Ever found yourself blankly in front of the fridge at 5 o’clock, overcome with the loathed, stomach-sinking fear of the “what’s for dinner?” conundrum? I have! It’s the moment when you’re exhausted after a long day, and the prospect of fiddly chopping, foreign spices, and piles of dirty dishes is enough to make you run straight for ordering takeout again. The bad news and this is one thing we can all lament is that cooking a truly fantastic, incredibly tasty meal just doesn’t have to be complicated, multi-hour affair that sucks the life from your precious energy.
The reality is that many of us are bringing this same pressure to become superhero workaholics and home cooking master chefs into the kitchen with us, which is a tiring and unrealistic expectation to put on ourselves. We should be able to take off our shoes and relax in the evenings without the nagging fear of kitchen drudgery, and that is what this set of recipes is meant to provide. We are here, all of us, to bring a little bit of real kitchen magic to your most desperate evenings, transmuting those moments of panic into easy, pleasant cook times.
They are not simple meals, either; they are indeed good, tried-and-true favorites that will put smiles on the plate without demanding much of your time or your wit. We have ransacked the best tips, sponsored by home cooks like us, to present to you dinner ideas that are both convenient as they are delectably tempting. Prepare to trade dinner headaches for dinner victories with these ridiculously simple, hassle-free dinners we’ve all grown to depend upon.
1. Air Fryer Hot Dogs: The Crispy Comfort Classic
Who among us haven’t resorted to the humble hot dog when time literally disappeared on a night? This recipe, though, isn’t really about microwave-ing a sad dog; it’s about finding out how your awesome air fryer can turn this humble icon into a crisply, toasty piece of heaven. This is not cooking; this is a question of taking a humble snack food and turning it into precisely textured, incredibly delicious mini-meal that occurs in the blink of an eye. If Allrecipes Allstar Nicole Russell assures us that “These air fryer hot dogs in toasted buns turn out perfectly crisp in minutes,” you can bet we’re on to an honest weeknight winner.
- They have a snap you simply won’t get anywhere else.
- The cooking time is entirely hands-off and splatter-free.
- It’s done using a humble kitchen device you probably already have.
- The buns come out merely warm and just barely crispy with the dogs.
- Dinner appears on the table in less than ten minutes, swear.
Picture biting into a hot dog with the ideal amount of glorious snap, nestled just so in a warm, sort of crispy bun that’s still retains its goodness. The air fryer literally does everything for you, leaving you with a perfectly even cook and a stunning outside that’s as good as any barbie on the back deck, all from the comfort and warmth of your own kitchen bench.
Basic Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer Ensure it has a sufficient basket size for your batch.
- 1 Tongs For safely handling hot buns and hot dogs.
- 1 Plate For holding toasted buns and serving the finished hot dogs.
- 1 Small Pastry Brush (Optional) For buttering buns.
- 1 Small Paring Knife (Optional) For scoring hot dogs.
Ingredients
Main
- 4 hot dog buns
- 4 hot dogs
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Victor Protasio / Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
- Place buns in a single layer in the air fryer basket; cook in the preheated air fryer until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove buns to a plate. Victor Protasio / Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
- Place hot dogs in a single layer in the air fryer basket; cook for 3 minutes. Victor Protasio / Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
- Serve hot dogs in toasted buns. Victor Protasio / Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Notes
The real charm of this grand recipe is not so much its inherent simplicity but also its seemingly limitless capacity for grand personalization. Nicole Russell simply recommends, “Top with ketchup, mustard, relish, chili, or condiments of choice,” and then the grand fun really starts for the entire family. Whether you’re a traditionalist when it comes to ketchup-and-mustard or you simply can’t help yourself when it comes to drenching them in chili, cheese, and sauerkraut, these perfectly air-fried hot dogs are the perfect blank slate upon which you can unleash all your own personal creativity.
