Looking for quick, easy and healthy dinner ideas in 30 minutes or less? You’ve come to the right place. These 21+ recipes are delicious and ready in no time. Make them on a busy weeknight, or whip them up last minute for unexpected guests. No matter your tastes or diet preferences, you’ll find something you love on this list.
30-Minute Healthy Dinner Ideas To Try This Week (21+ Recipes)
1. Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls
This 30-minute meal tastes like you’ve spent all day in the kitchen. With so many delicious flavors and aromas, you’ll be dying to dig into this bowl. It’s filled with spicy chipotle lime shrimp paired and a rich rice base with black beans, avocado, tomato, corn, fresh cilantro and green onions. Top with a homemade cilantro lime dressing.
This dish will easily become a new favorite in your dinner routine.
2. Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes Skillet
Savory garlic butter chicken paired with roasted potatoes – who could ask for more? This recipe cooks in a single skillet, so clean-up is easy.
Parboiling the potatoes helps them cook faster in the pan, and the chicken is briefly marinated to add tons of flavor to this dish.
You can serve this with steamed veggies (broccoli would be perfect) or just enjoy as-is.
Related: What’s for Dinner? These 30-Minute Meals Will Be Your New Faves
3. Pan Fried Orange Salmon
Healthy salmon, brown rice and cooked broccoli make this 30-minute dinner perfect for any weeknight meal. But the sauce is the real star of the show here. It mixes freshly squeezed orange juice with honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, orange zest and red pepper flakes.
The salmon marinates for just a short amount of time in this tasty sauce before being sauteed with freshly grated ginger and garlic.
The aroma of this dish is irresistible, and there’s zero guilt because it’s so healthy.
4. Garlic Shrimp With Smoked Paprika
Add some sweet heat to your dinner routine with this garlic shrimp and paprika recipe. This is easily one of my favorite healthy dinner ideas because you only need five ingredients and a single pan to make it.
You’ll sautee your shrimp in garlic and olive oil, then add smoked paprika and honey. So easy yet so flavorful! Serve with rice, veggies or whatever you please.
5. Healthy Enchilada Skillet
High protein, gluten-free and ready in 30 minutes? Sign me up! This recipe cooks in just 25 minutes and if you prep ahead of time, you’ll be ready to eat in no time.
I call it a deconstructed enchilada skillet. Instead of the usual tortillas, you’re adding tortilla chips to the base of this dish, which includes juicy ground beef, bell peppers, zucchini, green onions, black beans, corn, cheese and tons of spices. Red enchilada sauce tops things off, and you can add whatever garnishes you want (cilantro, sour cream avocado, etc.).
6. 30-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken
This recipe uses chicken thighs to add more flavor to the dish. But it’s the honey garlic sauce that will steal your heart. It mixes soy sauce with honey, lemon juice, garlic, chili paste, chopped green onion and sesame oil.
You’ll bake your chicken thighs with either broccoli or asparagus (your choice), and then mix with the sauce.
Serve over rice or quinoa, or just enjoy it with your roasted veggies.
7. Best Easy Chicken Curry
An easy curry chicken that everyone, even the kids, will love. You’ll need a lot of spices for this dish, but it’s so quick to make and worth every bit of effort.
The sauce comes together in no time and adds so much flavor to the chicken. You can serve this over rice or with a serving of veggies on the side and some naan bread.
Pro tip: Make extra and freeze the leftovers for a quick dinner on your busiest night.
8. Greek Lemon Chicken
A simple Greek lemon chicken recipe that only requires a few ingredients. Along with chicken breast, you’ll need fresh lemon juice and zest, oregano, parsley, dill, a few more spices and some olive oil.
Grill your chicken, and you’re ready to eat. I like to add this chicken to a simple salad, but you can also serve it with rice, vegetables, potatoes or whatever other sides you like.
9. Sheet Pan Maple Dijon Glazed Salmon
A sheet pan meal that will become your new go-to dinner. This balanced, healthy dish does not compromise on flavor.
The delicious maple Dijon salmon cooks on a single pan with fresh asparagus and tomato wedges for a simple yet satisfying meal.
The glaze for the salmon pairs Dijon mustard with maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice, thyme and paprika. The whole thing cooks in just 20-25 minutes.
10. Spicy Korean Gochujang Noodles
These spicy noodles are one of the most delicious healthy dinner ideas on this list. The gochujang paste is what adds tons of flavor and a little bit of heat to this dish.
While the recipe calls for ground beef, you can use ground chicken if you want a leaner option. Rice noodles are the preferred choice, but soba can work just as well.
11. Honey Sriracha Salmon
A tasty and spicy dish that’s high in protein, healthy fat and flavor. The honey, sriracha, soy and ginger glaze takes this salmon to the next level.
