I’ve collected 65 of our best easy dinner ideas all in one place. These healthy dinners are doable on busy weeknights, made with wholesome ingredients with minimal effort.
Weeknight dinners can be such a challenge! There are some nights when I head into making dinner, with zero time and absolutely no plan. But my goal is still the same: to get something healthy on the table that tastes halfway decent in the shortest amount of time. Here are some tried-and-true recipes that will get you through your busiest weeknights and make you feel especially proud of yourself.
Why you’ll love these easy Dinner Ideas!
Packed with flavor and nutrition, these easy dinners are all reader favorites! If I had to pick my top three dinners, it would be these: Khao Soi Noodles (above), our Fish Tacos, and this Chicken Tortilla Soup. Enjoy!
These dinner ideas are super helpful for busy weeknights! I tried a few and they were a hit with the family. Thanks for sharing!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love these easy Dinner Ideas!
- Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
- Italian Baked Beans and Greens
- The BEST Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole Recipe
- Crispy BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Slaw
- Saucy Sesame Soba Noodles Recipe
- Crispy Baked Bean Tacos
- Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas
- Weeknight Stir Fry Recipes
- Black Pepper Tofu
- Lemongrass Chicken Stir fry
- Indian Fried Rice
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Broccoli Stir Fry
- Cabbage Stir Fry
- Veggie Fried Rice
- Thai Fried Rice
- Sticky Tempeh Recipe
- Sesame Noodles
- Lo Mein Noodles Recipe
- Singapore Noodles
- Pad See Ew
- Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
- Easy Pad Thai Recipe
- Pasta Recipes for Easy Weeknight Meals
- Easy Dinner Ideas for Taco Night!
- More Favorite Weeknight Taco Dinners!
- Easy Weeknight Soups and Stews!
- More Speedy Soups!
- Life-Saving Instant Pot Recipes
- Lean and Healthy Fish Dinners
- Tips for Easy Dinners!
- More Recipe Collections YOu’ll Love!
- Cozy Potato Recipes that Feel Like a Hug
- 20+ Best Broth-Based Soup Recipes
- 25 Easy Sheet-Pan Dinners
- 40+ Vegan Salad Recipes
- 65 Easy Dinner Recipes: Coconut Curry Noodles
Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
Meatless meals don’t get any simpler than this! Full of healthy veggies, these nourishing vegetarian and vegan meals come together quickly and easily.
Italian Baked Beans and Greens
A simple recipe for Italian Baked Beans, with cannellini beans, marinara sauce, kale, and cheese, baked in the oven until golden and bubbling. A delicious one-pan meal.
The BEST Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole Recipe
A fast and easy recipe for Enchilada Casserole, with black beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and our 5 Minute Enchilada Sauce. Comforting and healthy! Add ground meat if you like.
Crispy BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Slaw
We’ve been LOVING this BBQ Tofu Sandwich lately! Crispy tofu, slathered in BBQ sauce, is topped with a cool, creamy cilantro cabbage slaw and avocado. Make it in under 30 minutes. Vegan & Delicious!
Saucy Sesame Soba Noodles Recipe
Loaded with tender vegetables, soba noodles have a clean addicting flavor and succulent texture. Keep it vegan or add your favorite protein.
Crispy Baked Bean Tacos
Easy Baked Vegetarian Tacos that can be made in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients. Keep them vegetarian or add chicken or ground meat!
More Healthy Weeknight Dinners for Vegetarians & Vegans
- Spaghetti with Quick Tomato Sauce
- Cabbage Steaks
- Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic & Lemon zest
- Caprese Pizza
- Black Bean Burgers (in under 30 mins!)
Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas
These easy chicken recipes are perfect for busy weeknights and full of global flavor.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas!
Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas are simple and quick. Chicken strips are rubbed in a flavorful marinade then roasted in the oven with peppers and onions until juicy and lightly charred.
