60 Easy Dinner Ideas ·

31 Jul 2024, 00:00

Wondering what to make for dinner? You're in the right place! Below, you'll find easy dinner ideas to satisfy any craving. Think tacos, pasta, and more!

dinner / favorites — Jump to recipe

easy dinner ideas

Do you ever have nights when you just don’t know what to make for dinner? When you run through a mental list of easy dinner ideas, but nothing sounds good? If you do, you’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find 60 healthy dinner recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights. Each one is quick and easy to make, but it still packs a punch of flavor.

Think roasted veggie tacos with a creamy, zesty sauce. Imagine luxurious baked feta and a comforting pasta ready in under 30 minutes. You’ll find all that and more among the easy dinner ideas below. I hope you enjoy looking through them! And the next time you’re craving something healthy, delicious, and quick, and I hope you try one. Fingers crossed it makes it into your regular rotation. 🙂

Easy Dinner Ideas for Taco Night

It doesn’t matter if it’s Tuesday, Thursday, or Monday. Any night can be taco night, especially if you keep a stash of tortillas in your freezer!

DIY Taco Bar

If you’re serving picky eaters, a taco bar is one of the BEST weeknight dinners. Set out a stack of tortillas with toppings like refried beans, fajita veggies, cilantro lime rice, salsa, and guac, and let everyone customize their meal.

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

These simple veggie tacos are such a fun, healthy dinner! They’re stuffed with spiced roasted cauliflower, cabbage, and a creamy avocado sauce.

Vegan Tacos

Love all things sweet and spicy? These tacos are the easy dinner for you! A refreshing mango salsa accents the meaty, jerk-spiced jackfruit filling.

Avocado Sweet Potato Tacos

Roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, and a zesty yogurt sauce fill these weeknight-friendly tacos. Add a flourish of pickled onions to take them over the top!

Spicy Mango, Black Bean, and Avocado Tacos

No cooking required! These energizing tacos are stuffed with cabbage, mango, avocado, and black beans. Serve them with drizzles of sriracha mayo.

Mushroom Tacos

Adobo sauce from a can of chipotles is the secret ingredient in this easy taco recipe. It’s a quick way to add rich, smoky flavor to the simple filling.

Vegan Quesadilla

Ok, it’s not a taco, but it’s still an easy dinner that’ll use the tortillas in your freezer. This recipe calls for vegan cheese, but if you’re not vegan, feel free to swap in regular cheddar or Jack.

Healthy Grain Bowl Dinner Ideas

I hope you’ll get creative with the recipes below. Grain bowls are some of the most forgiving, flexible healthy dinner recipes, so you should feel free to make them your own. If you don’t have a particular veggie on hand, swap in one that you do have. Change up the grain, or replace one yummy sauce with another. With these recipes, you really can’t go wrong.

Best Buddha Bowl

Make a double batch of the turmeric tahini sauce – you’ll love having it on hand to toss with salads, drizzle over roasted veggies, dot onto avocado toast, and more.

Burrito Bowl

Guaranteed to give Chipotle a run for its money.

Adzuki Bean Bowls

Don’t worry – if you can’t find adzuki beans, you can still enjoy this wholesome bowl. Black beans or baked tofu would be a great substitute.

Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl

A scoop of sauerkraut adds a pop of bright, funky flavor to this healthy, gluten-free grain bowl.

Mango Ginger Rice Bowl

This simple bowl is so light and refreshing! I love how the sweet mango and pickled ginger play off the earthy vegetables and savory tamari dressing.

Veggie Power Bowl

I like to make this bowl with a base of forbidden rice. It’s rich in iron and antioxidants, and it has a lovely nutty flavor that tastes delicious with the sesame ginger dressing here.

Macro Veggie Bowl

The ultimate feel-good food! I steam the veggies here instead of roasting them, which makes this bowl extra-quick to assemble.

Simple, Dinner-Worthy Soups

Just add crusty bread to make them a meal!

Minestrone Soup

A nourishing, comforting classic for chilly nights.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Jack’s favorite dinner recipe! Luckily for me, it couldn’t be easier to make.

Best Lentil Soup

This recipe is a Love & Lemons fan favorite, and it’s one of our favorites, too! I love it because it’s satisfying, flavorful, and easy to make with pantry staples. An herb-flecked broth surrounds aromatic veggies and French green lentils.

Tortellini Soup

Can’t pick between pasta and soup? This recipe is the one for you!

Black Bean Soup

This spicy soup is great on its own, but a few toppings – think Greek yogurt, avocado, pepitas, and pickled onions – will take it to a whole new level.

Instant Pot Lentil Soup

Once you add the ingredients to the Instant Pot, this healthy veggie soup practically cooks itself.

Quick and Easy Chili Recipes

Round out the meal with homemade cornbread, jalapeño cornbread, or good old tortilla chips.

Easy Vegetarian Chili

Chipotles in adobo sauce add tangy, smoky flavor to this hearty weeknight chili.

Black Bean Chili

Homemade chili powder adds extra complexity to this creamy vegan chili, but if you’re short on time, the store-bought kind works too. Save any leftovers for lunch the next day; the flavor improves after a night in the fridge.

