Food Recipes Dinner 25 Fast, Satisfying Weekday Recipes These flavorful meals are ready in 45 minutes or less. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 12, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Cara Cormack Keeping weeknight dinners enticing can be a challenge, but not with these fast, flavorful recipes: Filling and nourishing, they all hit the table in 45 minutes or less. Try a tossed pasta such as gnocchi with chicken and kale or orecchiette with veal and rosemary; a big bowl of grains and vegetables or clams in a soppable broth; or creamy broccoli-potato soup or shrimp curry with rice. Whatever you're working with in the fridge this week, bookmark this collection of fast easy meals for when time is of the essence. 01 of 25 Spicy Tofu and Zucchini Stew Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Sommelier Annie Shi, co-owner of King in New York City, grew up going to Korean restaurants with her family. Memories of dishes like soondubu jjigae, a spicy Korean tofu stew, became inspiration for a quick and easy stew of tofu and vegetables that she makes for cozy weeknight dinners. Get the Recipe 02 of 25 Bacon Fat Fried Rice Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Rocco DiSpirito's Bacon Fat Fried Rice is finished in 40 minutes with jammy pineapple preserves and crisp fresh pineapple, which impart the savory bacon-flavored rice with a smoky sweetness and balanced acidity. Get the Recipe 03 of 25 Steamed Clams with Tomatoes and Basil Jen Causey Clams, white wine, jammy tomatoes, garlic, and herbs make an aromatic meal in a bowl with flavorful broth to sop up. Get the Recipe 04 of 25 Chicken Breasts with White Wine Pan Sauce with Crème Fraîche and Spring Herbs Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Andrea Slonecker's simple white wine pan sauce enriched with créme fraîche and a generous handful of tender fresh herbs turns pan-roasted chicken breasts into a special meal in 45 minutes. Get the Recipe 05 of 25 Spicy Eggplant and Zucchini Stir-Fry with Plant-Based Meat Photo by Ellen Mary Cronin / Food and prop styling by Radin+Croney Collective Similar in texture to ground beef with a rich, meaty flavor, plant-based crumbles are a perfect addition to quick-cooking stir-fries. Serve over brown or white rice for a fast and filling weeknight meal. Get the Recipe 06 of 25 Creamy Shrimp Curry with Coconut Milk Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster This shrimp curry recipe from Anna Theoktisto combines fresh curry leaves, warm spices, creamy coconut milk, and sweet shrimp for a weeknight one-pan meal. Get the Recipe 07 of 25 Miso Air Fryer Salmon With Baby Bok Choy Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Cooking salmon in the air fryer allows the miso marinade to form a salty-sweet crust on the surface of each fillet. While the salmon rests, you can quickly cook the bok choy in the air fryer; the edges of the leaves will char a bit, creating a savory contrast to the ginger, soy, and sesame oil sauce that goes on top. Get the Recipe 08 of 25 Lamb Loin Chops Sizzled with Garlic Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen If you've never cooked lamb chops, this recipe is a great place to start. It comes together in just 20 minutes, and delivers big, rich flavors from the lamb chop, the sizzled garlic, and the lemon, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes in the pan sauce. Get the Recipe 09 of 25 Ginataang Gulay (Filipino Vegetable Stew) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Gently stew seasonal vegetables in creamy coconut milk until just tender for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner. Get the Recipe 10 of 25 Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Ali Ramee Using an air fryer instead of frying in oil on the stovetop means crispy shrimp without any splatters to clean up afterwards. Serve the shrimp with rice for dinner with a side like baby bok choy sautéed in toasted sesame oil and fresh ginger. Get the Recipe 11 of 25 San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken) Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and rock sugar make the chicken in this classic Taiwanese dish tender and incredibly flavorful. Get the Recipe 12 of 25 Steak Diane Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Emeril Lagasse's