Baked Chicken Shawarma
Baked Chicken Shawarma can made with either chicken or tofu (or both!). Turn them into healthy Shawarma Bowls or Shawarma Wraps… your choice!
Easy Peanut Butter Chicken
This can be made in a pressure cooker or on the stovetop! A simple, delicious one-pot meal that can be made in 25 minutes! Paleo and GF adaptable, this delicious weeknight dinner can be prepped ahead, or cooked ahead for the busy work week!
Mediterranean Chicken
Mediterranean Chicken with chicken thighs or chicken breast, healthy veggies, chickpeas, olives and herbs. A delicious sheet pan dinner that is easy to make and easy to clean up!
Orzo Chicken Bake
One Skillet Creamy Orzo Chicken with Bone-in chicken thighs and artichoke hearts- a deliciously cozy dinner, made with simple pantry ingredients, perfect for busy weeknights.
Thai curry chicken
This Thai Chicken Curry recipe is bursting with authentic Thai flavor and can be made in 30 minutes on the stove or in your Instant Pot! A quick and easy dinner recipe the whole family will love. Serve it with jasmine rice and save the amazing leftovers for lunch! Vegetarian-adaptable.
Sheet pan Tandoori Bake
Make this with chicken, fish or tofu (or some of each for mixed households) and load it up with healthy veggies. Just 15-20 minutes of hands-on time. So easy and full of soul-satisfying Indian flavors, this weeknight dinner is perfect for all.
Weeknight Stir Fry Recipes
There is nothing easier than a stir-fry, perfect for weeknights. Seasonal veggies + stir-fry sauce + a protein of choice = a healthy, delicious meal. Keep it lean and green or serve over rice, noodles or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
Black Pepper Tofu
A simple delicious recipe for Black Pepper Tofu with Bok Choy – a tasty vegan meal that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Lemongrass Chicken Stir fry
Here’s a quick and easy recipe for Lemongrass Chicken that comes together in under 20 minutes, a flavorful Vietnamese-inspired dinner, perfect for busy weeknights.
Indian Fried Rice
This fragrant Indian Fried Rice recipe is infused with turmeric and packed full of healthy veggies. Make it in under 30 minutes. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan-adaptable.
Thai Basil Chicken
Thai Basil Chicken is simple, fast and flavorful! Made with ground chicken (or ground turkey)and veggies, it’s ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Broccoli Stir Fry
Quick and easy Broccoli Stir Fry with your choice of tofu, chicken, shrimp or beef. The simple stir-fry sauce is made from scratch. Vegan and gluten-free and adaptable.
Cabbage Stir Fry
This quick & easy Cabbage Stir Fry overflows with savory Asian flavor. Add protein of choice & serve over rice or soba noodles. Ready in 30 mins!
Veggie Fried Rice
A simple recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice that can be made with almost any veggie you have on hand or need to use up. This recipe has more veggies than rice! Vegan-adaptable and GF.
Thai Fried Rice
Thai Fried Rice, also known as “Khao Pad,” is a flavorful and aromatic dish made with jasmine rice, tender shrimp, veggies, and a savory stir-fry sauce.
Sticky Tempeh Recipe
This sticky crumbled tempeh recipe is fast, easy, and full of delicious savory flavor. A quick weeknight dinner, full of healthy plant protein. Vegan.
Quick Healthy Noodle dishes
Sesame Noodles
Chinese-inspired Sesame Noodles loaded up with healthy veggies and tossed in a creamy Sesame Sauce! Make this in 20 minutes flat! Keep it vegan or add chicken- up to you!
Lo Mein Noodles Recipe
Fast, easy recipe for Lo Mein that can be made in under 20 minutes. Loaded up with healthy vegetables, this easy dinner is perfect for busy weeknights!
Singapore Noodles
Stir-fried Singapore Noodles are made with vermicelli rice noodles, curry powder, vegetables, and your choice of chicken, tofu, eggs, or shrimp! Vegetarian. Video.