White Bean Soup

My plant-based spin on white chicken chili! Blended white beans give it a wonderful creamy texture, and fresh lime juice and diced green chiles add zingy, zesty flavor.

Instant Pot Chili

This set-it-and-forget-it recipe is a lifesaver on a busy weeknight. You just have to sauté the onions and bell pepper–the Instant Pot takes care of the rest for you! In under an hour, you’ll be sitting down to a steaming bowl of smoky, spicy chili.

Easy Dinner Ideas to Serve with Rice

Quick dinner tip: frozen rice is your friend! You can either cook your own rice and freeze it or buy pre-cooked frozen rice at the store. Once you have it on hand, you’ll be able to easily make a meal out of these dinner recipes:

Easy Coconut Curry

This recipe is everything I want in a weeknight dinner – it’s healthy, satisfying, flavorful, and easy to make. It’s also super flexible, so if you don’t have these exact veggies on hand, feel free to swap in what you do have. Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, and broccoli would all be great here.

Crispy Sesame Tofu

These savory, sesame-crusted tofu steaks crisp up beautifully in the air fryer or oven. Serve them with steamed veggies and cilantro lime rice for a healthy meal that’s better than takeout!

Easy Dinner Ideas for When You Have a Jar of Marinara

I love to make homemade marinara sauce when I have the time, but on busy weeknights, the jarred stuff can really come in handy. For instance, it gives you a head start on making these healthy dinner recipes:

Stuffed Shells

Filled with a bright, creamy mixture of ricotta, lemon zest, and fresh spinach, these stuffed shells are pure comfort.

Baked Feta

Cumin seeds add aromatic flavor to this simple chickpea, kale, and baked feta skillet. Serve it with pita or crusty bread for scooping up the saucy chickpeas and melty cheese.

Easy Baked Ziti

If you want to sneak some extra veggies onto your family’s plates, this recipe is a great way to do it. There’s an entire pound of spinach hiding among the pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese!

Creamy Pasta Pomodoro

I blend marinara sauce with cashews to make the creamy sauce for this recipe. Then, I toss it with pasta and sautéed veggies to create a quick and healthy vegan dinner.

Quick Pasta Tosses

I always have an assortment of dried pasta in my pantry, so when I don’t know what to make for dinner, I often turn to these recipes. They’re quick and easy, and they come together with minimal ingredients. There’s a good chance you have everything you need to make one tonight!

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

My fresh take on the Italian classic. I add a big bunch of kale and–of course–lots of lemon.

Easy Pesto Pasta

If you have a jar of store-bought pesto on hand, this recipe comes together in minutes. But even if you make your own pesto, it’s still pretty quick. It’s my weeknight go-to when I have a bunch of herbs to use up in the fridge.

Pasta Primavera

This colorful veggie pasta is a cinch to make on the stovetop. Ready in just 30 minutes!

Artichoke Pasta

If you score some baby artichokes at the farmers market or grocery store, you HAVE to put this easy dinner recipe on your to-make list. You’ll roast the artichokes until tender and toss them with pasta, pine nuts, and a rich lemon butter sauce. Take it from me, the combination is absolutely delicious.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I toss a medley of roasted veggies with penne, feta cheese, fresh herbs, and a bright lemon dressing. The exact veggies aren’t important here. Roast up whatever you have in the fridge!

Garlic Mushroom Pasta

Fresh tarragon, Dijon mustard, and sautéed mushrooms add sophisticated flavor to this weeknight pasta dish.

Easy Creamy Pasta Recipes

Need a quick comfort food fix? These easy dinner ideas are the ones for you.

Fettuccine Alfredo

This pasta tastes rich and decadent, but it’s actually lighter than you might guess. I blend cooked cauliflower into the sauce to create a creamy, velvety texture without any cream. Trust me, you won’t taste it!

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

In this recipe, blended cashews and roasted butternut squash create the sauce’s luscious texture – no dairy required! Balsamic, nutritional yeast, and fresh sage round out its cozy, savory flavor.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

If our kiddo had his way, we’d eat this comforting baked mac and cheese for dinner tonight and every night. Serve it with a side of peas or steamed or roasted broccoli.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

A hit with kids and adults alike, this plant-based riff on mac and cheese is the perfect family meal. It’s creamy, tangy, and unbelievably cheesy! Just 10 ingredients.

Creamy Vegan Pasta

Blended white beans add plant-based protein to this pasta’s creamy sauce.

Easy Dinner Ideas to Use Up That Carton of Eggs

We’ve all been there – you’re not sure what to make for dinner, you open the fridge, and the first thing you see is a carton of eggs. If you’re really short on time, simple scrambled eggs are always a solid dinner option, but eggs can also do a whole lot more (and do it quickly!). Try using them in one of these easy dinner recipes:

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a traditional breakfast throughout North Africa and the Middle East, but it’s just as good for lunch and dinner. Serve it with pita or good crusty bread for scooping up the flavorful tomato and red pepper sauce.

Any-Veggie Frittata

Out of all the easy dinner ideas out there, a frittata might be the one I rely on most. It’s simple, fast, and amazingly flexible. Try one of the 5 variations in my recipe, or toss in whatever veggies you have on hand.

