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 quick dinners to have in my back pocket. With this list of easy 30-minute meals, you’ll find fast and delicious main dish recipes that your family will love.
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. Whether it’s chicken or beef recipes, vegetarian favorites or healthy and low carb dishes…you’ll find it all here. These are easy dinner ideas that my family ask for again and again, and I’m happy to oblige! Here is a list of my favorite 30-minute meals that your family will love too.
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. You can even save more time by making one of these into a leftover rotisserie chicken recipe! Try them out and see—you may be surprised at how excellent these dinners are!
Chicken Stir Fry
This chicken stir fry is loaded with fresh veggies and coated in a flavorful stir-fry sauce. It's an easy 30-minute meal better than takeout and perfect for weeknights!
Juicy and tender baked chicken breast coated in a sweet and tangy BBQ glaze is an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. This is a no fuss baked BBQ chicken recipe made with only 2 simple ingredients and 5 minutes of prep!
These baked chicken tenders are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. A family-favorite recipe that's simple, delicious and ready in just 30 minutes!
This Mexican chicken casserole is easy to make with a creamy shredded chicken mixture, rice, beans, tortilla chips and gooey cheese. It's perfect for weeknights!
This easy chicken marsala recipe is an Italian-American favorite made with pan-fried chicken, mushrooms and rich marsala wine sauce. Restaurant quality made at home in 30 minutes!
Onepot chicken pasta caprese is the easiest, most incredible pasta dish ever. It takes less than 20 minutes to make this dish and since it's only one-pot, clean up will be a snap too!
Buffalo chicken wraps are a quick and easy way to have a healthy flavorful lunch on the go. A tortilla filled to the brim with saucy buffalo chicken, and fresh veggies, drizzled with a homemade ranch dressing!
These homemade baked chicken taquitos are easy to make with a creamy, cheesy chicken filling, rolled up in flour tortillas then baked until crispy. They are a family favorite!
This easy chicken and rice soup is a comforting and delicious one-pot meal loaded with tender vegetables, chicken and a flavorful broth that the whole family will love! Makes the perfect soup recipe for chilly weather!
Tender fettuccine noodles covered in a creamy homemade alfredo sauce and then topped with seasoned chicken. This chicken fettuccine alfredo is easily made in under 30 minutes and is loaded with Italian flavor!
This BBQ chicken pizza is topped with BBQ sauce, shredded chicken, mozzarella, red onion and cilantro. It has tons of flavor and is ready in just 30 minutes!
Juicy and tender seared chicken topped with a flavorful homemade bruschetta made with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This bruschetta chicken is an easy and delicious dinner recipe that has the perfect combination of flavors.
A delicious Greek chicken burger stuffed with feta cheese, red pepper, parsley, garlic, red onion and seasonings. This burger is light on calories without sacrificing flavor!
These sheet pan chicken fajitasare easy to make with seasoned sliced chicken and bell peppers. Serve this one pan dinner with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings!
Easy instant pot chicken taco bowls that take just 5 minutes of prep. A family favorite meal idea that's perfect for busy weeknights. Just simply dump and go!
These Instant Pot chicken and dumplings take less than 10 ingredients and are ready in 30 minutes. The perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will love!
This sheet pan chicken and veggies is easy to make with tender pieces of chicken, a rainbow of colorful vegetables and herbs and spices all baked on one pan!
This pesto chicken is made with baked or grilled chicken breast and homemade basil pesto! With only 2 main ingredients, this low carb dinner is perfect for a weeknight meal.
Stuffed French bread is a loaded bread appetizer or dinner that's so full of cheesy goodness. It's an easier version of my stuffed cheesy garlic bread but with a buffalo chicken twist!
This chicken pad Thai is quick, easy and better than takeout! Made with juicy pieces of chicken, peanuts, eggs and veggies smothered in a flavorful sweet and salty sauce.
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.
Burrito Bowl Recipe
Easy and delicious Mexican burrito bowls made in just one pot in 30 minutes…making clean up a breeze. Perfect for busy week nights!
Instant pot spaghetti is perfect for those busy nights where you need dinner to come together quickly. It's cooked in just one pot in 30 minutes, making the clean up a breeze!
These easy ground beef tacosare a classic family dinner made with flavorful, homemade taco meat stuffed into a tortilla shell. It's simple, delicious and ready in 20 minutes!
This easy spaghetti recipe with meat sauce is a family favorite for a weeknight dinner. With a few simple ingredients, this hearty classic is always a hit with kids!
The BEST hamburger recipe that's super simple and tastes absolutely delicious! This grilling classic is perfect for summer cookouts or get-togethers and makes the most juicy homemade hamburger patty that's filled with tons of flavor.
This taco casserole is made with layers of tortilla chips, ground beef and cheese then baked to perfection. Top with your favorite toppings for an easy dinner the whole family will love!
This easy homemade goulash is made in one pot (including the noodles) in just 30 minutes. It's a classic, family-favorite dish packed with tons of flavor!
Easy hamburger soup made in just one pot in 30 quick minutes! It's loaded with lean ground beef, mixed vegetables, tomatoes and seasonings and is budget-friendly, hearty and satisfying.
This garlic butter steak and potatoes recipe is made in the skillet for an easy 30 minute weeknight dinner. Juicy tender steak with crispy potatoes is a family favorite!