2. Chicken Fried Rice: Better Than Takeout in Minutes
Missing your absolutely favorite takeout food but simply don’t have the patience to sit around waiting for that slow delivery man to arrive at your doorstep? This amazing chicken fried rice recipe is literally your new BFF and a special trick tip for completely crazy nights! It’s a dead cert, guaranteed winner for just replicating that popular restaurant taste in your own kitchen, and in my experience, I do find that it does taste even more heavenly because you’ve got complete control over all the ingredients and, most importantly, the wonderful freshness.
- You have control over the salt and oil that go into the dish.
- It’s a great, creative use for leftover cooked rice.
- The stir-frying method produces fresh, spirited, non-mushy flavors.
- The from pan to plate time is typically under twenty minutes.
- It costs you a whole lot less than eating in.
The key to getting really sensational fried rice rice that has that ideal, slightly chewy, distinct grain texture frequently relies on cleverly usefully working in leftover cooked rice. This clever little trick ensures that your rice gets to be correctly dried out so that it can endure the high heat of the wok or skillet without ever growing mushy or clumping together into sticky lumps. The dish itself, deconstructed, is delectably simple to prepare: “It’s literally cooked chicken, rice, soy sauce, and shredded egg stir-fried together,” as the genial LISA TOURVILLE so elegantly puts it.
General Tso’s Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Deep Fryer or Large Saucepan For safe and even frying.
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For coating the chicken.
- 1 Wok or Large Skillet Essential for making the sauce.
- 1 Slotted Spoon or Spider For safely removing chicken from hot oil.
- 1 Whisk For eggs and cornstarch slurry.
Ingredients
Main
- 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped green onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 6 dried whole red chilies
- 1 strip orange zest
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Whisk egg in large mixing bowl. Add chicken, salt, sugar, and pepper; mix well. Mix in cornstarch, a little bit at a time, until chicken is well coated. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Working in batches, carefully drop one piece of chicken at a time into the hot oil. Fry until chicken turns golden brown and begins to float, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Once all of the chicken has been fried, refry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Fry each batch until chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- To make the sauce: Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in green onion, garlic, whole chiles, and orange zest. Cook and stir until garlic turns golden and chiles brighten, 1 to 2 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Add sugar, soy sauce, chicken broth, peanut oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in water until dissolved. Stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Stir chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is heated through and has absorbed some of the sauce, about 3 minutes. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Notes
What really makes this specific recipe so great and well-suited to our hectic, high-pressure weeknight lifestyles is its astounding speed and astounding versatility. You can safely use up any leftover cooked chicken or even turkey that you just so happen to have sitting around, making it an astonishingly effective means of cutting down on food waste and having a tasty, hot dinner on the table in no time.
3. Cheesy Ramen Noodles: The Perfect Snuggle Hug
Get ready to treat your taste buds to unapologetically superior and homespun travel back in time with a dish so unselfconsciously pairing the pinnacle of ultimate comfort with exquisite, undeniable ease: cheesy ramen noodles. It’s no bland, instant ramen of college days nostalgia; it’s far more elevated-level, cheesy, soul-satisfying sort of a thing that reviewer Stephanie Bishop happily remembers of her own bright childhood. “Oh my, I used to have this when I was little,” she tearfully proclaims, so deeply reassuring a sentence that most of us can immediately and rightly identify with from childhood.
- It is really talking to your innermost, most reassuring nostalgia.
- It is using only two or three very common ingredients.
- It is the quickest route for having a hot, delicious meal ready.
- The gooey cheese provides richness and phenomenal, creamy texture.
- It’s a quietly good and very affordable dinner solution.
Stephanie really nails the genuine, sentimental nature of this quirky dish, wonderfully describing its “cheesy goodness” as being “like the comfort of a thousand grandmas” enveloping you in a blanket. And although she laughs nervously and appends, “Or perhaps this is my nostalgia speaking,” she says it immediately and strongly and only says the crucial word: “But it’s actually delicious.”