retro recipe for Steak Diane features pounded filet mignon served with sautéed mushrooms in a buttery flambéed Cognac sauce — all in 22 minutes. Get the Recipe 13 of 25 Roasted Vegetable Grain Bowl with Chickpeas and Tahini-Ginger Dressing Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Sub in any grain, protein, or leafy green you have on hand for this satisfying bowl with a deliciously easy sesame-based dressing. Get the Recipe 14 of 25 Creamy Tomato Rigatoni Julia Hartbeck A judicious amount of heavy cream enriches this simple tomato sauce, producing a lush texture that clings to the pasta without blanketing richness for a special but not extravagant, 45-minute meal. Get the Recipe 15 of 25 Gnocchi with Roast Chicken, Bacon, and Kale Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Roast chicken, crispy bacon, tender kale, and sweet red onion are tossed with gnocchi and topped with lemon zest and Parmesan for this hearty meal. Get the Recipe 16 of 25 Broccoli and Potato Soup Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones The bright green broccoli florets floating on top of this hearty soup make it especially eye-catching, but it's the broccoli stems that do the real work. They're cooked with the potatoes and then pureed to form a creamy base. A final sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese gives the soup an extra savory touch. Get the Recipe 17 of 25 Chicken Katsu Cara Cormack Roy Choi's perfectly golden, crisp breaded and fried chicken cutlets make for an incredibly comforting dish with tonkatsu sauce, Dijon mustard, and steamed sushi rice. Get the Recipe 18 of 25 Maltagliati with Mushrooms and Pea Tendrils Greg Dupree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer Nutty porcini mushrooms absorb the slightly sweet sherry vinegar and pair perfectly with fresh and frilly pea tendrils in this pasta traditionally made from dough scraps. Get the Recipe 19 of 25 Longevity Noodles with Oyster, Shiitake, and Enoki Mushrooms Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen The longer the noodles the better to symbolize longevity in this spicy, savory dish, a must at Lucky Chow producer Danielle Chang's Lunar New Year feast. A mix of torn and sliced mushrooms (also a symbol of health and longevity) adds a variety of textures and a bite of umami to this quick-cooking dish. Get the Recipe 20 of 25 Tofu Pad Thai Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Earthy oyster and shiitake mushrooms combine beautifully with chewy noodles, golden-fried tofu, crisp bean sprouts, lightly spicy long red chiles, and crunchy peanuts in this 40-minute meal. Get the Recipe 21 of 25 Creamy Polenta with Burst Cherry Tomato–and–Red Wine Ragout Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen An easy addition to your weeknight rotation, creamy polenta is topped with savory garden tomato ragout that's laced with ribbons of hearty greens. Cooked with milk, it's a comforting vegetarian main. Get the Recipe 22 of 25 Seared Tuna with Soy and Red Chiles Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Soy sauce, sesame oil, scallion, garlic, and dried chiles are combined with chicken stock to make an intense and delicious sauce for 25-minute pan-seared tuna steak. Get the Recipe 23 of 25 Shrimp with Roasted Corn, Leeks, Tomatoes, and Basil Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Showcasing late-summer produce, this simple sauté is a perfect shoulder-season weeknight dinner. Marinating sweet cherry tomatoes in vinegar and salt tenderizes them and draws out their juices, creating a light sauce. Get the Recipe 24 of 25 King Trumpet Schnitzel with Mixed Herb Pesto Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kathleen Varner Here, king trumpet mushrooms get the schnitzel treatment. Double-breading them creates a crispy crust that stays crunchy even as they cook and release moisture. Black pepper and turmeric add a savory, bitter flavor to complement the mushrooms' earthiness, while fragrant Meyer lemon juice and nutty pecorino cheese amp up the herb-packed pesto. Get the Recipe 25 of 25 Orecchiette with Veal, Capers, and White Wine Diana Chistruga Tender veal ragù is flavored with white wine, capers, thyme, and rosemary, then tossed with little ear-shaped orecchiette. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit