if (typeof lnl_watch_branding_height === 'function') { lnl_watch_branding_height(); } Refresh your weeknight rotation with these easy dinner recipes! They include pastas, tacos, soups, and more. The whole family will love them!
These easy weeknight dinners are some of my go-to recipes for busy nights. They range from pastas to soups to stir fries and sheet pan meals, but they all have a few things in common. They call for simple ingredients, they come together quickly (or are hands-off to prepare), and they’re packed with flavor. I don’t always feel like cooking at the end of a long day, but I do want a delicious dinner.
If you’re looking for weeknight dinner ideas to refresh your rotation, check out the recipes below. I’ve made these meals for my family time and time again. No matter who you’re cooking for—kids, a partner, or just you—and no matter what you’re craving, I’m sure you’ll find weeknight dinners to love.
Our Top 5 Easy Weeknight Dinners
If you need weeknight dinner ideas for tonight, these recipes are a great place to start. They’re some of my favorites, and readers love them too!
Lemon Pasta
This zesty, 8-ingredient pasta is ready in just 20 minutes. I love it with a green salad or roasted broccoli for an easy weeknight meal.
Sheet Pan Gnocchi
No boiling required! In this one-pan recipe, store-bought gnocchi roasts on a baking sheet alongside juicy tomatoes, tender broccolini, and big crumbles of feta cheese.
Frittata
A frittata is the ultimate clean-out-the-fridge dinner. I list five variations in my recipe, but really, you can make one with whatever fresh veggies or cheeses you have on hand. The whole thing will be ready in under 30 minutes!
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This creamy, cheesy soup is a huge reader favorite—it has over 800 5-star reviews! I make it often because my husband Jack (the world’s biggest cheese lover) can’t get enough of it. Serve with homemade croutons on top!
Easy Veggie Stir Fry
Everyone needs a back-pocket stir fry for busy weeknights, and this one’s mine. Feel free to add your favorite protein—baked tofu is my go-to.
Pasta Easy Weeknight Dinners
Pasta cooks up in minutes and is versatile, satisfying, and just plain yummy. When I want to make a weeknight meal that’s fast and flavorful, it never disappoints.
Lemon Orzo
I call for peas in this creamy one-pot orzo recipe, but consider it a blank canvas for whatever veggies you have on hand! Fresh spinach and asparagus are both great. I also like to add chickpeas for protein.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Make this 10-ingredient recipe in 20 minutes flat! Top it off with a shower of Parmesan cheese, or, for a vegan version, finish it with vegan Parm instead.
Easy Baked Ziti
When I’m in the mood for lasagna but not in the mood for making lasagna, I turn to this baked ziti. It’s comforting, but still fresh, thanks to lots of sautéed spinach and lemony ricotta cheese.
Fettuccine Alfredo
This luxe pasta tastes like something from a gourmet restaurant, but don’t let it fool you. It calls for 8 basic ingredients and comes together in 30 minutes or less.
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Kids love it, adults love it, and no one suspects that it’s vegan. But if cheese is what you have on hand, you can’t go wrong with regular mac and cheese on a weeknight either.
Pasta Primavera
This colorful pasta is one of my go-to weeknight dinners throughout the spring and summer. It’s fresh, satisfying, and quick—all the veggies cook together in a single skillet.
Easy Pesto Pasta
Tip: Freeze homemade pesto so that you’ll have it on hand for whenever a weeknight pasta craving strikes.
Rice and Noodle-Based Weeknight Dinners
Like pasta, rice and noodles cook quickly and pair well with a wide range of vegetables, so they’re perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
Easy Fried Rice
Got leftover rice on hand? This fried rice recipe is a quick and easy way to turn it into dinner!
Sesame Soba Noodles
This recipe is one of my all-time favorites. Creamy avocado contrasts with crisp veggies and gooey soba noodles, and a nutty sesame dressing ties it all together.
Crispy Sesame Tofu
In this protein-rich vegetarian main dish, sesame seeds create a crisp crust for slabs of marinated tofu. Round out the meal with steamed snap peas and a side of cilantro lime rice.
Peanut Noodles
I developed this recipe with weeknights in mind. Cook the noodles, prep the veggies, and stir together the creamy peanut sauce. Dinner will be ready in no time!
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ok, ok. There’s no actual rice in this grain-free recipe. Instead, it has a base of cauliflower rice that’s bulked up with kimchi, mushrooms, edamame, and scrambled eggs.
Easy Weeknight Meals with Eggs
Eggs aren’t just for breakfast! Rich in protein and healthy fats, they’re a great starting point for a fast, nutritious dinner.
Best Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a traditional Middle Eastern breakfast, but I often make it for an easy weeknight dinner. In my recipe, poached eggs nestle into a red pepper and tomato sauce that’s spiced with cumin and paprika. Scoop it all up with pita bread!
Okonomiyaki
These frittata-like Japanese pancakes are made with cabbage and a light egg batter. Before you eat, load them up with toppings like pickled ginger, nori, mayo, and a drizzle of vegan Worcestershire sauce.
Mexican-Inspired Easy Weeknight Dinners
I always have a stash of tortillas in my freezer and a can of black beans in my pantry. That way, I can make a Mexican-inspired dinner like tacos or quesadillas any night of the week!
Avocado Sweet Potato Tacos
You don’t need pickled red onions to make these tacos (they get plenty of flavor from the zesty avocado lime sauce and chili-spiced sweet potatoes!), but I encourage you to add them. Sweet and tangy, they take this recipe to a whole new level.
