50 Filling Dinners You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less

April 10, 2018
Photo: Brian Woodcock
It's rare that anyone gets ready to make dinner on a weeknight and says, "Well, I have too much time on my hands!" So we've combed through our best super quick recipes, to pull together the easiest, most delicious, healthy weeknight dinners. From creamy, comforting pasta, to sizzling seared shellfish, there's something here for everyone. And all of these recipes take only 20-minutes—or less!
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Seared Scallops with Chile-Garlic Spinach

Caitlin Bensel
View recipe: Seared Scallops With Chile-Garlic Spinach

The trick to perfect scallops is to leave them alone once they hit the pan—they’ll stick to the skillet at first then release once they sear. If you prefer less heat, use just one Fresno chile and remove the seeds before adding to the pan.

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Pan-Seared Shrimp with Walnut and Herb Gremolata

Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Pan-Seared Shrimp with Walnut and Herb Gremolata

Fresh herbs and lemon make a bright, tasty topper for succulent shrimp. Fish and shellfish are excellent sources of protein for fewer calories than most meat. Paired with spinach and rice pilaf, this weeknight-friendly main comes together in just 15 minutes.

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Seared Cajun-Style Steak with Green Tomato Relish

Photo: Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Seared Cajun-Style Steak with Green Tomato Relish

Many seasoning blends now offer low- or no-salt options, making spice rubs an easy, instant way to spruce up quickly seared chicken, seafood, or steak without overdoing the sodium.

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Seared Salmon with Balsamic-Blistered Tomatoes

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Seared Salmon with Balsamic-Blistered Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes and balsamic vinegar mirror and amplify each other; both are a bit tangy and sweet, and both benefit from a little high heat in the pan.

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Quick BBQ Chicken Thighs with Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Quick BBQ Chicken Thighs with Mashed Potatoes

We speed up this cookout classic by using boneless chicken thighs and a hot grill pan. Look for refrigerated mashed potatoes in the prepared foods aisle of the supermarket, usually with the refrigerated fresh pastas.

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Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Herby Pea and Lemon Pasta Salad

This verdant pasta salad signals a fantastic start to spring with a shower of fresh herbs. Mini shell pasta and peas are a perfect pair—the pasta serves as a kind of catcher's mitt for the sweet, bright green peas. You could also use orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta that serves the same purpose.

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Salmon with Potatoes and Horseradish Sauce

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Salmon with Potatoes and Horseradish Sauce

You’ll be surprised at the sophistication of this 5-ingredient dish, which is easy, elegant, and beautiful. You can't go wrong when you start with salmon and a sour cream sauce, especially if the sauce is flavored with dill and horseradish. Fill out the plate with a side of steamed asparagus or haricots verts (slender French green beans), or barely wilted spinach or Swiss chard. If you have a mandoline in your kitchen, use it—carefully—on the potatoes to make the job of slicing go faster.

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Shortcut Risotto with Brussels Sprouts

Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Shortcut Risotto with Brussels Sprouts

Our simple technique yields classic risotto texture in a fraction of the time. Pre-cooked brown rice simmers with a flour-thickened mixture of milk and chicken stock, boosted with a touch of cream cheese for extra richness.

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Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Spaghetti squash is a great lower-calorie, lower-carb alternative to pasta. It’s a neutral tasting veggie that absorbs all the flavors of this simple skillet, so be sure to toss well to coat every strand. The end result is a veggie-based meal in a bowl that you can quickly throw together—a nice alternative to salads when you want to fill up on vegetables.

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Pasta with Chickpea Sauce

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Pasta with Chickpea Sauce

Onions, carrots, and garlic cook in olive oil until buttery soft, then get blended with chickpeas and water to form a deeply savory puree that coats pasta beautifully. It’s a satisfying dish that just happens to be vegan. Try to let the blender run for a minute or two when pureeing the ingredients; the smoother the sauce, the better the dish. A flourish of fresh herbs at the end brightens and freshens the dish; you can use all parsley or all basil if you don’t have both on hand.

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Beef Tenderloin With Horseradish Cream and Glazed Carrots

Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Beef Tenderloin With Horseradish Cream and Glazed Carrots

Beef tenderloin is worthy splurge when you want a special entrée in less time; the cut is so meltingly tender already that it takes just 8 minutes to cook. We use the same pan to cook and glaze the carrots for easy clean up. The horseradish sauce is the tangy, creamy, pungent element this dish needs. Beyond the sauce, try stirring horseradish into the dressing for slaw, a devilled egg filling, or mashed potatoes.

