51+ Easy Weeknight Dinners You’ll Love

By Ghuman

Introduction

Are you looking for easy weeknight dinner ideas that are both delicious and quick to make? Look no further! This article has 51+ easy weeknight dinner recipes that are sure to please the whole family. From classic comfort food to international flavors, you’ll find something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy meal to whip up after a long day or something a bit more special for a special occasion, you’ll find it here. So, let’s get cooking!

So that you got down to cook dinner your dinners each evening this week. However now that you just’re in the midst of the workday, fascinated by how a lot work it’s important to do and what time you will get residence, the prospect of cooking a meal may appear daunting. By no means worry: These simple weeknight dinners will come collectively in a flash. And for extra, do not miss these 15 Traditional American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.

chicken fajitas recipe for a sheet pan dinner
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

For straightforward weeknight dinners, you may’t beat sheet pan meals. These hen fajitas are as enjoyable to assemble as they’re to eat, and your children can assist with the slicing and mixing.

Get our recipe for Straightforward Sheet Pan Hen Fajitas.

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Chicken salad sandwich with curry and raisins
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Sandwiches are the simplest weeknight dinners to make, as they’re for weekday lunches, and this hen salad recipe undoubtedly beats deli meat. The curry powder provides an additional kick of taste, too.

Get our recipe for a Hen Salad Sandwich with Raisins and Curry Powder. 

crispy cod with sweet potato fries in a basket
Brie Passano

Whipping up this crispy fish at residence is nearly as simple as going to a bar and ordering fish and chips. Bread crumbs, thyme, and onion powder lend loads of taste to this consolation meals dish.

Get our recipe for Crispy Cod with Candy Potato Fries. 

keto ham broccoli soup
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

This creamy soup will come collectively in simply quarter-hour. It is good for leftover ham, and you may all the time substitute hen as an alternative, relying on what you’ve got within the fridge.

Get our recipe for Creamy Ham and Broccoli Soup. 

Steak tacos with pico de gallo on a green plate.
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

One other one-pan recipe, these tacos are certain to be a favourite amongst your loved ones members. Flank steak completely enhances the guacamole and pico de gallo for a filling and unforgettable meal.

Get our recipe for Steak Tacos. 

Healthy fig and prosciutto salad
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

A recipe that takes completely no cooking? Signal us up. This salad recipe will get bonus factors for making your simple weeknight dinners really feel just a bit bit fancier.

Get our recipe for a Fig, Prosciutto, & Goat Cheese Salad. 

sunny side up egg pizza
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

There’s a lot you are able to do with pizza dough! Pizzas haven’t got to incorporate tomato sauce if you do not need them to. And this egg pizza is simply nearly as good as its saucier counterparts.

Get our recipe for a Sunny-Aspect Up Egg Pizza. 

sheet pan pork chops
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Do not need to wash a bunch of dishes on a weeknight? Sheet pan simple weeknight dinners are the reply. This flavorful pork chop recipe is nice for teenagers and adults alike, and it incorporates loads of recent veggies.

Get our recipe for Sheet-Pan Italian Pork Chops.

RELATED: The simple solution to make more healthy consolation meals.

Healthy italian tuna melt
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Utilizing a can of tuna does not imply you may’t have a recent meal! This shall be among the finest tuna melts you have tried, and it is certain to please even choosy eaters. Plus, it solely takes minutes to throw collectively, making it one of many quickest simple weeknight dinners in your busy schedule.

Get our recipe for a Fast and Straightforward Italian Tuna Soften. 

Paleo asian chicken meatballs
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Meals served on skewers are simply extra enjoyable, proper? These hen meatballs cook dinner in a grill pan, and you may serve them in lettuce cups for a recent tackle dinner.

Get our recipe for Asian-Impressed Hen Meatballs. 

Gluten-free chicken fingers with chipotle honey
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Your children will leap on the likelihood to assist out within the kitchen if it means they get to have hen fingers for dinner. And this home made honey mustard is the right dip for teenagers of all ages.

Get our recipe for Oven-Baked Hen Fingers With Chipotle-Honey Mustard. 

Paleo seared tuna tacos
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Not into meat-based tacos? Strive these seafood ones as an alternative! They’re simply as simple to organize, and your loved ones is bound to like the range.

Get our recipe for Spicy Tuna and Avocado Fish Tacos. 

sheet pan bbq chicken dinner on a marble counter
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

This recipe actually couldn’t be simpler—simply put the substances on a sheet pan and toss it within the oven. The truth that hen drumsticks are a few of the most inexpensive meat choices out there’s simply an added bonus.

