35 Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights (2024)

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken is a perfect easy dinner recipe, especially if you're looking for a simple summer grilled chicken recipe.

The chicken tenderloins are marinaded in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary and lemon juice, then quickly cooked on a hot grill. So good and so easy!

Save this recipe for Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken to Pinterest!

These Asian Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps are loaded with vegetables and lean protein, not to mention flavor. I love that this easy dinner recipe is healthy, tasty, and fast to prepare!

The addition of some jasmine rice is the perfect way to turn this delicious appetizer into a quick weeknight meal.

If you’re aiming for health conscious you can substitute brown rice for the jasmine rice, but I personally love the flavor and scent the jasmine rice brings to the dish.

With the soft rice, crunchy water chestnuts, crisp bell pepper, salty marinade, and sweet, juicy mandarin oranges, I can’t think of anything that’s missing from the ingredient list.

Save this recipe for Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps to Pinterest!

Crock Pot Mexican Chicken is the perfect shredded chicken recipe for your next Mexican recipe and a staple easy dinner recipe in our house. Packed with flavor and super tender thanks to hours in the crock pot, this recipe is sure to please!

Simple tacos nights are fast and easy to prepare when you have this chicken on hand. Stuff your favorite tortillas with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, and this easy Crock Pot Mexican Chicken.

Save this recipe for Shredded Tex-Mex Crock-Pot Chicken to Pinterest!

Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet is a super easy dinner recipe for busy school nights. It features pan seared chicken tenderloins, zucchini and sliced mushrooms in garlicky herbed tomato sauce. Serve it with a side of your favorite pasta to complete the meal.

Save this recipe for Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet to Pinterest!

This Baked Honey Mustard Chicken is one of our favorite easy dinner recipes to make, and one of the most popular simple dinner recipe ideas on this website. Chicken Tenderloins are baked in a sweet and savory honey mustard sauce with sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Save this recipe for Baked Honey Mustard Chicken to Pinterest!

We’ve combined two of our recent dinner time favorites – Chicken Enchiladas and Chili – into this new recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Chili. You'll love this easy chili recipe when you're looking for a simple dinner recipe that is hearty!

Tender chunks of chicken, black beans, diced tomatoes, and corn simmer in a creamy, cheesy, enchilada flavored chili base for a creative take on a bowl of chili.

Save this recipe for Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Chili to Pinterest!

Easy Chili Marmalade Baked Chicken is a sweet and spicy simple Asian inspired chicken recipe for dinner. Serve it with rice or quinoa and a side of your favorite veggies for a simple dinner recipe.

This recipe assembles in less than 10 minutes and is largely hands-off. Perfect for crazy evenings!

Save this recipe for Easy Chili Marmalade Baked Chicken to Pinterest!

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Chicken Lettuce Wraps are perfect for satisfying your next Taco Tuesday craving.

The chicken has a lighter, leaner flavor than the beef we typically buy for tacos. Inside the butter lettuce leaves, we added the ground chicken along with black beans and roasted sweet potatoes.

You can keep this easy dinner recipe just at that, or you can customize it by adding some additional toppings, like: diced red bell pepper, sliced green onion, roasted corn, cheese, and 5 Minute Basic Guacamole, which I let the kids whip up together.

Save this recipe for Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Chicken Lettuce Wraps to Pinterest!

This Bruschetta Chicken is a great example of a recipe that is simple and fast. I built upon a foundation I knew was popular in our house: chicken breast cooked in a simple blend of olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar and added a new taste twist with the tomato-basil “bruschetta” topping.

This chicken is very versatile–you can serve it with pasta, roasted potatoes, garlic toast, etc. Or, you can add a nice salad, steamed veggies, or some fruit.

For little ones, it is easy to serve the chicken cut up into pieces, and the tomato-basil topping on the side, making this recipe one that a family of all ages would enjoy.

Save this recipe for Bruschetta Chicken to Pinterest!

