Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day to fuel your body with just the right amount of energy to get the day going on the right foot. However, dinner time is often the most favored meal of the day to cap off the night. Coming home after a full day of work, school, or outings to a warm, comforting dinner is a wonderful and good feeling, especially after a tiring day. Yet, some days can be so busy and your schedule can be so tight that you may not have the time nor the energy to cook a decent meal.
That’s why today is all about quick dinners (I’m talking about 15 minutes or less)! Yes, it’s very possible to make healthy and delicious dinners in 15 minutes so you won’t have to resort to blowing money on unhealthy fast food. I’m sharing a round up of some of my favorite 15 minute dinner ideas you’re going to love below.
8 15-Minute Dinner Recipes
Before we jump right into the quick dinner ideas, I’m going to share with you the importance of dinner and why this is a meal that shouldn’t be skipped, especially when you’re on a health and wellness journey.
Why Is Dinner Important In Your Healthy Life
When you’re on a healthy lifestyle, learning how to cook at home just comes with the territory. When you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, learning how to start meal prepping so you can do dump and go meals for the slow cooker or trying out some of these quick dinner ideas will help you immensely when you need a dinner ready to eat fast.
While it could be tempting to skip dinner on busy days, especially if you’re wanting to lose weight, that’s not exactly a healthy practice. No matter how tired you are, it’s still important to learn how to break bad eating habits and eat a well balanced meal for dinner. Skipping dinner could have negative effects on your body like dropping your blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and weight gain, nutrient deficiencies, and more.
The meals I’ll be sharing with you today are all delicious and nutritious quick dinner ideas you can make in a jiffy.
What Are Some Quick And Easy Dinner Ideas You Can Make In 15 Minutes
Asian Inspired Chicken Bowl
If you want to eat healthy, it’s always an easy idea to throw together a quick salad. What I love about this one is how different it is from traditional salad ideas. Take a quick few minutes on the stove cooking your chicken (even better if you’ve already got a rotisserie ready to eat). The rest of the ingredients are dump and go. Perfect for dinner served in 15 minutes or less.
Ingredients
3 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 95calories
1 cup Mixed greens – 10 calories
½ cup Mandarin oranges, canned, in juice – 47calories
⅛ cup Cashews (cups) – 98 calories
½ cup Cabbage, shredded – 8 calories
½ cup Carrots, shredded or julienned – 23 calories
1 Tbsp Cilantro – 0 calories
1 Tbsp Peanut sauce – 40 calories
Instructions
- Spray pan with an oil spray.
- Slice the chicken into small pieces.
- Cook the chicken pieces on medium heat for about 7 minutes, flipping slices halfway through until fully cooked.
- Chop up cilantro.
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Peanut sauce: I like the Whole Food’s 365 brand or Trader Joe’s peanut vinaigrette (in their refrigerated section). But any peanut sauce you find is fine. If you prefer to make your own, here’s a recipe: minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-peanut-sauce/
Bean Pepper Nachos
Now you may be like me and enjoy a nice warm dinner after a long day so salads may not work as something you’d prefer for dinner every day. In that case, you’ve got to try these stuffed bell pepper nachos! This idea is super easy to throw together. The most prep work comes from slicing your peppers. After than you just dump the rest of the ingredients on top, bake for 8 minutes, and you’re good to go.
Ingredients
4 Mini bell pepper – 40 calories
½ cup Beans & legumes, black beans, cooked – 114calories
¼ cup Guacamole – 105 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, Mexican, shredded – 152 calories
¼ cup Salsa – 16 calories
1 Tbsp Cilantro – 0 calories
2 tsp Taco seasoning – 10 calories
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Slice mini bell peppers in halves
- Mix together beans and taco seasoning
- Fill bell pepper halves with bean mixture
- Top with cheese
- Bake for 8 minutes
- Top with guac (I buy pre-made), salsa, more seasoning if you wish, and chopped cilantro
- No dairy? Use more guac at the end
Brown Butter Brussels & Gnocchi
Who doesn’t love a comforting pasta to complete the night? You’ve got to try this gnocchi dinner idea for days you’re needing to throw together something quick in under 15 minutes.
Ingredients
½ cup Gnocchi, regular – 140 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, Parmesan, shredded (cups) – 111calories
2 cups Brussels sprouts – 112 calories
1 Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) – 103 calories
¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories
Instructions
- Cut off Brussels’ hard ends & halve each one
- Add butter to skillet, heat until melted (~1-2 mins)
- Stir-fry Brussels and gnocchi 15-20 minutes, until the Brussels are cooked to the crispness you like and the gnocchi has browned
- Top with cheese and seasonings, let cheese melt ~2 mins
- No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, or bacon
Cottage Cheese Alfredo with Hearts of Palm
Speaking of pasta, you’ll love this Alfredo made of a quick dinner dreams. The creaminess and flavor is sure to be one to add to your list week after week.
