40+ Quick Dinner Ideas In 20 Minutes Or Less

Dinner will be ready in less than 20 minutes with these easy and quick dinner ideas that taste really amazing. Most are also pretty healthy! Some of them are, well…comforting creamy pasta that the whole family will love on weeknights.

Delicious easy & quick dinner ideas perfect for weeknights! Choose between chicken dinner recipes, vegetarian dinners, ground beef recipes..

Actually, there’s something for everyone! Choose from quick vegetarian dinner recipes, chicken dinner recipes, ground beef recipes and fast dinners with seafood. Most of these tasty meals are dinners for two, but they can easily be adapted for a bigger family.

And if you’re new to cooking and don’t know what to make and how to make it – you got this. Cooking is one of the most rewarding skills you can learn and most of these recipes are beginner-friendly. Like actually super easy to pull off. So give them a try and practice as much as you can – you’ll get better and better at it!


Quick Dinner Ideas With Chicken

Best keto dinner idea ever: Creamy keto chicken with vegetables is full of flavor, cheesy, creamy, garlicky and delicious! This is a super easy healthier creamy keto dinner recipe using boneless skinless chicken thighs, Parmesan cheese and vegetables!


Creamy Chicken And Vegetables

This creamy keto dinner recipe is made with chicken breast, cream cheese and vegetables in about 20 minutes. You can serve it with some rice if you’re not following a low carb diet.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

Pesto chicken cauliflower rice: Learn how to make cauliflower rice with this easy healthy cauliflower rice recipe! This quick low carb dinner idea is ready in around 15 minutes, perfect weeknight meal filled with simple wholesome ingredients! Easy and delicious dinner recipe!

15-Minute Pesto Chicken Cauliflower Rice

Got some pesto, leftover chicken and cauliflower or cauliflower rice? Then you’ve got most things for this tasty healthy chicken recipe! Again, if you’re not on a low carb diet, you can use cooked rice or another cooked grain instead of cauliflower rice.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

cheesy chicken quesadilla


Spicy And Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla

The things you can make with leftover chicken…or even leftover turkey for dinner…unbelievable! Just like this spicy and cheesy chicken quesadilla that you’ll want to make again and again!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

Make this Mediterranean chicken for dinner in around 20 minutes with ingredients you probably already have at home! You can use a chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thighs. This easy chicken recipe is perfect for anyone who loves the Mediterranean diet and food. You can serve this healthy chicken dinner as is, with bread and salad or if you want to keep things low carb, gluten-free or paleo, check out the options in the post.


Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

One of my favorite recipes and combination of flavors! Summer vegetables like eggplant and tomatoes, come together with chicken, olives, garlic and feta cheese and make the most delicious thing ever! You really want to have some good bread for this one.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3

pesto chicken wraps - quick dinner idea


Parmesan Pesto Chicken Wraps

Can you eat wraps for dinner? I say you can! And make them good – mix some garlic, chicken, pesto and parmesan, toast on the wrap on each side until golden brown and dig in.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

quick quinoa fried rice


15-Minute Quinoa Fried Rice With Chicken

Got some leftover quinoa or rice? Make this recipe! You seriously won’t be able to stop eating it!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3

15-Minute Spicy Chicken and Chickpeas! Forget about chicken and rice, forget about chicken and broccoli (if you’re doing it to lose weight!) too! This easy healthy chicken recipe is the perfect dinner - it’s delicious, it’s spicy and you only one pan. Also it’s a very versatile and easy meal prep recipe that you can make in about 15 minutes. Pair with some fresh salad on the side and tzatziki or hummus and you’ve got yourself a tasty and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner in no time. This chicken recipe is gluten-free and high-protein.