Get our recipe for a 5-Ingredient BBQ Hen Sheet Pan Dinner. 

bowls of homemade orange chicken with chopsticks
Brie Passano

Skip the takeout and luxuriate in this home made orange hen recipe as an alternative. Your children will love serving to combine the substances collectively and including the orange zest on prime.

Get our recipe for Orange Hen. 

one skillet taco pasta with spoon, cotija cheese, and sliced avocado
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Tacos and pasta in a single recipe? That is certainly one of our favourite simple weeknight dinners, and it is certain to please all the household. Plus, the one skillet is ideal for simple cleanup, too.

Get our recipe for One-Skillet Taco Pasta.

baked turkey wings with mashed potatoes on plate
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Transfer over, hen wings! Turkey wings are right here, and so they’re not only for watching the large recreation. These wings are good for a weeknight dinner—simply pair them with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Get our recipe for Baked Turkey Wings. 

chicken piccata
Shutterstock

Is hen your go-to weeknight protein? Strive switching issues up with this Italian-inspired recipe. It solely takes a couple of half-hour to make, so it is good for these busy evenings.

Get our recipe for Hen Piccata. 

Paleo blackened fish sandwich
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Add a contact of the South to your dinner desk with this blackened fish recipe. Frozen fish sticks cannot maintain a candle to this flavorful, easy-to-assemble meal.

Get our recipe for a Blackened Fish Sandwich With Avocado and Cabbage. 

Spreading ketchup on the cooked meatloaf.
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

Meatloaf is a staple on the American dinner desk. Why not do this simple recipe, impressed by the basic Southern chain?

Get our recipe for Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf.

keto tandoori chicken legs with roasted cauliflower on white plate
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

One other spin on basic hen, this recipe options garam masala and chili powder to kick issues up a notch. Serve it with cauliflower florets for a filling meal.

Get our recipe for Tandoori Hen. 

Paleo spread stir fry
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

That is one other recipe that can make you swear off takeout for good. Youngsters will love slurping up these noodles, and adults will love the flavour packed into this dish.

Get our recipe for Thai Beef Stir-Fry. 

Paleo chicken scaloppine
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

With all of those hen recipes, you will by no means have a dried-out, unseasoned hen breast for dinner once more. This Italian dish takes only one pan to cook dinner, making it one of many best weeknight recipes on the market.

Get our recipe for Hen Scaloppine. 

slow cooker beef goulash in a white serving dish
Jason Donnelly

The saying “set it and overlook it” is particularly true with this slow-cooker recipe. Simply mix the entire substances and allow them to cook dinner—it is nearly magic.

Get our recipe for Sluggish Cooker Beef Goulash. 

shrimp and broccoli with cauliflower rice sprinkled with sesame seeds green onions and sriracha
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!

On the spot Pot meals are good simple weeknight dinners so that you can make! Shrimp would not want a ton of time to cook dinner, which is why this On the spot Pot shrimp and broccoli recipe is the right recipe to whip up on a busy weeknight. Served on rice, or cauliflower rice to maintain it low-carb, this recipe is one that you will need to make many times.

Get our recipe for On the spot Pot Shrimp and Broccoli.

air fryer breaded pork chop 1
Carlene Thomas/Eat This, Not That!

How do you make crispy breaded pork chops in a health-conscious manner? Utilizing an air fryer, after all! It would lower down on prep and cooking time in addition to a considerable quantity of energy and fats. As a result of the pork chop is not fried in oil, it would not really feel heavy and fatty just like the one you are frying in pan.

Get our recipe for Breaded Air Fryer Pork Chops.

mediterranean tofu veggiescramble
Carlene Thomas/Eat This, Not That!

This fast scramble is full of Mediterranean flavors from bell peppers, feta, parsley, and tomatoes, however in the event you’re in search of an additional taste enhance, strive including sun-dried tomatoes in oil, capers, and even olives.

Get our recipe for 10-Minute Mediterranean Tofu Scramble.

keto shredded pork shoulder in a white bowl
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

There are lots of the reason why this recipe is ideal for a busy weeknight—the energetic cooking time is lowered to a minimal, you should use this versatile pork in many various methods, and it is some of the scrumptious keto recipes we have ever tasted. You may wrap this pork with slaw in a low-carb tortilla and name it a keto taco, or just get pleasure from it as a high-protein, low-carb bowl.

Get our recipe for Shredded BBQ-Rubbed Pork Shoulder With Creamy Slaw.

keto butter baked salmon with asparagus on the side horizontal
Waterbury Publications, Inc.