Pad See Ew
Pad See Ew is a delicious Thai stir-fried noodle dish using wide rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, eggs, your choice of protein ( chicken, tofu, shrimp) and a flavorful sweet soy stir-fry sauce.
Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Thai Drunken Noodles are not only the perfect hangover cure, but these saucy stir-fried rice noodles are a fast, easy, 30-minute weeknight dinner! Full of umami flavor, make it with chicken, shrimp or crispy tofu!
Easy Pad Thai Recipe
Authentic Pad Thai is easy to make at home! Learn the secret to the best Pad Thai- this recipe is bursting with Thai flavor! Vegan-adaptable.
Pasta Recipes for Easy Weeknight Meals
Baked Gnocchi with Kale
Store-bought gnocchi to the rescue! Baked Gnocchi with tomato sauce, kale, Italian sausage and melty mozzarella cheese – a delicious, easy one-pan dinner that can be made in 30 minutes!
Roasted Cauliflower Pasta
This roasted Cauliflower Pasta recipe is easy to make and completely delicious! It’s made with toasted walnuts, garlic, fresh herbs and lemon zest. Video.
Fast and Easy Baked Ziti
This can be made in one pan and requires no pre-boiling of pasta. 15 minutes of hands-on time before baking! Perfect for weeknight dinners! Vegan-adaptable!
Easy Cacio e Pepe
This easy meal is a “go-to” around here! Cacio e Pepe is a fast, flavorful four-ingredient pasta recipe made with pantry staples that can be topped with your favorite seasonal veggie (or protein!). We love it loaded up with broccoli (cooked right in the pasta water!). A quick dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Zucchini Pasta
Here’s a quick and simple recipe for Easy Zucchini Pasta. Grated zucchini melts into a flavorful succulent sauce, perfect for cradling linguini or your favorite pasta! Enhanced with lemon, black pepper, parmesan and garlic you’ll have dinner on the table in 30 minutes!
One Pan Gnocchi
Caramelized fennel, sautéed mushrooms and wilted spinach combine perfectly with pan-seared potato gnocchi and topped with creamy goat cheese. Savory rich flavors, yet simple to put together using store-bought gnocchi!
Easy Dinner Ideas for Taco Night!
Wondering what to make for dinner tonight? We think every night could be taco night. Here are a few of our favorite taco recipes that whip up quick and easy.
Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw
Our “go-to” healthy weeknight dinner, Fish Tacos can be made in 30 minutes flat. These can be grilled or roasted and feel free to sub tofu for a vegan option!
Rajas Tacos
These Vegetarian Rajas Tacos are made with strips of poblano peppers, onions, and corn in most delicious sauce! Fast and easy!
Middle Eastern Salad Tacos
Middle Eastern Salad Tacos with spiced chickpeas, hummus and a mound of lemony salad, topped with fresh herbs and scallions. Vegan & sooooo Delicious!
More Favorite Weeknight Taco Dinners!
- Korean Tacos
- Salmon Tacos
- Cauliflower Tacos with Mole Sauce (Vegan!)
- The Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Tacos or these Healthy Delicious Breakfast Tacos! ( we love these for dinner!)
- Chipotle Portobello Mushroom Tacos (made on a sheet pan!)
Easy Weeknight Soups and Stews!
Soups and stews are a godsend when it comes to timesaving meals- the leftovers can be repurposed into lunch!
Easy Minestrone Soup
Full of healthy veggies and vegan and gluten-free adaptable! Cooks on your stovetop in 30 minutes. A healthy, vegan weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
15-minute Wonton soup
This 15-minute wonton Soup is made with a flavorful ginger broth loaded with wontons and healthy bok choy – a fast and easy weeknight dinner!
Poblano Corn Chowder
Heart-warming Poblano Corn Chowder is creamy, vegan and full of late summer flavor. Corn, potatoes, and poblano peppers with Mexican spices, in a creamy vegan base. Easy to make and deliciously addicting.