Easy One Skillet Baked Ziti is the perfect, easy comforting pasta dish - and baking it in a single skillet makes for quick preparation and very minimal clean up. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!

Don't have all the exact ingredients for this easy dinner recipe? No worries! I have tons of ideas for adapting it using ingredients you have on hand to make different variations of this simple dinner recipe.

Serve this with a simple green salad. We like Caesar Salad or this Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad. You can assemble either while the ziti bakes.

Save this Easy One Skillet Baked Ziti to Pinterest!

This super simple version of one pot pasta features fresh spinach and sun dried tomatoes for a pop of flavor and color.

Mix it up by adding the protein of your choice – Italian Sausage or Grilled Chicken are both great options! – or keep it as a simple meatless dinner recipe option.

Save this One Pot Pasta: Sundried Tomato Spinach to Pinterest!

This recipe for Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Noodles is completely perfect for a busy, chilly evening. It takes no time at all to prepare and it absolutely hit the spot as simple comfort food.

Best of all it is an easy one pot meal because there is plenty of protein, veggies, and pasta all mixed in. But, if you like, you can always serve this with an additional vegetable or salad on the side.

Save this Slow Cooker Italian Chicken and Noodles to Pinterest!

For days when the plans are thrown by the wayside I like to have a few easy pantry meals, like this Easy Tomato Florentine Soup, up my sleeve.

It's loaded with diced tomatoes, spinach, and plenty of onion in garlic in a tasty broth with pasta (use whatever shape you like!). If meatless isn't your thing, add in some Italian Sausage for a heartier meal.

It’s a comforting thing to still be able to put a healthy, enjoyable easy meal on the table at dinner time even if other aspects of the day have been crazy.

Save this Easy Tomato Florentine Soup Recipe to Pinterest!

It’s not health food, but this Pasta Alfredo with Broccoli and Mushroomsis a lightened version of a favorite and with the added vegetables and whole wheat pasta it feels a little less indulgent.

Maybe it’s a special occasion and you want to fancy it up a bit more, I think that some sliced Italian sausage would be a really tasty addition to the meal. We love this easy pasta recipe!

Save this recipe for Pasta Alfredo with Broccoli and Mushrooms to Pinterest!

Butternut Squash Sage Bacon Mac n Cheese features penne covered in a creamy, rich sauce of pureed butternut squash, parmesan and sharp white cheddar with bacon and fresh sage.

Omit the bacon if you'd like this to be vegetarian friendly or want to eliminate one of the steps to make this easy dinner recipe even faster to prepare.

Save this recipe for Butternut Squash Sage Bacon Mac n Cheese to Pinterest!

A simple, just-spicy-enough arrabbiata sauce you can make from pantry ingredients. Serve it over pasta - and shape you like will do just fine - for a super quick meal.

On the side, we like to serve a salad. Caesar Salad or this Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad both go great.

Quick salad assembly tip: prep the individual components ahead of time, but don't assemble and toss with dressing until just before serving.

Save this recipe for Arrabbiata Sauce and Pasta to Pinterest!

In this recipe for Southwestern Black Bean Pasta, pasta is tossed with a southwestern flavored tomato saute, onions, bell pepper, and plenty of black beans.

This simple vegetarian black bean pasta dish only takes a few minutes to prepare and uses mostly pantry ingredients. This is a great easy dinner to use as a base to add leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken to if you don't want to go meatless. I like to top it with Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese.

Save this recipe for Southwestern Black Bean Pasta to Pinterest!

Next time you’re craving Pork Carnitas, try this Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wrap version. Top it off with some fruity Mango Salsa for a fresh burst of flavor.

The Mango Salsa can be prepped ahead of time and the shredded pork stores well in the freezer if you like to keep extra on hand for later meals. Prepping elements of multi part meals ahead of time makes easy dinner recipes even faster to prepare on your busy days.