Salmon and asparagus are all the time nice collectively grilled, however this baked salmon recipe is much more acceptable for keto weight loss program followers as a result of it provides extra scrumptious fats to the omega-3 fatty acids discovered naturally in salmon. The trace of lemon within the mayo-based topping is scrumptious on the asparagus, too.

Get our recipe for Butter-Baked Salmon and Asparagus.

Paleo scallops with chimichurri
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

On this meal, you get to pour your chimichurri on scallops (and simply so you recognize, we expect scallops are essentially the most underrated of all seafood). They’re extremely lean, however with a candy, meaty style that makes them really feel indulgent. Plus, they cook dinner effortlessly in about 5 minutes.

Get our recipe for Scallops With Chimichurri.

Healthy portobello cheesesteak
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The mark of a terrific vegetarian dish is one which shall be eagerly devoured by a diehard carnivore. This one suits the invoice in spades: meaty slices of portobello sautéed with a thicket of peppers and onions, then tucked right into a toasted roll and topped with a cap of melted provolone.

Get our recipe for Mushroom Cheesesteak.

Paleo chicken pot stickers
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Making these hen pot stickers at house is a 10-minute venture, and it permits you to lower energy and enhance vitamin by spiking the dish with mushrooms and snap peas.

Get our recipe for Hen Pot Stickers.

Healthy ultimate blt
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Is there any mixture as rewarding and completely calibrated as a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich? With the crispy, smoky bacon taking part in off the cool crunch of the lettuce and the acidic sweetness of ripe tomato, it is a prime contender for Final Meal on Earth standing.

Get our recipe for Final BLT Sandwich.

Low-calorie chicken mole enchiladas
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

These enchiladas usually are not solely simpler to make than the Americanized variations served in most eating places, however they’re additionally tastier and comprise simply 30 % of the energy.

Get our recipe for Hen Mole Enchiladas.

Healthy baked ziti
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

It is a easy components—noodles coated in purple sauce, speckled with cheese, possibly a little bit of meat—however Italian eating places can so usually get it so mistaken by loading the meal with exorbitant quantities of saturated fats that no one of their proper thoughts ought to pay to eat. Save your money—and your ticker—and eat our more healthy model as an alternative. You may simply make it at residence, and it will not weigh you down. That is home-cooked consolation meals at its most interesting.

Get our recipe for Baked Ziti.

Baked eggs with mushroom and spinach
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The little ceramic vessels are good for housing eggs, meat, cheese, and greens after which tossing within the oven. What emerges 10 minutes later is a superbly cooked egg—whites mushy however agency, yolk gloriously runny—surrounded by a tasty and filling supporting forged.

Get our recipe for 10-Minute Baked Eggs With Mushroom and Spinach.

Caprese sandwich
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

The pairing of creamy recent mozzarella, juicy ripe tomatoes, and fats leaves of candy basil is so good that you just’d be loopy to not exploit it as usually as attainable to make your self seem like a culinary genius. This recipe requires completely no effort, save for about 2 minutes of slicing and a couple of minutes of toasting.

Get our recipe for Caprese Sandwich.

Chipotle shrimp quesadilla
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

This quesadilla is loads tacky, however the abundance of spicy shrimp and caramelized greens teamed with the shattering crust of the tortilla means we are able to lower fats with out sacrificing taste on this recipe.

Get our recipe for Crispy Chipotle Shrimp Quesadilla.

Chicken burger with sundried tomato aolia
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

We have gone forward and helped you out by reinventing the hen burger, utilizing a lean grind of meat and a vastly flavorful—however surprisingly low-calorie—spiked mayo to ship on the promise of a really wholesome burger you may fortunately bask in.

Get our recipe for Hen Burger With Solar-Dried Tomato Aioli.

Healthy chicken fried rice
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Skip the takeout and make certainly one of our favourite simple weeknight dinners as an alternative! This recipe turns fried rice on its head, counting on a ton of recent greens, significantly much less rice, and a little bit of oil for crisping it up.

Get our recipe for Takeout-Stage Hen Fried Rice.

Low-calorie mini pizzas 3 ways
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Private pies are the bane of the pizza expertise. Many pizza joints load particular person pizzas with greater than a day’s value of fats and sodium. English muffins, although, include built-in portion management, so irrespective of how lavishly you enhance them, you will not break the 400-calorie barrier. And that is why they function the right base for our private, mini-sized pizza recipe. We even have three totally different variations, so any and all pizza cravings you could have shall be glad. (Sure, that features Hawaiian, too!)

Get our recipe for Mini Pizzas, Three Methods.

