Great 30 Minute Meals
These easy dinner recipes for families are perfect for busy weeknights! Here is a collection of weeknight 30 minute recipes your family will love!
Between work, school, after-school activities, and everything else on your plate, getting dinner on the table can feel like an impossible task. You’re tired, the kids are hungry, and you need something fast—but also something that actually tastes good. That’s where this list of 30-minute dinner recipes comes in!
I know the struggle because I’ve been there. You want homemade meals, but you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. You need quick, easy, and family-friendly recipes that actually fit into your busy life. That’s why I’ve rounded up my absolute best 30-minute meals—delicious, fuss-free recipes that come together fast, use simple ingredients, and won’t leave you with a mountain of dishes.
And if you love these recipes, you’ll definitely want to check out my Weeknight Winner eBook—a collection of 15 easy, globally inspired dinners that are kid-friendly, quick to make, and full of flavor!
Why you’ll love these 30-minute meals
- Fast & Easy – All recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less.
- Simple Ingredients – No hard-to-find or specialty items!
- Family-Approved – Kid-friendly flavors and balanced meals.
- Minimal Cleanup – No need to wash every dish in your kitchen.
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Lemon Ricotta Pasta Recipe
Lemon ricotta pasta is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is full of lemon flavor with a light and creamy sauce.
Check out this recipe
3
Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe
Fried rice with ham and pineapple is an easy weeknight recipe the whole family loves! Made with leftover ham, sweet pineapple, and fresh bell peppers, this flavorful sweet and savory meal is ready in 30 minutes!
Check out this recipe
4
Cheeseburger Salad Recipe
Cheeseburger Salad is just as delicious as a Big Mac but lighter and healthier! A great quick summer meal the whole family will love! Tons of crunchy romaine topped with all your favorite burger toppings, plus a special sauce dressing!
Check out this recipe
5
Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe
Egg Roll in a Bowl is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love. Filled with color and crunch from tons of veggies, protein from both pork and eggs, and great flavors and toppings to add more color and crunch, this bowl will satisfy every person at the table!
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6
Easy Beef Koftas Recipe
This Easy Beef Kofta Recipe is an easy 30 minute meal with tons of flavor. Gently spiced beef patties served with flatbread, hummus, crisp cucumbers and juicy tomatoes. Perfect for any weeknight – and your kids will love to eat dinner!
Check out this recipe
7
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe
This easy Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe is a great weeknight meal you can make with store-bought rotisserie chicken. Perfect for those super busy school-nights, this 5 ingredient, kid-friendly sandwich recipe will be loved by your whole family!
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8
Easy Tex-Mex Migas Recipe
Tex-Mex Migas are a great easy breakfast recipe that your family will love. Soft scrambled eggs cooked with salsa, plenty of cheese and a surprise crunch from tortilla chips, this breakfast bowl recipe is great any time of day.
Check out this recipe
9
Greek Meatballs and Lemon Orzo Skillet
This easy greek meatball skillet with lemon orzo is a great family friendly weeknight meal. Greek spiced beef meatballs are cooked with orzo, diced zucchini and tomatoes and sprinkled with fresh dill and fresh lemon juice. This 30 minute meal is flavorful and easy!
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10
Chimichurri Ground Beef and Rice Recipe
This easy one pot meal is perfect for the busy family that craves more flavor from their dinner! Perfect for families who are doing baby led weaning or with toddlers, this kid-friendly and nutritious meal is ready in 30 minutes!
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11
Easy 30 Minute Orange Chicken
This easy and healthy Orange Chicken is perfect for any weeknight dinner!
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12
Za’atar Chicken Skewers
Za'atar chicken skewers are an easy and flavorful meal the whole family will love. Chicken thighs are coated in a spiced marinade and then grilled (or broiled) to perfection. A quick weeknight meal!
Check out this recipe
13
Chicken Chili Mac and Cheese
This easy one pot stovetop macaroni and cheese with chickena nd green chili peppers is a perfectly delicious, comforting meal the whole family will love!
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14
Grilled Tandoori Chicken
Grilled tandoori chicken is a twist on the traditional Indian roasted chicken recipe. These grilled chicken thighs are juicy, flavorful, and easy to make!
15
Ground Pork Tacos Recipe
These ground pork tacos are a simple and easy weeknight meal wtih tons of flavor!
Check out this recipe
16
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza
Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza is a delicious and easy weeknight dinner! Pizza crust is topped with your favorite barbeque sauce, chopped chicken, sweet pineapple, red onion, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese before being cooked to perfection.
Check out this recipe
17
Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Thai chicken satay skewers are an easy and flavorful weeknight meal that the whole family will love. Marinated chicken is threaded onto skewers before being grilled or broiled to get that nice char. Then served with a flavorful homemade peanut dipping sauce.
