Healthy Cooking Methods & Styles Quick & Easy Healthy Recipes Healthy, Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes Healthy 20-Minute Dinner Recipes The Top 20-Minute Dinner Recipes of 2020 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 December 24, 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 We're celebrating the end of 2020 with our top dinner recipes. And while there are endless delicious ideas to choose from, we pulled together the dinners that can be made in 20 minutes because, well, 2020. Recipes like Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Creamy Spinach Pasta are quick, delicious and the perfect way to close out the year. 01 of 20 Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce View Recipe Though a chicken cutlet may be a chicken breast cut in half, this recipe shows how to make chicken cutlets with double the deliciousness. A jar of sun-dried tomatoes does double duty for this healthy dinner recipe. The flavorful oil they're packed in is used to sauté the chicken, and the tomatoes go into the cream sauce. 02 of 20 Panko- & Parmesan-Crusted Baked Scallops View Recipe These easy baked scallops have a delightful balance of crunchy, golden-brown topping and tender, sweet scallops. They feel decadent like scallops should, thanks to the tasty lemon-butter sauce. Look for uniform scallops; if they're particularly large, you might need to bake them for more than 10 minutes. 03 of 20 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. 04 of 20 Easy Spicy Salmon Cakes View Recipe Looking to add some interest to an easy dinner recipe? Five-spice may be your new best friend. What is five-spice powder? A mixture of these five spices: cinnamon, clove, fennel, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. (There are regional recipes in China that include more spices, including white pepper, nutmeg and orange peel.) It adds a distinct warm flavor to these healthy salmon cakes. 05 of 20 Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts View Recipe Sweet strawberries, salty feta and crunchy walnuts jazz up a simple spinach salad. The balsamic vinaigrette is incredibly easy; fresh shallots add more zip than you'll find in any commercial dressing. 06 of 20 Mexican Cabbage Soup View Recipe Based on a popular weight-loss plan, this healthy cabbage soup recipe gets tons of flavor and a metabolism-boosting kick from spicy chiles. 07 of 20 Air-Fryer Scallops View Recipe A quick and impressive dinner, scallops turn succulent and tender in the air fryer. The lemon-herb sauce is the perfect way to bring zest to each bite. Be sure to cook the scallops to temperature. They may not brown in the fryer, so don't wait for a golden crust to tell you they're ready. 08 of 20 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. 09 of 20 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. 10 of 20 Grilled Red Snapper View Recipe This simple grilled snapper has clean flavors and a nice char flavor from the grill. It's well seasoned but not overly spicy. Serve along with grilled veggies or a fresh green salad to make it a meal. 11 of 20 Easy Italian Wedding Soup View Recipe Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling. 12 of 20 Chickpea Curry (Chhole) View Recipe Made with convenient canned beans, this quick and healthy Indian recipe is an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want an additional vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower florets. Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan. 13 of 20 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. 14 of 20 Lemon-Garlic Marinated Shrimp View Recipe Marinating precooked shrimp in garlic- and lemon-infused oil is a simple yet elegant appetizer. 15 of 20 Flat-Belly Salad View Recipe This salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together. 16 of 20 Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce View Recipe Serve these saucy, ultra-quick chicken cutlets over your favorite pasta. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite. 17 of 20 Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry View Recipe To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end. 18 of 20 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. 19 of 20 Spicy Shrimp Tacos View Recipe These spicy shrimp tacos owe their kick to a smoky chipotle shrimp seasoning blend. Cooling avocado and tangy pico de gallo round out the flavor. This vibrant, easy dinner comes together in a flash, making it perfect for busy weeknights. 20 of 20 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!" Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit