Looking for quick and easy 30 minute dinner ideas? You’ve come to the right place. I know how hard it can be to get a healthy dinner on the table when your schedule is so packed. These 21+ recipes are some of our favorites and help us get through those busy weeknights without hitting the drive-thru.
These 30-Minute Meals Will Be Your New Faves (21+ recipes)
1. Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
If you have 30 minutes and one pot, you can cook up this delicious and flavorful meal (even the kids will love it). It’s rich in protein and fiber, too.
The seasoned chicken thighs pair perfectly with the Greek lemon rice, which also has protein-rich chickpeas. The feta cheese mixture is just the icing on the cake, adding so much flavor and creaminess to this dish.
2. Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini and Corn
Zesty garlic chicken served with roasted veggies. This is a simple dish that’s satisfying and so flavorful. The smoked paprika and chili powder add something special to this meal, especially when paired with the fresh cilantro. While this recipe calls for zucchini and corn, you can use any veggies you like. Tomatoes and peppers work well, as would broccoli and carrots.
Related: The Top 20+ Juiciest Chicken Recipes You Can Make in Just 30 Minutes
3. Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
An Asian-inspired dish that everyone will love. Flank steak and broccoli are the perfect pair for this dish. Fresh ginger adds some spice (and healthy anti-inflammatory properties). We love the coconut aminos-based sauce, which has a nice sweet heat.
If you want to switch things up a little, you could use a teriyaki sauce instead. We like to serve this over rice, but cauliflower rice or quinoa would be just as tasty.
4. Creamy Tomato Ground Beef Orzo
Looking for 30 minute dinner ideas that will keep you full and satisfied? This hearty creamy tomato ground beef orzo fits the bill.
I recommend using lean beef (at least 90/10) because the creamy sauce is already fatty.
You’ll make a delicious creamy tomato sauce that complements the ground beef so well. The orzo pasta makes this a true comfort dish. Feel free to use rice or cauliflower rice instead. Or, you could just serve this without any pasta or grain.
5. 20-Minute Marry Me Chickpeas
This vegetarian-friendly dish is a play on the viral “marry me chicken” recipe, and it is every bit as delicious.
The sauce is the secret. It pairs creamy coconut milk with sundried tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, onion and garlic.
Using canned chickpeas will save you so much time. You can serve this over rice or just on its own with some naan bread on the side.
6. Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
A one-pan dish that will have dinner on the table in no time. Spicy shrimp and roasted peppers and onions – it doesn’t get much simpler than that. Serve with corn tortillas, sour cream, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Cooking this dish is so simple. Roast your veggies on a sheet pan for 10 minutes, add the shrimp and bake for an extra 8-10 minutes.
You can even store any leftovers in the fridge for up to two days.
7. 30-Minute Mongolian Beef Meatballs
Want something different for dinner? You’ll love these Mongolian beef meatballs, which are ready in just 30 minutes and can be served over rice or noodles.
The beef is seasoned with minced ginger and garlic and green onions. You’ll cook your meatballs on a sheet pan with the broccoli for just 15 minutes.
The sauce comes together quickly in a skillet, where you’ll mix soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and rice water vinegar.
8. 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Gnocchi with Burrata
One of our favorite comfort food dishes for busy weeknights. Tasty gnocchi served in a creamy tomato sauce with fresh burrata and basil.
You need just a handful of ingredients to make this dish. The fresh tomato sauce is out of this world.
If you want to add some protein to this dish, you could add chicken or even sautéed shrimp. For gluten-free variations, look for gnocchi made with chickpeas or cauliflower. We also like to add fresh spinach or mushrooms to this dish from time to time.
9. Chicken with Peaches One-Pan Meal
A one-pan meal that’s subtly sweet and full of flavor. The whole thing is made entirely on one cast iron skillet.
I highly recommend using fresh peaches if you can, but if it’s off-season, quality jarred peaches will work well.
You can serve these with steamed veggies and cauliflower rice or over a bed of quinoa. It’s up to you!
10. One Skillet Salmon with Lemon Orzo
Healthy salmon cooked with a zesty lemon orzo in just 30 minutes. The orzo is cooked like a risotto to create a creamy and rich base for the salmon.
The fresh salmon fillets are spiced with garlic powder, sweet paprika and salt and pepper. Butter and olive oil add extra flavor. For the orzo, you’ll carefully prepare it in a chicken broth flavored with garlic, onion, lemon, thyme and Parmesan cheese. Fresh spinach adds some extra nutrients and flavor to the orzo.
11. Chicken Vermicelli Noodles
One of our favorite 30 minute dinner ideas when we’re craving Asian food. It’s ready in just 20 minutes, so you’ll even have an extra 10 minutes to spare.
Just sauté thinly sliced, marinated chicken with garlic. Add cabbage, onion and carrots and fry for about 7 minutes. Finally, add the vermicelli noodles and sauce.
