Tired of feeling hungry right after you eat? Eat more protein! Protein takes longer for your body to break down, so you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer. Today, I’m going to share my favorite 30 minute protein meals that are delicious and quick to make.
30-Minute High-Protein Meals That’ll Actually Keep You Full
1. Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
Protein-rich meatballs served with a Greek yogurt-based cucumber sauce (tzatziki), fresh summer veggies and a bed of kale.
You’ll love this recipe because the meatballs (a mix of beef and pork) bake in the oven, so the cooking is mostly hands-off. The tzatziki sauce takes just a few minutes to prep.
We like to serve this with tomatoes, fresh bell peppers and greens on the side.
Each serving of these meatballs has 33 grams of protein and is just 297 calories.
2. Healthy High Protein Burrito
Burritos are perfect for lunch or dinner, and you can even meal prep a few servings ahead of time. Lean ground beef and black beans add tons of protein to this dish. Corn, tomatoes, taco seasoning, onion and jalapeno add plenty of flavor.
You can use any tortillas you want, but I recommend using a high-protein and/or low-carb variation to keep it as healthy as possible.
Each burrito has a whopping 42 grams of protein and is just 446 calories if you use a low-carb tortilla.
Related: 30-Minute High Protein Meals to Smash Your Fitness Goals
3. High-Protein Romesco Butter Beans
A delicious and hearty vegetarian meal that’s full of protein. Cooked butter beans and tofu add plenty of protein, and the roasted red pepper and tomato sauce add tons of flavor.
You’ll need a good blender for this recipe, as you’ll be blending the tofu with the tomatoes and roasted red peppers to make a creamy, thick sauce.
If you want to keep this vegan, you could top this dish with nutritional yeast. If you’re not vegan, adding some pecorino cheese is a great way to add flavor and a tiny boost of protein.
Serve with broccolini and top your beans with slivered almonds.
4. Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Here’s one of the best 30 minute protein meals for lunch. The best part? It takes way less than 30 minutes to make.
This recipe puts a healthy twist on the classic tuna salad by using Greek yogurt instead of mayo. You’ll mix the yogurt with two cans of tuna and add cucumber, celery, tomato, onion, olives and fresh herbs.
The whole thing comes together in just 10 minutes or less, and you can serve however you want: in a pita pocket, with your favorite crackers or on a bed of lettuce. Each serving has 38 grams of protein.
5. White Bean Grinder Salad
Want something fast, easy and full of protein? Each serving of this grinder salad has 20g of protein and is full of flavor.
Mix creamy white beans with salami, provolone cheese, pepperoncini peppers, iceberg lettuce, onion and Parmesan cheese. Add mayo, Italian seasoning and red wine vinegar to complete the dish.
If you want more protein, you could add more deli meat or swap out the beans for shredded chicken.
6. Skillet Lemon Parmesan Chicken with Zucchini
A quick, simple and flavorful meal that’s high in protein and only requires a few ingredients. Along with chicken breast, you’ll need zucchini, yellow squash, olive oil, butter, herbs and spices and a few other ingredients.
The whole thing cooks in a single skillet, so you’ll spend less time on clean-up, too.
You can serve this over rice, quinoa or a bed of orzo.
7. High Protein Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad
A high-protein, healthy twist on traditional chicken salad. This recipe uses cottage cheese instead of mayo, which helps bring the protein count to 24g per serving.
The addition of banana peppers adds a crisp flavor and a hint of spice. Feel free to swap out ingredients and customize the flavors. And if you don’t like cottage cheese, you could use plain Greek yogurt instead.
8. High Protein Breakfast Bowl
This is one of the top 30 minute protein meals for protein count. Each serving of this bowl has nearly 50g of protein (wow!). That’s thanks to the eggs and lean ground beef in this dish.
Along with the meat and eggs, you’ll also add cheddar cheese, tomato, cilantro, avocado, lime and spices.
It’s a hearty breakfast that will keep you fueled all morning long. Plus, you’ll make 4 servings at a time, so you can eat this over a few days.
9. Air Fryer Sweet Chili Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
Ginger, chili powder and a sweet chili sauce add sweet heat to this dish, which is cooked in an air fryer in 30 minutes or less.
First, you’ll cook the Brussels sprouts for 10 minutes before adding your marinated chicken and sauce.
We like to serve this with rice, but you can serve it with quinoa or just more steamed veggies on the side. I highly recommend adding some extra chili sauce to the top when serving.
Related: 25+ Easy High Protein Meal Prep Ideas For Muscle Building And Fat Loss
10. High-Protein Longevity Salad
A vegetarian high-protein meal that’s ready in just 15 minutes. Each serving has 24g of protein, which is excellent for a vegetarian dish.