Creamy White Bean Soup
Full of savory flavor this Creamy White Bean Soup with Gremolata is combined with basic ingredients that fit together in comforting perfection. Easy to make, satisfying and healthy! Vegan and Gluten-free.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
This Chicken tortilla soup is full of flavor and loaded up with healthy veggies and topped with optional homemade tortilla chips. A fast and easy dinner that can be made on the stovetop or in your instant pot.
More Speedy Soups!
- Best Homemade Tomato Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Feel Better Chicken Soup
- Miso Soup with Mushrooms and Tofu
- Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup
- White Chicken Chili
Life-Saving Instant Pot Recipes
Butternut squash Risotto
Cozy up with a comforting bowl of Butternut Squash Risotto with Leeks and Spinach made with very little fuss, in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Vegan-adaptable and Gluten-free.
Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff – a simple, easy vegetarian weeknight dinner that is creamy, hearty and full of delicious depth and flavor! Vegan Adaptable!
EasY Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is so creamy and delicious and couldn’t be any easier! Your kids will love it!
Easy Lentil Curry
This coconut Lentil Curry can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Infused with fragrant Indian spices, this recipe is not only delicious, it is is vegan and gluten-free!
Lean and Healthy Fish Dinners
Air Fryer Salmon Bites
Quick and easy, Air Fryer Salmon Bites are served with a miso ginger dipping sauce and ready in about 15 minutes! Perfect for bowls, salads, and snacks! Gluten-free.
Quick and Easy Seared Tuna
This quick and easy Seared Tuna with Sesame Crustis crispy golden on the outside and rare on the inside in just 10 minutes flat! Serve it with our Asian cucumber Salad.
Quick and Easy Salmon Cakes Recipe
A simple pantry recipe made with canned salmon, that can be whipped up in 20 minutes, perfect for midweek meals! Serve with a side of Crunchy Asian Slaw!
Simple Baked Cod
A simple meal with Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic Lemon- a fast and easy weeknight dinner that is healthy and delicious!
Greek Salmon Bowls
Delicious and healthy Greek Salmon Bowl with rice, greens, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, tzatziki and greek dressing.
Shrimp Stir fry
Shrimp Stir Fry with broccoli florets in a flavorful, fresh orange ginger sauce. Healthy and easy, this dish will be on your dinner table in under 30 minutes!
Tips for Easy Dinners!
- Batch cook a soup! On the weekend, make a pot of soup for the week that you can have on hand for quick nourishing meals.
- Comb through your pantry! If you are like me, you probably have a lot of dry beans or grains that need using up. I try to pick one bean and one grain each week and batch-cook them on Sunday for the week to make bowls- adding fresh veggies.
- Make a sauce or dressing! Whether it’s our flavorful peanut sauce, Szechuan sauce or a homemade salad dressing
- Prep your veggies! On Sunday, put on some music or a podcast and prep your veggies so they are ready for you to use! You could even roast veggies ahead!
- Batch cook a salad. I love having healthy salads on the ready for hunger emergencies! Here’s our collection of vegan, make-ahead salads that hold up well in the fridge!
Hope you enjoy these Easy Dinner ideas…please leave your favorites in the comments below. xoxo Sylvia
More Recipe Collections YOu’ll Love!
65 Easy Dinner Recipes: Coconut Curry Noodles
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Short on time? We’ve rounded up 65 Easy Dinner Ideas designed for busy weeknights. These healthy meals include recipes for quick healthy pasta, taco night, veggie-loaded stir-fries, one-pan skillet meals, sheet pan dinners and much more: Try this Khao Soi
Ingredients
- 6–8 ounces dry rice noodles or egg noodles (or sub ramen noodles, or linguini). This dish is typically made with Chinese egg noodles.