Cheesy Ramen Noodles
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan Medium-sized, for boiling water and cooking noodles
- 1 Strainer For draining the noodles efficiently
- 1 Spatula or Stirring Spoon For mixing in the seasoning and cheese
- 1 Measuring Cup For accurate water measurement
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups water
- 1 3 ounce package any flavor ramen noodles
- 1 slice American cheese
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add ramen noodles and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Pour out water, then stir in seasoning packet and cheese until well blended. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Notes
What really makes cheesy ramen noodles this wonderful, this incredible meal is precisely the way that it can take an unassuming pantry staple the humble instant noodle block and turn it into something really special and even memorable with virtually no time and effort. It’s just the sort of quick, simple meal that literally gives you a big ol’ hug, all warm and snuggly, wrapping you up all cozy and secure, which is why it’s perfect for those high-stress evenings when you want a quick no-fuss meal that still packs a big punch on taste and that hard-to-catch coziness.
4. Pesto Pasta: The Rainbow, Picky-Eater Favorite
If ever you are short for a quick, delicious supper that pleases almost everyone in your household yes, even those notoriously picky eaters pesto pasta so easily comes to the rescue as the ultimate, go-to weeknight hero. This amazing recipe is a definitive demonstration, without any possibility of doubt, that you simply don’t require an excessively long, complicated list of ingredients or intimidating, bewildering methods to produce astoundingly pleasing, gourmet-sounding results.
- The sheer color immediately makes the dish aesthetically pleasing.
- It requires less than five minutes’ actual hands-on cooking time.
- Store-bought pesto gets the job done with great convenience.
- The full oniony, garlicky basil flavor masks a thousand sins (such as doing nothing).
The clean, bright pesto tastes, typically a wonderful, in-proportion combination of aromatic fresh basil, nutty pine nuts, pungent garlic, salty Parmesan cheese, and full olive oil, cling just right perfectly to perfectly cooked al dente strands of pasta. This magnificent union brings about a surprisingly hearty meal that is instantly gourmet-tasting but actually anything but dainty in preparation. The beauty of this is that you can happily resort to pre-made pesto bought in stores for ultimate maximum convenience and speed, or, if you’re a bit of an adventurer and happen to have some fresh basil to hand, simply make your own brilliant homemade version in a few minutes.
Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Large Stock Pot
- 1 Large Skillet
- 1 Colander
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Chef’s Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
Main
- 1 16 ounce package bow tie pasta
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- ½ cup pesto sauce
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and cut into strips
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic until tender. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Stir in chicken and season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden and cooked through. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Combine pasta, chicken, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes in a large bowl; toss to coat evenly. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Notes
Elizabeth’s enormously effusive “I will definitely make this again!” is exactly the sort of authentic, unqualified thumbs-up we are all so desperately searching for from a dependable, go-to weeknight staple. It is a resounding recommendation of just how wonderfully simple yet gloriously and deeply gratifying this highly adaptable dish is to make and consume.
5. Easy French Dip Sandwiches: Slow-Cooker Magic
Our Easy French Dip Sandwiches are ready to show you that old-fashioned, rich, flavor-packed flavors really don’t have to go along with tricky or scary directions. This particular recipe is a complete dream come true to all of us whether you’re simply excited just beginning your cooking adventures or an experienced home chef seriously searching for a stress-free but actually inspiring and rewarding meal. As the informative reviewer KB413 kindly points out, “This recipe is the perfect starter for anyone unfamiliar with how to make these,” providing all of us with the confidence boost that we need to begin. The slow cooker does nearly all the actual cooking for you.
- The meat is very tender and juicy every time.
- It’s a great meal to serve company with no additional hassle.
- The au jus is deep and rich, and the highlight of the whole show.
- There is almost no cleanup as most of the cooking is hands-free.
This recipe makes the whole process so elegant, in that it gets you in there to enjoy all of that deep, overwhelmingly satisfying flavor without the usual, elaborate prep involved with traditional recipes. It’s about perfectly taking advantage of glorious flavor with the bare minimum of hard work, and that makes it absolutely ideal for those chilly nights when you’re in need of something warm, hearty, and deeply comforting to the soul. KB413 also very nicely notes this recipe’s staggering versatility, writing in blunt terms, “Leaves plenty of room for anyone to modify it as they wish. Sometimes less is more.”
