23 Easy and Quick Weeknight Dinners in Under 30 Minutes

Overhead of easy 30-Minute Mexican Enchiladas — The Spruce Eats

We know weeknights are busy. You still need to eat dinner, though—so why not eat well? These quick and easy weeknight dinner recipes for the entire family will help you fit a hearty, tasty, nutritious dinner into your busy schedule every night. Every recipe included here can be made in 30 minutes or less.

Our Top 10 Most Popular Weeknight Recipes of All Time

01 of 23

Tuna Carbonara

The Spruce Eats

This easy and delicious recipe for tuna carbonara is ready to eat in about 20 minutes, start to finish. It also uses ingredients you probably have on hand in your pantry, fridge, and freezer, so it's a great choice when you need to throw a weeknight dinner together at the last minute.

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02 of 23

Lemon Pasta With Pine Nuts and Broccoli

The Spruce Eats / Emily Hawkes

Vegan friendly, tasty, and nutritious, this quick and easy lemon pasta with pine nuts and broccoli recipe makes a delicious weeknight dinner. Lemon adds zest to this pasta dish that's sure to become a staple on a busy night when you want to fill up but just don't feel like cooking.

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03 of 23

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo

The Spruce Eats

Creamy and sophisticated, classic fettuccine Alfredo is easy and quick to make for a weeknight dinner when you're really rushed. Whether you're dining alone, serving a family, or want to impress drop-in guests, you can pull off this elegant recipe in 20 minutes—and it's most delicious when served right away.

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04 of 23

Instant Pot Carne Asada

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Throughout much of Latin America, carne asada is the classic way to enjoy steak. Although beef is traditionally grilled in this method of cooking (the term carne asada translates to "grilled meat"), this recipe uses an Instant Pot, making it ideal for a weeknight or wintertime meal. What's more, you can achieve a satisfying smoky flavor with the use of smoky and woody spices like cumin and oregano, which are called for in this recipe. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, which is perfect for a Tuesday night dinner. Feel free to serve the asada in tacos or, for a more sophisticated presentation, plate the meat elegantly on a carving board, alongside some roasted fingerling potatoes and chimichurri.

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05 of 23

Ground Turkey Stir-Fry

The Spruce Eats / Anita Schecter

For a twist on a traditional Chinese stir-fry, try this recipe using ground turkey. It is reminiscent of the Asian lettuce cup appetizer in terms of flavors and texture, but the added broccoli and peppers make this a nutritious and complete dish, perfect served over cooked rice.

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06 of 23

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs

The Spruce Eats

Mouthwatering honey mustard chicken thighs are ready in less than 30 minutes and pack tons of flavor. The chicken is cut into strips and simmered in a rich, tangy honey mustard sauce along with vegetables to make a healthy, fragrant, and delicious dinner. Your family will love this easy chicken recipe served over couscous, brown rice, or pasta.

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07 of 23

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

The Spruce Eats

Monte Cristo sandwiches are a real weeknight treat. Made with deli meat and two kinds of cheese, these sandwiches are dipped in batter and then dunked in a crushed cereal mixture, before being grilled to crisp perfection.

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08 of 23

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Instant Pot pork tenderloin takes just minutes to cook to the perfect temperature, and the recipe is easy to customize with alternative herbs and spices. This recipe relies on the pressure build and natural release to cook the pork, with no actual high-pressure cooking time. All you have to do is brown the pork, set the timer to 0 (yes, zero), and let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes.

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09 of 23

30-Minute Beef Chili

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Yes, you really can make a delicious homemade chili dinner quickly with this 30-minute beef chili recipe. Serve it with hot cooked rice, warm tortillas, or tortilla chips for a filling weeknight dinner that's also perfect for parties or game day.

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10 of 23

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Rushing to make dinner on weeknights? Skip the Chinese takeout and cook up this simple orange chicken stir-fry that's packed full of flavor and color. Dinner will be on the table in no time thanks to the Instant Pot. Serve it with rice for a complete weeknight meal.

