Between errands, school events, and holiday prep, dinner can get squeezed into the busiest nights of the week. These 17 copycat recipes cover familiar takeout meals, from noodle bowls and saucy chicken to burgers, tacos, pasta, and rice. Most recipe cards list 20 to 45 minutes, with a few longer projects and some components you can prepare ahead. The lineup offers turkey-free dinners to match different schedules and cravings.
Chicken Chow Mein
Restaurant-style noodles bring Chicken Chow Mein to the table in 30 minutes, with four servings in the recipe card. Chicken thighs, cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, green onions, and chow mein noodles are coated in a sauce of oyster sauce, soy, sesame oil, broth, and brown sugar. It suits a busy night when takeout is tempting, and leftovers keep well in the refrigerator or freezer for another meal.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Chow Mein
Crunchwrap Supreme
Layered crunch makes Crunchwrap Supreme a hands-on dinner, with four servings ready in 30 minutes. Seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, tomato, and Mexican blend cheese are folded into flour tortillas around crisp tostadas. Prepare the fillings ahead, then toast the wraps shortly before serving to preserve the crisp center. This copycat takes a familiar fast-food meal and turns it into a shareable dinner for a busy evening.
Get the Recipe: Crunchwrap Supreme
Copycat Savvy Slider
Double-stacked patties make Copycat Savvy Slider feel like a full cheeseburger in a small bun, and the two-slider recipe takes about 30 minutes. Ground beef, American cheese, sliced pickles, lettuce, and Boom Boom Sauce build the layers. The patties cook quickly in one skillet, making this a handy choice for a quick dinner for two. Add fries on the side for a takeout-style meal without a drive-through stop.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Savvy Slider
Bang Bang Shrimp
Crispy shrimp with creamy chili sauce give Bang Bang Shrimp its takeout-style bite, with four servings ready in 20 minutes. The sauce blends light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sweet chili sauce, and Sriracha, while lime-seasoned shrimp get a light cornstarch coating. Serve them with basmati rice, cucumber, green onions, and cilantro for a full dinner, or set out the shrimp as a starter when the evening calls for something smaller.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Shrimp
Baked Feta Pasta
Silky tomato sauce forms around the block of cheese in Baked Feta Pasta, a four-serving dinner that takes 45 minutes. Cherry tomatoes, feta, garlic, olive oil, oregano, and red pepper flakes bake together, then short pasta and fresh basil finish the dish. It is an easy meatless option for one of the week’s turkey-free nights. Make extra to refrigerate or freeze, then reheat for another meal when holiday plans fill the schedule.
Get the Recipe: Baked Feta Pasta
General Tso’s Chicken
Crisp coating and garlicky ginger sauce define General Tso’s Chicken, which serves six in about an hour. Chicken breast is marinated with soy sauce, garlic powder, and ground ginger, then coated with flour and cornstarch before frying. The sauce brings in soy, rice vinegar, hoisin, garlic, and a touch of spice. It is a weekend copycat project or a planned dinner when you can get the chicken ready ahead of time.
Get the Recipe: General Tso’s Chicken
Street Steak Tacos
Smoky steak and tangy toppings make Street Steak Tacos a lively dinner, with six servings and 40 minutes listed on the recipe card. Flank, skirt, or sirloin steak is seasoned with garlic, lime, cumin, oregano, and paprika, then paired with red onion and queso fresco. The steak and toppings can be prepped ahead to shorten the last stretch before dinner. Serve the tacos with warm tortillas for a turkey-free meal that feels different from the holiday spread.
Get the Recipe: Street Steak Tacos
Homemade KFC Zinger Burger
Crunchy oven-baked chicken gives Homemade KFC Zinger Burger its takeout-style character, with four servings ready in 35 minutes. Chicken fillets get a double coating of spiced flour and batter, then go into burger buns with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce. Baking keeps the preparation simpler than deep-frying, while the spice level can be adjusted. Serve it with fries or a side salad when everyone wants a familiar fast-food dinner at home.