Easy French Dip Sandwiches
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet For toasting rolls and baking sandwiches
- 1 Medium Saucepan For preparing and warming the au jus and beef
- 1 Tongs Essential for handling the warmed roast beef and assembling
- 1 Ladle For serving the hot au jus efficiently
- 4 Small Serving Bowls Crucial for individual portions of au jus
Ingredients
Main
- 4 hoagie rolls split lengthwise
- 1 10.5 ounce can beef consomme
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
- 8 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Open hoagie rolls and lay them out on a baking sheet. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Heat beef consommé and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat to make a rich beef broth. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Place roast beef in broth and warm for 3 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Arrange meat on hoagie rolls and top each roll with 2 slices of provolone. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Bake sandwiches in the preheated oven until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Serve sandwiches with small bowls of warm broth for dipping. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
Notes
It’s a great, solid base that you can happily build upon, so each tasty, flavorful, dippable bite is just and exactly how you and the people you care about like it. Enjoy a flavorful, memorable, and soon to be impressive dippable snack that tastes like it took all day, but which really took you only a few minutes to get out and put together.
6. Easy 5-Ingredient Salmon: Elegant Dinner, Zero Stress
Are you presently in search of a sparkingly healthy, unbelievably tasty dinner that actually gets put together with such unbeliveable simplicity that it’s cheating? If so, search no further than this marvelous Easy 5-Ingredient Salmon, a great weeknight solution. This dish is a marvelous example of the potential of being able to create just spectacular food from the simple use of various uncomplicated, quality ingredients when they’re properly matched and cooked.
- Prep time tends to be less than oven preheat time.
- It employs pantry staple ingredients you most likely always have available.
- The easy presentation makes it sophisticated without the fuss.
- It is a minimal clean-up, especially if you line the pan with paper.
Salmon is always a fine, healthy protein option, deserving so for its rich, buttery taste and for its many, well-documented good health attributes that we all wish for our families. This particular recipe takes care to let the natural goodness of the fish shine through so that the salmon takes center stage without ever being overwhelmed by a ridiculously long list of spices or a great deal of heavy sauces.
Oven-Baked Salmon
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet Or an oven-safe, non-stick pan.
- 2 Small Mixing Bowls For seasoning and salsa preparation.
- 1 Tongs or Fish Spatula For handling and serving delicate salmon.
- 1 Chef’s knife For chopping parsley, shallot, and almonds.
- 1 Cutting Board For safe and efficient ingredient preparation.
Ingredients
Main
- 12 ounce salmon fillet cut into 4 pieces
- Coarse-grained salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Toasted Almond Parsley Salsa for serving
- Baked squash for serving, optional
- 1 shallot
- 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Coarse grain salt
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Season salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet or in a non-stick pan with an oven-proof handle. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with the Toasted Almond Parsley Salsa and squash, if desired.
Notes
The wonderful, simple thought that you can cook this incredibly rich, healthy meal with just five main ingredients without hesitation is what makes it so great for those ridiculously busy nights when your creativity may be a bit in short supply but your hunger for a genuinely good, filling meal is high and well earned.
7. Cajun Spiced Pork Chops: A Zesty Flavor Kick
Ready to provide a quick jolt of really spicy, really great zesty, and simply stunning flavor to your routine weeknight night dinner that will wake your taste buds up? These amazing Cajun Spiced Pork Chops are the solution! This recipe offers a fantastic and immediate way to provide some true energy and zip to your plate without ever having to spend tedious hours in the kitchen fussing over a difficult marinade or sauce. It’s really very quick, absolutely effective, and always has a memorable meal on the table that will have everyone around it begging for second helpings.
- Pork chops cook very quickly, saving precious minutes to you.
- The bold flavor combination battles weeknight dinner blues in seconds.
- The dish is extremely forgiving and simple enough for a novice cook.
- It uses easily found, store-bought Cajun seasoning mix for ultimate convenience.
