71 Weeknight Dinner Ideas to Keep in Your Back Pocket
Saturdays and Sundays are good for cozy cooking projects, but the best weeknight dinner ideas deliver maximum flavor for every single minute of prep. We’re talking sheet-pan meals, speedy and flavorful stir-fries, hearty salads, and foolproof, hands-off fish dishes. And because part of what’s exhausting about meal planning is figuring out what you want to eat and finding new easy dinners to cook, we’ve gathered a list of 71 weeknight-friendly favorites below. Scroll down for quick vegetarian options, low-fuss pastas, comforting chicken dinners, and simple soups. Save your favorites in the Epi iOS app and get cooking.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell1/71Double-the-Mustard Chicken With Potatoes and Greens
There’s no rule that chicken dinner recipes need to be boring. Meet your new favorite: whole chicken legs marinated with zippy Dijon mustard and honey and paired with roasted potatoes and crisp greens. It’s one of those weeknight dinner ideas that you'll find yourself coming back to every time you’re trying to plan ahead.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton2/71
Simple Turkey Chili With All the Toppings
This easy chili skips the ground beef and uses ground turkey instead, which helps the flavors of cumin, coriander, jalapeño, and smoked paprika come through clearly. Top with creamy avocado, sour cream, and cilantro, or just crumbled tortilla chips and lime wedges.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert3/71
Chicken Fajitas
The quick citrusy marinade here doesn't require much time. Just be sure to pat your meat dry before you cook it.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson4/71
Sheet-Pan Chicken With Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Anyone who loves pizza will adore this recipe, which is designed for busy weeknights.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell5/71
15-Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta
This pasta dish is a perpetual favorite of Epicurious readers—in fact, it's one of our most popular pasta recipes of all time. All you need is a pound of pasta, some olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, ground bllack pepper, Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, and a pinch of sugar to balance the sauce.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/71
Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Guille
Taco night just got better. These vegetarian tacos feature crispy pulled mushrooms, creamy, savory peanut butter and serrano salsa. Active prep time is just 30 minutes.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell7/71
Sheet-Pan Pasta Bake With Chicken and Kale
Try this recipe once, and you just might find you switch to sheet pans for pasta bakes from here on out. So much more crispy topping per bite!
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne8/71
Easy Fried Rice
Where would we be without fried rice? This takeout staple is a great way to use up any little bits of vegetables or meat that you have in your fridge. It's a 30-minute meal that always tastes great.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton9/71
Three-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
This beloved Taiwanese classic gets its name from generous amounts of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. You'll want to cook some rice to eat with the chicken.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich10/71
Double-Stack Mushroom and Chicken Cheeseburgers
For juicy, flavorful chicken burgers, mix the ground chicken with mushrooms for added earthy flavor and moisture. Grill and finish them off with gooey Muenster, shredded lettuce, sweet pickles, and curry mustard.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson11/71
Sheet-Pan Old Bay Trout and Succotash
Change up your sheet-pan dinner game with this easy one-pan supper. Just steam a mixture of corn, green beans, and tomatoes in a foil pouch alongside butterflied trout that's been seasoned with Old Bay.
- Photo & Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin12/71
Pork Meatballs and Cucumber Salad
Juicy, oven-baked pork meatballs turn your summer cucumber haul into a satisfying meal. Swoosh the plate with yogurt before piling your cukes on top.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton13/71
Bombay Masala Chile Cheese Toasties
It's melty. It's cheesy. It's crunchy. It's spicy. And it's simply the best thing you could have for dinner tonight.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/71
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
Bell peppers and onions add sweetness and complexity to this vegetarian chile, and sautéing the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne in the Dutch oven allows the flavors to build.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura15/71
Oven Risotto With Crispy Roasted Mushrooms
Yes, risotto can absolutely be a weeknight meal. Just use this oven method, which is much less labor-intensive than standing over the stove.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich16/71
Yum Khai Dao
This Thai salad highlights bold, bright flavors, pairing fresh veggies with lacy fried eggs and a punchy dressing that's flavored with lime juice, cilantro, garlic, Thai chile, fish sauce, and a touch of sugar.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell17/71
Instant Pot Brothy Farro With Sausage and Leeks
Want to put your Instant Pot to work? Use it to brown some slices of spicy Italian sausage, then add leeks and scallion, farro, salt, pepper, thyme, and water and let it cook for just 3 minutes under pressure.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton18/71
Chickpea-Potato Chaat
Transform a can of chickpeas into this creamy, crunchy, spicy, fresh meal in just half an hour.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell19/71
Warm Chicken Salad With Asparagus and Creamy Dill Dressing
To quickly revive dry, cold rotisserie chicken, place slices of it in a steamer basket along with spring vegetables for a satisfying warm salad.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell20/71
Roasted Niçoise Salad With Halibut
Did you know you should be roasting jarred marinated artichokes? They get super-crispy and delicious in the oven's heat. If you can keep yourself from devouring the whole pan, use them in this easy fish dinner.