The rest of the dish is easy – rice, cucumbers, avocado and a simple rice vinegar dressing.
12. High Protein Chicken Enchiladas
Seven ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need for this delicious enchilada dish. Refried beans, Greek yogurt and shredded chicken add so much protein to this meal.
Taco seasoning adds flavor, and shredded Mexican cheese makes this a true comfort food. Don’t forget the red enchilada sauce (this one is my favorite).
Related: 30 Minute Dinner Meals That Taste Like They Took Hours
13. Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Broccoli
I love this sheet pan dish because it’s so effortless and is still a healthy meal to serve the family. You’ll need quite a few spices for the chicken, but the rest is easy.
While the recipe calls for broccoli, you can cook this with any vegetable you like.
P.S. The homemade honey mustard sauce is amazing.
14. Instant Pot Cashew Chicken
Cashews and chicken are healthy dinner ideas that sound so good right now. And you can make this dish in just 22 minutes from start to finish. Combine sesame oil, ketchup, vinegar, coconut sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, coconut aminos, red pepper flakes and Five Spice together.
Set the mixture aside, and start prepping the chicken with arrowroot flour, salt and pepper.
Next up, sear your chicken, add cashews and serve over cauliflower rice and broccoli.
15. Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
Craving burrito bowls? This ground beef burrito bowl recipe pops with flavor, but you’ll want to use a food processor to make the jalapeno cilantro sauce. You’ll finish your bowl off by adding black beans, corn kernels, tomatoes and shredded cheese on top of your long-grain rice.
16. Chicken Sausage, Broccoli and Orzo Skillet
With just five minutes of prep time, you can have this orzo skillet ready to cook. Put your skillet to work by drizzling on your olive oil, adding in your chicken sausage and cooking for 2 – 3 minutes on each side until browned.
Add broccoli to the pan with salt and pepper.
Next up, add garlic and orzo and stir together until everything is evenly heated. Add chicken broth, simmer and allow to cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the orzo is soft. Once the liquid is absorbed, add your Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly.
17. Healthy Sesame Chicken
Sesame chicken in 30 minutes? Sign me up. You’ll want to use a 10-inch nonstick skillet for this recipe, which starts with adding the following into a small bowl: black pepper, coconut aminos, honey, rice vinegar and sriracha. Combine well and set aside.
Heat your sesame or avocado oil in your skillet on medium before adding your chicken chunks.
Add garlic and saute. Pour your sauce into a skillet and let it boil until much of the liquid has evaporated. Serve with rice and veggies.
18. Jennifer Aniston Salad
Fresh and crunchy! Healthy dinner ideas like these are the easiest to make, especially if you’re in a rush. Quinoa and chickpeas add tons of plant protein to your salad, and veggie stock, red onions, cucumber, herbs, feta, lemon dressing and pistachios add so much flavor.
If you want to add something more to your salad, a few options are:
- Chicken
- Steak
- Shrimp
- Salad
19. One Pot Lemon Shrimp Orzo
Thirteen simple ingredients are all it takes to make this shrimp orzo. You’ll need raw shrimp, which I recommend sourcing locally rather than from the supermarket whenever possible. Otherwise, all you need is orzo, spices, broth, lemon, parsley, garlic, tomatoes and frozen peas to make this ultra-healthy dinner.
20. Honey Harissa Chicken Bowls Recipe
Do you like Cava’s honey harissa chicken bowls? If so, this recipe is for you. Most of the time is spent on the marinade, so it’s a fast Mediterranean dish otherwise. Chicken thighs are made in olive oil, Harissa pasta, lemon and garlic and have some salt and pepper on them.
Harissa comes into play with a delightful vinaigrette that you’ll make with olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic cloves, salt and Harissa paste.
21. BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad
Grab your skewers and make these delightful BBQ chicken skewers. Your skewers will consist of chunks of chicken breast, salt and BBQ sauce and will be cooked in healthy avocado oil. For the salad portion, you’ll need corn, avocado oil, lettuce, onion, grape tomatoes, black beans, avocados and spices.
You’ll also top with a herby ranch dressing that is made from scratch.
Related: Lazy Girl-Approved: These 30-Minute Dinner Bowls Have Your Back
22. Creamy Sesame Chicken Bowls with Cucumber Salad
Cucumbers, chicken and a creamy sesame sauce take 25 minutes to cook. You’ll make two parts for this recipe:
- Cucumber salad made of cucumbers, green onions, toasted sesame seeds, Sichuan Chili Crisp, rice vinegar, cilantro, basil, chopped mint and spices.
- Chicken thighs, salt, pepper and avocado are all you need for this portion.
If you know how to make chicken and have a large skillet, it’s as simple as prepping the salad, cooking your chicken and then assembling your bowls.
