Throwing together a decent meal doesn’t require channeling your inner chef or spending hours chopping vegetables. These ridiculously simple dinner ideas show that sometimes the best approach is the one that gets food on your plate with minimal drama.
Blackened Shrimp Tacos
When you need dinner fast and can’t face a pile of dishes, these shrimp tacos are your answer. The shrimp cook in just minutes with bold spices, and you can have tacos on the table in 15 minutes with minimal cleanup required.
Get the Recipe: Blackened Shrimp Tacos
Air Fryer Mongolian Beef
This air fryer version saves you from standing over a hot stove when you’re already exhausted from the day. The crispy beef gets coated in a sweet and salty sauce that tastes like takeout, and it’s ready in 20 minutes with way less effort than traditional methods.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Mongolian Beef
Taco Rice Skillet
One pan means less cleanup when you’re too tired to deal with a kitchen disaster. This skillet dinner combines taco flavors with rice in about 20 minutes, using just 8 ingredients you probably already have.
Get the Recipe: Taco Rice Skillet
Walking Taco Casserole
Sometimes you want the fun of walking tacos without the mess, and this casserole delivers exactly that. Just layer everything in a dish and bake – no assembly required and the whole family gets fed without much work from you.
Get the Recipe: Walking Taco Casserole
Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting here, so you can set it and walk away when cooking feels overwhelming. Chicken thighs come out perfectly tender in 30 minutes, and the honey garlic flavor makes it taste like you put way more effort in than you actually did.
Get the Recipe: Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
Using store-bought spinach artichoke dip as a shortcut makes this fancy-looking dinner surprisingly doable on a lazy night. The chicken looks restaurant-worthy but comes together quickly, so you get impressive results without the stress.
Get the Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
Cauliflower Chicken Casserole
This one-pan dinner is perfect for those nights when you want comfort food but don’t want to dirty every pot in the kitchen. Ready in 30 minutes, it’s creamy and cheesy with minimal prep work required.
Get the Recipe: Cauliflower Chicken Casserole
Hawaiian Sheet Pan Chicken
Sheet pan dinners are a lifesaver when you can barely muster the energy to turn on the oven. Everything cooks together in 30 minutes with almost no cleanup, and the sweet-tangy Hawaiian flavors make it feel special without extra effort.
Get the Recipe: Hawaiian Sheet Pan Chicken
Beef and Broccoli
Skip the takeout menu and make this Panda Express copycat at home in just 20 minutes. It’s faster than delivery and requires way less energy than most stir-fry recipes, plus you probably have most ingredients already.
Get the Recipe: Beef and Broccoli
Instant Pot Orange Chicken
When you’re craving Chinese takeout but don’t want to wait for delivery or leave the house, this pressure cooker version saves the day. The Instant Pot handles most of the work, giving you restaurant-style orange chicken without the restaurant effort.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Orange Chicken
Pizza Bubble Up
This casserole takes all the best parts of pizza and turns them into a hands-off dinner that practically makes itself. Using canned biscuits as a base means you skip the dough-making drama while still getting that pizza fix the family craves.
Get the Recipe: Pizza Bubble Up
Meatball Sub Bubble Up
Five ingredients and minimal effort get you all the flavors of a meatball sub in casserole form. This cheesy, saucy dinner comes together easily when you’re too drained to deal with complicated recipes.
Get the Recipe: Meatball Sub Bubble Up
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
The air fryer makes these meatballs crispy and juicy in under 20 minutes without heating up your whole kitchen. Perfect for when you want something with kick but don’t have the energy for a multi-step recipe.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Monterey Chicken
This skillet version of the Chili’s favorite means you get restaurant flavors at home in 30 minutes flat. One pan handles everything from cooking the chicken to melting the cheese, so cleanup stays manageable.
Get the Recipe: Monterey Chicken
Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich
Making a crispy chicken sandwich at home usually involves a lot of oil and mess, but the air fryer changes all that. You get that Chick-Fil-A crunch without the deep-frying hassle, and it’s ready faster than you could drive there and back.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich
Cranberry Chicken Thighs
Just 10 minutes of prep gets you a complete one-pan dinner that looks way fancier than the effort you put in. The chicken stays juicy while the cranberries add a nice touch that makes weeknight dinner feel a bit more special.
Get the Recipe: Cranberry Chicken Thighs
Mongolian Meatballs
These tender meatballs get coated in a sweet and savory sauce that makes dinner feel special without requiring special skills. The bold flavors come together quickly, so you get maximum taste with minimal time investment.
Get the Recipe: Mongolian Meatballs
Thai Basil Beef
One skillet and 30 minutes get you restaurant-quality Thai flavors when takeout isn’t in the budget or timeline. The fragrant basil and tender beef make this feel like a treat, but it’s actually pretty straightforward to pull together.
Get the Recipe: Thai Basil Beef
Italian Grinder Salad
This hearty salad gives you all the flavors of an Italian sub without the bread-making or sandwich assembly. Ready in 20 minutes, it’s perfect for those nights when you want something fresh but filling that doesn’t require much cooking.
Get the Recipe: Italian Grinder Salad