12. One-Pot Chicken Orzo
Another tasty one-pot meal that’s ready in just 30 minutes. This creamy dish is satisfying and a kid-favorite in our household.
The ingredients are simple – chicken, asparagus, onion, orzo, half and half and Parmesan cheese. The whole thing comes together quickly, and because everything cooks in one pot, you’ll have fewer dishes to wash.
Related: 25 Quick and Healthy 30 Minute Meals You Can Make on Your Busiest WFH Days
13. Honey Balsamic Ground Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
Quick-cooking ground chicken, crispy Brussels sprouts and a delicious honey-balsamic sauce everyone will love. This dish is so quick to prepare, and you can serve it in so many different ways.
We like to eat this with rice, but you can also serve it over quinoa, farro or even cauliflower rice if you’re trying to reduce your carbs.
14. Creamy Tortellini Soup
A rich and creamy tomato soup base with hearty tortellini. Be sure to use fresh tortellini for this dish (not frozen).
If you’re not a fan of tortellini, you could use gnocchi instead or just plain pasta. I’ve heard this recipe is also great with Italian sausage added.
15. Pork Stir Fry
Delicious is an understatement with this recipe. You’ll make thin strips of pork tenderloin with beef broth, honey, mirin, soy sauce, ginger, cornstarch, carrots and a few additional oils and vinegar.
Produce will include broccoli florets, garlic, green onions, red bell pepper and yellow onions.
If you have 25 minutes, this is one of the 30 minute dinner ideas that is deliciously easy to make.
16. Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet
Meatballs and orzo taste so good together. You’ll use your hands for mixing the meatballs, before heating them over a large skillet. The recipe calls for ground turkey or chicken, breadcrumbs, parsley, onion, lemon zest and juice, egg, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, oregano, salt and pepper and feta cheese.
And for the Orzo, you’ll need kalamata olives, garlic, olive oil, chicken broth, roasted red peppers, fresh dill, parsley, feta cheese and a few spices.
17. Easy Street Corn Chicken Rice Bowl
Street corn tastes so good, and you can now make it in the comfort of your home. You will need a total of 10 ingredients (that’s all!), which fill this Mexican-inspired dish with so much flavor: chicken, white rice, corn kernels, sour cream, lime juice, mayonnaise, cilantro, cotija cheese and any additional ingredients you like.
Jalapeno peppers are a great addition to your bowl.
Prep your chicken, make the corn mix, assemble them together and garnish. Serve the dish warm and enjoy.
18. Pho Bo
Vietnamese cuisine doesn’t get enough love, and this beef pho recipe is the perfect example of this. You can make this dish in as little as 30 minutes and it includes bean sprouts, chilis and thinly sliced beef.
Plus, you’ll add in fresh herbs, fish sauce and spices.
Rice (or zucchini) noodles, mint, basil, cilantro, star anise and cinnamon all add to the flavor of this dish.
19. Chicken Pad Thai
Thai food is one of my favorite types of cuisine for 30 minute dinner ideas because these dishes are always overflowing with flavor. Prep time takes all but ten minutes, and you’ll need chicken breasts, red bell pepper, grated carrots, garlic, large eggs, olive oil, brown rice noodles, fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, peanuts, limes and green onions to start.
The sauce is where a lot of people seem to be turned off by these dishes because it calls for fish sauce, but it’s not overpowering by any means.
Instead, you’ll also mix in tamari, rice vinegar, honey, lime juice and lime zest to make the perfect sauce for your pad Thai.
20. Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps
Chicken wraps are always a favorite of mine because they’re easy to make, store well and you can add any condiments you like to them. If you have an air fryer, this recipe is perfect for you because you’ll be making chicken tenders.
For the wraps, you’ll also need coleslaw, pickles, lettuce, radishes, cherry tomatoes, whole wheat tortillas and cheddar cheese.
Nourished by Nic also helps you make a divine honey mustard sauce from Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey and white vinegar.
21. Sheet Pan Roasted Veggie Power Bowls
Power bowls offer a pick-me-up after a long day. You’ll appreciate the chicken sausage, roasted veggies, brown rice, balsamic vinegar, feta and a handful of other ingredients that go into this salad bowl.
For a fast weekend dinner or lunch, this sheet pan bowl is perfect.
Related: 30-Minute High-Protein Meals That’ll Actually Keep You Full
22. Paleo Carne Asada Bowl
Flank steak, a delish marinade and cucumber-radish pico de gallo all come together in a single bowl that is sure to delight everyone who eats it. You’ll need to take into account marinade time, which is about an hour total.
Cauliflower rice and a salad filled with ghee or olive oil, turmeric powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, lettuce, avocado, lime wedges and coconut yogurt (optional) add an abundance of flavor to this bowl.