Austin-Style Migas

This classic Austin breakfast also makes a fast and tasty dinner. Serve it with tortillas, salsa, and avocado so that you can assemble little tacos as you eat.

Okonomiyaki

These savory Japanese pancakes come together with a few basic ingredients: eggs, cabbage, panko, and scallions. But they’re not complete without toppings. Load them up with vegan Worcestershire sauce, mayo, pickled ginger, sesame seeds, and sliced nori before serving.

Sweet Potato Hash

This satisfying, healthy meal cooks up in a single skillet in under 30 minutes. Spice it up with dashes of your favorite hot sauce!

Weeknight Noodles and Fried Rice

Start keeping dry soba and rice noodles in your pantry, and these easy recipes will quickly earn a spot in your weeknight dinner rotation.

Sesame Soba Noodles

You can have these bright, nutty noodles on the table in under 30 minutes.

Bok Choy Stir Fry

It’s impossible to talk about easy dinner ideas without mentioning stir fry! This one is heavy on the veggies, made with a colorful medley of broccoli, bok choy, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms.

Cucumber Mango Miso Noodle Bowl

The only thing you have to cook in this recipe is the noodles. Once that’s done, stir together the sauce, dice the mango and veggies, toss it all together, and eat!

Cashew Broccoli Soba Noodles

The sauce is the star of this recipe. It has a creamy cashew butter base and a bright, citrusy flavor from fresh orange and lime juice.

Sesame Noodle Bowl

Fresh orange segments add a welcome sweetness to this hearty noodle bowl. They contrast perfectly with the umami sautéed mushrooms and savory miso dressing.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Blitz together your own cauliflower rice if you have the time, but if not, the store-bought kind will work here too.

Stuffed Veggies and Potatoes

These healthy dinner recipes put veggies at the center of the plate!

Stuffed Peppers

You have two options for serving these zesty stuffed peppers: melt cheese on top (Jack’s favorite version), or drizzle them with chipotle sauce (my favorite). Either way, garnish them with avocado slices and a squeeze of lime juice before digging in.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

In my opinion, stuffed sweet potatoes are one of the BEST healthy dinner ideas! They’re cozy, customizable, and easy to make. To streamline the process, prep the filling while the sweet potatoes bake.

Perfect Baked Potato

Load yours up with cashew sour cream and plant-based bacon, or experiment with other fixings. A little cheddar cheese, roasted broccoli, a scoop of guac… So many different toppings can turn a baked potato into a satisfying, healthy meal.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

While the squash is in the oven, cook the filling on the stove. It’s a hearty, flavorful blend of sautéed mushrooms, tempeh, walnuts, and fresh herbs that tastes fantastic with the sweet, creamy squash.

Super-Fast Veggie Burgers

Making homemade veggie burgers can be a time-consuming process, but it doesn’t have to be. These two recipes come together in under 30 minutes:

Easy Black Bean Burger

Serve these smoky, spicy patties with a slather of chipotle sauce and your favorite burger fixings.

Portobello Mushroom Burger

Tamari and balsamic vinegar add rich, tangy flavor to these meaty grilled mushroom caps.

Healthy Sandwich Recipes to Make for Dinner

On busy weeknights, sandwiches are a great easy dinner. They’re unbeatably fast to make, and, with the right fixings (and good bread!), they’re filling and fun, way better than the average lunchbox fare.

Grilled Cheese

This toasty sandwich is the perfect partner for a bowl of tomato soup.

Caprese Sandwich

This recipe is one of our go-to easy dinners in the summertime, when fresh tomatoes are at their peak.

Banh Mi Sandwich

Heads up: you’ll need to make the pickles for this recipe a day or two in advance. Once you make them, though, this crave-worthy sandwich will come together quickly. Sear the tofu in a hot skillet and stuff it into baguette with the pickles, cilantro, and a good slather of mayo. Drizzle with sriracha before you eat.

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This recipe is one of my go-to easy dinner ideas in the spring, when I often have crisp veggies like radishes and cucumbers on hand in the fridge. It’s my vegan version of a pan bagnat, made with a briny chickpea salad, fresh basil, olives, and blanched green beans.

Healthy Dinner Recipes for Pizza Night

Did you know homemade pizza dough and sauce freeze perfectly? The next time you make them, double the recipe, and freeze half for an easy dinner down the road. If making dough from scratch isn’t your thing, good store-bought options are out there too. I recommend looking for fresh dough in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. It’ll work great in all of these recipes:

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Love thick-crust pizza? Then break out your cast-iron skillet! It’ll help you make homemade pizza that’s crisp on the bottom and thick and chewy around the edges. Any toppings are fair game here. Pile on roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes, pesto, sautéed mushrooms, or anything you like!

Best Vegan Pizza

Who says you need cheese to make a delicious pizza? I top this one with a luscious cashew cream sauce and flavorful veggies like tomatoes, jalapeños, broccoli, and corn.

Margherita Pizza

This classic pizza is an easy, kid-friendly dinner! Round out the meal by serving a Caesar salad or simple green salad on the side.