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  6. Our 17 Best New Dinners That Are Ready in 20 Minutes or Less

Our 17 Best New Dinners That Are Ready in 20 Minutes or Less

July 07, 2021
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Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
Credit: Jason Donnelly

In just 20 minutes, you can make a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. These flavorful dinner recipes run the gamut, from tostadas to pasta to sandwiches. Pair recipes like our Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans and Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp with a simple side salad for a healthy meal that's on the table in record time.

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20-Minute Creamy Lemon-Feta Skillet Chicken

20-Minute Creamy Lemon-Feta Skillet Chicken
Credit: Brie Passano
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Quick-cooking chicken cutlets are smothered in a creamy sauce accented by briny feta cheese, lemon and fresh herbs in this ultra-fast one-skillet dinner.

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Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp

Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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Shrimp are coated in sweet heat thanks to hot honey and Sriracha. If you want to take the heat down a notch, use regular honey instead.

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10-Minute Tuna Melt

10-Minute Tuna Melt
Credit: Joy Howard
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This variation of a classic sandwich uses mayonnaise, but not where you think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make the sandwich golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo's place in the salad—along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions—for a satisfying lunch with less saturated fat.

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20-Minute Balsamic Mushroom & Spinach Pasta

20-Minute Balsamic Mushroom & Spinach Pasta
Credit: Antonis Achilleos
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This 20-minute veggie pasta dish is super savory, thanks to meaty mushrooms, while the natural sweetness from the balsamic vinegar, basil and pistachios brighten up this quick, healthy vegetarian dinner.

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Creamy Lemon Skillet Chicken

Creamy Lemon Skillet Chicken
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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This ultra-fast creamy lemon chicken is perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this family-friendly dinner with noodles (or zoodles, for a low-carb take) and roasted broccoli or green salad.

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Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans

Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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For a steak that's deliciously tender, flavorful and not too fatty, we reach for strip (also known as New York strip or shell steak). It has less than half the saturated fat of a rib-eye but is more tender than leaner sirloin. Here, we cook green beans in the same pan used to sear the spiced steak. All those delicious drippings add richness to the beans—plus there's one less pan to wash!

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Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas 
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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Grilling gives these shrimp tostadas a boost of smoky flavor. Skewering the shrimp prevents them from falling through the grates while getting even char on each side. If you have a grill basket, you can throw them in that instead; just make sure to get them into a single layer so they don't steam.

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Easy Tuna Cakes with Greens & Lemon Dressing

Easy Herby Tuna Cakes over Greens
Credit: Antonis Achilleos
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Dried herbs, white beans and canned tuna come together in these easy tuna cakes served over greens. A lemony dressing ties this quick dinner together.

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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Garlic Tomato Sauce

Chicken Cutlets with Garlicky Tomato Sauce
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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This quick-cooking, high-protein chicken dish is perfect for any weeknight. Here, we cook down cherry tomatoes with a little wine until they burst and become jammy—making a luscious sauce to pair with chicken. A pinch of sugar at the end balances the sauce's acidity.

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3-Ingredient Tortellini with Sausage & Kale

3-Ingredient Tortellini with Sausage & Kale
Credit: Photo by: Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.
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Precooked chicken sausage is a handy shortcut ingredient because it heats up quickly and adds lots of flavor without a lot of fuss. A roasted garlic variety pairs perfectly with cheese tortellini and sautéed leafy greens.

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Seared Barramundi with Olive-Herb Sauce

Seared Barramundi with Olive-Herb Sauce
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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Barramundi (aka Asian sea bass) is a mild white fish with a flaky texture and a respectable amount of omega-3s (830 mg per serving compared to 280 mg for cod and 180 mg for mahi-mahi). Most farmed barramundi is rated a Best Choice by Seafood Watch. Coating fish with a little cornstarch, as we do here, before searing it in a hot pan ensures you'll get a crispy exterior. Serve with roasted potatoes.

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Grilled Caprese Chicken

grilled-caprese-chicken.jpeg
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The topping of this caprese-like chicken gets nice and melty on the grill. While you're there, crisp up some crusty bread to serve alongside. It's great for soaking up all the flavorful juices left on your plate.

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Chicken Sausage & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

Chicken Sausage & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
Credit: Jamie Vespa
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This one-pan pasta combines tasty chicken sausage and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. It's a quick and easy weeknight dinner everyone is sure to love. This recipe is a variation on our Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan, which is a super-popular recipe developed by Devon O'Brien.

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Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Credit: Jamie Vespa
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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 shallots and the actual tomatoes help to add delicious flavor to the creamy sauce. Served with perfectly cooked salmon, you really can't go wrong with this easy 20-minute weeknight meal. This recipe is a variation on our insanely popular Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce recipe by Carolyn Malcoun.

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3-Ingredient Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostadas

3-Ingredient Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostadas
Credit: Sara Haas
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Making your own tostadas is easy. Use store-bought corn tortillas, brush them with olive oil and bake to crunchy perfection! Here we topped the tostada with refried beans and fresh pico de gallo for an easy 3-ingredient meal.

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Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce

Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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This quick-cooking scallop dish can be on the table in just 20 minutes. Packed with vegetables, protein and a flavorful sauce, it makes a great weeknight main for two. Petite carrots are harvested before they reach full maturity, making them thin and quick cooking. Snatch some up from the farmers' market early in the season.

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Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto
Credit: Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RD
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While the cauliflower gnocchi crisp up in a sauté pan, steam fresh asparagus in the microwave to keep it bright green and crisp-tender. Substitute frozen asparagus (or green beans or peas) in a pinch. Toss them together with prepared basil pesto for a satisfying supper.

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    1 of 17 20-Minute Creamy Lemon-Feta Skillet Chicken
    2 of 17 Hot Honey Grilled Shrimp
    3 of 17 10-Minute Tuna Melt
    4 of 17 20-Minute Balsamic Mushroom & Spinach Pasta
    5 of 17 Creamy Lemon Skillet Chicken
    6 of 17 Lemon-Garlic Steak & Green Beans
    7 of 17 Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
    8 of 17 Easy Tuna Cakes with Greens & Lemon Dressing
    9 of 17 20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Garlic Tomato Sauce
    10 of 17 3-Ingredient Tortellini with Sausage & Kale
    11 of 17 Seared Barramundi with Olive-Herb Sauce
    12 of 17 Grilled Caprese Chicken
    13 of 17 Chicken Sausage & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan
    14 of 17 Salmon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
    15 of 17 3-Ingredient Refried Bean & Pico de Gallo Tostadas
    16 of 17 Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce
    17 of 17 Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto

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