15-Minute Spicy Chicken and Chickpeas

Have this spicy chicken and chickpeas with some salad and hummus on the side for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 4

Super tasty greek chicken wraps! Make these delicious healthy chicken wraps with tzatziki, rotisserie chicken, roasted and fresh vegetables for dinner! This healthy chicken wraps recipe


Greek Chicken Wrap With Rotisserie Chicken

If you love gyros, this one comes pretty close to it! Fresh, flavorful and super easy to make!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 4

rice with chicken and peas


20-Minute Chicken, Rice and Peas

The perfect recipe to make if you’ve got day-old cooked rice, some chicken, frozen peas and vegetables!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3

quinoa, kale and chicken


Quinoa With Chicken And Kale

When you’ve got leftovers, this is the type of meal you make! It’s made with chicken, leftover quinoa, feta cheese, garlic, tomatoes, kale and it’s really good!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3

spicy avocado chicken wraps


Spicy Avocado Chicken Wraps

These are spicy, cheesy, filling and full of flavor! All you need to do is mix the ingredients for the filling in a bowl, place those ingredients with some extra veggies in the middle of a tortilla, wrap it and toast in a pan on both sides until golden brown. It’s so worth it!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2


Quick Vegetarian Dinner Ideas

Make this easy vegan fried rice with tofu and vegetables! This quick meatless meal is a great healthy vegan dinner idea and perfect for weeknights!


Easy Vegan Fried Rice With Tofu

Even if you’re not the biggest fan of tofu, I recommend you try this at some point in your life! It’s a delicious, satiating vegan meal that everyone will enjoy!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

the best creamy pasta in the world! This recipe for creamy tortellini recipe is so delicious, everyone will love it - perfect for dinner!


Creamy Tortellini With Spinach and Garlic

OMG! If you’re looking for a meal that will just knock your tastebuds out, this is the one to make! It’s so good. Like really good. Spinach, sour cream and tortellini make the magic happen.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3

ust try this Mediterranean vegetarian dinner recipe with chickpeas and feta cheese! If you love garbanzo beans and got some canned chickpeas and fresh vegetables to use up - you are going to love this healthy meal! This is a one-pan Mediterranean chickpea dinner recipe, it's ready in about 15 minutes, it's healthy, and tastes AMAZING.


One-Pan Mediterranean Chickpea Dinner

Garbanzo beans, feta cheese, garlic and tomatoes are some of the ingredients you’ll need to make this one pan meal. Serve with some bread and tzatziki for a quick Mediterranean weeknight dinner!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

Delicious and easy coconut curry vegetable soup! It's a comforting, flavorful, creamy, sweet and spicy vegetarian soup recipe that you can make in 10 minutes! The perfect quick dinner idea for busy weeknights.


Coconut Curry Vegetable Soup

If you want to keep dinner really light, try this Thai-inspired coconut curry vegetable soup! It’s sweet, creamy, spicy and healthy!

Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 3

Mediterranean feta cheese quesadilla


Mediterranean Feta Cheese Quesadilla

If you love feta cheese and would like to try something new and super flavorful – try this meatless tortilla recipe for dinner! You’ll be amazed how simple, yet tasty it is!

Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2

Easy cabbage tofu stir-fry: A vegan cabbage recipe that you will absolutely love! This healthy vegan dinner idea is perfect for busy weeknights, flavorful, delicious and made with cabbage, tofu and more vegetables in about 20 minutes. If you're looking for some no meat gluten-free high-protein recipes, you should try this tasty vegan stir-fry!


Easy Cabbage Tofu Stir-Fry

Got some cabbage and tofu and don’t know what to make? Try this healthy veggie tofu stir-fry for one! It’s a really quick satiating dinner that is vegan and low carb.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 1

tomato basil couscous

One Pan Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic

A good reason to try couscous! This simple vegetarian meal is great for dinner with some salad. Or, if you’re not vegetarian, it’s great as a side dish with some fish, seafood or chicken!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

Step 7: ENJOY!

Spicy And Cheesy Cauliflower Rice

This cheesy and spicy cauliflower recipe is perfect for a healthier low-calorie dinner option and it’s also vegetarian!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

This vegan avocado chickpea wraps recipe is ready in about 15 minutes and such a delicious vegan dinner idea. Full of flavor spicy smashed chickpea wraps made with simple healthy ingredients like canned chickpeas, garlic, chili powder and avocado!