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11 of 23

Air Fryer Pork Chops

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

The air fryer is a quick and easy way to cook food without the fat from frying. These pork chops are crisp and delicious in under 30 minutes and free up your stove and oven for making side dishes.

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12 of 23

Chicken Quesadillas

The Spruce Eats

Want another way to make use of leftover chicken in your fridge? Try making these simple, quick chicken quesadillas. With just four ingredients, this Tex-Mex recipe couldn't be easier to prepare.

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13 of 23

Mushroom Risotto

The Spruce Eats

Mushrooms add rich and hearty flavor to this indulgent, Italian mushroom risotto. Arborio rice combines with shallots, mushrooms, white wine, cream, and plenty of Parmesan for a rich, indulgent, meatless weeknight dinner that's fancy enough to serve to guests.

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14 of 23

Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Tender chicken breasts are combined with bell pepper, onion, and juicy pineapple for a quick and easy stir-fry. The sweet and salty sauce adds lots of flavor with minimal effort. Serve with white rice and, for an extra special presentation, display in a halved, hollowed-out pineapple.

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15 of 23

Easy Enchiladas

The Spruce Eats

Baked, filled, saucy, easy enchiladas are a crowd-pleasing dish, whether you're feeding your family on a weeknight or get invited to a last-minute potluck party. You could prepare them with just cheese, or add some beef or chicken for the meat-eaters at the table. Either way, they're simple to put together in about 10 minutes flat.

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16 of 23

Baked Ziti

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Baked ziti is one of those super-easy recipes that you can easily change to suit your mood, your family's tastes, or the ingredients you have on hand. Make it the vegetarian way, as this recipe describes, or adapt it by adding browned ground beef or roasted chicken to this easy baked ziti pasta dish.

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17 of 23

Pesto Pasta

The Spruce Eats

Store-bought pesto sauce makes this three-ingredient Italian pesto pasta recipe an absolute snap to make. This weeknight pasta recipe makes a terrific vegetarian main course, or you could add rotisserie chicken breast and chopped tomatoes.

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18 of 23

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

Kirchherr, Jo / Getty Images

Here's a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken to make a delicious main dish salad that's hearty enough for dinner. Tender chicken combines with crisp pecans, tart apples and a creamy honey mustard dressing for an elegant no-cook apple pecan chicken salad meal.

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19 of 23

Sweet and Sour Steak Stir-Fry

Cameron Whitman / Stocksy

Strip steak is stir-fried with vegetables in a flavorful, tangy sauce to make this savory and nutritious weeknight dinner that takes only 30 minutes to make. You could also use leftover steak for this simple and satisfying sweet and sour steak stir-fry recipe.

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20 of 23

Pork Chops and Peppers

Dziggyfoto / Getty Images

This simple, one-dish dinner delivers a hearty flavor that will fool your family into thinking you cooked for hours. Pork chops and peppers are perfect for a busy weeknight, you can serve this recipe with hot cooked rice or pasta and a green salad for a well-rounded meal.

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21 of 23

Beefy Spaghetti

Carl Tremblay / Getty Images

Weeknight dinner couldn't get more simple than this hearty, satisfying beefy spaghetti meal. Store-bought spaghetti sauce and ground beef are the secret to this super-simple, rich and filling weeknight dinner that can be made quickly at the last minute.

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22 of 23

Provençal-Style Fish

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Want to eat healthy on weeknights when you're rushed to get dinner on the table? You can make this nutritious, tasty Provençal-style fish recipe in just 30 minutes. Bell peppers, olives, and tomatoes give a burst of flavor to this fish dinner, which is perfect for serving a family, or for a more intimate dinner.

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23 of 23

Quick Stovetop Beef Fajitas

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Fajita time is the best time of day. Cook up this Tex-Mex quick stovetop beef fajitas dish when you don't have time for grilling. Strips of beef, onion, bell pepper, and tortillas are flavored with your favorite store-bought garnishes for a nourishing, family-pleasing weeknight meal.

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13 Side Dishes You Can Make in 15 Minutes (or Less!)

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