28 Dinners That Are Ready in 20 Minutes or Less

Let these recipes pave the way to a quick, satisfying meal.

Some weeks are so busy that the last thing on my mind is what to make for dinner, and there's precious little time to do so when I get there. Whether this sounds like your every day or these kinds of weeks only pop up here and there, let the recipes below pave your way to a delicious, satisfying meal in just 20 minutes or less.

Whether you're in the mood to slurp a soup, prep a hands-off sheet pan dinner, or make a casserole (yes, a 20-minute casserole!), there are lots of options.

Lemon Orzotto with Spinach and Peas

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I’ll Be Making All Summer Long

"While I love classic risotto as much as the next person, I am just not willing to constantly stir a pot of rice for half an hour on a weeknight (call me crazy!). What makes American-style orzotto great is that it cooks in just a fraction of the time, and it requires just a couple of stirs throughout the whole cooking process." —Alexandra Shytsman, Recipe Developer

20-Minute Red Lentil Coconut Soup

*Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek*

Get Recipe: The Comforting 20-Minute Dinner I Make on Repeat

"I’ve combined some of my favorite tweaks into a soupy spin-off of my favorite dal that’s creamy, hefty, and requires just one pot. If you like dal, you’re going to love this soup, too." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

Spring Carbonara

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I’m Making All Spring Long

"This dish comes together lightning-fast. Have all your ingredients prepped and within reach because once the spaghetti is done cooking, you’ll use the heat of the pasta to cook the raw eggs to make a silky sauce." —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Get Recipe: The 3-Ingredient Garlic Butter Steak Bites I Can’t Stop Making

"Everyone in my family loves a steak dinner, especially when I make these garlicky, buttery steak bites! They come out well-seasoned and tender every time and are impressively delicious, especially for requiring zero marinating time and only three ingredients." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

20-Minute Tomato Orzo Soup

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I Make When I’m Too Tired to Cook

"If you’re feeling a little lazy (like me!), you can skip the chopping and pick up a tub of pre-chopped mirepoix in the refrigerated section of the supermarket or in the frozen vegetable aisle. Toss a jar of minced garlic in oil in your cart, too, and you’ll have all of the vegetable prep out of the way—meaning the soup will be ready in 20 minutes flat." —Alexandra Shytsman, Recipe Developer

5-Ingredient Broccoli Pasta

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I Make on Busy Weeknights

"I often serve this pasta on its own, but if I have a rotisserie chicken or leftover roasted chicken on hand, I’ll toss that into the mix for a dose of protein." —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

4-Ingredient Hot Honey Chicken

Get Recipe: 4-Ingredient Hot Honey Chicken

"My preference is to serve the tenders with white rice, but brown rice or another whole grain would also be delicious. I also love to serve them over cold soba noodles or even cooked ramen noodles." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Easy Chickpea Curry

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I Make Almost Every Week

"The beauty of this chickpea curry lies in its simplicity and adaptability; it is perfect for a busy weeknight. It’s packed with such lovely flavors (ginger! garlic! turmeric!) and the coconut milk gives it creamy depth. Plus, it requires just one pot, making cleanup a breeze." —Shayma Saadat, Recipe Developer

20-Minute Spaghetti with Tuna and White Beans

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I Make for Pennies on the Dollar

"This is the quintessential affordable pantry dinner, made exclusively with staples I keep stocked at all times: pasta, canned tuna, and canned white beans. It’s delicious with just those simple ingredients, but I also love adding a few extra garnishes to make it even more satisfying." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Bacon Chicken I Make on Repeat

"Chicken breasts come in varying sizes, from small to colossal. This recipe works best if you use chicken breasts that are about 7 or 8 ounces each." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Ground Beef Dinner I Make All the Time

"My favorite way to serve this dish is with steamed basmati or jasmine rice. If you start the rice first, everything will be ready at the same time; a definite win for any weeknight." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

Thai-Style Chicken Fried Rice

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley*

Get Recipe: Thai-Style Chicken Fried Rice

"For an ultra-quick dinner, go ahead and chop the onion, carrot, and garlic up to a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Brown Butter Cacio e Pepe

Get Recipe: The 20-Minute Dinner I've Made a Thousand Times

"Watch your brown butter closely. It can go from perfectly golden to burnt quickly. If you sense that it will burn, quickly but carefully transfer the butter into a heat-proof bowl to stop it from further browning." —Sharon Lehman, Recipe Developer

