These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (2024)

Sometimes, you just need dinner fast. Bookmark these 15-minute meals for those nights when time is extra tight, and everyone is hungry. Keep your freezer stocked with frozen shrimp and peas—and make sure you have some fresh vegetables in your crisper drawer. Eggs and jarred salsa should be on hand in the refrigerator; of course, you'll have pasta and rice in your kitchen cupboard. If there's leftover cooked rice in the fridge or freezer, all the better.

These ingredients will help you make dinner quickly, whether it's an easy pasta, main dish salad, quick chicken entrée, or dinner-party-worthy fish dish.

Quick, Budget-Friendly Dinner Recipes You'll Make Again and Again

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Sunny-Side-Up Egg and Baby-Spinach Flatbread

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (1)

A quick route to a delicious, healthy dinner is to top store-bought, whole-wheat flatbread with baby spinach, thinly sliced red onion, and fried eggs.

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02of 17

15-Minute Lentil Soup

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (2)

This hearty soup is made with canned lentils and store-bought vegetable or chicken broth—that's why it's so fast. There are also onions, carrots, and celery in the soup. All you need for serving is some crusty bread.

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03of 17

Broccoli Rabe Pesto With Whole-Wheat Pasta and Turkey Sausage

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (3)

Lean, spicy turkey sausage adds heat and might to this simple pasta dish. The recipe calls for whole-wheat linguine, but use any long noodles you have to make this quick dinner.

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04of 17

Chicken, Red Cabbage, and Carrot Salad With Soy-Lime Dressing

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (4)

Use rotisserie chicken, leftover roast chicken, or extra chicken thighs you grilled on the weekend to top this colorful salad of shredded red cabbage and carrots, fresh cilantro, and mint leaves. Everything is tossed with a lively dressing made with soy sauce, lime juice, and minced jalapeño.

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05of 17

Tuna-Salad Hand Rolls

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (5)

Our easy homemade sushi hand rolls are a fabulous way to use good-quality canned tuna in something other than a sandwich. Toss the tuna with a little mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cilantro, then arrange the mixture on toasted nori sheets along with rice, sliced vegetables, and avocado. Roll up and enjoy!

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06of 17

Avocado, Salsa, and Cilantro Omelet

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (6)

Breakfast for dinner is a fast and satisfying way to get a meal on the table stat. Our avocado-and-salsa stuffed omelet gives the concept a fresh flavor and takes less than 15 minutes to make. Pair with toast or tortillas—or chips.

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07of 17

Easy Chicken Posole

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (7)

Using store-bought ingredients like chicken stock, guajillo chile salsa, and shredded cooked chicken in this simple soup means dinner comes together in 10 minutes.

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08of 17

Breakfast Bowl With Fried Eggs, Yogurt, and Vegetables

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (8)

Another breakfast for dinner option? Yes, please! Start by cooking fried eggs in heart-healthy olive oil, then serve over plain Greek yogurt alongside leftover roasted vegetables, sliced chiles, and plenty of fresh herbs.

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09of 17

Crispy Panko Shrimp Salad

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (9)

We give shrimp an extra dose of flavor by coating them in Dijonaise (a genius combination of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise) and crispy panko breadcrumbs. Serve them over spring-mix greens for a hearty dinner salad.

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10of 17

Broken Noodles With Tomato Sauce and Ricotta

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (10)

All you need is four ingredients for this 15-minute meal—jarred marinara sauce, pappardelle pasta, ricotta cheese, and fresh basil. It's creamy, comforting, and guaranteed to please your family.

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11of 17

Pasta With Preserved Lemon and Anchovies

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (11)

Dress your choice of noodles—think spaghetti or linguine—with minced garlic, oil-packed anchovies, chopped preserved lemon, flat-leaf parsley, and plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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12of 17

Seared Halibut Tacos With Grapefruit-Avocado Salsa

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (12)

When Taco Tuesday rolls around, make these refreshing bites. Serve pan-seared halibut filets with segmented ruby red grapefruit, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and shredded Napa cabbage.

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13of 17

Soy-Honey-Glazed Arctic Char

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (13)

Arctic char is the start of this 15-minute dinner for two. It's similar to salmon and just as delicious and nutritious. The fish is glazed with soy sauce, lime juice, and honey, and served with sautéed baby bok choy.

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14of 17

Tofu With Ginger-Cilantro Sauce

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (14)

Extra-firm tofu is brushed with olive oil, then grilled and served with a flavor-packed sauce made from fresh cilantro, chopped jalapeño, fresh ginger, lime juice, and scallions in this vegan main. Serve over spring greens or noodles or sandwich in a fluffy bun for dinner.

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15of 17

Spaghetti With Collard Greens and Lemon

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (15)

In just 15 minutes, you can make this nutritious and satisfying meal. We used farro or whole-wheat spaghetti, but whatever you have on hand works here. Toss the cooked pasta with toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, collard greens, and plenty of freshly grated Pecorino Romano.

