of flavors. This is a quick easy meal to have for dinner.

7. Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes

Get full recipe from Countryliving 

Ground chicken or turkey takes the place of the regular ground beef. Ground turkey with fresh cucumber onion, carrot, cloves garlic, ground cinnamon, sweet relish, and can tomato sauce tops it all.

8.  10-Minute Chickpea Curry

Get the full recipe on Gathering Dreams 

I love this easy dinner recipe. Your first experience will definitely be memorable. The ingredients are nutritious and easy to find in virtually everything in the kitchen. Fresh spinach is used here, and you can also use frozen spinach if that is what is available. 

9. Shrimp Scampi

Get the full recipe from Delish 

It won’t be necessary to order in since you can get yourself blown away with this super easy-to-cook Shrimp scampi, uber-flavorful meal. Sauté the shrimp using garlic and butter while cooking the pasta. Add lemon juice, wine, and red pepper flakes to the mix while not forgetting to reserve some pasta water as it would be of help to make everything become a bit more saucy. And in just 20 minutes, your peeled deveined shrimp and everything gets together!

10. Sesame Pork Milanese

Get the full recipe from Foodnetwork

You can have a really quick cooking process by pounding the pork chops thin, and getting this delicious meal in one piece in 30 minutes or less. And even if you do not have a meat wallet, a heavy skillet will suffice too.

11. Quinoa Chicken Salad

Get full recipe at Eat Drink Frolic 

This mouthwatering salad is replete with chicken protein, black beans, quinoa, sweet potatoes, spinach, and pickled onions. The combo has a colorful blood orange vinaigrette.

12. Rainbow “Raw-Maine” Taco Boats 

Get the full recipe on Minimalist Baker

My love for these colorful salad boats cannot be quantified. They are imbued with fresh veggies, hummus, creamy tahini sauce, and sprouts for a light, quick and easy dinner. The perfect choice when you have no time going about a long-hour cooking session. 

13. BLT Bean Salad

Get the full recipe from Foodnetwork 

The combined flavors in classic BLT sandwiches make up this hearty delicious bean salad. get creative using those pantry beans with homemade herb-mayo dressing that produces freshness as the croutons and crisp bacon add a welcome crunch.

14. Mexican Quinoa

Get the full recipe from Gathering Dreams    

Mexican Quinoa is your perfect quick meal if you drool over the sight of juicy tomatoes, crunchy sweet corn, black beans, and creamy avocados. It proffers high nutrients, gluten-free, and it is a vegan diet. Everything gets all set in 30-minutes.

15.  Lo Mein

Get the full recipe from Pinch Of Yum 

If you need what to cook to feed the neighborhood at Panda Buffet with just $6.50, this easy stir fry dinner is something to consider. Lo Mein meal only requires that you chop veggies and  a hot pan. Four to six ounces uncooked ramen noodles, one to two tablespoons mirin, three green onions, a tablespoon sesame oil, two to three julienne cut or diced veggies like red pepper, bok choy, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and mushrooms. The wonder happens in 15 minutes.

16. Blackened Chicken and Avocado Salad

Get the full recipe from Eat Well 101  

This meal is one of the easiest and healthiest meals to make at home for dinner. The chicken is seasoned and then grilled perfectly using cumin, paprika, pepper, garlic, olive oil, and chili powder. Crisp and full of flavor, the blackened chicken and avocado salad can be all set with just a few ingredients. For the blackened chicken, use two boneless chicken breasts that have been horizontally sliced, a tablespoon olive oil, half teaspoon garlic powder, half teaspoon paprika, half teaspoon chili powder, pinch salt, and fresh cracked pepper. You may also add half teaspoon cumin and half teaspoon powdered chicken stock.

Avocado salad needs two cups of chopped romaine lettuce, two avocados, one cherry tomatoes cup, one small onion, a tablespoon chopped cilantro, a tablespoon olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and salt, and maybe parmesan shavings.

17. Chinese Chicken Salad

Get full recipe from Recipetin Eats 

The Asian Dressing is the hero of this Chinese Chicken salad. The meal is a combination of carrots, chicken, cabbage, and sesame seeds. Crunchy noodles are vital too for a memorable experience.  

18. Baked Gnocchi with Spinach and Mozzarella

Get full recipe from Taming Twins 

Potato gnocchi can be gotten for ready-use if you have no time making yours. The easy-to-prepare vegetarian baked  gnocchi recipe is imbued with tomatoes and spinach, and capped with mozzarella cheese to unleash a superb meal-time.