The flavor sorcery is achieved at the blink of an eye with the addition of a rich, pre-mixed mixture of Cajun spices that easily turns bland, humble pork chops into a meal that’s almost overflowing with personality and depth. While the spices undoubtedly deliver a certain and desired kick of heat, thoughtful Kay Harkins also left a great suggestion for easy adjustment: “Next time I’m going to add just a little bit of sugar to reduce the spice just a little bit.”
Cajun Spiced Pork Chops
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet Essential for searing the chops evenly.
- 1 Instant-Read Thermometer Crucial for ensuring pork is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) without overcooking.
- 1 Small Plate or Shallow Dish For mixing and coating the pork chops with spices.
- 1 Tongs or Spatula For safely flipping the pork chops in the hot skillet.
- 1 Measuring Spoons For accurate measurement of spices.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon rubbed dried sage leaves
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 center cut pork chops
Instructions
- Mix paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, and garlic salt on a plate. Liberally coat each pork chop with the spice mixture.
- Heat olive oil and several pumps of non-stick, butter-flavored spray in a large skillet over high heat. Place pork chops in the skillet, reducing heat to medium. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). fabeveryday
Notes
Kay’s suggestion puts the image of the most drool-worthy scenario into our head: “We served it with green beans and parmesan couscous and it was absolutely delicious!” The deep flavor of the delicate, deeply flavored pork paired with crunchy, plain, and healthy sides constitutes the best-balanced and monumentally fulfilling dish that is just perfect for any evening of the long hectic week.
8. Pan-Fried Shrimp: Seafood in a Flash
Prepare yourself to completely fall head over heels for the simple sophistication of pan-fried shrimp at its absolute best! This meal is a true and tasty tribute to the incredible strength of simplicity in cuisine, consistently delivering a successive series of sensational, robust flavors in hardly more than a few minutes of actual cooking time. As GiftedBasil2104 so willingly and lucidly writes to us, “I love how easy this recipe is. And so easy to make.
- The short list of ingredients is strictly about the fresh seafood taste.
- Pan-frying gives a nice sear and retains all the juices.
- It’s a lean, light protein source that won’t fill you up at night.
- This recipe is a simple one to scale up or down, whether eating for one person or a whole family.
It’s a completely perfect option for one of those insane evenings when you are seriously daydreaming about something uncomplicated but all-around gratifying, and when you really need to get a tasty supper on the table a whole lot quicker than it would take you actually to figure out what show to begin binge-watching. Get it into a hot, slick pan for a few minutes, and you’re good to go with a good-quality meal! This relatively straightforward recipe not only is easy to prepare; it is highly versatile when served, making it a perfect addition to your expanding list of dependable, go-to dishes.
Shrimp Egg Foo Young
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
- 1 Non-stick Skillet Essential for easy flipping of patties
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Ladle For portioning the batter
Ingredients
Main
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced bamboo shoots
- 1/2 cup cooked small salad shrimp or large dice medium cooked shrimp
- 2 tablespoons green onion tops sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Place 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan and cook onions and cabbage over- medium high heat just until tender. Remove from heat, drain excess liquid, and reserve.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl and mix in soy sauce, spices, drained cabbage mixture, and bamboo shoots.
- Using a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat. Ladle about 4 ounces of the cabbage mixture into the hot pan, as you would for pancakes, and sprinkle the small shrimp evenly on top of each. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until edges start to brown and when jiggled, it slides in the pan. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through. Garnish with scallions.
Notes
Although the generous GiftedBasil2104 proposes it quite conventionally with yellow rice for the perfect and excellent dining experience, consider instead the fleeting allure of serving it with a simple, fresh green salad, a dish of vibrant, steamed vegetables, or even just tossing it in quickly into a clear, savory pasta sauce as a speedy meal booster. The flavor pairings are literally infinite, so this dish is a trusty new and healthy choice for nearly any weeknight craving you have.
9. Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon: Savory Sweet Addiction
We’re ready to introduce you officially to your new kitchen addiction: the incredible Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze! If you’re looking for a simple recipe for salmon that’s really full of rich flavor, somehow magically simple to make, and quite frankly, bound to become a favorite, ordered with regularity at your busy dinner table, then this is literally the one you’ve been looking for.