You’ll need French lentils, kamut (or quinoa if you can’t find this grain), kale, cabbage, pumpkin seed, hemp hearts, capers and green onions. The tahini dressing is wonderful, thanks to the Dijon mustard and maple syrup.
Meal prep this salad ahead of time to enjoy this meal several days in a row.
11. Egg Roll in a Bowl
Enjoy all the flavors of an egg roll filling without the unhealthy, deep-fried wrapper. This dish loads up the protein, thanks to the ground turkey. The rest of the ingredients are simple: coleslaw mix, fresh ginger, onion, soy sauce and a few other pantry ingredients.
We love serving this over cauliflower rice, but feel free to get creative.
12. Buffalo Chicken
While I’ve named 30 minute protein meals before, this one is a bit tricky. It’s buffalo chicken, but it’s presented almost like a Buddha bowl. You’ll need skinless chicken breasts, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and turmeric for your chicken.
You can use an Instant Pot for this recipe (it makes it so fast), and you’ll also make cauliflower rice, cut up some avocados for healthy fat, and add grape tomatoes, too.
13. Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Crispy chickpeas are quickly becoming one of my faves because it’s just something about the texture and pop of flavor they have. You’ll want to add kale, chickpeas, avocado oil, tandoori masala spice, garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup and salt to your list of must-buy items.
And for this one, I actually have a YouTube video for you to follow:
14. Honey Harissa Salmon Quinoa Bowls
Instead of reaching for rice, I’ve been learning that quinoa is almost always a healthier option. Add in salmon fillets, shredded green cabbage, scallions, mixed veggies, lemon, honey, harissa and a few other ingredients, and you have a high protein meal offering:
- 477 calories
- 21 grams of protein
- 22 grams of fat
- 53 grams of carbs
Related: Power Up with These 15+ Surprising & High-Protein Quinoa Recipes
15. Ground Beef Stir Fry
It takes all of 25 minutes to make this veggie-filled beef stir fry with 22 grams of protein. You’ll make your beef with coconut oil, yellow onions, fresh garlic and green beans. For the stir-fry sauce, you’ll add:
- Orange juice
- Coconut aminos
- Date pasta
- Potato starch
- Salt
- Ginger
- Garlic powder
- Balsamic vinegar
16. Ground Chicken and Zucchini Stir Fry
Chicken is always on the menu when searching for 30 minute protein meals. Each serving is ultra-lean, with 284 calories and 22 grams of protein. Start by cutting the ends of your zucchini off, cutting them lengthwise through the center and then making small chunks.
Heat up a large skillet, add in your oil, zucchini and onion, and saute until they start to brown and are tender.
Remove the veggies, pop your chicken into the hot skillet and cook. While cooking thoroughly, you’ll make a sauce from soy sauce, rice vinegar and other ingredients.
17. Easy Healthy High Protein Tuna Salad
A healthy serving of 24 grams of protein is packed into the three servings this tuna salad offers. You’ll make your tuna egg salad from:
- Two cans of tuna
- Three hard-boiled eggs
- Red onion
- Pickle relish
Your dressing will be made from mayo, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, paprika and salt and pepper. All you need is ten minutes, and you’ll be ready to eat.
18. 30-Minute Baked Greek Kofta Kebabs With Tzatziki
Low carb kofta kebabs like these offer a unique twist of flavors that few dishes offer. You’ll start by grating a cucumber and then draining out the water. The author has a unique trick for this step. While the cucumber is draining, you’ll pre-heat your oven and put your ground meat into a large mixing bowl.
Pulse your onion in a food processor before adding in garlic and parsley.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, put your meat skewers on it, bake and in the meantime, you’ll make your tzatziki.
If you’re a fan of kebabs, you’ll love this recipe.
19. Korean Beef Bowl
Korean beef bowls sound so good right now, and these dishes take a total of 20 minutes from prep to your first bite. Versatile dishes like these are always nice when you just don’t know what to eat.
You’ll need shallots, ginger, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, ground beef, onion powder, coconut aminos, fish sauce, cauliflower rice and greens of your choice.
I recently used spinach because I had some that we really needed to use, and it tasted great. You can also use arugula, romaine or anything else that you like.
Hot sauce is optional, but feel free to add it if you think the flavor is lacking. And everything but the rice is cooked in a single skillet.
20. Poke Bowl
I love poke bowls because they’re quick, fresh, and super customizable. I start with chilled white rice, then marinate sushi-grade tuna with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. While that chills, I mix up a sweet and spicy sauce with soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and chili garlic, plus a sriracha mayo on the side. Then I layer everything—rice, tuna, cucumber, avocado, pickled ginger, green onions, and a few lemon slices—drizzle on the sauces, and that’s it. If I have extras like mango, edamame, or seaweed, I toss those in too.
