The following recipes for 30 minute meals are recommended for busy weeknights when you can hardly find the time to put food on the table. Since they only require 30 minutes of your time or less, these speedy recipes are great to put into your meal plan rotation.
If you are sick of your current quick recipes or just need new ideas for weeknight meals here’s a list of recipes that will help.
I’ll show you how easy it is to prepare delicious meals without spending long hours in the kitchen. Hopefully you’ll find lots of new favorites in the lists below!
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What are the basic must-have items when it comes to cooking dinner recipes?
A stainless steel skillet of at least 10” is something anyone should have in their kitchen. But you can also opt for a non-stick style or a cast iron. However, cast irons are known to require more care so keep that in mind when purchasing.
Another must have item is a large heavy pot at least 8-quart in size. An example is the one that is usually used for pasta. Using a heavy-bottomed pot helps the heat to be distributed evenly when cooking!
A large spoon is also something that shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether it’s for serving, scooping, or stirring, a large spoon shouldn’t be taken for granted as one of the basic must-haves in the kitchen.
What baking tools should I stock in my kitchen?
Cookie dough and pie crusts are hard to work on if you don’t have a rolling pin. It can also be used for crushing crackers and chips if you do not have a food processor.
All you need to do is just put whatever you need to crush in a sealable bag and turn them into pieces using your rolling pin.
From greasing a pan to coating a dough, having a pastry brush also makes baking a lot easier. Especially if you enjoy baking more often, a pastry brush will definitely come in handy.
Regardless if you’re baking or not, kitchen shears are a must-have. From cutting parchment paper to snipping some herbs and even opening containers, a pair of good kitchen scissors are always a big help.
Recommended Products for Making Recipes for 30 Minute Meals:
Whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen who just started or you consider yourself a master chef, check your kitchen drawer to see if you already have these products. If not then it’s time to add these items to your cart and grab them for yourself or a friend.
Shopping for kitchen tools online helps relieve stress. Buy some for yourself or your friends and let us all be happy cooking and baking!
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Kadoya Sesame Oil
- McCormick Culinary Paprika
- Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet
- KitchenAid 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer
- Bellemain Porcelain Ramekins
30 Recipes for 30 Minute Meals
Nothing is more incredible than putting meals together in just half an hour. So for an easier life in the kitchen, head over to these recipes, and let’s all have a stress-free cooking experience. I hope you enjoy one or two and become more inspired in prepping meals for your whole family.
Budget-friendly yet full of flavor, a real winner! Plus take advantage of the countless benefits you can get from eating mushrooms - from being low in calories to being high in antioxidants.
Fried chicken breasts combined with herbs, garlic, and tomatoes. It’s tender and juicy all at the same time!
A healthy one-pot meal that is loaded with pasta and veggies. If you don’t like doing the dishes after cooking this one-pot meal is what you should try making.
Vegetarian Baked Ziti Recipe - How to Make the Best Veggie Ziti Casserole
A healthy weeknight dinner packed with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, spinach, and of course, ziti pasta.
The kind of comfort food that you’ll keep coming back to time and time again. It’s easy, cheesy, and family-friendly!
An easy recipe that will only take 30 minutes to put together. There is no need to go to your favorite Chinese restaurant for a Chinese take-out since you can easily make this at home.
A no-fuss dinner that both kids and adults will surely love. Consider this chicken and pasta recipe the next time you think of new menu ideas.
This lentil soup deserves a spot in your weekly dinner rotation. It’s packed with crunchy veggies and tasty lentils.
An ultimate comfort food in the form of chicken pasta with lots of garlic and parmesan cheese. Indeed a dish that is hard to resist.
This speedy recipe will make your life in the kitchen so much easier. It’s so delicious that even a fussy eater will definitely scream “more”!
Other Recipe Ideas for 30 Minute Meals
No need to make meal prepping an all-day affair. With these recipes, meals are ready to serve in 30 minutes. Go ahead and check these meal ideas out!
Get dinner on the table in 30 minutes with this vegan chili recipe! This is perfect if you’re looking for a meal that is both delicious and quick to make.
An easy recipe that is packed with Asian flavors without breaking the bank. Goes really well with rice and some salad on the side.
Loaded with veggies and an easy-to-make chicken stir fry sauce with rice noodle pasta. Best served with some sesame oil.
This 30-minute meal is a good source of lean protein. It’s full of flavors and it’s even low carb so those who are into healthy eating will surely love it.
This pasta dish will not even take 30 minutes to make. Using brown rice pasta makes this recipe that much healthier as well.
Serve over mashed potatoes and you will never go wrong with this steak. It’s juicy, tender, and perfectly blended with mushroom gravy.
Ideas of what to serve with this 30-minute ground beef recipe includes roasted veggies, Italian salad, mashed potatoes, and egg noodles.
his 30-minute meal is indeed a go-to recipe. It’s easy, simple, fast, and healthy!
Perfect for a busy weeknight. Loaded with beans and veggies, this Pasta e Fagioli is cooked in a tomato-based broth making it a meatless soup.
If you only have 30 minutes, then this recipe is the best to make. It’s light and healthy, making it great for those who are on a diet.
Delicious Dessert Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes
Satisfy your cravings for sweets without spending too much time in the kitchen. These dessert recipes don’t actually take a lot of time to make but taste super delicious. Indulge in these desserts that you can make in 30 minutes or even less!
These chewy chocolate cookies are so fast to make that you can even start baking them for dessert right after dinner. They’re even a bit on the healthy side since this recipe uses dark chocolate and dark chocolates are known to have anti-oxidants.
This dessert may look like you spent hours in the kitchen making it but actually only take 30 minutes or even less to prepare. It’s oh-so-chocolatey that no one can resist.
A classic American dessert that looks like a brownie but without chocolate.
These super tasty orange rolls are made from scratch yet able to be ready in 30 minutes!
Tastes like cinnamon rolls and is also great for breakfast. If baking bread is your thing, then you better try this one out.
Another dessert recipe that will remind you of cinnamon rolls but requires less effort to make. It’s glazed with the right level of sweetness and is also great to pair with a cup of coffee.
It’s the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter. If you’re a lover of both, then these peanut butter bars are made perfect just for you.
This hot fudge chocolate pudding cake is for all the chocolate lovers out there! If you’re one of them, you will want to try this super yummy one-dish dessert recipe.
Oreo Truffles - One of the Best Easy Dessert Recipes - No Baking!
These no-bake Oreo balls can unleash your creative side in choosing what dips and toppings to use. This is actually great to make together with your kids too.
Who would have thought that you can still stick with your healthy diet while eating chocolate cake? Aside from being healthy, this chocolate cake is also moist and a bit gooey, and really chocolaty!