- It is an excellent combination of sweet, salty, and sour tastes.
- The straightforward mix of ingredients is a gigantic flavor boost.
- Salmon is loaded with heart-healthy fat, so it’s a guilt-free dinner.
- It cooks up fast in the oven or an air fryer with excellent results.
The cheery, soft muffin-rime of hot Dijon mustard adds such wonderful zing to the mix, really evening out the intense sweetness and markedly enhancing the entire taste profile to one that really makes a meal seem truly exceptional and gourmet. It is certainly a flavor mixture that is nothing less than divine for an easy-to-care-for meal. Just as devoted Tamara, you will undoubtedly be blissfully making this very speedy and far-from-difficult recipe “way too often,” and you absolutely shouldn’t feel bad about it.
Miso Glazed Salmon
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Grill (or Grill Pan)
- 1 Basting Brush
- 1 Tongs
Ingredients
Main
- 1 cup miso paste soy bean paste
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 6 salmon fillets
Instructions
- To make the glaze: In a large bowl combine the miso paste, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
- Preheat grill to medium.
- Brush salmon fillets with the glaze. Grill over medium direct heat and continue brushing with glaze throughout cooking process.
Notes
It easily goes well with plain, standby sides, as she generously recommends: “Serve with rice and broccoli,” completing a whole complete plate. The simply amazing convenience of preparation, added to perfectly by its simply sublime and memorable flavor experience, makes this glazed salmon an instant and serious contender for your hectic weeknights or even for the special dinner when you must impress a dinner party guest without experiencing any accompanying kitchen hassle.
10. Tasty Grilled Hamburgers: The Juicy Keeper
There just isn’t anything quite as nice as biting into a perfectly genuine, totally flawlessly grilled hamburger to put instant, sure smiles on everyone’s faces, and our Delicious Grilled Hamburgers recipe is a great demonstration of how just plain basics can be totally amazing in its execution! Forget forever those dry, lackluster, crumbly patties we’ve all suffered through; these incredible burgers are specifically designed for maximum, glorious juiciness and intense flavor, ensuring that every single bite is a pure delight that satisfies deeply.
- This method is best suited for feeding large crowds at backyard barbecues.
- It encourages personalization with all your preferred cheese and toppings.
- Grilling provides that unmistakable smoky exterior and texture.
- It’s a kid pleaser sure to solve the dinner dilemma.
- Grilling an utterly fantastic, memorable burger doesn’t have to be some frustrating, intimidating task left up to the pros.
This particular recipe takes you skillfully step by step to have complete confidence in producing that ideal, smoky crust and juicy, tender core each time, whether you just so happen to be an experienced grill master or are just embarking on your own grilling adventure. The secret here is to employ plain, quality ground beef and a bit of plain know-how to draw out the best, natural flavor in your ground beef to produce a rich patty that sings with flavor on its own strength. Marycarol Jones even kindly provides a considerate tip exclusively for charcoal grillers, nicely recommending a slight bit of added grill time and always covering to trap the smoke and the moisture.
Delicious Grilled Hamburgers
Equipment
- 1 Outdoor Grill
- 1 Medium Mixing Bowl
- 1 Tongs For handling patties on the grill
- 1 Instant-Read Thermometer Crucial for food safety
- 1 Basting Brush For applying oil to patties
Ingredients
Main
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring or less to taste Optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- seasoned salt to taste
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
- Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and garlic powder in a medium bowl; lightly mix until just combined. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- With minimal handling, form mixture into three patties. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Brush oil onto both sides of each patty, then season with salt. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Cook patties on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Notes
What’s the effect of using this easy suggestion? Burgers that, like they promise, really are “juicy, tender, flavorful!” Load ’em up high with all of your favorite, crunchy toppings crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, pungent onions, tangy pickles, and lots of melty cheese for a totally customizable feast that’s always a total crowd-pleaser and an absolute “keeper” in your trusty recipe book.
