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20 Minute Dinner Ideas
Quick dinners built from pantry and freezer staples, mostly ready in about 20 minutes or less.
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Simply Delicious builds its quick dinners from four parts: a quick-cooking protein, an easy starch, a sauce and a no-cook vegetable. Its warning is worth remembering: if the starch takes 20 minutes, the meal does too, so pick one that matches the protein's speed. Some ideas here follow that formula, and others are parent favorites from a Mamapedia thread. They lean on pantry and freezer staples like tortillas, jarred sauce and rotisserie chicken. The list skips anything that needs overnight thawing, hard-to-find ingredients or a 30-minute bake.
Why these items are on the list
- Chicken tacos with pico de gallo. Seasoned chicken, quick pico and guacamole in a charred tortilla. Simply Delicious calls it a family favorite.
- Spicy tuna rice bowl. Microwave rice, tuna with mayo and sriracha, cucumber and edamame. Nothing to cook but the rice.
- Miso noodles with prawns. Simply Delicious sautés prawns two minutes a side, then stirs miso into the broth with ramen.
- Shakshuka with crusty bread. Simmer jarred tomato sauce, crack in eggs, and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
- Moroccan chicken couscous bowls. Simply Delicious says couscous needs just boiling water and 5 minutes, and the marinated chickpeas need no cooking.
- Chicken fried rice. Frozen rice, shredded rotisserie chicken and a splash of stir fry sauce. It's all pre-cooked, so you're just heating.
- Ground beef tacos or quesadillas. One parent mixes seasoning ahead and scoops out 2 tablespoons. Meat browns in 10 to 15 minutes.
- Chicken stir-fry with minute rice. Frozen veggies go in the microwave while the chicken cooks. One parent reports under 20 minutes, no overnight thawing.
- Rotisserie chicken with frozen veggies. Grab one on the way home. One parent finds it cheaper and healthier than restaurants.
- Veggie omelets. Eggs plus spinach, onions, cheese or diced sausage, whatever's around. One Mamapedia parent says dinner's ready in five minutes.
- Sheet pan nachos. One parent bakes chips, cheddar and beans at 350 for about 10 minutes. Toppings go on the table, self-serve.
- Pasta with quick tomato sauce. One Mamapedia parent cooks Annie's Eats' simple tomato sauce only as long as the pasta water takes to boil.
- Frozen meatballs, pasta and broccoli. One parent microwaves meatballs in sauce for 7 minutes while the pasta boils, with dinner on the table in 15.
- Chickpea veggie couscous. Saute onion, carrot and zucchini, add canned tomatoes and chickpeas. One parent says two pots, ready in 10 minutes.
- Leftovers free choice. Everyone picks what they want. Prep time is however long the microwave takes.
- Breakfast for dinner. Keep pre-diced potatoes on hand as a base, then add whatever else is in the fridge.
- Chicken and veggie quesadillas. Cooked chicken, peppers, onions and cheese between two tortillas, griddled until crisp outside.
- Hamburger hash with potatoes and peas. One parent browns a pound of beef, then adds onions, potatoes, peas and gravy sauce; done in about 20 minutes.
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup. A last-minute dinner doesn't have to be a full three-course meal.
Pull it up when you're standing at the fridge with no plan, and tick the one you're making. It's easy to hand to whoever's cooking tonight.
When to use it
Use it on a weeknight when the plan fell through and there's no time to prep.