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Nutty Fried Rice

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Nutty Fried Rice

This hearty vegetarian dish is a fun twist on the usual takeout version of fried rice, incorporating lots of nutty flavor from toasted sesame oil, roasted cashews, peanut butter, and sesame seeds. The rice is drizzled with a savory, creamy peanut sauce that takes the whole thing right into indulgence territory. If you have a peanut allergy, opt for cashew, almond, or sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. Look for toasted sesame seeds on the spice aisle of your supermarket; it’s a great ingredient to keep on hand for busy nights because it saves a step.

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Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards
View Recipe: Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Here's a low-carb twist on a taco: shredded white-meat turkey dressed with sweet-tart cranberry sauce spiced with adobo and chipotle. Tuck it all into tender lettuce leaves. 

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Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Lindsey Lower

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Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Black Bean and Mushroom Burgers

The food processor brings these meatless patties together in a flash. Another bonus? A new Harvard study found that those who regularly ate a healthy plant-based diet (like this burger) significantly lowered their risk of heart disease. Ground flaxseed adds body to the burgers. This quick dinner is also a great way to work more meatless dishes into your week. Kids can help shape the patties, mix up the avocado spread, and build the sandwiches.

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Quick Green Chicken Chili

Photo: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe: Quick Green Chicken Chili

The secret to a lightening-fast chili is to keep it simple, with starchy, creamy Great Northern beans as the main bean and canned green chiles (already broiled, skinned, and chopped) as your heat source. We blend half the beans to build body, leaving the rest whole for texture. Precooked rotisserie chicken also saves time, but you could use any leftover protein, such as chopped cooked pork tenderloin or cooked ground turkey. Top the chili with creamy sour cream and crunchy radishes, or try diced tomato, cilantro, or sliced jalapeños. Serve with multigrain tortilla chips.

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Five-Spice Chicken Breasts with Sesame-Orange Beans

Photo: Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe: Five-Spice Chicken Breasts with Sesame-Orange Beans

Five-spice powder packs some serious aromatic punch; it's all you need to season the chicken breasts here. You can sub broccoli florets or chopped kale for the green beans.

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Steak Salad with Salsa Verde Vinaigrette

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Steak Salad with Salsa Verde Vinaigrette

Italian salsa verde, a classic red meat pairing, turns into a quick vinaigrette for this entrée salad. One 8-ounce sirloin steak, thinly sliced, is all you need.

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Turmeric Lamb Chops with Crispy Potatoes and Broccoli

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Turmeric Lamb Chops with Crispy Potatoes and Broccoli

Lamb loin chops (shaped like mini T-bones) save about 11g sat fat per serving over rib or shoulder chops. You can also ask your butcher to cut "steaks" from a leg of lamb, also lean, or sub 2 (8-ounce) beef sirloin steaks.

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Creamy Chicken Quesadillas

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Creamy Chicken Quesadillas

A creamy base helps the cheese go further and keeps the chicken moist. For a crisp exterior, coat the filled tortillas with cooking spray instead of coating the pan.

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Orange-Almond Chicken-and-Cabbage Bowls

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Orange-Almond Chicken-and-Cabbage Bowls

Make these low-calorie, no-cook bowls ahead for an easy lunch or dinner when time is tight. Change up the fruit, nut, or protein for whatever you have on hand.

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Pork Stir-Fry with Snow Peas

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Pork Stir-Fry with Snow Peas

A great stir-fry uses only 2 or 3 vegetables in the base, insuring all elements shine through as well as leaving enough room in the pan for a good sear.

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Chimichurri Chicken Thighs With Potatoes

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chimichurri Chicken Thighs With Potatoes

An herb-packed chimichurri sacue makes this meat-and-potatoes main vibrant and exciting. Double the mixture and spoon it over grilled steak or fish on another night. For less heat in both the chimichurri and the potatoes, remove the seeds from the Fresno chile.

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Cheesy Chicken Cutlets with Ham and Jam

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Cheesy Chicken Cutlets with Ham and Jam

This recipe is a play on chicken cordon bleu that's far easier to prepare. Instead of stuffing chicken breasts with jam and cheese, we broil cutlets until done and simply top them with ham, cheese, and a touch of jam. We also tested the dish with cheddar, which you could use in a pinch, but the nutty, tangy flavor of Havarti makes it feel more special.