19. Thai Shrimp Curry

Get the full recipe from Salt and Lavender  

Quick easy meal in less than 30 minutes, the Thai shrimp curry recipe offers enough sauce for the rice. 

20. Easy Fish Stew

Get the full recipe from Garden In The Kitchen

This easy fish stew requires two tablespoon of olive oil, two cloves garlic (minced), one small white onion, half cup of coconut milk, two tablespoon tomato paste, half teaspoon red pepper flakes,  quarter cup sour cream (optional), one whole red pepper, green pepper, yellow bell pepper sliced in rounds, and one tablespoon of fresh cilantro. The quick and easy delicious fish stew needs just 20 minutes or less to be ready. Cooked in a fragrant, rich, and delicious broth, it is topped with fresh cilantro which should be served along with rice or quinoa.

21. Coconut Curry Salmon

Get the full recipe from Pinch Of Yum 

This coconut curry salmon is a combo of creamy coconut curry sauce, broiled salmon, steamy rice to spread all the delicious juice completely. Get started by preheating the oven to 475 degrees. And line up a baking sheet with foil. This quick meal is a perfect one because it is easy, fast, contains high protein and good fats, healthy, and essentially creamy!

22. Baked Paleo Chicken Tenders

Get the full recipe from Ambitious Kitchen 

Here is another tasty stir fry! This meal is made with fred bell pepper, carrots, and fresh green beans that are cooked together in a sesame ginger sauce that is full of flavors. You can relish with quinoa or cauliflower rice, rice, and if you’d rather vote for the low-carb dinner, just take it on its own.

23. Frittata

Get the full recipe from Love and Lemons 

Proteinous Frittata is your perfect go-to lunch or dinner meal. It is easy to prepare as 5 minutes is all the time you need to put items together. You’ll spend a little more monitoring the cooking progress. Frittata is an egg-bake replete with delicious veggies, herbs, and a little cheese.

24. Vegan Yaki Udon

Get the full recipe from Lazy Cat Kitchen 

Vegan Yaki Udon is very nutritious and satisfying. It is flexible, simple to prepare, and imbued with umami flavor. You can pick dry noodles, but pre-cooked noodles will make your cooking quick. Veggies such as hardier vegetables will do fine, however, any kind of vegetable you love can be used.

25. Vegan Paella

Get the full recipe from Lazy Cat Kitchen  

Ensure to have the correct rice tpe at hand for use in your preparation. Perhaps you do not have paella rice, you can opt for short-grain rice varieties too. The major thing you should take note of is to measure the right liquid to rice ratio and the perfect cooking time. 200g of rice would work nicely with 2½ cups (600 ml) liquid absolutely to be cooked rightly.

26. Pasta e Ceci (Pasta with Chickpeas)

Get the full recipe from The Clever Meal 

Pasta e Ceci is the Italian name for Pasta with chickpeas. Is a quick easy evening meal that takes only 30 minutes or less to be ready. The meal is naturally vegan, proteeinous, and budget-friendly for a delicious one-pot family experience.

27.  Garlic Shrimp Zoodles

Get the full recipe from Salt and Lavender 

A tablespoon Olive oil, red pepper flakes (though optional), juice and zest of one lemon, two medium zucchini, three to four cloves garlic minced, three to four pounds medium shrimp peeled and deveined, chopped fresh parsley, pepper, and salt to your taste. Garlic Shrimp Zoodle recipe is another low-carb option for a quick easy dinner. 15 minutes is all you need.

28.  Parmesan Crumbed Fish

Get the full recipe from Recipetin Eats 

You may also want to call this an emergency fish recipe that makes a dinner effortlessly. In just 7 minutes, you can have a ready super-healthy parmesan crumbed fish meal. Any fish fillet you have can be used for a mouth-watering golden baked crust.

29. Quesadillas 

Get the full recipe from Cookie And Kate 

These ten-minute quesadillas are replete with proteinous beans and veggies. They are made with nutritional whole-grain tortillas and sufficient cheese for a delicious and enticing experience. The quick meal can generally be a nice alternative to ordering pizza.

30. Salmon Cobb Salad 

Get the full recipe from Salt And Lavender 

Roast the salmon fast with olive oil and pepper and salt. Hard boil eggs for like 7 minutes to avoid the yolk being rock hard. And if you’d rather have jammier yolks, then prepare them for lesser cooking time.

Share for good karma ;)

About The Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top