Vegan Avocado Chickpea Wraps

If you love wraps as much as I do, you’ve got to try this vegetarian wrap recipe! It’s flavorful and simple and pretty cheap too!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3

Super tasty 15-Minute Quinoa fried rice! Easy healthy dinner recipe you will gladly eat every single day! This simple quinoa recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free if you use tamari sauce! This recipe also keeps well in the fridge, so if you'd like to meal prep it, you can do so, but you'll need to double the ingredients.


15-Minute Quinoa Fried Rice

A healthier version of fried rice that you can make with cooked quinoa! This recipe is one that you will make again and again and again!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

15-minute red curry noodles! An easy healthy dinner recipe that is absolutely divine! Filled with vegetables and tofu this vegan recipe is healthy, quick and warming for dinner! This vegan dinner recipe can also be made gluten free by using gluten-free noodles.


15-Minute Coconut Red Curry Noodles With Tofu

You won’t be able to get enough of these delicious curry noodles and fast enough! They’re spicy, they’re satisfying and they’re a great weeknight dinner idea!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3


Easy Dinners With Ground Beef

Healthy ground beef cabbage stir-fry! This is such an easy delicious healthy dinner idea with ground beef and cabbage that is gluten, dairy-free and low carb! This super easy red cabbage stir-fry is full of flavor and ready in just 15 minutes.


Healthy Ground Beef and Cabbage Stir-Fry

Ground beef gets stir-fried with some cabbage, red peppers, garlic, scallions and tamari sauce to make this super quick, super tasty low carb meal!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

spiced ground beef and veg


Spiced Ground Beef and Vegetables

Serve this super flavorful ground beef recipe with some rice and avocado and fresh herbs!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3

ground beef mushrooms and rice


Easy Ground Beef, Mushrooms and Rice Skillet

If you like mushrooms, rice and fresh herbs, you need to try this simple, delicious one-pan dinner!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

Korean ground beef bowls


Ground Beef Korean Bowls

These Korean ground beef bowls are made with fresh and dried spices, lots of garlic, lean ground beef and are packed with flavor, healthy and nutritious!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

easy and fast ground beef and cabbage


20-Minute Spicy Ground Beef and Cabbage

Use up that cabbage in your fridge to make this spicy and nutritious ground beef and cabbage recipe! Just a few ingredients and only one pan, this is a great weeknight dinner recipe!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 3


Quick Dinner Recipes With Seafood

20-minute coconut curry shrimp soup! This delicious Thai soup is gluten-free, paleo and a great low-carb / keto dinner recipe! This healthy soup is easy, quick and tastes amazing!


Easy Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup

You’ll be shocked how delicious this easy creamy Thai-inspired soup actually is!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3

15-Minute Garlic Shrimp In Tomato Sauce - best weeknight dinner ever! This garlic shrimp recipe is super tasty, healthy, easy, gluten-free, paleo and low-carb! You need one pan and 15 minutes to make it.


15-Minute Garlic Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

You can use frozen shrimp and fresh tomatoes to make this incredibly tasty, yet simple shrimp recipe! It’s only 5 ingredients! I wouldn’t even bother with rice or pasta here, just get your favorite white bread and go crazy.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

Low carb garlic shrimp. This is a 15-minute healthy dinner recipe that is creamy and delicious and perfect if you're doing the keto diet!


Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli

This is a creamy and easy shrimp recipe with broccoli and garlic that you will love! It’s great if you’re wanting to watch your carbohydrate intake in order to lose weight or to reduce insulin resistance.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

Garlic squid in tomato sauce - Easy keto dinner recipe! Serve with pasta or zoodles and add Parmesan to this delicious low-carb dinner idea!


Garlic Squid With Tomato Sauce

Squid, tomato paste, garlic and dried basil are some of the main players in this wonderful healthy dish for one!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 1

tuna sriracha quesadilla


10-Minute Tuna Melt Quesadilla With Sriracha

If you’ve got a can of tuna that you want to use up, make sure to try this amazing quesadilla! It’s creamy, it’s spicy, it’s garlicky…it’s just excellent and you’ve got to make it!

Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2

This 15-minute spicy shrimp and quinoa recipe is a super easy healthy dinner idea that is fast, simple and delicious.