- Photo by Heami Lee21/71
Chili Crisp Bucatini
Heighten your carbonara experience by adding in some of your favorite chile crisp. The extra yolk on top is extra fun.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell22/71
Paneer Butter Masala
In this cozy recipe from cookbook author Meera Sodha, creamy paneer nestles into a luscious tomato sauce spiced with ginger, garlic, fenugreek leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and ground red chile.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime, Food Styling by Sue Li23/71
Lemony Salmon and Spiced Chickpeas
Get your fish, chickpeas, and greens all in one bowl with this easy recipe. The salmon's cook time is around 15 minutes, so you can get dinner on the table quickly even if you got home from work late.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell24/71
Freeform Chicken Meatballs With Carrots and Yogurt Sauce
What's quicker than meatballs? These dollops of spiced ground chicken, roasted on a sheet pan with carrots until everything's golden brown.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones25/71
Smoky Spanish Potatoes and Eggs
This skillet dinner brings together two tapas favorites: patatas bravas and huevos rotos.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell26/71
Winter Salad Hummus Bowls
If you want your weeknight cooking to be much, much easier, whip up a batch of this savory, crunchy topper on the weekend, then sprinkle it over a hearty plate of hummus, salad, and jammy eggs.
- Photo by Selina Lee27/71
Instant Pot Japchae
We always crave this Korean classic of bouncy noodles, julienned vegetables, and a sweet-and-salty sauce—and this version only takes about 20 minutes to make.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food styling by Mira Evnine28/71
Fish Cakes With Caper-Parsley Sauce
Readers have been raving about this recipe since it first came out in the February 2002 issue of Gourmet.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton29/71
Tacos de Gobernador
Taco night is on, and it's going to be the best ever. There are many variations of Gobernadores, but they typically include shrimp, mild chiles, and cheese. Here, chef David Castro Hussong adds bacon, which gives the dish a surf-and-turf feeling.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou30/71
Braised Butternut Squash in Spiced Coconut Gravy
Looking for weeknight-friendly vegan dinners? Here, large pieces of butternut squash get braised in a coconut sauce spiked with chile, cayenne, and turmeric for a low-effort dish that’s full of flavor.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne31/71
Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Pair this juicy pork tenderloin with lemony roasted potatoes or asparagus.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou32/71
Rice Cake With Mixed Vegetables
Use this recipe as a starting point—it will work well with any combination of vegetables that you have on hand.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell33/71
Crispy Chicken Thighs With Kale, Apricots, and Olives
Nestle golden-brown chicken thighs into curly kale that's sweetened with dried apricots and brightened with white wine vinegar.
- Photo by Mackenzie Kelley34/71
Spinach and Feta Cooked Like Saag Paneer
If you haven't tried this popular dish from Priya Krishna's Indian-ish, don't delay. The feta is tangy and rich and pairs wonderfully with the spiced greens.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley35/71
Pasta With No-Cook Zucchini Sauce
Marinated zucchini meets tangy cream cheese in this easy, luxurious pasta dish.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege36/71
Crispy Scallop Salad
This main course salad is date-night special, but weeknight simple. Shallow-fried scallops get extra crispy on the outside and tender inside when double-dredged in an Old Bay–seasoned cornmeal mixture. They're perfect paired with tangy citrus and a ripe avocado.
- 37/71
Quick Fried Cabbage With Noodles and Bacon
It's rare that weeknight dinner recipes only take 12 minutes to make. Meet your new speedy favorite, which leans on short-cut angel hair pasta, tossed with cooked cabbage, crispy bacon, garlic, and Parm.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell38/71
Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells
You might think of stuffed shells as a festive weekend project, but this version is stovetop-only and ready in under an hour.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton39/71
Tuna Melt
The ultimate tuna melt is supremely crispy, gooey and oozy with cheese, and packed with tang pickles. It's comfort food at its finest.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens40/71
Cheesy Loaded Sweet Potatoes
For an easy 15-minute dinner, steam a batch of sweet potatoes in advance. Then, top them with sour cream, creamy avocado, crunchy radishes, and tangy pickled onions. Looking for more sweet potato topping ideas? We have a whole list.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne41/71
Kung Pao Chicken
It's hard to pass up this classic salty, sweet, sour, and spicy chicken dish, flavored with black vinegar, soy sauce, tingly Sichuan peppercorns, and chiles.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton42/71
Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta With Garlic Bread Breadcrumbs
The secret to creamy pasta without any cream? Canned white beans, which soften into this easy sauce.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell43/71
Spring Pea Fish Chowder
This creamy chowder is deeply comforting but still bright from the fresh pea shoots and lemon zest.
- Photo by Betty Liu44/71
Flowering Chives and Pork Slivers
This quick stir-fry from Betty Liu's My Shanghai is the ideal spring dinner. It calls for just a little bit of pork—loin, belly, or shoulder—because the dish is mostly about the crisp, sweet, garlicky flowering chives.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell45/71
Lentil and Chicken Soup With Sweet Potatoes and Escarole
Some soups are long-simmering weekend projects, but this quickie is perfect for a Tuesday night—and it's a great way to use up leftover roast chicken or a rotisserie bird from the store. (We've got more leftover rotisserie chicken recipes, too, in case you aren't craving soup tonight.)