Fresh, summertime vegetables are tossed in pesto and balsamic and cooked with boneless pork chops in this makeover version of the classic foil dinners from childhood. If you don't have time to make homemade pesto, store-bought will do.

Tip: if you make pesto, prepare extra and freeze in sandwich size zip top bags or ice cube trays to use in future recipes. This saves tons of time and makes this easy dinner recipe much quicker to prepare!

When you account for ordering and driving time, this homemade Chinese Beef Broccoli is actually quicker to prepare at home than it is to order takeout. And, it's usually a healthier option.

Make this recipe even quicker by purchasing already cut and trimmed broccoli florets and thinly sliced stir-fry meat if you can find that. I love that this easy dinner recipe is actually faster to prepare than it is to drive to and from picking up Chinese takeout.

Serve with brown or white rice.

This isn’t a complicated, fancy chili. Beefy Kidney Bean Chili is delicious in its simplicity and pairs perfectly with a side of Corn Bread Muffins. I think it is also the perfect chili flavor for a loaded up chili dog or loaded baked potato (you can even bake a potato fast!) should you be in the mood.

You can prepare this in the morning and let it simmer all day. It also stores incredibly well in the freezer, so make make a double batch and save yourself some work on a future meal!

For an easy dinner idea make loaded baked potatoes with this chili! Check out my recipe for perfect baked potatoes and plenty of time saving tips!

Another easy Chinese Take Out at Home recipe is this Gingered Skirt Steak with Snow Peas, Mushrooms, and Red Bell Pepper.

Don't like those veggies? Swap them out for whatever you prefer.

Kids who have learned safe knife skills in the kitchen can help out by preparing the veggies, or take the shortcut of purchasing already sliced peppers and mushrooms.

Serve with white or brown rice.

Chuck roast is cooked until tender with garlic, herbs, and plenty of tomatoes in thisInstant Pot Italian Beef Ragu with Pappardelle for a delicious and hearty family pasta night recipe.

Don't have an Instant Pot yet? They're worth investing in. Think Crock Pot on Steroids...large cuts of meat cook tender in a fraction of the time that it takes to use a slow cooker. It makes easy dinner recipes so much faster to prepare!

In this Slow Cooker French Dip Panini Recipe, Classic French Dip Sandwiches are converted to a Panini Recipe, crispy sourdough bread being the perfect medium to soak up the delicious au jus.

I love how easy this dinner recipe is to assemble once you've cooked the meat. Serve it with a side of roasted broccoli.

Consider these Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers an updated version of that classic recipe that so many of us love. Swap out the rice for nutrient rich quinoa, the ground beef for black beans (for fiber and protein) and add some extra vegetables for color, flavor, and texture.

These peppers have so much flavor and color. I love them! These Stuffed Bell Peppers are full of healthy vegetables and protein (you can thank the quinoa and cheese for that) and a little heat from the pepper jack and poblano.

It is a great vegetarian meal that proves meatless doesn’t have to be boring.

This Vegetarian Pizza is loaded with bell peppers, olives, onions, and even more fresh veggies! The mixture of salty feta and creamy mozzarella really make this veggie pizza.

Prep all of the vegetables ahead of time or enlist family members to help with the chopping and you'll be amazed at what an easy dinner recipe homemade pizza becomes!

Time saving tip: purchase already prepared pizza dough that is ready to roll and bake if you don't have time to make you're own. Most grocery stores have various options in the refrigerated and freezer sections. Or, bake this pizza on already cooked flabread.

You definitely have to try these Sesame Noodles. It is such a fast meal to prepare! They are even better if you can make them earlier in the day and allow the veggies and noodles to marinade in the sauce.

For an extra time saving tip, purchase pre-cut matchstick carrots to make this recipe even quicker to prepare. If you’re willing to put a little more effort into it (and not worried about going meatless), I have a hunch that this Lemongrass Shrimp would be delicious tossed in.