Ingredients
18 oz Hearts of palm pasta (spaghetti shape) – 120calories
1 cup Cottage cheese, 2% – 180 calories
½ cup Milk, skim, non-fat – 45 calories
½ cup Cheese, Parmesan, grated (cups) – 173calories
¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories
⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories
⅛ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories
Instructions
- Spray an oven-safe pan (if you want to do optional Step 5) with an oil spray
- Stir fry hearts of palm noodles on medium heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes
- In a blender, mix together cottage cheese, milk, grated Parmesan, and spices
- Add Alfredo sauce to the pan with the hearts of palm noodles, mix in and let simmer (stirring occasionally) another 5 minutes on low heat
- Optional: Add pan to oven and broil for 3 minutes
- Enjoy!
- No dairy? Swap this meal out for another.
Black Bean Salad with Chips
This recipe works for whatever bean you have in stock. Try it with white bean, kidney bean, or whatever other beans you prefer. Think of it like a rainbow taco salad. Whip this together in under 15 minutes for a bite filled with a variety of protein and nutrients. If you want to take a few minutes longer, you can also throw in some ground turkey for added texture and punch. Even better if you have some left over!
Ingredients
½ Bell pepper, red, medium – 19 calories
¼ Cucumber, medium – 11 calories
⅛ Onion, red – 6 calories
½ cup Beans & legumes, black beans cooked – 114calories
½ cup Corn, canned – 63 calories
½ Avocado, small – 117 calories
⅛ tsp Salt – 0 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories
1 tsp Hot sauce (tsp) – 0 calories
1 oz Tortilla chips – 123 calories
Instructions
- Dice pepper, cucumber, and red onion
- Drain beans and corn if using canned
- Mix all ingredients together and serve with chips
- No avocado? Use oil instead.
Ground Turkey, Green Beans & Cheese
This is a super easy dinner idea skill-wise that’s hard for even beginner level cooks to mess up. It’s also a great and healthy meal idea with lean protein, fiber, and low carb.
Ingredients
⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella – 112 calories
4 oz Ground turkey, 93% lean, raw – 172 calories
2 cups Green bean – 62 calories
⅓ Tbsp Garlic, minced (Tbsp) – 0 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories
¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
Instructions
- Spray a pan with an oil spray. Add in garlic. (1/3 Tbsp = 1 tsp).
- Stir turkey beef until no longer pink, ~8 minutes, on medium heat.
- Add green beans for another 5 minutes. Add in seasonings and cheese.
- No dairy? Use avocado or bacon bits.
Quick Thai Inspired Stir Fry
Ooow. This is probably one of my favorite quick fixes when I’m craving something savory and nutritious for dinner. It’s jammed packed with flavor and is a stunning dish that most everyone should be sure to enjoy.
Ingredients
5 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 158calories
¾ cup Broccoli – 18 calories
¾ cup Sugar snap peas – 46 calories
½ Bell pepper, red, medium – 19 calories
½ cup Curry sauce, red – 200 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories
1 Tbsp Parsley, fresh – 0 calories
1 tsp Butter (tsp) – 36 calories
Instructions
- Thinly slice chicken into medium sized pieces
- Melt butter in a pan, stir fry chicken and vegetables on medium heat until chicken has cooked through
- Add in sauce and red pepper flakes, let simmer until heated through
- Top with parsley, enjoy!
- No meat? Use white beans.
High Protein Cabbage Slaw
This dinner idea is flavorful as well. I love the texture and how easy it is to throw together such a unique and high protein packed meal.
Ingredients
1½ cups Cabbage, shredded – 24 calories
6 oz Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, raw – 190calories
⅛ cup Peanuts (cups) – 96 calories
2 Tbsp Peanut sauce – 80 calories
1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (Tbsp) – 50 calories
¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories
¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories
1 tsp Avocado oil (tsp) – 41 calories
Instructions
- Dice chicken. Add oil to a pan. Stir fry chicken until no longer pink, ~7 minutes, on medium heat.
- Chop up cabbage (I’m using a packaged coleslaw mix, but you can also use a head of red cabbage or whatever cabbage you prefer).
- When chicken has cooled, mix cabbage, chicken, peanuts, peanut sauce, sesame seeds, and seasonings in a bowl.
- Note: I like Whole Food’s Peanut Sauce best, but any store will have their own version! If you want to make your own (100% not necessary!) here one: minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-peanut-sauce/
- No nuts? Use seeds and another sauce you prefer. No turkey? Use tofu or beans.
