Healthy Recipes Healthy Cooking Methods & Styles Quick & Easy Healthy Recipes Healthy, Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes 24 Fast & Easy Dinners When You're Too Tired to Cook By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 8, 2020 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Sometimes, you're just too tired to cook dinner, and we can relate to that. But takeout isn't always an option, so we've pulled together these fast and easy dinners to make life a little simpler. These dinners take just 20 minutes to make and have three steps or less, so it'll barely feel like cooking (and you can always leave the dishes to tomorrow). Recipes like Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta and Beefless Vegan Tacos are delicious and a great option for those lazy nights. 01 of 24 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets & Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Tomato Sauce View Recipe This low-carb chicken dinner whips up in only 20 minutes, thanks to thin-cut chicken breast and packaged zucchini noodles. If you have a spiralizer and want to make your own zucchini noodles, use two medium zucchini. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020 02 of 24 Crispy Gnocchi Pasta with Tomatoes & Leeks View Recipe These gnocchi are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside because you sauté them in hot oil. Plus, they leave a little fond (crispy brown bits) in the pan that adds toasty flavor to the tomato and leek sauce, which is cooked in the same pan. Since this easy gnocchi recipe calls for store-bought shelf-stable gnocchi, it's quick to prepare--just 20 minutes, start to finish. Opt for whole-wheat gnocchi to get 2 extra grams of fiber per serving compared to white. This easy and healthy dinner is easy to customize too: see Tips for variations with shrimp, pesto instead of butter, and pork chops instead of gnocchi. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019 03 of 24 BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous View Recipe In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019 04 of 24 Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta View Recipe If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare. Source: EatingWell.com, September 2019 05 of 24 Mussels with White Beans & Tomatoes View Recipe Cooking mussels may seem intimidating, but here we've made it quick and easy. We've added white beans to turn this classic mussels-in-white-wine-sauce dish into a heartier weeknight meal. Serve with whole-grain crusty bread to sop up the flavorful broth. Source: EatingWell Magazine, December 2019 06 of 24 Chicken Cutlets with Artichokes & Lemon-Dill Sauce View Recipe You won't want to let a drop of this creamy lemon sauce go to waste. Serve with rice pilaf or roasted potatoes to soak it all up. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2020 07 of 24 Sesame Instant Ramen Noodles with Broccoli & Soft-Boiled Egg View Recipe Jazz up basic ramen noodles with toasted sesame oil, quick-cooked broccoli and a jammy soft-boiled egg. To cut back on sodium, look for ramen varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2020 08 of 24 20-Minute Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet View Recipe Jason Donnelly Chicken cutlets cook quickly and are highlighted with a creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. Serve it with whole-wheat pasta or rice to make it a meal. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2020 09 of 24 Coconut Shrimp Curry with Instant Ramen Noodles View Recipe A splash of coconut milk and some curry powder elevate ordinary ramen soup into a memorable bowl of noodles. Add protein with cooked shrimp or cubed tofu and a pop of freshness with cilantro and lime juice. To cut back on sodium, look for ramen varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2020 10 of 24 Beefless Vegan Tacos View Recipe Take taco night in a new direction with these healthy vegan tacos. We've swapped crumbled tofu for the ground beef, without sacrificing any of the savory seasonings you expect in a taco. You can also use the filling in burritos, bowls, taco salads and to top nachos. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2019 11 of 24 Chicken & Veggie Quesadilla View Recipe This easy quesadilla recipe uses canned cooked chicken to save time. You can also use leftover cooked chicken or turkey if you have it. Dice the vegetables up to 1 day ahead for even speedier prep. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Summer 2020 12 of 24 Build-Your-Own Grilled Cheese View Recipe It's called a grilled cheese, so why not make it on the grill? Multiply this recipe by the number of people you're serving, then set out all the toppings and let everyone make their own creations. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July / August 2020 13 of 24 Pasta e Fagioli with Instant Ramen Noodles View Recipe Quick sautéed vegetables, canned tomatoes, dried oregano and canned beans transform ramen noodle soup mix into this classic Italian favorite in minutes. To cut back on sodium, look for ramen varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2020 14 of 24 Creamy Spinach Pasta View Recipe This might be one of the creamiest light pasta dishes you've ever had! The mascarpone cheese adds a richness to the spinach pasta that's unexpected--especially in a healthy pasta recipe. Source: 400 Calorie Recipes 15 of 24 Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry with Spinach View Recipe This stir-fry recipe calls for buying shrimp that's already peeled and deveined, which saves you about 10 minutes of prep time. Want this on the milder side? Swap ketchup for the chili-garlic sauce. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April 2020 16 of 24 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce View Recipe Serve these quick chicken cutlets with creamy pesto sauce over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2020 17 of 24 Spinach, Lima Bean & Crispy Pancetta Pasta View Recipe We opt for fresh spinach pasta here--it cooks quickly and adds a pop of color. Cooking lima beans in pancetta drippings infuses them with flavor. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March 2020 18 of 24 Black Bean-Cauliflower "Rice" Bowl View Recipe This aromatic cauliflower rice bowl comes together in minutes and is a simple meal for one. Using frozen riced cauliflower instead of rice keeps the carbs in check--and makes for quicker prep. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2020 19 of 24 Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta View Recipe In this quick 20-minute dinner recipe, tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal. This recipe was graciously shared by EatingWell reader Dottie Carpenter, who states, "Recipes are no good if they're not shared!" Source: EatingWell.com, March 2020 20 of 24 Egg Drop Soup with Instant Noodles, Spinach & Scallions View Recipe Whisking a beaten egg into simmering broth is a quick and easy way to add creaminess and protein to noodle soup mix. Add freshness with a handful of baby spinach at the end. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 2 and use the whole package of noodles. To cut back on sodium, look for noodle varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2020 21 of 24 Gluten-Free Teriyaki Chicken with Broccoli View Recipe Everyone loves teriyaki chicken--and this one is better for you with much less added sugar. It's also gluten-free so long as you use tamari (aka gluten-free soy sauce). Feel free to swap out the broccoli for any veggie--carrots, snow peas, green beans--that you have on hand. Source: EatingWell.com, September 2019 22 of 24 Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes View Recipe Looking for a new way to turn a bag of frozen cheese ravioli into a satisfying and healthy dinner? This easy pasta recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019 23 of 24 Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry with Green Pepper, Pineapple & Bacon View Recipe This sweet, spicy and super-easy shrimp-and-vegetable stir-fry starts with a very small amount of bacon in the wok, which creates drippings that add tons of smoky flavor to the vegetables and shrimp that go in next. Keep the salt in check by using reduced-sodium tamari sauce. To complete this easy healthy dinner, add cooked brown rice. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April 2019 24 of 24 Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes View Recipe Take taco night to a new level with sweet potato taco "shells." Tender sweet potatoes pair perfectly with spicy taco meat, creamy cheese and crisp lettuce. Let everyone customize their taco potato with their favorite toppings. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2019 Was this page helpful? 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