Get the Recipe: Homemade KFC Zinger Burger
Big Mac Crunchwrap
Toasted tortillas wrap up burger-night layers in Big Mac Crunchwrap, with four servings and 45 minutes total. Seasoned ground beef, cheddar, iceberg lettuce, pickles, onion, sesame seeds, and a tostada shell make each wrap crisp at the center. The beef and sauce can be prepared ahead, then the crunchwraps are toasted in a skillet when dinner is close. It is a hearty choice for a busy weeknight when a regular burger feels too predictable.
Get the Recipe: Big Mac Crunchwrap
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
Glossy sauce and crisp vegetables give Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry a takeout feel, with four servings in 30 minutes. Chicken thighs cook with broccoli, red bell pepper, green beans, and onion, then get coated in teriyaki sauce with sesame oil. Green onions and sesame seeds finish the skillet, which can be served over rice. This quick dinner makes a useful option between richer holiday meals, and leftovers work for lunch the next day.
Get the Recipe: Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
Plant-Based Copycat Impossible Burger
Meatless, smoky patties give Plant-Based Copycat Impossible Burger a hearty option, with 35 minutes on the recipe card. Portobello mushrooms, brown rice, tempeh, oats, and grated beet form the patties, seasoned with nutritional yeast, steak sauce, garlic, and onion powder. The mixture cooks into two burgers, served on buns with lettuce and your preferred toppings. Bring this copycat burger into the holiday week for a plant-based dinner change-up.
Get the Recipe: Plant-Based Copycat Impossible Burger
Wingstop Louisiana Rub Wings
Cajun-style spice coats Wingstop Louisiana Rub Wings, with 16 wings ready in 25 minutes. The dry rub combines smoked paprika, oregano, cayenne, cumin, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then bakes onto the chicken instead of using a deep fryer. Serve the wings with a dipping sauce for a game-night dinner or snack. The pantry-spice blend is easy to mix before the wings go into the oven.
Get the Recipe: Wingstop Louisiana Rub Wings
Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls
Bite-sized and cheesy, Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls make 30 pieces in 30 minutes. Pork sausage, Cheddar Bay biscuit mix, cheddar, cream cheese, and garlic powder bake into soft golden rounds, finished with a parsley-butter brush. They can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated, which helps when the holiday week is crowded. Set them out for a casual dinner or serve them as a filling snack between larger plans.
Get the Recipe: Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls
Panda Express Beijing Beef
Sweet, tangy sauce wraps crisp strips of beef in Panda Express Beijing Beef, a four-serving copycat with a total time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Flank steak is coated with egg white and cornstarch, then cooked with onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and a sauce of hoisin, soy, oyster sauce, ketchup, and sweet chili. The beef marinates for an hour, so plan and serve it over rice for a takeout-style evening at home.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Beijing Beef
Sweet Orange Chicken
Sticky citrus glaze gives Sweet Orange Chicken its familiar takeout appeal, with four servings ready in 40 minutes. Chicken breast pieces get a crisp double coating, then are tossed in a sauce made with fresh orange juice, zest, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and red pepper paste. Serve it over rice with green onions for a weeknight dinner that uses familiar ingredients. The sauce can be adjusted to keep the heat mild or add a little kick.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Orange Chicken
Mexican Rice
Fluffy tomato rice makes Mexican Rice a useful side for the week’s copycat dinners, with eight servings in 35 minutes. Long-grain rice simmers with blended Roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, cumin, chicken broth, and cilantro. Make a larger pot to serve alongside tacos, grilled chicken, or crunchwraps, then use leftovers in burrito bowls. It is an easy way to round out a turkey-free dinner without adding another complicated main dish.
Get the Recipe: Mexican Rice
Chipotle Grilled Chicken
Weeknight-friendly smoky heat and lime brighten Chipotle Grilled Chicken, which serves four in 25 minutes. Chicken thighs are coated in chipotle in adobo, garlic, onion powder, olive oil, and lime juice before grilling. Slice the chicken for tacos or burritos, serve it over rice, or pair it with grilled vegetables. This quick main works well when the week is full, and dinner needs to move from marinade to table without a long cook.
Get the Recipe: Chipotle Grilled Chicken