Sheet Pan Salmon With Feta Sauce

Get Recipe: My Favorite Dinner Takes Just 20 Minutes to Make

"Instead of using broccolini, you could go with broccoli florets, green beans, asparagus, or even zucchini. Grape tomatoes can be used instead of cherry tomatoes, but if you happen to have regular tomatoes lying around, go with those. Just cut them into 1-inch pieces before adding them to the sheet pan." —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

Get Recipe: Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry

"Chicken bouillon powder is a wonderful way to add a boost of umami with a touch of sodium. My favorite brand is Lee Kum Lee’s Premium Chicken Bouillon. This recipe accounts for the sodium already present in the bouillon, so you won't need any additional salt." —Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

Skillet Pizza Chicken

Get Recipe: Skillet Pizza Chicken

"If you want a little extra color and bubbly cheese, move your oven-safe skillet to the oven and broil for a few minutes." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

Quick Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Get Recipe: Quick Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

"Cheddar cheese can be notoriously stringy when melted. To keep the cheese from getting too stringy, it helps to coat it lightly with some flour or cornstarch." —Elise Bauer, Founder

Copycat Ronto Wraps

Get Recipe: Copycat Ronto Wraps

"You can simplify this recipe by using store-bought sauce, dressing, and coleslaw mix, if you like. Ranch dressing, sriracha mayo, aioli, or any other zingy and/or creamy condiment could easily take the place of the peppercorn sauce, and you can toss the slaw with your favorite store-bought vinaigrette or coleslaw dressing." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

Creamy White Beans and Greens

Get Recipe: This 10-Minute Meal Warms Me up on Cold Nights

"You can use any canned white bean for this dish, but I prefer cannellini or butter beans as they tend to have a softer texture that works really well here." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

Garlic Knot Salmon

Get Recipe: This 20-Minute Salmon Recipe Is My New Favorite

"If you’re using frozen salmon fillets, be sure to thaw them completely, preferably overnight in the fridge. Drain off any liquid and pat dry before seasoning and baking." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Fried Egg Tacos

Get Recipe: Fried Egg Taco

"You could add some more substantial toppings to these like crispy bacon, sautéed onions, a little guacamole, or even a crema sauce." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

Honey Soy Chicken

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Pearl Jones*

Get Recipe: This 20-Minute Chicken Dinner Is Better Than Take-Out

"It’s the dinner I turn to when I want those big, bold takeout flavors without leaving my kitchen (or my comfy clothes). Chicken cutlets are lightly coated in a one-bowl batter, cooked in a skillet until golden, and finished with a sticky, sweet, and savory honey soy sauce." —Kris Osborne, Recipe Developer

Spanish Garlic Shrimp

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser*

Get Recipe: Spanish Garlic Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo)

"Similar to shrimp scampi, this dish utilizes fruity olive oil instead of butter and lots and lots of garlic. A little sherry vinegar at the end amps up the flavors and creates a pan sauce." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Quick and Easy Egg Drop Soup

Get Recipe: Quick and Easy Egg Drop Soup

"If you can't locate any of the mushroom types indicated in the recipe, cremini (aka: baby bellas) will do just fine. Or, you can just leave them out all together." —Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

Easy Taco Casserole

*Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower*

Get Recipe: Easy Taco Casserole

"The crunchy chips add lots of texture when layered with the meat and beans, and the whole dish comes together in just 20 minutes. Kids will love the crowd-pleasing flavors and textures, and they’ll have fun adding their toppings before digging in." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Marry Me Beans

Get Recipe: Marry Me Beans

"For cooking purposes, I tend to prefer oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes to dry-packed since they stay moist and plump. I also love using the oil for cooking, from frying eggs to using it to make a vinaigrette. In this recipe, I use the oil straight from the jar to add extra flavor to the beans." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

Tortellini Soup

Get Recipe: The 15-Minute Soup I Make All Winter Long

"If using dried tortellini, you’ll want to add an extra cup of broth or water to the soup, as they absorb a lot more liquid than fresh pasta." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

5-Ingredient Gingery, Garlicky Ground Beef

Get Recipe: This 5-Ingredient Ground Beef Dinner Might Be the Best Thing I’ve Ever Made

"It's a lightning-fast dinner that comes together in under 10 minutes, especially if you take my recommendation below for 90-second rice. I will gladly go down in family lore with this recipe." —Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director

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