5-Ingredient Meat Recipes

Caramelized onion and figs bring out the natural sweetness in pork here. Try the relish with chicken or beef as well.

Pantry Checklist:

• Pork tenderloin (1 lb)
• Dried Mission figs
• Balsamic vinegar
• Low-sodium soy sauce
• Onion

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Other: 5 minutes

Red Bell Pepper gets used two tasty ways: as a vegetable in the corn sauté and as a pureed sauce for the plate. Fresh corn is not just sweet; it has a surprising hit of umami intensity.

Pantry Checklist

• Fish Sauce
• Red Bell Pepper
• Green Onions
• Skirt Steak
• Corn Kernels

Hands-on: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour, 30 minutes

A simple citrus marinade plus a quick sear yields significantly more flavor than you might think. Of course, a finishing balsamic drizzle is always welcome.

Pantry Checklist

• Olive Oil
• Grated Orange Rind
• Orange Juice
• Lamb Rib Chops
• Balsamic Vinegar

With just five ingredients, this protein-packed meal comes together in a flash. Soy sauce amps up the flavor of beef tenderloin fillets, which pineapple lends tropical flavor to brown rice.

Pantry Checklist

• Lower-Sodium Soy Sauce
• Beef Tenderloin Fillets
• Can Pineapple Slices in Juice
• Green Onions
• 2 Packages PreCooked Brown Rice

Mushrooms add a savory flavor that makes beef taste even meatier, while red wine brings acidity for balance. Splurge on great steaks in this simple recipe; with so few ingredients, the meat shines through.

Pantry Checklist:

• Beef tenderloin steaks (4-4oz)
• Baby portobello mushrooms
• Red wine
• Butter
• Fresh rosemary

Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 10 minutes

There's no reason lamb shouldn't be a regular part of your menu planning with a dish as simple and delicious as this. It matches well with any sort of prepared grain: barley, couscous, quinoa, or even grits.

Pantry Checklist:

• Lamb loin chops (8-4 oz)
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground allspice
• Ground cumin
• Ground red pepper

Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes

Nothing beats pot roast for a satisfying dinner on a cold day, and the slow cooker makes this recipe practically effortless. Leftovers for sandwiches are a must, so don't worry if this seems like a lot of meat.

Pantry Checklist:

• Boneless shoulder pot roast (2-lbs)
• Mushrooms
• Bell pepper
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 7 hours and 7 minutes

While the pork is cooking, add fresh vegetables to the grill for a complete meal.

Pantry Checklist: 

• Bread-and-Butter Pickles
• Dijon Mustard
• Pork Tenderloin
• Cilantro
• Swiss Cheese

Slicing pork tenderloin lets it cook through in six minutes and makes this dish superfast; the sweet-spicy sauce of fruit juice and chipotle chiles makes it unique.

Pantry Checklist:

• Pork tenderloin (1 lb)
• Garlic powder
• Frozen pomegranate-blueberry juice concentrate
• Chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce

Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 11 minutes

Making individual servings of these spicy meat loaves means they cook faster, you don't need a loaf pan, and there's no fighting over who gets the thickest slice. Try a loaf between slices of pumpernickel bread for a great sandwich.

Pantry Checklist:

• Ground beef, extra lean (1 lb)
• Large white eggs
• Quick-cooking oats
• Chipotle salsa
• Ketchup

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes

Pumpkin pie spice adds a nice warmth to this dish, while butternut squash adds sweetness and plenty of fiber. If you like, substitute sweet potato for the squash.

Pantry Checklist:

• Center-cut pork loin chops (4 4-oz)
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Butternut squash
• Onion
• Fresh mint

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 21 minutes

Reducing the marinade to a glaze while the steak cooks is an easy trick to create a sauce. Try it with any marinated meat recipe.

Pantry Checklist:

• Flank steak (1 lb)
• Less-sodium beef broth
• Balsamic vinegar
• Molasses
• Dijon mustard

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Other: 30 minutes

Tender and juicy pork tenderloin is always a favorite, and this marinade gives it a sweet-spice flavor that can't be beat.

Pantry Checklist:

• Pork tenderloin (1 lb)
• Sugar
• Bourbon
• Worcestershire sauce
• Ground cinnamon

Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Other: 13 minutes

This bright and peppery pesto is a welcome twist on the traditional that matches the quick-and-easy lamb chops well. Pair with a roasted root vegetable, like potato, sweet potato, or the carrots shown.

Pantry Checklist:

• Lamb loin chips (8-4-oz)
• Lemon
• Pine nuts, toasted
• Garlic cloves
• Baby arugula leaves

Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Eight hours sounds like a long time, but this dish cooks in the slow cooker: Take about 10 minutes to set everything up in the morning and you'll come home to a wonderfully tender and hot meal.

Pantry Checklist:

• Boneless top round steak (1 lb)
• Onion
• Diced tomatoes (14.5-oz)
• Light beer
• Molasses

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 8 hours and 7 minutes

This classic American-Chinese dish is just incredibly easy. A dip in flour is the secret to nicely browned and crisp beef, and if you have fresh veggies on hand, you can use whatever you like in place of the frozen stir-fry mix.

Pantry Checklist:

• Ground sirloin patties (4 – 4-oz)
• All-purpose flour
• Frozen bell pepper stir-fry (16-oz)
• Diced tomatoes (14.5-oz)
• Low-sodium soy sauce

Prep: 4 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes

A thick and glossy sauce makes any dish feel elegant, but this one takes all of five minutes to make. The Red Cabbage and Carrot Slaw shown is a great side, or try a carrot salad.

Pantry Checklist:

• Pork tenderloin (1 lb)
• Pineapple juice
• Sugar
• Dried sherry
• Low-sodium soy sauce

Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 29 minutes
Other: 3 minutes

We love the look of mezze penne, a smaller version of regular penne, but you can use any short pasta you like. The “lettuce” in this BLT is actually tender baby spinach. You could also substitute peppery arugula or even baby kale.

Pantry Checklist

• Uncooked Mezze Penne Pasta
• Center-Cut Bacon Slices
• Grape Tomatoes
• Baby Spinach
• Romano Cheese

Hands-on: 24 minutes
Total: 24 minutes

Port reduces to an intensely fruity, syrupy glaze for the pork loin. You can also omit the port and stir 2 tablespoons unsalted chicken stock into the cherry preserves. Fresh sage or rosemary would work in place of the thyme.

Pantry Checklist

• Ruby Port
• Cherry Preserves
• Fresh Thyme
• Boneless Pork Loin
• Thyme Sprigs

Hands-on: 15 minutes
Time: 45 minutes