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16of 17

Easy Tuna Rice Bowl

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (16)

Layer canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and edamame over cooked rice for this easy bowl. Dress everything with a mixture of soy sauce, fresh lime juice, and olive oil.

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17of 17

Fried Omelet With Shrimp and Snap Peas

These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (17)

Save time on dinner prep by using pre-cooked shrimp and blanched sugar snap peas in this easy eggs-for-dinner recipe. Serve the omelet over cooked rice with spicy chili sauce for a complete meal.

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These Quick Dinner Recipes Take Just 15 Minutes to Make (2024)

FAQs

What can I cook in 5 minutes? ›

25 healthy recipes you can cook in 5 minutes or less
  • Pea and broad bean couscous.
  • Fast home-made baked beans.
  • Porridge.
  • Pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket.
  • Home-made hummus.
  • Smashed avocado and wilted spinach.
  • Cucumber (or potato) raitha.
  • Quick pitta pizzas.

What can I cook in 30 min? ›

Our Best 30-Minute Recipes
  • Chili and Cheese Pockets.
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  • 2-Ingredient Chicken and Dumplings.
  • Biscuit Hamburgers.
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  • Cheesy Chicken-Bacon Ranch Crescent Rolls for Two.
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  • Crispy Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Crescent Rolls.

How to eat in 15 minutes? ›

15-minute meal recipes
  1. Prawn laksa curry bowl. A star rating of 4.3 out of 5. ...
  2. Miso & ginger prawn noodle salad. A star rating of 4.8 out of 5. ...
  3. Sardines & tomatoes on toast. ...
  4. Prawn & coconut soup. ...
  5. Creamy tomato courgetti. ...
  6. Tahini noodles with red cabbage & Sichuan peppercorn slaw. ...
  7. Beetroot, feta & grain salad. ...
  8. Citrus salmon salad.

What is the easiest food in the world to make? ›

Our 50 Easiest Recipes Ever For Lazy Cooks
  • 01 of 50. Shrimp and Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta. ...
  • 02 of 50. Soulful Chicken Soup. ...
  • 03 of 50. Spaghetti Casserole. ...
  • 04 of 50. Chicken Cutlets With Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce. ...
  • 05 of 50. Quick Beef Chili. ...
  • 06 of 50. Sloppy Joe Casserole. ...
  • 07 of 50. Green Chile Mac And Cheese With Chicken. ...
  • 08 of 50.
Sep 20, 2023

What can you cook in 8 minutes? ›

8-minute recipes (92)
  • 8 minute Spanish rice. ...
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  • 1 California Farm Croissants (they are bigger!) ...
  • 3 ingredient fake pancakes (made with oats and cottage cheese)

What can you cook in 3 minutes? ›

Three-Minute Meals
  • Mushroom Toast. 1 piece whole-grain toast. ...
  • Spring Salad with Shrimp and Brown Rice. ...
  • Italian-Style Ratatouille with Chicken Sausage. ...
  • Quick Vegetarian Tacos. ...
  • Mediterranean-Style Loaded Baked Potato. ...
  • Breakfast for Dinner: Vegetarian Omelette. ...
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  • Whole Grain Flatbread Pizza and Salad.
Jun 7, 2017

What to make when you have no time to cook? ›

27 Weeknight Dinner Ideas For People With Literally No Time
  1. Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles. ...
  2. Bacon Avocado Caesar Salad. ...
  3. Cacio e Pepe. ...
  4. 5-Ingredient Zucchini Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce. ...
  5. Italian Chopped Salad. ...
  6. Easiest Garlic Bread Pizza. ...
  7. Easy Korean Beef Rice Bowls. ...
  8. Chicken Cucumber Avocado Salad.
Nov 8, 2023

What is 8 hours no eating? ›

After eight hours without eating, your body will begin to use stored fats for energy. Your body will continue to use stored fat to create energy throughout the remainder of your 24-hour fast. Fasts that last longer than 24 hours may lead to your body to start converting stored proteins into energy.

Can I sleep after 15 minutes of eating? ›

As a general rule of thumb, nutritionists will tell you to wait about three hours to sleep after eating. For example, if you have dinner at 6 p.m., try to wait to go to sleep until 9 p.m. This allows some digestion to occur and gives time for the contents of your stomach to move into your small intestine.

What is the 20 minute meal rule? ›

Research has found that it takes about 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to signal the rest of your body (especially your stomach) that it's full.

What can be cooked in 2 minutes? ›

2-minute recipes (3,317)
  1. Chilli paneer maggi. ...
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  4. Maggi Pizza. ...
  5. Mini maggi chilla. ...
  6. Vegetable Maggi. ...
  7. Maggi noodles kabab. ...
  8. Maggi Veg Grilled Sandwich 🥪

What meat dishes are cooked quickly? ›

Things that respond well to hot-fast cooking include chicken breasts, pork loin, pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin, tri-tip, ribeye, and any steak-like cut. Most fish and many kinds of seafood also respond well to searing at high heat for short periods of time—tuna steak comes to mind.

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