30 of the BEST 30-Minute Meals

30-minute meals – It may sound impossible, but I promise you, you really CAN make easy 30-minute meals! Not only are they incredibly simple, but they are also delicious recipes you will reach for again and again.

Weeknights get super busy and hectic, so I’m always looking for easy 30-minute dinners to have in my back pocket. With this list of 30 of the BEST 30-minute meals, you’ll find easy and delicious main dish recipes that your family will love.

Easy 30-Minute Meals

Dinner time is generally my favorite time of the day. I love getting to sit around the table and catch up with my family for an hour or so. What I don’t love as much is all the prep work that can go into making a meal. I don’t mind taking extra time every once in a while, but why spend an hour or more cooking when you can make quick 30-minute meals instead?

Thankfully, it’s super easy to find 30-minute meals that taste incredible. These are meals that my family ask for again and again, and I’m happy to oblige! Here is a list of over 30 easy 30-minute meals that your family will love too.

Cheap 30-Minute Meals

Quick 30-minute meals that are budget-friendly? Sign me up! Groceries can become so expensive sometimes. Whenever we need to cut back and build a bit of room into our budget, these cheap 30-minute dinners can help stretch every dollar.

• Instant Pot Spaghetti
• One-Pot Goulash
• BBQ Chicken Pizza
• Easy French Dip Sandwiches
• Taco Soup
• Veggie Beef Ramen

Low Carb 30-Minute Meals

So many 30-minute dinners can be very carb-heavy. We definitely love our carbs, but sometimes we need a bite to eat that feels lighter. These low carb 30-minute meals are just the thing to make after a heavy lunch or a day full of snacking.

• Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Shredded Chicken Taco Salad
• BBQ Chicken Foil Pack
• Sheet Pan Fajitas
• Cobb Salad
• Taco Lettuce Wraps

30-Minute Meals with Chicken

Chicken is a staple ingredient, but there are times when it can be a bit of a challenge to cook. If you want flavorful chicken, that often means it needs to be cooked longer than you might like.

I’m happy to say that these 30-minute meals with chicken have all the flavor with virtually none of the stress and time. Try them out and see—you may be surprised at how excellent these dinners are!

• Baked Chicken Tenders
• Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
• Mexican Chicken Casserole
• Chicken Marsala
• One-Pot Chicken Caprese Pasta
• Pizza Chicken Roll Ups

Healthy 30-Minute Meals

Healthy fast food may seem like an oxymoron, but this list proves it’s possible. These healthy dinner recipes are packed with fiber and good-for-you fats, along with plenty of vegetables. A lot of these are Whole-30 friendly or easily modified to be.

An easy way to meal prep and have healthy lunches for the week is to double these 30-minute dinners and pack up enough leftovers for the kids to take to school for the week.

• Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables
• Easy Fajita Salad
• Turkey Meatballs
• Chicken Stuffed Peppers
• Mediterranean Salad
• Chicken Tortilla Soup

30-Minute Meals with Ground Beef

Whenever ground beef goes on sale, double (or triple!) up and stick a few in the freezer so that you can easily make these 30-minute meals with ground beef. There’s a wide variety of meals that can be made with ground beef, and most of these will even work as a freezer meal.

• One-Pot Burrito Bowls
• Easy Sloppy Joes
• Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
• Easy Ground Beef Tacos
• BEST Hamburger Recipe
• Taco Casserole

Add a few of these easy 30-minute meals each week to your meal plan. The hard part is figuring out how to best use all the extra time you have saved. I suggest a good book with a long bath. Enjoy!