Make the perfect steak in the oven that's caramelized, juicy and tender. It's quick and easy to prepare by first pan-searing the steak and then finishing it in the oven.
Juicy, tender meatballs simmered with marinara and then tossed with spaghetti noodles. These homemade spaghetti and meatballs taste like they came straight from an Italian restaurant!
These walking tacos are made with taco meat and toppings served in a bag of Fritos or Doritos. They are not only fun to eat on-the-go but are quick to make for parties or meals.
These easy and delicious Navajo tacos are a family favorite made with soft and crispy fry bread piled high with seasoned ground beef, beans and all your favorite taco toppings!
This one pot cheesy enchilada pasta is made with cheese, beef, enchilada sauce and pasta for an easy weeknight dinner! It's a family favorite that is packed full of flavor.
This teriyaki burger recipe is a must-try! Juicy burger flavored with a sweet teriyaki sauce and served with grilled pineapple and onions on a crispy brioche bun!
Enjoy the classic flavors you love with this easy homemade Hamburger Helper. It’s full of ground beef and macaroni all simmered in a creamy cheddar sauce. A quick meal for weeknight dinners, this is one both the kids and adults will adore!
Any of these vegetarian recipes are perfect to serve as your main dish for Meatless Monday. In place of meat, these meals are filled with hearty vegetables like potatoes, rice, legumes or pasta. They are super flavorful and filling, so you won’t even miss the meat!
Sweet Potato Bowls
These sweet potato bowls are a meatless dinner idea that are easy to make in one pot! Loaded with spices, they are full of texture and flavors for a hearty meal.
ThisMexican salad is a great side dish to any Mexican meal or summer barbecue. It's fresh and flavorful made with chopped romaine, beans, veggies, avocado and a cilantro lime dressing!
Strawberry, pistachio, and burrata salad with a poppyseed dressing…super fresh, flavorful and satisfying! This strawberry salad has the most perfect combination of flavors and will become your new favorite!
Total Time:10 minutesminutes
Spinach Berry Salad Recipe
A refreshing salad made with spinach, mixed berries, almonds and a red wine poppyseed vinaigrette. Delicious, healthy and easy to make!
Asian stuffed mushrooms are the perfect side dish or appetizer. This recipe is filled with flavor thanks to a simple creamy stuffing and a 2-ingredient drizzle sauce.
A delicious caprese pasta bake covered in creamy tomato sauce and bubbly mozzarella. This easy 30-minute meal is the perfect way to use up fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden!
Tender penne pasta, black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, onions and tomatoes tossed in a delicious and creamy avocado lime dressing. This southwest pasta salad is easy, healthy and full of Mexican flavors!
A light and refreshing strawberry spinach salad filled with fresh strawberries, almonds, feta and greens. Top with poppy seed dressing to make the perfect summer salad recipe!
So many 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.
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These buffalo chicken lettuce wraps are packed with flavor from shredded buffalo chicken and fresh veggies. Easy to make for a light dinner or a game day appetizer!
Taco lettuce wraps are a healthy, flavorful and delicious protein packed, low-carb alternative to traditional tacos. They're paleo, gluten-free and an easy Whole 30 recipe!
This egg roll in a bowl recipe is an easy low carb alternative to egg rolls! Made with ground turkey and veggies tossed in a flavorful sauce of choice and ready in 20 minutes.
This fajita salad recipe is an easy and delicious twist on classic chicken fajitas. Crisp salad greens are topped with flavorful chicken, fajita veggies and fresh green salsa.
Fresh, flavorful and easy taco salad is made with seasoned ground beef, loaded with toppings then served over chopped greens with your favorite salad dressing.
Easy instant pot buffalo chicken made in 30 quick minutes! Perfectly tender, juicy and packs a punch of tangy buffalo flavor. Use it to make salads, wraps, pizza, tacos and more.
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 dinners and pack up enough leftovers for the kids to take to school for the week.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
Quick and easy this sheet pan sausage and veggies is loaded with flavor from vegetables, sausage and simple seasonings. It's healthy, nutritious and made on one pan for easy cleanup!
This chicken tortilla soup recipe is made in ONE pot in 30 minutes. Always a crowd pleaser and tastes great loaded with cheese, avocado and tortilla chips.
This buffalo chicken salad is loaded with chopped lettuce, crunchy coleslaw, vegetables and buffalo chicken. Drizzle with ranch dressing and it will become your new go-to salad for lunch or dinner!
A fresh and delicious salad made with lettuce, grilled corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, avocado and tender sliced steak. Then topped with a sweet and tangy balsamic dressing.
A delicious cobb salad that's fresh, flavorful and full of your favorite toppings! Makes the perfect lunch or dinner any day of the week. This recipe is a staple at our house.
This Mediterranean salad with creamy balsamic dressing is full of greens, protein and flavor! Comes together super quickly and tastes so fresh and delicious. Plus it's healthier than most restaurants, too!
This Asian chicken salad is everything you want in a salad recipe…fresh, light, crunchy and delicious. It's super flavorful and is loaded with all your favorite toppings!
Shredded chicken taco salad loaded with lettuce, black beans, grilled corn, avocado, tomatoes and bell peppers. Topped with a creamy salsa ranch dressing. Simple, flavorful and delicious!
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Now I know what I’m eating for the next month. We have loved so many of the recipes on this list!
You’ve got some great categories in this round up – something to match all moods.