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Chicken Potpie Tartines

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Potpie Tartines

A creamy chicken and vegetable mixture tops toast for a quick twist on potpie. Matchstick-cut carrots, frozen peas, and rotisserie chicken save time, as does a wide skillet for sautéing the vegetables and building the sauce. For ideas to use the leftover peas in the package, see our recipes for Cooking with Peas.

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Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes

Photo: Christopher Testani
View Recipe: Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes

This twist on a classic sandwich swaps the sweet, barbecue-style sauce for a white sauce enriched with nutty Swiss cheese.

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Chicken-Poblano Tortilla Soup

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Chicken-Poblano Tortilla Soup

Chilly evenings call for a comforting soup with a bit of restorative kick and plenty of vibrant toppings. Top with tortilla chips, or make your own crispy tortilla strips as shown. Cut 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas into 1/2-inch strips and bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Crush halve the strips for the soup and garnish with the rest. Make these ahead and store in a zip-top bag at room temperature for a day or two. Poblano peppers range in heat; add cooling avocado or crushed red pepper as needed.

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Green Gazpacho with Shrimp

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Green Gazpacho with Shrimp

Fresh bread gives gazpacho body, making it a substantial summer entrée soup. Use bread from the bakery section for the best results (bread from the supermarket aisle can be overly soft and sweet).

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Tuna, Avocado, and Pickled Onion Sandwich

Greg DuPree
View Recipe: Tuna, Avocado, and Pickled Onion Sandwich

This sandwich is all about healthy fats, with omega-3 fatty acids in the tuna and monounsaturated fat in the avocado. The first boosts brain function; the second is great for heart health. Tuna and avocado also happen to taste delicious together, along with pickled onion, roasted almonds, and briny, pea-green Castelvetrano olives. You’ll want a sturdy loaf of sourdough to support the filling; be sure to buy from the bakery section of the supermarket.

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Turkey Sliders with Crunchy Green Apple Slaw

Photo: Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Turkey Sliders with Crunchy Green Apple Slaw

Sliders make any burger night more fun, especially since you get double the creamy, crunchy slaw. Look for ground turkey rather than ground turkey breast—the former has a bit more fat and flavor from dark meat while still keeping a lean profile.

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Peanut, Shrimp, and Broccoli Rolls

Photo: Daniel Agee
View Recipe: Peanut, Shrimp, and Broccoli Rolls

We turned this popular appetizer into a quick, diet-friendly dinner solution for two. It's a fresh, low-calorie alternative to takeout. In place of bottled peanut sauce, you can instead try our Miso-Chili-Garlic Sauce.

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White Bean and Vegetable Bowls with Frizzled Eggs

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Claire Spollen
View Recipe: White Bean and Vegetable Bowls with Frizzled Eggs

This easy bowl of brothy goodness is loaded with both veggies and umami depth--it's comfort food you can feel good about. It's also great for times when the food budget is tight, as it costs only about $11 for 4 servings. One-bowl dinners are a great way to solve the "What's for Dinner?" question that strikes daily. This flavorful option offers up a vegetarian option. The eggs add great protein and staying power to the veggie-heavy dish. The ingredients are similar to what you find in a traditional chili, but the results are anything but. Grab a bowl and enjoy.

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Egg-in-a-Nest BLT Sandwiches

Photo: Greg Dupree
View Recipe: Egg-in-a-Nest BLT Sandwiches

These toasty handfuls may just be the ultimate combo in the world of sandwiches. The recipe combines some of our favorite things: It's a delicious mash-up of egg-in-a-hole, avocado toast, and a classic BLT.

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Chipotle Hanger Steak with Sour Cream Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Chipotle Hanger Steak with Sour Cream Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Hanger steak is a flavor-packed cut of beef from between the rib and the loin. You may have to ask for it at the butcher's counter; if you can't find it, a different flat cut, like flank or skirt steak, works just as well. If your steak is thicker than 1 inch, it may require a slightly longer cook time or a quick finish in a 400°F oven. If you loved grandma's hamburger steak suppers growing up, this grown up version is guaranteed to make you cheer. It has all the comfort-style food you crave in a more attractive, satisfying package.

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Quick Chicken Piccata

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Quick Chicken Piccata

Chicken piccata is typically made with sliced chicken breasts, but we find chicken "thighcatta" to be even more flavorful.

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Speedy Shepherd's Pie

Photo: Jennifer Causey

View Recipe: Speedy Shepherd's Pie

Making the most of supermarket convenience items gets this family favorite on the table in a flash. Precut matchstick carrots are easier to chop into small pieces quickly, and using prepared mashed potatoes for the topping is a good trick for when you don't have leftover mashed potatoes on hand.

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