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson46/71
Simple One-Skillet Chicken Alfredo Pasta
The chicken, sauce, and pasta for this dish all cook in the same pan, so you won't be stuck doing dishes late at night.
- Photo by Joanne Lee Molinaro47/71
Dooboo Jorim
This velvety braised tofu dish gets a garnish of sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
- Photo by Quentin Bacon48/71
Roasted Salmon With Green Herbs
When you're looking for the best weeknight dinners that are fuss-free but still feel special, turn to this Ina Garten classic. A mix of dill, parsley, and scallions flavors the fish, which cooks quickly in the oven with a little white wine. Add a loaf of bread and a simple salad to round out the meal.
- Photo by Maja Smend49/71
Flammkuchen
Since it starts with an unleavened dough, this German pub classic is a cinch to make—and the whole family will love it.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Emma Fishman50/71
Tomatoes and Feta With Chickpeas
Warm, melty feta adds richness and tangy flavor to jammy roasted tomatoes in this sheet-pan supper.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food styling by Mira Evnine51/71
Sicilian-Style Pasta With Sardines
When you don't have time to hit the store, this pantry-sourced meal is a great one to have in your arsenal.
- Photo by Hetty McKinnon52/71
Sesame Broccoli With Crumbled Tofu
Salted boiling water seasons the tofu for this vegetarian dinner. Leftovers from this dish make terrific fried rice.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova53/71
Baked Salmon With Lemon and Thyme
Everyone needs a go-to way to cook salmon. This low-oven recipe is guaranteed to work every time.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Thu Buser54/71
Gorgeous Green Shrimp
You'll pour this quick blender sauce—made with cilantro, scallions, jalapeño, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and lemon—over the shrimp after you've pulled them off the heat.
- Photo by Louise Hagger55/71
Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Salad of Dreams
Store-bought lemongrass paste is packed with flavor and saves tons of effort in this zingy main-course salad recipe.
- Photo and Food Styling by Anna Stockwell56/71
Spicy Tomato–Tuna Noodle Skillet Casserole With Aioli
This revamped tuna noodle casserole is homey, bright, and mostly sourced from your pantry. You’ll toast dry pasta in oil until golden brown before cooking it in the tomato sauce—this gives the pasta an excellent nutty flavor.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart57/71
Sheet-Pan Salmon With Roasted Artichoke Hearts and Leeks
Roasting a halved lemon on the sheet pan along with artichoke hearts and leeks for this quick salmon dinner softens the pucker of the juice, which is mixed with Greek yogurt to make a simple sauce.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Emilie Fosnocht, prop styling by Gerri Williams58/71
Halal Cart Chicken Salad
This main course salad, inspired by the street food favorite, has become one of the quick dinners that Epicurious and Bon Appétit users cooked most this summer.
- Photo by Aubrie Pick59/71
Lemongrass Tempeh Crumbles
Pile these crispy, citrusy crumbles on top of rice with a side of radish and carrot pickle for a flavorful, easy weeknight dinner.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton60/71
Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Asparagus With Mustard-Herb Sauce
Rub your pork tenderloin with ground fennel seeds, smoked paprika, and salt, then grill alongside some asparagus for a simple weeknight meal.
- Photo by Mely Martinez61/71
Sopa de Fideo
With just eight ingredients (plus salt and pepper), this cozy bowl of soup will make everyone happy. To deepen the flavor, roast the tomatoes first if you have time.
- Photo by Uyen Luu62/71
Tofu and Tomatoes With Spinach and Basil
Spinach and tomatoes are transformed into a hearty meal when cooked with tofu and dressed with a sweet-savory sauce of apple cider vinegar, vegetarian oyster sauce, maple syrup, and soy sauce.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura63/71
Sausage and Greens Sheet-Pan Dinner
The sweet-tart mustard dressing makes this sausage-and-potatoes supper something special.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca64/71
Herby Sheet-Pan Meatballs With Green Beans
Grated zucchini guarantees that these sheet-pan turkey meatballs aren't at all dry.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Dayna Seman.65/71
Gochujang-Sesame Noodles
Once you try this quick gochujang and creamy tahini combo, you'll want to put it on everything.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime66/71
Sheet-Pan Gnocchi
Shelf-stable gnocchi has become a weeknight fixture. Try this one-pan wonder and you'll see why.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell67/71
Citrus Shrimp Rice Bowls
One sauce serves two purposes here—split it in half so it can act as both marinade and dressing.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell68/71
Crispy Chicken Thighs With Spring Vegetables
This all-in-one dinner highlights spring veggies accompanied with extra-savory, crispy-skinned chicken thighs.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell69/71
Hot Honey Pork Chops With Escarole and White Beans
Readers can't stop talking about the hot honey sauce that dresses this one-pan pork chop dinner.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt70/71
Fish Packets With Snap Peas, Tomatoes, and Herb Butter
Each eater in your family can choose their own vegetables to include in these parchment packets.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton71/71
Sheet-Pan Grilled Cheese
Sometimes the simplest weeknight dinner ideas are the ones you need. And maybe this week, that means tomato soup and grilled cheese for everyone.
Kristi Kellogg
Jesse Szewczyk
Rebecca Firkser
