Our Most Popular 30-Minute Dinners So Far This Year

published Apr 21, 2024

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overhead shot of tuscan chicken in a cast iron skillet. — Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

The Kitchn readers have spoken! After surveying thousands of home cooks and culinary experts about how they cook for themselves and their families week after week, there’s one thing they definitely agree on: Quick and easy meals while still experimenting with new recipes and ingredients is key.

So it’s no surprise that our most popular, most-saved weeknight dinners check all those boxes. The best part is that they can be made in 30 minutes or less, saving you some much-needed time. We have easy one-pan dinners like one-pan Tuscan chicken, honey garlic salmon, and garlic Parmesan chicken bites to help cut down on dishes at the end of the meal.

Dinners with five ingredients or fewer, like 4-ingredient harissa orange chicken thighs, 4-ingredient kielbasa and sauerkraut skillet, and 4-ingredient Cajun sausage and broccoli skillet are budget-friendly, yet big on flavor. Our readers also loved trying out new recipes, techniques, and ingredients, from bola-bola (Filipino meatballs) to a salad that you make in a sheet pan (yes, really!).

Here are our most popular weeknight dinners so far this year, with more to come (we promise!).

1 / 15

One-Pan Tuscan Chicken

What makes this one-pan chicken dinner so delicious is the ultra-creamy sauce. Plus, it’s easy enough to pull together in the middle of the week yet special enough when you have people over for dinner.

2 / 15

4-Ingredient Harissa Orange Chicken Thighs

Fresh orange juice, harissa paste, and honey come together to deliver the ultimate weeknight chicken dinner. The sweet, spicy, and bright flavors soak into the meat, so you get big flavor in every bite.

3 / 15

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Bites

In this recipe tender, bite-size pieces of chicken are flavored with garlic and a generous shower of nutty Parmesan. They're perfect served with roasted broccoli or lemony tortellini.

4 / 15

5-Ingredient Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon

This saucy stovetop dinner is the ultimate weeknight win. With just five ingredients and 20 minutes on the clock from start to finish, you’ll have the most incredibly tender, flaky salmon and a super-flavorful, sweet-and-savory sauce to boot.

5 / 15

4-Ingredient Kielbasa and Sauerkraut Skillet

With just four ingredients and less than 30 minutes, dinner is served.

6 / 15

Bola-Bola (Filipino Meatballs)

Bola-bola can be served a number of ways. You can pile them onto a platter and serve them with an assortment of dipping sauces (like sweet chili sauce and spiced vinegar), or tuck them into pandesal (Filipino rolls) for lunch, or add them to a rice bowl for dinner.

7 / 15

One-Pan Marry Me Chicken

This one-pan dinner has it all: tender chicken, a sun-dried tomato cream sauce, and a 30-minute cook time.

8 / 15

Gnocchi Alfredo Bake

Plump gnocchi are baked in an easy Alfredo sauce that’s loaded with Parmesan cheese. You only need six ingredients and 30 minutes total before you’re sitting down to a delicious dinner.

9 / 15

Cacio e pepe is all about the pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and the creamy sauce that binds them together. With just three ingredients and 30 minutes, you’ll be transported to Italy without leaving your kitchen.

10 / 15

Sheet Pan Salad With Crispy Chickpeas and Feta

This satisfying and flavorful sheet pan salad with crispy roasted chickpeas, tender sweet potatoes, and crunchy croutons will make you excited to eat salad for dinner!

11 / 15

3-Ingredient Corn Soup

This easy recipe calls for only three pantry-friendly ingredients. In less than 20 minutes and with minimal effort, you’ll have a bowl of pure comfort.

12 / 15

4-Ingredient Za’atar Chicken Thighs

This super-flavorful sheet pan chicken dinner comes together with just four ingredients. The tahini and parsley are nice, but optional!

13 / 15

Beef Stroganoff

Serve this classic dish over egg noodles, creamy polenta, or mashed potatoes.

14 / 15

Lemon-Soy Glazed Salmon

Lemony, umami-packed salmon is prepared in under 20 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner.

15 / 15

4-Ingredient Cajun Sausage and Broccoli Skillet

This one-pan dinner comes together in just 30 minutes — and packs in a ton of flavor.

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