One-Pot Dinner Recipes You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less

These recipes will help you get a weeknight meal on the table in minutes.

one-pan creamy tuna pasta
Credit: Armando Rafael

The allure of a one-pot recipe is strong. It's hard to argue with a dinner that is hearty, filling, and satisfying without the addition of any side dishes. Of course, practically any meal could be rounded out with a salad and a loaf of bread, but on nights when you don't have the time or energy to expend, any one of these meals will do the trick and then some. Most of our one-pot dinner recipes include protein, vegetables, and starch, and all of them can stand on their own as a complete meal.

Here are the streamlined weeknight dinner recipes you love, just faster than you thought possible! We're sharing our favorite 30-minute one-pot meals that you can make quickly—and the best part? They're easy and delicious enough to please everybody's palate.

01 of 14

Fish Stew With Herbed Toasts

Fish Stew with Herbed Toasts
Credit: James Ransom

Quick-cooking and mild-tasting cod stars in this tomatoey fish stew. Just before serving, you spread baguette slices with butter, sprinkle them with minced shallot and thyme leaves, place them atop the fish, and broil for a few minutes. The toasty bread becomes a wonderful tool for soaking up the delicious broth.

02 of 14

Chow Mein

chow mein dish
Credit: Martyna Szczesna

This Chinese-American restaurant staple pairs crispy fried noodles with chicken and vegetables, and you'll stir-fry everything in a thick brown sauce. Because the recipe calls for Hong Kong chow mein noodles, which don't need to be boiled ahead of time, dinner is on the table in a flash.

03 of 14

Chicken Cutlets With Summer Squash and Feta

chicken-paillard-with-squash-spinach-feta-179-exp3-d113040-1.jpg
Credit: Bryan Gardner

Chicken cutlets cook in a matter of minutes, and dredging them in flour helps form a luscious pan gravy. Then, in the same pan, you cook summer squash rounds, spinach, and feta. A caper sauce is wonderful atop both.

04 of 14

Salmon-and-Corn Chowder

salmon-and-corn chowder
Credit: Armando Rafael

You can follow this recipe to a T and be wonderfully satisfied with the rich and flavorful finished dish—here, corn adds just the right amount of sweetness to this creamy salmon chowder. Serve with oyster crackers for extra crunch.

05 of 14

Steak and Asparagus Stir-Fry

stir-fry-044-mmsl-d109976.jpg

Thinly sliced steak and asparagus would be wonderful on their own, but add ginger, red Thai chiles, and scallions, and the resulting dish is even tastier. Serve this easy stir-fry with steamed rice, lime wedges, and roasted peanuts.

06 of 14

One-Pan Creamy Tuna Pasta

one-pan creamy tuna pasta
Credit: Armando Rafael

This lighter take on tuna casserole gets brightness and crunch from fresh asparagus and arugula. The one-pan angle? You cook the pasta in a large, straight-sided skillet or stockpot in a combination of broth and water that doesn't need to be drained once the pasta is al dente. Once the pasta is cooked, add the rest of the ingredients in that same pot.

07 of 14

Coconut-Curry Shrimp and Couscous

one-pan-coconut-curry-shrimp-and-couscous-116-d113040-1.jpg
Credit: Bryan Gardner

Teaming quick-cooking ingredients including fresh shrimp, frozen peas, and couscous with the flavor bomb that is red curry paste means this curry stew comes together fast, but doesn't lack in taste.

08 of 14

Roasted Salmon With Kale and Cabbage

salmon-164-med110298.jpg
Credit: Andrew Purcell

A very hot oven can work wonders on kale and cabbage. Add salmon filets for the final 10 minutes and a lemon-mustard-dill dressing, and you've got a simple, healthy, and delicious dinner.

09 of 14

Chicken With Mushrooms

chicken mushrooms pan
Credit: Andrew Purcell

Here's an example of a recipe where the whole is worth way more than the sum of its parts. Flour, chicken, salt, and pepper; then thyme, mushrooms, and butter; finally, wine and broth—and you've got a quick and delicious one-skillet meal that pairs so well with crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

10 of 14

Pressure-Cooker Corn Risotto

corn risotto with basil and tomato
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

For this low-effort risotto, you add corn cobs to the Instant Pot or pressure cooker at the same time that you add rice, creating a broth that infuses the risotto with incomparable corn flavor. Then you stir in corn kernels at the end, along with basil and cherry tomatoes for a beautiful and rich-tasting meal.

11 of 14

Almond Chicken Soup With Sweet Potato, Collards, and Ginger

bd106967_0111_chickensoup5.jpg

Sweet potato and almond butter give this soup a creamy, decadent texture. In less than 30 minutes, you'll have a soothing bowl of hearty, filling goodness!

12 of 14

Potato Hash With Spinach and Eggs

Potato Hash with Spinach and Eggs

Classic potato hash and eggs get a nutritious element here, thanks to spinach. And while this quick dish makes a fabulous weeknight supper, it's also a great weekend brunch offering, too.

13 of 14

Pork Fried Rice

med105801_0311_und_pork_rice.jpg

If you have any leftover cooked rice, use it for this dish—it won't stick together in the skillet and forms the basis of this economical, tasty supper that's super fast to make, too.

14 of 14

Salmon with Fennel, Bell Pepper, and Olives

she-salmonfennel-002d-med109135.jpg
Credit: Johnny Miller

Here's another sheet pan salmon dinner, but this one features Mediterranean flavors. Fennel, bell pepper, olives, and orange are a lovely combination that beautifully complements the fish.

Related Articles