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Getting ready for the busy back-to-school season, a packed work schedule, or just don’t have a lot of energy for making dinner? These 25 easy dinner recipes are perfect for easy weeknights! From 30-minute meals to slow-cooker favorites, there’s something here for every family.
Every parent knows that early August feeling with back to school just around the corner. It’s the Sunday scaries of the summer—you’re still enjoying leisurely evenings, but you know busy weeknights are just ahead.
The first thing to fall apart around here is a good dinner schedule. So I’ve developed a routine of go-to meals that I can throw together with minimal time and effort any night of the week.
Next time you’re trying to figure out what to have for dinner, put away the takeout menu and reach for this list of easy weeknight dinner recipes instead.
Weeknight cooking tips
There are a few tips that really help when it comes to getting dinner on the table during the week:
- Don’t be afraid of a store-bought shortcut. You’re probably not going to make mashed potatoes or meatballs from scratch on a busy weeknight. But you can grab a bag of frozen meatballs to pair with homemade sauce or a tub of mashed potatoes to serve with a quick chicken recipe.
- Look for recipes using quick-cooking proteins. Chicken breasts, shrimp, salmon, thin-cut pork chops, and even smoked sausage are all great options. Ground meats also cook relatively quickly and can be used in a wide variety of recipes.
- Your slow cooker is your best friend. You can cook just about anything in the slow cooker with 20 minutes or less of prep work. I like to use a slow cooker with a timer function so I can set it for the exact time the recipe needs to cook.
25 easy weeknight dinner recipes
I’ve pulled together 25 of my favorite go-to dinner recipes. These are recipes that can be made quickly at the end of the day or be slow-cooked while you’re at work. They use everyday ingredients for maximum flavor.
You might be short on time, but your meals shouldn’t be short on flavor!
For each of the recipes below, I have included the hands-on time and, when applicable, the slow-cooking or baking time in the description to help you plan accordingly.
If you love these recipes, make sure to check out my Hawaiian roll slider recipes and cozy fall soup recipes, too.
Skillet and one-pot meals
Homemade Cheeseburger Helper
Forget the box—make this homemade cheeseburger helper instead! It’s savory, cheesy, and best of all, totally easy to make.Hands-on time: 35 minutes
Shrimp Tacos with Mango Jalapeño Slaw
Quick-cooking shrimp are flavored with chipotle and lime and topped with an easy mango slaw for fast, easy, and flavorful tacos.Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Homemade Sloppy Joes
Sloppy joes are an easy dinner that the whole family loves! This recipe also freezes well, making it great for meal prepping.Hands-on time: 35 minutes
One Pot Mac & Cheese
This recipe is ridiculously easy and people always love it. Serve it as a side dish or bulk it up with veggies (broccoli or peas are great options) and some extra protein for a full meal.Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Lasagna Soup
All of the flavors you love in a lasagna made in a quick and easy soup! Dollop some ricotta on top, maybe add a sprinkle of fresh herbs, and you won’t miss the time it would normally take to assemble and bake a lasagna.Hands-on time: 45 minutes
One-Pot Spaghetti
It is hard to beat a one-pan dinner. After all—cleaning up is sometimes just as time consuming as the actual cooking! The pasta for this one-pot spaghetti simmers in the sauce so you only have a single pot to clean when you’re done.Hands-on time: 35 minutes
Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
This recipe makes a rich, creamy pan of fettuccine alfredo in less time than it would take to order carry out.Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp
This one feels fancy but is ready in 30 minutes. Pair linguine with shrimp, cream, pesto, and plenty of cheese for a dish that’s rich, delicious, and also weeknight friendly.Hands-on time: 30 minutes
One-Pot Beef Stroganoff
This rich and savory beef stroganoff takes the same amount of time to make as a traditional version but requires only one pot for less cleanup.Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Flank Steak Tacos
Marinate sliced flank or skirt steak in a tangy, citrusy marinade, then quickly grill for delicious tacos. You can marinate the steak for as long as overnight, making this another meal-prep favorite!Hands-on time: 20 minutesMarinating time: 2 hours to overnight
Honey Soy Chicken and Rice
This is one of my absolutely favorite easy dinner recipes! The chicken cooks quickly in a sweet, sticky sauce. Serve it with your favorite rice and broccoli (or other vegetable) for a complete meal.Hands-on time: 22 minutes
Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata seems fancy, but it’s actually a breeze to make. Cook the chicken and make the silky pan sauce in the same skillet and you’ve got a chicken dinner your family will request over and over.Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Casseroles and oven recipes
Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie
Top a creamy chicken pot pie filling with easy Bisquick drop biscuits for a weeknight-friendly version of the comfort-food classic.Hands-on time: 20 minutesBaking time: 40 minutes
Ritz Cracker Chicken
This is one of my family’s favorite meals! Coat chicken breasts in buttery Ritz crackers and bake until juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.Hands-on time: 5 minutesBaking time: 30 minutes
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Another family favorite that I make on repeat around here. Assemble these Hawaiian roll sliders just before baking or prep them ahead of time and pop them in the oven when it’s time for dinner.Hands-on time: 10 minutesBaking time: 22 minutes
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Flavorful, sizzling fajitas that are baked in the oven for a super simple dinner. Meal-prep tip: Season the chicken and veggies ahead of time and let them marinate for up to 8 hours before cooking.Hands-on time: 20 minutesBaking time: 25 minutes
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
This casserole is cheesy, filling comfort food! You can also make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake and eat.Hands-on time: 20 minutesBaking time: 40 minutes
Taco Casserole
Seasoned ground beef, refried beans, cheese, and tortilla chips make for a casserole with all of your favorite taco flavors. Hands-on time: 15 minutesBaking time: 15 minutes
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
This twist on the classic tater tot casserole is one of my favorite dinner recipes! It’s another one that freezes well—simply assemble then freeze before baking. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and bake when you’re ready to eat!Hands-on time: 20 minutesBaking time: 40 minutes
Slow-cooker recipes
Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken
Tangy cranberry chicken cooks in the slow cooker all day for a delicious, low-effort weeknight entree. Try it over rice or mashed potatoes!Hands-on time: 5 minutesSlow-cooking time: 7 hours
Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
Set it and forget it with this slow cooker spaghetti sauce! Toss the ingredients in your crockpot before you head to work and come home to a rich, delicious pasta sauce.Hands-on time: 10 minutesSlow-cooking time: 8 hours
Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast
This crockpot dinner is made by adding a handful of simple pantry staples to a chuck roast and cooking until the meat is fall-apart tender. Serve it with potatoes or cooked egg noodles for a weeknight dinner your family will ask for again and again!Hands-on time: 15 minutesSlow-cooking time: 8 hours
Chipotle-Style Barbacoa
No need to go out—you can make a copycat of Chipotle’s barbacoa in your slow cooker right at home! Turn it into tacos, burritos, nachos, and more.Hands-on time: 20 minutesSlow-cooking time: 6 hours
Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
Who doesn’t love a good pulled pork recipe? Turn this savory pulled pork into sandwiches, pile it on top of nachos, mix it into mac and cheese…there are endless ways to make this one into your next dinner! It also freezes well for quick meals later.Hands-on time: 15 minutesSlow-cooking time: 12 hours
Crockpot Taco Soup
All of the flavors you love in tacos turned into a simple slow-cooker soup recipe! Cook the ground beef and aromatics on the stove, then simmer in the slow cooker while you’re at work. Finish with your favorite taco toppings for a hearty meal!Hands-on time: 20 minutesSlow-cooking time: 8 hours
