Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes (2024)

Our weeknight recipes—including dairy-free, one-pan and vegetarian dishes—deliver big flavor without a lot of fuss.

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Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

Fish doesn't get much easier than this. The nutty coating crisps up deliciously in a skillet, and the whole meal is done in 25 minutes.

Easy Fish Recipes

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One-Pan Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Peas

All the creaminess of a traditional alfredo—minus the extra pot for boiling the pasta. And it's ready in 30 minutes.

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Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes

Weeknight-friendly pork tenderloin, pears, potato and onion bake on the same pan—dressed in maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs.

One-Pan Recipes That Make Dinner So Much Easier

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Salmon with Swiss Chard and Radishes

A simple and delicious way to cook salmon, this easy recipe comes together in just 30 minutes. Heat mellows the bite of the radishes and brings out unexpected juiciness.

20 Favorite Salmon Recipes

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Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints! (The alternate version, with ham and cream, is excellent too.)

Great Recipes for Canned or Dry Beans

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Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp

Laced with ginger, lime and fish sauce, this weeknight-easy recipe is a version of tom kha goong, a brothy, aromatic coconut soup. To make tom kha gai, swap in 3 cups shredded cooked chicken for the shrimp.

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Fried Trout with Cherry-Pecan Salsa

In just 30 minutes, you can have this easy fish dinner on the table. The salsa of cherries, pecans, onion, jalapeño and cilantro takes the dish from everyday to remarkable.

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Roasted Pear Salad with Farro and Arugula

This creamy, whole-grain salad earned raves in our test kitchen. It's hardy enough to be a meatless main, or enjoy it as a festive side dish or cold-weather potluck star.

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Mushroom, Asparagus and Snap Pea Stir-Fry with Dumplings

Adding heaps of fresh vegetables to the skillet makes a dinner of frozen dumplings feel almost virtuous.

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Chipotle-Maple Chicken Thighs

We won't mince words: This is juicy, spicy, sticky, glorious barbecued chicken. One of the secrets? Chicken thighs. They cook fast, like breasts, but they have richer flavor and don't dry out. And nutritionally speaking, the two are more similar than you'd think.

Chicken Thigh Recipes to Try Tonight

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Chipotle Shrimp Scampi

This south-of-the-border variation on a classic Italian-American dish has a little smoky heat. It's a quick weeknight dinner, served over hot rice.

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Spicy Greens with Eggs and Feta

Inspired by the Mediterranean dish shakshuka, this hearty one-skillet meal packs a world of nutrients and flavor.

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Sausage-Stuffed Delicata Squash

All you need is 15 minutes of prep time to make this all-in-one meal—perfect for those days when you need something easy but still cozy and comforting.

Easy Delicata Squash Recipes

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Cauliflower Chickpea Bowl with Cilantro Yogurt

Load up on nutrients (and flavor) with this healthful, all-in-one weeknight dinner. This recipe features inexpensive vegetarian ingredients like cauliflower and chickpeas, plus a cooling drizzle of cilantro-yogurt dressing.

Healthy Dinner Recipes

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Spinach-Mushroom-Sausage Pierogi Bake

Recipes don't get much easier! Saute a few ingredients, stir in cream cheese, and dump it all over frozen pierogies in a casserole dish. Bake and serve.

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Potato-Thyme Frittata

This flavorful frittata can be a simple brunch or weeknight supper dish; if you don't have fresh thyme, just substitute dried. The recipe comes from Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, Missouri.

Easy Frittata Recipes for Any Meal

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Curried Cauliflower Apple Melt

Glam up your grilled cheese with curry mayonnaise, skillet-roasted cauliflower, and sweet apple—it's a delicious combo that's far more than the sum of its part.

Super Sandwich Recipes

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Cheesy Spinach and Beef Calzones

Finely chopped mushrooms replace some of the meat in these super family-friendly calzones (made with purchased pizza dough). Kids will never notice the 'shrooms are there.

How to Substitute Mushrooms for Ground Meat

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Vietnamese Grilled Eggplant

Eat this peak-summer dish as a side or a meatless main. Eggplant and bell peppers are grilled au naturel—all the fun comes in the finish, when the vegetables are showered in mint, basil and peanuts and drizzled liberally with a sauce called nuoc cham.

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Oven-Baked Salmon

Dinner doesn't get much easier than this 4-ingredient salmon recipe. Olive oil, salt and pepper (and salmon!) are really all you need—though you can customize with a seasoned salt or additional spices to your taste.

Oven-Baked Salmon

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Lemon Shrimp Pasta with Wilted Arugula

This recipe is fresh and fast—just what you need on a hot summer's night (or any night at all). Wilting the arugula into the warm pasta softens its peppery flavor.

Easy Shrimp Recipes

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Mango Toast with Prosciutto

Cream cheese, mango, prosciutto and honey star in this easy toast recipe. Whip it up for a light dinner or a quick work-from-home lunch.

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Beer-Braised Smoked Pork Chops and Cabbage

This vibrant combination of beer-braised pork chops and cabbage makes a simple one-pan dinner, but if you want to go all German, buttered steamed potatoes are an excellent complement to this dish.

Our Best Pork Recipes

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Tortellini, Spinach and Mushrooms in Wine-Butter Sauce

A simple pan sauce and fresh vegetables dress up family-favorite cheese tortellini for a meal that's ready in 25 minutes.

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