30-Minute Dinners You Can Make on the Stovetop

Hali Bey Ramdene

updated Nov 30, 2023

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Credit: Joe Lingeman

Thirty minutes seems to be the magic number when it comes to a dinner we can pull together and still feel good about. It leaves room for prep, cooking, and some cleanup if you approach the whole effort with some smart multitasking.

These recipes fall under the umbrella of things that can be made in 30 minutes (and some of them you can make in even less time). Even more, they are made exclusively on the stovetop — a boon for those nights when you’d rather stick to the stove. This batch of recipes relies on methods that specifically lend themselves to this kind of cooking, so you’ll find a handful of wok recipes, fast and fancy pantry pastas, and quick-simmered soups.

30-mins Stovetop Dinners

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Beef and Celery Stir-Fry

Humble celery gets a starring role in this savory beef stir-fry.

2 / 22

Easy Shrimp & Veggie Stir-Fry

A classic stir-fry of shrimp and broccoli made weeknight-friendly with the aid of the freezer.

3 / 22

Spicy Ground Pork & Zucchini Stir-Fry

A quick and easy recipe for a spicy stir-fry with ground pork and zucchini. Just serve it over rice and you've got a complete meal.

4 / 22

Potsticker Stir-Fry

How to turn frozen dumplings into a one-pan meal.

5 / 22

Honey-Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry

Thin strips of chicken get a sharp sear from the wok, before getting partnered with a mess of tender veggies and a blanket of savory-sweet sauce.

6 / 22

Lemon Caper Brown Butter Ravioli

A fast and fancy recipe for cheese ravioli tossed in a rich lemon caper brown butter sauce.

7 / 22

Easy Green Olive Pasta

A quick and simple recipe for pasta tossed in a lemon-garlic butter and enhanced with chopped green olives.

8 / 22

Lemony Ricotta Pasta with Basil

A quick recipe for pasta tossed in a no-cook ricotta sauce that's flavored with lots of lemon and fresh basil.

9 / 22

One-Pot Tomato Chickpeas and Orzo

A recipe for quick and easy tomato orzo studded with chickpeas, which is made in just one pot.

10 / 22

Tuscan Tortellini Skillet

A quick tomatoey tortellini skillet dinner that calls for just 5 ingredients.

11 / 22

Garlicky Shrimp with Tequila and Lime

A flavorful 5-minute shrimp dish made with the same ingredients as a classic margarita.

12 / 22

Salsa-Simmered Fish

An easy recipe for white fish fillets simmered in tomato sauce on the stovetop and served over rice.

13 / 22

Skillet Cod with Lemon and Capers

For the crispiest, golden-brown fish, make sure the fillets (whether you begin with fresh or frozen-then-thawed) are extremely dry. The light dusting of flour gives them a very thin crust and also helps thicken the pan sauce you make immediately after.

14 / 22

Saucy Skillet Salmon

This quick salmon dinner is cooked in a fresh tomato-based sauce that’s punched up with garlic, balsamic, and a hint of fresh thyme so it’s a little sweet and a little tangy.

15 / 22

Cheesy Tomato Chorizo Orzo Skillet

A quick and easy, weeknight-friendly recipe for cheesy orzo with tomatoes and smoky Spanish chorizo.

16 / 22

Egg Roll Skillet

A healthy take on the classic Chinese appetizer that you can actually eat as dinner.

17 / 22

Mexican Skillet Lasagna

For a busy weeknight this lasagnat uses a lot of pantry ingredients and doesn’t need to be cooked both on the stove and in the oven. It's also satisfying and delicious.

18 / 22

Southwest Skillet Ragu

Chewy pasta and gooey cheese are balanced out by a big helping of veggies with a little ground meat for protein in this one-pan meal.

19 / 22

Tomato Tortellini Soup

This creamy, tangy tomato soup is studded with tender tortellini and comes together in just 20 minutes.

20 / 22

The Best Chicken Zoodle Soup

This one-pot wonder brings chicken soup together with fresh zucchini and carrot noodles for a soothing yet fresh take on the classic.

21 / 22

Lemony Tortellini Spinach Soup

With a 30-minute cook time and the majority of the ingredients already hanging out in your fridge, a fast and fresh dinner never looked better.

22 / 22

Chorizo Chicken Chili

This 30-minute chili, featuring the flavorful power couple of chorizo and chicken, is what you make on Wednesday when you hit a wall on what to make for dinner.

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