Best Quick Dinners
20 weeknight dinners whose listed prep plus cook time is 30 minutes or less — chicken, seafood, beef, pork, pasta, stir-fries, sheet-pan and one-pot mains. Perfect when you walk in at 6pm and need something on the table by 6:30. Sort by category or cuisine.
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Spicy Salsa Chicken Skillet with Black Beans and Corn
A quick, one-skillet dinner featuring tender chicken breasts simmered in a smoky salsa sauce with black beans and sweet corn.
- 2
Chorreadas Sweet Corn Pancakes with Natilla
Rustic Costa Rican pancakes made from fresh blended sweet corn, lightly sweetened and griddled until golden, then topped with cool, tangy natilla.
- 3
Crispy Patacones with Garlicky Black Bean Dip
Twice-fried green plantain rounds, smashed flat and salted, served with a smoky black bean dip made with garlic, cumin and Salsa Lizano.
- 4
Ceviche Tico with Sea Bass and Sweet Peppers
Costa Rican-style ceviche of sea bass cured in lime juice with finely chopped red and yellow sweet peppers, onion and cilantro, served with soda crackers or patacones.
- 5
Sopa Negra with Poached Egg and Fresh Cilantro
A silky Costa Rican black bean soup simmered with onion, sweet pepper and culantro, then finished with a soft-poached egg in each bowl.
- 6
Casado with Achiote-Grilled Chicken and Sweet Plantains
A classic Tico lunch plate with achiote-marinated grilled chicken thighs, white rice, black beans, caramelized ripe plantains and a crisp cabbage-tomato salad.
- 7
Gallo Pinto with Salsa Lizano and Fried Eggs
Costa Rica's breakfast staple: day-old rice and black beans fried with onion, sweet pepper and cilantro, then seasoned with tangy Salsa Lizano.
- 8
Tabbouleh Halabi with Extra Parsley, Pomegranate and Aleppo Pepper
An Aleppo-style tabbouleh that's mostly parsley, with fine bulgur, ripe tomatoes, mint and green onion dressed in lemon, olive oil and a touch of pomegranate molasses and Aleppo…
- 9
Steamed Haddock with Brown Butter, Capers and Hazelnuts
Gently steamed haddock fillets are spooned over with nutty brown butter, crisp capers and toasted hazelnuts. They are served with steamed greens and boiled potatoes.
- 10
Fattoush with Sumac and Toasted Pita
A crisp Syrian bread salad of cucumber, tomato, radish and purslane, tossed with olive-oil-toasted pita and a tangy sumac and pomegranate molasses dressing.
- 11
Skyr-Marinated Salmon with Cucumber Ribbons and Dill
Salmon fillets are marinated in tangy skyr with lemon and garlic, roasted until just set, and served with a cool pickled cucumber and dill salad.
- 12
Riguas Corn Cakes with Salvadoran Crema and Queso Fresco
Fresh-corn cakes griddled in plantain or banana leaves until caramelized and crisp-edged, served hot with cool crema and crumbled queso fresco.
- 13
Casamiento Rice and Beans with Fried Eggs and Sweet Plantains
Day-old rice fried with red beans, onion and bell pepper until toasty, served with sunny-side-up eggs, ripe plantain slices and crema for a fast, filling Salvadoran plate.
- 14
Chivito Steak Sandwich with Ham, Fried Egg and Mozzarella
Uruguay's national sandwich: a thin, quickly seared beef tenderloin steak in a soft roll, stacked with ham, melted mozzarella, a fried egg, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
- 15
Rosolli Beetroot and Herring Salad
A festive Finnish Christmas salad of diced beetroot, potato, carrot, apple and pickled herring, served with a pink whipped-cream dressing.
- 16
Brik à l'Oeuf with Tuna and Capers
Crisp, paper-thin malsouka pastry folded around oil-packed tuna, capers, parsley, and a whole runny egg, then fried until golden.
- 17
Perico Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, Onion and Sweet Pepper
Venezuela's beloved breakfast scramble of soft eggs cooked with sautéed tomato, onion and sweet pepper, perfect tucked into an arepa or served with toast.
- 18
Cachapas Sweet Corn Pancakes with Queso de Mano
Thick, tender pancakes made from blended fresh sweet corn, folded around soft melting queso de mano and finished with a swipe of butter.
- 19
Cube Steak Piccata with Lemon and Capers
Tender cube steak dredged in seasoned flour and pan-fried until golden, then finished in a bright, briny lemon-caper butter sauce.
- 20
Pan-Fried Salmon with Ginger Soy Glaze and Scallion
Tender pan-fried salmon fillets glazed with a sweet and savory ginger soy sauce, garnished with fresh scallions for brightness.
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