Healthy grilled cheese with apples and bacon
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Grilled cheese is already certainly one of our favourite simple weeknight dinners, so we take it up a notch. The curious mixture of candy apples, crispy smoked bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese on this sandwich recipe is not simply scrumptious. It additionally comprises lower than half the energy of a lot of the different grilled cheese sandwiches on the market.

Get our recipe for Apple and Bacon Infused Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Pasta bolognese recipe on fork
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

This Bolognese follows the identical approach used for an genuine, velvety sauce, however subs in turkey for veal and lean sirloin for fattier beef. You may serve this over dried spaghetti or fettuccine, however recent pasta actually is finest.

Get our recipe for Bolognese Sauce.

Healthy red pepper alfredo
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Pasta is already one of many best substances to cook dinner, so why not use it to make certainly one of our simple weeknight dinners? This model of the fettuccine Alfredo recipe begins with a béchamel sauce, then blends that with roasted purple peppers to make for a lighter, brighter, higher Alfredo—for 1 / 4 of the energy.

Get our recipe for Buttery Crimson Pepper Fettuccine Alfredo.

Healthy sesame noodles with chicken
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Consider this meal as a salad, with the noodles standing in for lettuce. Add in some protein and as many—or as few—greens as you want, and toss the entire bundle with a light-weight however highly effective dressing, and there you’ve got it: It is the fruits of 4 millennia of noodle data! (Effectively, possibly not, however this sesame noodles recipe is very tasty.)

Get our recipe for Sesame Noodles With Hen.

Healthy gnocchi with peas and prosciutto
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

When you’ve got prepackaged gnocchi, there are fairly just a few simple weeknight dinners you may make! Right here, we take the basic Italian pasta pairing of peas and prosciutto, substitute the noodles with dumplings, and throw in loads of asparagus to spherical out the creation. You can also make this gnocchi recipe richer with a drizzle of cream or half-and-half or a little bit of butter, however this one is nice as-is.

Get our recipe for Gnocchi With Peas and Prosciutto.

Healthy barbecue chicken pizza
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

California Pizza Kitchen made its bones slinging unconventional pizzas topped with substances like pear and gorgonzola, Jamaican jerk hen, and even a full-blown salad. However none is extra well-known, or unusually satisfying, than the Unique BBQ Hen Pizza, which launched CPK into the nationwide conscience within the ’80s. Nearly as good as theirs is, we’re assured our barbecue hen pizza recipe is even higher. Plus, it is cheaper to make at residence and has only a third of the energy.

Get our recipe for Barbecue Hen Pizza.

Paleo meatball soup
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Although it is mild in energy, that is nonetheless a potent bowl of goodness—served with a flippantly dressed salad, it makes for an unimaginable weekday dinner. Additionally good for meal planning as it’s going to hold nice frozen within the fridge. Double the recipe and you will be set for the week!

Get our recipe for Italian Meatball Soup.

Low-calorie thai beef lettuce wraps
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Wraps at locations like P.F. Chang’s and The Cheesecake Manufacturing unit are overwrought affairs packing as many energy into an appetizer as you need to have in a whole meal. Take into account this model a blissful, wholesome, flavor-packed return to the wrap’s humble roots, and you will save lots of of energy within the course of.

Get our recipe for Beef Lettuce Wraps.

Low-calorie southwest turkey burger
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

A couple of years again, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s reached out to us and requested for assist designing a brand new line of turkey burgers that may enhance on an in any other case high-calorie menu. Numerous time and testing went into the burgers, throughout which we realized simply how nicely turkey takes to intense, vibrant flavors that may not jibe as nicely with beef. In the long run, this spicy-cool burger did not make it on the menu, but it surely stays among the finest turkey burgers we have had. Now, with this turkey burger recipe, you may choose for your self…

Get our recipe for Southwest Turkey Burger.

Paleo chili-mango chicken
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

Utilizing more healthy oils and a hearty serving of sugar snap peas, this dish is an ideal steadiness that can depart your palate feeling warmed and glad, with a caloric consumption that can depart you feeling wholesome and renewed.

Get our recipe for Chili-Mango Hen Stir-Fry.

Paleo moroccan salmon with quinoa
Mitch Mandel and Thomas MacDonald

This candy and savory mixture of spices could possibly be rubbed on hen or pork, but it surely takes particularly nicely to the (wholesome) fattiness of the salmon. The quinoa pilaf is a wholesome, complicated, and textured grain that offers this recipe a hearty, filling really feel, too. It would turn out to be your new favourite salmon pairing!

Get our recipe for Moroccan Salmon with Quinoa Pilaf.

And once you’re cooking at residence, do not miss these 52 Life-Altering Kitchen Hacks That’ll Make You Take pleasure in Cooking Once more.