14 Quick Dinner Ideas: Cook a Full Meal in 20 Minutes

If you lead a hectic lifestyle, sometimes dinner is the last thing on your to-do list. And while eating healthy is certainly something you value, sometimes you have to resort to takeout for the sake of time — or do you?

Below, you'll find 14 easy recipes you can make for those busy weeknights. Each recipe uses minimal ingredients, requires just one or two skillets to prepare, and is served in less than 20 minutes. With these recipes, you can make those busy nights a little more manageable.

14 Easy Dinner Recipes Prepared in 20 Minutes or Less

These recipes make a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Plan your meals on Sunday, run to the grocery store for ingredients, and you’re ready for the week ahead.

10 Minute Mini Breakfast Tacos

These mini tacos are ideal for a quick breakfast, or can easily be paired with rice and black beans for a complete weekend brunch spread. The eggs are made extra fluffy with the addition of cream cheese, then topped with cheddar cheese, salsa, and sliced avocado for a delicious meal ready in just 10 minutes.

Quick and Easy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

With quinoa, chickpeas, and feta cheese piled high, this salad packs in the protein, even though it’s plant-based. Zucchini, red peppers, artichokes, and oregano give it a refreshing Greek flavor, making it a light, easy dinner anyone can enjoy.

Thai Beef and Basil Stir-Fry

Raise your hand if “quick Thai food” sounds like an oxymoron. With only a few ingredients, this Thai dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Serve over jasmine rice for a complete weeknight meal.

Couscous Cakes

These couscous cakes can be a lifesaver when you’re busy. Not only do they go from prep to table in just 20 minutes, but they freeze extremely well. When you’re really pressed for time, simply take a batch out of the freezer and reheat.

Peach Mustard Pork Chops with Stone Fruit Salad

All you need is five ingredients and 12 minutes of prep to prepare this delicious dinner. Made with boneless pork chops, peach preserves, and dijon mustard, simply prepare this dish on a single sheet pan, place in your Tovala Steam Oven, press start from your phone, and let Tovala automatically cook with different modes and temperatures.

Gnocchi Skillet With Tomatoes and Sausage

If you come home from work and need a last-minute meal to whip up quickly, give this gnocchi skillet a shot. Chopped bell peppers, sliced Italian sausage, and gnocchi are tossed in a fresh tomato sauce for easy pasta dish ready in just 15 minutes.

Sesame Tuna Lettuce Wraps

If 6:00 p.m. is a constant scramble to get dinner ready, this meal idea might be your new secret weapon. Made with crunchy snow peas, carrots, and peanuts wrapped in a butter lettuce wrap, these sesame tuna wraps require hardly any prep work and just two minutes in a skillet.

Szechuan Green Beans & Pork

‍This easy recipe is incredibly tasty, and is ready in just 15 minutes. A touch of sugar makes it slightly sweet, while crushed red pepper brings out the spice. Serve with whole grain brown rice to complete the dish.

Pan Seared Salmon With Spice Rub

If you’re looking for an easy, fool-proof way to prepare salmon, this spice-rubbed recipe is it. Simply brush the salmon with a little olive oil, add the spice rub, then pan fry in a heavy skillet (cast iron works great) for about two minutes, flip, then sear the other side for an additional four minutes. Pair with a Brussels sprouts slaw to complete the dish.

5 Ingredients Honey Soy Chicken

With minimal ingredients and even less prep work, this Asian-inspired skillet chicken dish takes just a few minutes on the stovetop for a quick dinner. With just five ingredients used, this easy chicken dish is incredibly healthy, served next to white rice and steamed vegetables.

Ground Beef Curry (Kheema)

This beef curry recipe tastes remarkably similar to a curry vindaloo, without the extra hassle. While a curry recipe made from scratch can be extremely time consuming, this one pot meal (hurrah for less dishes!) simmers for just 20 minutes on the stovetop.

Easy Chicken Fajitas

‍These pan chicken fajitas take just 10 minutes to prep and another 10 minutes to cook. Simply lather boneless skinless chicken breasts with a variety of spices — from cumin, paprika, garlic, and chipotle powder — then toss with bell peppers and onions. Serve wrapped in a tortilla shell (like a chicken taco) or simply eat with a fork.

Shrimp and Avocado Spring Rolls

There’s no need for an oven with this recipe, as there’s no cooking required. Twenty minutes of meal prep is all you need, wrapping pre-cooked shrimp and julienned vegetables into a rice wrapper for a light, healthy dinner.

Pan Seared Sriracha Lemon Pork Chops

If you marinate your pork chops in the morning, this delicious recipe can be ready in as little as six minutes when you get off work. Simply place the pork chops in a sealed plastic bag with lemon juice, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha. Refrigerate during the day, then sear for three minutes per side prior to serving.

For Those Extra Busy Nights, Let Tovala Do the Cooking for You

If you're staring at the above recipes thinking, "These ‘easy’ dinner ideas are way too complicated," let Tovala to do the cooking for you. Part kitchen appliance, part home chef, your Tovala Oven self-selects the temperature, determines the cooking method, and sets the timer for you. All you have to do is unpack your chef-prepared meal, scan the barcode, and place it in the oven. Healthy, individually portioned meals are ready in less than 20 minutes.