11. Lemon Pepper Cod: Fail-Safe Fish
If you’ve always been misguidedly assuming that it’s just a difficult cooking procedure left for the masters to make perfect, flaky fish, be ready to take delight in a wonderful and instant surprise with our simple Lemon Pepper Cod! This dinner is an eye-catching, shining example of how two small, well-selected key ingredients can very soon come together to make a super, light, and healthy meal, incontrovertibly demonstrating that you absolutely don’t need a weapons cache of esoteric spices or a fiddly, messy procedure in order to eat great.
Cod is an extremely mild, flaky white fish that will cook fast and evenly.
- It’s one of the leanest, healthiest proteins you can put on the table.
- The easy prep time makes it perfect for pan-frying or baking.
- The entire dish is usually ready to be consumed within 15 minutes, start to finish.
- The enduring attractiveness of a well-prepared lemon pepper cod dish lies directly in its bright, fabulously zesty, and pleasantly delicate spicy flavor profile that perfectly complements the clean, flaky texture of the fish tastefully.
It always serves up a light, crisp, and healthy meal that immediately feels outrageously sophisticated and elegant, but it is startlingly fast and uncomplicated to make, needing only plain simple steps. A swift dusting with your favorite seasoning mixture and a swift cooking in the skillet or oven, and you are already halfway to devouring a simply great and first-rate dinner in no time at all.
Lemon Pepper Cod
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet Essential for even searing of fish fillets.
- 1 Spatula Preferably a thin, wide metal spatula for delicate fish.
- 1 Lemon Juicer For efficient extraction of fresh lemon juice.
- 1 Fork For testing the doneness of the cod.
- 1 Paper Towels For thoroughly drying fish fillets before cooking.
Ingredients
Main
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds cod fillets
- 1 lemon juiced
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add fillets and squeeze 1/2 of the lemon’s juice over the tops. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Cook for 4 minutes and turn. Squeeze with the remaining lemon’s juice and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Continue to cook until fillets flake easily with a fork.
Notes
It nicely gives you the snug freedom to invest your energy in more sophisticated aspects or a divine dessert, if desired, so the entire dinner experience is positively simple and stunningly effortless from beginning to end.
12. Roasted Shrimp: The Crowd-Pleasing Chameleon
Enjoy a welcome to what I foresee will be your new total go-to favorite shrimp cooking method: roasting it in the oven! This easy, set-it-and-forget-it approach is revolutionary due to its sheer velocity, amazing intensity of flavor, and mind-bending simplicity, always providing perfectly cooked, delicious shrimp no matter how often you employ it. Allrecipes member Holly Van Lom voices the entire and complete sentiment of the group the moment she says: “This roasted shrimp recipe is a quick and easy way to prepare shrimp,” articulating its two most precious, weeknight-approachable attributes. Roasting keeps the shrimp from getting tough or rubbery.
- Dry heat brings out the seafood’s natural, sweet flavor.
- There is no need to flip or stir it at all during cooking in the oven.
- You can just toss the shrimp with any seasoning mix you prefer to provide variety.
- It is easy to transition from light appetizer to full main dish.
The even, dry warmth of the oven distributes the cooking evenly and produces a gorgeous, ever so slightly crispy outside, all without your constant attention, stirring, and fussing. It’s the hands-off extreme that gets the most flavor for you with precisely the bare minimum of actual fuss, literally leaving you to zap off and do something else of importance while your whole yummy dinner more or less cooks itself right in the oven. The variability in serving this amazing roasted shrimp is really unlimited, so it’s ludicrously good and extremely versatile as a dish to add to your permanent list.
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Measuring Spoons
- 1 Cutting Board for prepping shrimp
Ingredients
Main
- 2 pounds 12 to 15-count shrimp
- 1 tablespoon good olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chili sauce recommended: Heinz
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce recommended: Tabasco
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread them in 1 layer. Roast for 8 to10 minutes, just until pink and firm and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- For the sauce, combine the chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Serve as a dip with the shrimp.
