71 Weeknight Dinner Ideas to Keep in Your Back Pocket
Saturdays and Sundays are good for cozy cooking projects, but the best weeknight dinner ideas deliver maximum flavor for every single minute of prep. We’re talking sheet-pan meals, speedy and flavorful stir-fries, hearty salads, and foolproof, hands-off fish dishes. And because part of what’s exhausting about meal planning is figuring out what you want to eat and finding new easy dinners to cook, we’ve gathered a list of 71 weeknight-friendly favorites below. Scroll down for quick vegetarian options, low-fuss pastas, comforting chicken dinners, and simple soups. Save your favorites in the Epi iOS app and get cooking.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell1/71Double-the-Mustard Chicken With Potatoes and Greens
There’s no rule that chicken dinner recipes need to be boring. Meet your new favorite: whole chicken legs marinated with zippy Dijon mustard and honey and paired with roasted potatoes and crisp greens. It’s one of those weeknight dinner ideas that you'll find yourself coming back to every time you’re trying to plan ahead.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton2/71Simple Turkey Chili With All the Toppings
This easy chili skips the ground beef and uses ground turkey instead, which helps the flavors of cumin, coriander, jalapeño, and smoked paprika come through clearly. Top with creamy avocado, sour cream, and cilantro, or just crumbled tortilla chips and lime wedges.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert3/71Chicken Fajitas
The quick citrusy marinade here doesn't require much time. Just be sure to pat your meat dry before you cook it.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson4/71Sheet-Pan Chicken With Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell5/7115-Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta
This pasta dish is a perpetual favorite of Epicurious readers—in fact, it's one of our most popular pasta recipes of all time. All you need is a pound of pasta, some olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, ground bllack pepper, Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, and a pinch of sugar to balance the sauce.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich6/71Pulled Mushroom Tacos With Salsa Guille
Taco night just got better. These vegetarian tacos feature crispy pulled mushrooms, creamy, savory peanut butter and serrano salsa. Active prep time is just 30 minutes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne8/71Easy Fried Rice
Where would we be without fried rice? This takeout staple is a great way to use up any little bits of vegetables or meat that you have in your fridge. It's a 30-minute meal that always tastes great.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton9/71Three-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
This beloved Taiwanese classic gets its name from generous amounts of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. You'll want to cook some rice to eat with the chicken.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kate Buckens10/71Caramelized Onion Pasta
Channel the flavors of French onion soup into a highly comforting bowl of pasta.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich11/71Double-Stack Mushroom and Chicken Cheeseburgers
For juicy, flavorful chicken burgers, mix the ground chicken with mushrooms for added earthy flavor and moisture. Grill and finish them off with gooey Muenster, shredded lettuce, sweet pickles, and curry mustard.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson12/71Sheet-Pan Old Bay Trout and Succotash
Change up your sheet-pan dinner game with this easy one-pan supper. Just steam a mixture of corn, green beans, and tomatoes in a foil pouch alongside butterflied trout that's been seasoned with Old Bay.