Quesadillas
A quesadilla is one of the quickest dinner ideas out there. In this recipe, I make a yummy veggie filling with black beans, sweet corn, peppers, and green onions. Melty cheese seals it together.
Easy Enchiladas
Enchiladas on a weeknight? Yes you can! With a simple cheese, spinach, and black bean filling, these come together quickly. Make the enchilada sauce ahead (or sub store-bought sauce) to make them even quicker.
Easy Weeknight Curries
All these curry recipes come together in one pot, making them perfect weeknight meals.
Easy Coconut Curry
Out of all the easy recipes in this post, this coconut curry might be the one I make most often. I love throwing it together on busy weeknights, using whatever veggies I have in the fridge. For a heartier variation, stir in chickpeas, tofu, or another protein of your choice.
Thai Green Curry
Store-bought green curry paste makes this fragrant coconut curry quick and easy to assemble. I love it over rice with a pile of fresh herbs on top.
Chickpea Curry
Last winter, I made this hearty chickpea curry almost every week. Richly spiced with curry powder and ginger, it’s so comforting for cold nights, yet so easy to put together.
Soups & Stews for Busy Weeknights
Nothing beats cozying up with a hot bowl of soup on a chilly weeknight. If you have any leftovers, you’re in luck. Save them for lunch the next day, or freeze them for an easy dinner on another night!
Dumpling Soup
Store-bought frozen dumplings are the not-so-secret ingredient in this takeout-inspired soup. I keep a bag in my freezer at all times so I can whip it up on weeknights!
Easy Vegetarian Chili
Serve it with tortilla chips or homemade cornbread for a pitch-perfect weeknight dinner.
Tortellini Soup
This tortellini soup is what weeknight dreams are made of. Chewy, cheesy tortellini and tender vegetables fill an aromatic broth. Add a scoop of kale pesto to take the whole thing over the top.
Tomato Soup
This comforting recipe calls for a handful of simple pantry ingredients. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich for an easy weeknight meal.
Curry Lentil Soup
This lentil soup is one of our favorites, and it’s a reader favorite, too! Curry spices, ginger, and fire-roasted tomatoes fill it with bold flavor.
Stuffed Veggies and Baked Potatoes
When I’m not sure what to cook for dinner, I start by taking stock of what vegetables I have on hand. If I’m lucky, I’ll find something like bell peppers, potatoes, or zucchini—a veggie that I can load up with a hearty filling and enjoy as a meal on its own.
Perfect Baked Potato
Full disclosure: a perfect baked potato takes an hour to cook. However, I still count it as weeknight-friendly. The process is entirely hands-off, so you can pop it in the oven, sit back, and relax! When your potato is tender, load it up with whatever fixings you like.
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Make this recipe when your garden is overflowing with zucchini, or whenever you’re craving something light, fresh, and bright. It’s surprisingly quick to make—you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
A spiced-up mix of rice, corn, and black beans fills these easy vegetarian stuffed peppers. Bake them with cheese on top, or, for a vegan variation, top them with a scoop of guacamole.
Sandwich and Burger Weeknight Dinner Ideas
Sometimes, good bread and fun fixings are all it takes to make a delicious weeknight dinner.
Easy Black Bean Burger
A homemade veggie burger that comes together in under 30 minutes?! I kid you not. This black bean burger is smoky, savory, and SO darn easy to make.
Caprese Sandwich
The combination of juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella simply can’t be beat. Sandwich them between slices of chewy focaccia with a handful of arugula for extra green.
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This bright and briny sandwich is perfect for nights when you don’t feel like cooking. Just whizz together the chickpea salad filling, then pile it onto bread with olives, crisp veggies, and fresh basil.
More Easy Weeknight Dinners
These easy recipes don’t fit into any category of weeknight dinners, but I still wanted to include them here. Fast, healthy, and delicious, they’re all worthy of a spot in your regular rotation.
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
This simple grain bowl is so much more than the sum of its parts. Spiced-up roasted chickpeas, pickled onions, and an easy garlic yogurt sauce pack it with bold, bright flavor.
Baked Feta
Cumin seeds add surprising, aromatic flavor to this comforting mix of chickpeas, marinara sauce, and melty feta cheese.
Niçoise Salad
If I could get away with it, I’d eat a Niçoise salad for dinner every night! To make this recipe especially quick to assemble, cook the hard-boiled eggs in advance. Unpeeled, they’ll keep in the fridge for several days.
Favorite Veggie Pizza
If you use store-bought pizza dough (or keep a stash of homemade pizza dough in the freezer!), pizza is an unbeatable kid-friendly weeknight dinner. My family loves this combination of veggie toppings, but feel free to swap in your favorites.
I tried the taco recipe and it was fantastic! The whole family loved it and it was super easy to make. Definitely adding this to our weeknight rotation!
So glad you loved the tacos!
So many great options here! Can’t wait to try the roasted vegetable pasta!
Hi Kelly, hope you enjoy!
So many great options here! Going to try the sesame crusted tofu first – looks delicious!
I love this website. I have been using this site for dinner every night. I don’t grocery shop anymore, I look up a recipe that I want to eat, go get the ingredients and make it. EVERY single ONE has been delicious and packed with flavor. I have been taking pictures of the food and posting on Facebook and everyone is just in awe. I look like a real culinary artist thanks to you!!
Love love this blog. Thank you for all your dedication and hard work.
thank you for all of these recipes! The feta bake especially, the feta’s a little over the line for my diet, but a smaller portion should be ok since all the rest is great
“Love & Lemon’s” has been the best discovery, ever! I find myself sharing it with all my family and friends. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did!!