15-Minute Spicy Quinoa And Shrimp

Zucchini, cooked quinoa, shrimp, mozzarella and tomatoes all go into one pan and it’s actually mouthwatering!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2

Easy and healthy meal prep lunch bowl recipe. You can easily assemble these tuna chickpea healthy lunch bowls using non-perishable foods and some fresh vegetables. They’re delicious and quick!


Chickpea and Tuna Meal Prep Bowls

Don’t be judgy, mkay? If you haven’t tried this tuna recipe, you have no idea how good it actually is! And it’s pretty healthy too.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 3

shrimp and vegetable stir fry - high protein low carb meals


Spicy Shrimp and Vegetables Stir-Fry

Nothing easier and tastier than a simple stir-fry for dinner! This one is made with broccoli, shrimp, bell pepper, ginger, green beans and tamari sauce.

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2


Quick Pasta Recipes

Now we’re talking. We’ve come to my favorite part of the collection: pasta! Is there anything better than pasta? The answer is no. Especially if you’re not gluten intolerant. But even if you are, like myself, you can still dream of pasta or you know, try gluten free pasta. It’s seriously not that bad, I’m okay. Now let’s look at these recipes.

Healthy and creamy tuna pasta recipe


Amazing Creamy Tuna Pasta

Remember how everyone was making tuna pasta a while ago? Well, everybody has to make this particular recipe. It’s packed with flavor, tastes incredible and is a cheaper weeknight meal idea!

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

creamy tomato basil tortellini


Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini

Cheese tortellini, fresh tomatoes, basil, zucchini and cream cheese are some of the ingredients you need to make this comforting pasta recipe!

Ready in: 15 minutes | Serves: 2


12-Minute Spicy Feta Pasta

Feta pasta gone a different way! When you don’t have an oven and would like to clean up only one pan, this is the feta pasta recipe you need in your life. It’s spicy, it’s loaded with herbs, feta and garlic and it’s great for dinner.

Ready in: 12 minutes | Serves: 1

Creamy salmon tortellini


Super Creamy Salmon Tortellini

Salmon pasta has been one of my favorite meals since the first time I tasted it, around 10 years ago. If you haven’t already, you have to try it (in case you like salmon of course!). This tortellini recipe will definitely win you over.

Ready in: 20 minutes | Serves: 2

10-Minute shredded chicken macaroni recipe! Make this easy shredded chicken recipe using leftovers in 10 minutes, it’s a super tasty and quick healthy dinner recipe that the entire family will love as well! This easy pasta dish is a super healthy version of macaroni and cheese filled with fresh tomatoes, garlic, herbs, chicken and some cheese. Easy, quick, healthy and delicious!


10-Minute Healthy Macaroni and Chicken

You can seriously make this in 10 minutes using quick cooking macaroni, leftover shredded chicken and fresh tomatoes! The pasta is pretty healthy and kid-friendly too!

Ready in: 10 minutes | Serves: 2


More Quick Recipes To Try:

creamy tomato basil tortellini

Quick Dinner Ideas In 20 Minutes Or Less

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Delicious easy & quick dinner ideas perfect for weeknights! Choose between chicken dinner recipes, vegetarian dinners, ground beef recipes, easy pasta recipes and seafood recipes. These weeknight meals are easily adapted for a family!

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Ingredients

Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini

  • 7oz/200g cheese tortellini, refrigerated
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup juicy tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup basil
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2 Tbsp cream cheese (heaping)
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Chop all the vegetables and heat a large pan (medium-high temperature).
  2. Cook the chopped tomato with the olive oil in the pan for 2-3 minutes, covered with a lid until you get your tomato sauce.
  3. Stir in the tortellini and let them cook for 1-2 minutes (or follow instructions on package label - some types might need to cook longer - the ones I bought took 3-4 minutes).
  4. Stir in the zucchini and garlic. Then add the cream cheese and a little bit of milk - this will turn into a creamy garlicky sauce.
  5. In 1-2 minutes add in the mozzarella cheese and the basil, stirring throughout. Have a taste and add salt if needed.
  6. Serve immediately and add Parmesan cheese or arugula if desired.
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 557Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 67mgSodium 841mgCarbohydrates 56gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 20g

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