Notes
Holly Van Lom celebrates its fantastic, dazzling variability for us: “I’ve served it over linguine, as a side to steak, with orzo and cream sauce, and alone as an appetizer the possibilities are endless!” If you need a healthy, quick main course, a tasty, protein-dense addition to a salad, or a clean, happy starter, these scrumptious roasted shrimp are always a huge hit every single time.
13. Emergency Chicken: The Pantry Saver
Have you ever been in one of those awful real nights where dinner absolutely must get made immediately immediately meaning now and you’re totally running on fumes, body and brain-wise? That very situation is exactly when our reliable “Emergency Chicken” recipe confidently jumps in to faithfully save the day and your sanity! This recipe is the real deal specifically tailored for those crazy, chaotic, and really unpredictable nights, stubbornly demonstrating that a tremendous, really filling meal can easily come out of even the most ad hoc, no-nonsense kitchen situations.
- The recipe itself is meant to be highly flexible to whatever ingredients are in front of you.
- It eliminates the stress of needing to fly out to the store again.
- The process of cooking is usually easy, usually one pot or pan.
- It’s the real, comforting essence of being resourceful in the kitchen.
It is exactly the sort of lenient recipe that highly invites creative whim, and you are free to use whatever bits and leftovers you just so happen to have sitting around to produce a nutritious and surprisingly tasty entrée that rescues the evening. As Aaron himself modestly remarks, “I’m sure it could be improved upon, but in a pinch it was easy and delicious.”
Emergency Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan with Lid
- 1 Spoon or Whisk
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef’s knife
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅔ cup barbeque sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅔ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken pieces – cut into 1/2-inch strips
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir barbeque sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder together with the melted butter. Stir chicken into the sauce mixture to coat.
- Place cover on saucepan and simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove cover and spoon sauce over chicken pieces; continue cooking until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes more.
Notes
It’s all about getting the most out of whatever limited resources you have and just enjoying the speedy process, even when every minute counts and your energy stores are running low. So next time you are in a bind, don’t forget this “Emergency Chicken” recipe your tasty, easy, and quick solution is never more than just moments and a few pantry ingredients away!
14. Skillet Burrito Bowl: One-Pan Tex-Mex Fun
Prepare to ditch your old takeout menu instantly, because our amazing Skillet Burrito Bowl is here, poised to consistently bring all of your beloved, rich Tex-Mex flavors in one extremely fast, convenient, and deeply fulfilling homemade meal!
If you’re already a huge lover of those lusciously piled-up taco and burrito bowls at your usual fast-casual haunts, you’ll love this no-fuss, one-skillet version that’s done in the blink of an eye with minimal ado. Allrecipes member earlzey also informs us why she made it, stating, “I enjoy taco and burrito bowls and wanted to be able to make something at home which was fast and easy,” something we can all identify with. All the ingredients are cooked together in merry harmony in one pan, making cleanup a breeze.
- It is an entire meal of protein, grain, and veggie all in one pot.
- The spices produce an intensely rich, authentic, meaty Tex-Mex taste.
- It’s a great solution for getting through half-packs of rice and canned beans lingering about.
- The meal invites a playful, personal, build-your-own-bowl dinner.
This one-skillet dinner is a colorful, rainbow-hued nod to the good old Tex-Mex standbys, all cooked to perfection in one convenient simple skillet for ultimate convenience and simplicity.
Skillet Burrito Bowl
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
- 1 Spatula or wooden spoon For cooking and stirring
- 1 Can Opener For pinto beans
- 1 Measuring Spoons For fajita seasoning
- 4 Serving bowls
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 8 ounce jar salsa
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in hot oil until browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir in fajita seasoning until ground beef is evenly coated.
- Add pinto beans, salsa, and brown rice to ground beef mixture; mix until well combined. Top with Mexican cheese blend.
Notes
“Scoop into bowls and top with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, lettuce, etc.” The real beauty of a plain burrito bowl is all in its amazing versatility so pile it high to the sky with sliced avocado, fresh-made salsa, shredded cheese, or whatever your heart actually loves. It’s an actually amazing, tasty, and super-fun option for a fast weeknight meal that tastes far from rushed or dull.