Coconut Broth
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, (or peanut oil or olive oil)
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (or sub half an onion)
- 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste (store-bought, I like Maseri brand), add more for spicier
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric (or use grated turmeric)
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
- 14-ounce can of coconut milk, full-fat
- 1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth, or use water and one chicken bouillon cube)
- 6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional, but delicious!)
- 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper (optional- sub other veggies)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce- or vegan fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce ( perhaps reduce if using vegan fish sauce, or use to taste)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, palm sugar or an alternative substitute
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (Sambal Olek)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lime, more for serving
Protein
- 8–16 ounces protein: raw chicken breast (see notes), prawns, crispy tofu, or leftover baked chicken or rotisserie chicken)
Garnish with pickled mustard greens, crunchy noodles, cilantro, or Thai basil (or both) and more lime wedges.
Instructions
- Cook Noodles. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. If using rice noodles, place them in a large baking dish, pour boiling water over the noodles, and let them sit, stirring occasionally, until they are al dente.
- Make the Broth. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, and lemongrass. Saute until fragrant and golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add red curry paste, turmeric, yellow curry powder and cardamom. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and kaffir lime leaves and bring to a simmer, stirring. Once gently simmering, add the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and chili garlic paste.
- Protein: Add the chicken breasts (or prawns) and any quick-cooking veggies, and gently simmer covered, until cooked through. Chicken will take roughly 10-12 minutes, and prawns will take 3-4 minutes. If adding whole chicken breasts, shred and return to the soup, simmer two minutes. See notes for Crispy Tofu.
- Taste and Season. Give a generous squeeze of lime. Taste, adding more lime/salt/pepper/ red curry paste if necessary. Find the balance between salty, sweet, acidic, and spicy. You want the broth to have flavor and depth to hold up to the noodles. Fish sauce really helps here. Heat up the broth so it is nice and hot.
- Serve. Divide cooked noodles into the bowls and ladle the hot, flavorful soup over top- this way it is a bit easier to handle.
- Garnish the bowls with pickled mustard greens (chopped up small), crispy noodles, fresh herbs ( basil and cilantro) and lime wedges.
Notes
Thai Red Chili paste: The quality of the red chili paste makes all the difference here. I like Mae ploy or Masseri! The “Thai Kitchen” brand will lack flavor!
Chicken: You can simmer small chicken breasts “whole” in the broth (10-12 minutes), then once tender and cooked through, shred with two forks.
Crispy Tofu: Add it to the broth, right at the end. I like adding a little curry powder to the crispy tofu at the end.
Make Ahead: Feel free to make the soup broth the day before and keep in the fridge, keeping the noodles separate (they will swell in the soup) and simply reheat.
To bump up the heat, add more red chili paste or a few thinly sliced fresh chilies (as a garnish). A few slices of galangal are a nice addition too.
If the soup lacks depth, more salt, fish sauce, or even a bouillon cube will work.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 bowls – with chicken breast
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 10.3 g
- Sodium: 1075.7 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 13.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.3 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 18.3 g
- Cholesterol: 41.4 mg
Oh what joy! Just found your site tonight and have dived fully into planning meals ahead. First one is the Apple Cardamon Cake this Sunday for a class snack. Lots of folks will get to share the first tasting. Wish me luck.
Loving your style and food philosophy. Also adore your mom and dad background story.
So happy to be here. Many thanks and happy Fall!
Happy fall Joanna, so happy you found us!
Perfect grilled vegetables , what can I say Sylvia they were simple and
perfect .
After a long overseas holiday we were craving vegetables and voila the recipe arrived in my inbox …we had the leftovers for breakfast in an omelet . Thanks Sylvia I love your recipes . Can’t wait to make Cace Pepe we had this in Rome.
Sue 😍
Perfect Sue! Thanks for taking time to leave a review.
We love all your healthy dinner ideas and recipes! Keep up the good work!
Awesome to hear Sofia!
These dinner ideas are super helpful for busy weeknights! I tried a few and they were a hit with the family. Thanks for sharing!
Great to hear Andres!
great!