Check out this recipe
18
Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Zucchini Kabobs
These easy chicken and zucchini kabobs with lemon rosemary marinade are an easy and family friendly weeknight meal. Lemon Rosemary Chicken is grilled to perfection with tender coins of zucchini.
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19
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
This easy chicken recipe is perfect for any night of the week. Easy and delicious!
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20
Greek Chicken Meatballs
Greek chicken meatballs are an easy but flavorful meal the whole family will love! Tender meatballs made from ground chicken are flavored with spices, dill, mint, red onion and lemon zest before being cooked to perfection.
Check out this recipe
21
Thai Basil Chicken
This Thai Basil Chicken is quick, easy, and flavorful! A perfect weeknight meal.
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22
30 Minute Korean Bulgogi Beef Bowls
This easy 30 Minute Korean Bulgolgi Beef Bowl is packed with fresh ingredients and bold flavors, while still being kid-friendly and quick enough for any weeknight!
Check out this recipe
23
Easy Shakshuka Recipe
Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern meal that is egg-cellent. Eggs poached in a tomato sauce & topped with crumbled feta, cilantro, & served with crusty bread.
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24
Thai Turkey Zucchini Meatballs
These Thai Zucchini Meatballs are a great weeknight meal with lots of flavor, but healthy, too! These meatballs are kid friendly!
Check out this recipe
25
Meatloaf Meatballs
These easy and delicious meatballs make your grandma’s meatloaf recipe into the best weeknight dinner your family could eat! Tender, flavorful meatballs with a classic meatloaf sauce on top and baked in the oven – these meatloaf meatballs are ready in 30 minutes!
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26
German Pork Schnitzel
Crispy pork schnitzel is an easy and delicious weeknight meal the kids will love! Boneless pork chops pounded thin and breaded before frying to ultra crispiness.
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27
Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Beef stroganoff made with ground beef is an easy and quick weeknight meal that has serious comfort power!
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28
Alfredo Sauce with Milk
Whole milk gives this homemade alfredo sauce a rich and creamy taste without using heavy cream. This sauce is easy to make, perfect for beginner chefs, and great for weeknights!
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29
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas are a flavorful and easy meal the whole family will love. Corn tortillas are stuffed with chicken, cheese and sour cream and topped with a quick homemade green chili enchilada sauce.
Check out this recipe
30
Air Fryer Tilapia Recipe
This easy tilapia in the air fryer is a great weeknight meal that is ready in 15 minutes! A perfect kid friendly seafood recipe, tilapia is mild and delicate and perfect for busy weeknights!
Check out this recipe
Make dinner easier with my Weeknight Winner eBook!
If you’re tired of the “what’s for dinner?” struggle, my Weeknight Winner eBook is here to help! It’s packed with 15 quick, delicious, and family-friendly meals that make busy weeknights easier. No complicated steps, no fussy ingredients—just easy, flavorful dinners your whole family will love.
📖 What’s Inside:
- 15 easy, 30-minute recipes
- Globally inspired flavors with kid-friendly twists
- Simple ingredients & minimal prep
- Printable shopping lists to make meal planning effortless
Need more recipe inspiration? Try these other roundups:
- The Best Weeknight Slow Cooker Meals – These easy and family friendly slow cooker recipes are exactly what your busy weeknight need! Easy “dump and go” recipes with easy ingredients, tons of flavor, and exactly what you need in an easy dinner!
- Best Ground Meat Recipes – These weeknight and kid-friendly recipes feature ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken and ground lamb so you will always hav a great idea of what to do for dinner!
- Cast Iron Skillet Recipes – These easy one pan recipes are perfect for your cast iron skillet! Perfect for busy families who crave flavor and ease, these dinners deliver!
Nice round-up!
All of these look so good! Pinning so I have healthy recipes for the new year.
Fantastic roundup! Full of inspiration for busy weeknights. Thanks for including my One Pot Pasta!
I DID just pin this to Pinterest and am currently sipping on some peppermint & nettles tea (no wine right now). Can’t wait to look back over it for dinner inspiration. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. 🙂
Loving this list! SO many great things to try!
So many great ideas! Love these!
I love, love, love this roundup! Many thanks!
Great roundup!!!
Such a good variety of meals, will have to try some of these!
Holy cow! You’ve covered so many meals, I hardly know where to start. Crockpot-pasta-rice- one pot. All great tasting, easy meals for busy people who like good food! Well done.
I am hungry now!! Great round-up
Great recipes! Pinned 🙂
Great collection of recipes!
I’m definitely bookmarking this for future reference; I’m so bad at getting stuck in a rut with weeknight meals! Love that they’re all organised into pasta, rice etc. too; makes it much easier to pick something you want to try!
These sounds really good and healthy. I’d love to try these ones… Yum!!!
I love easy weeknight meals, this is a wonderful collection! Thanks for the great recipes!