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    Home » Recipe Roundups

    20 Quick Dinners That Taste Like They Took All Day

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on January 4, 2025, updated December 18, 2024 - Leave a Comment

    After a long day, the last thing you want is to spend hours in the kitchen. These 20 quick dinner ideas are perfect for busy nights, yet they deliver flavors that feel like you spent all day preparing them. With simple ingredients and easy steps, you can whip up satisfying meals that will impress everyone at the table.

    Blackened Cod

    Blackened cod served on a plate.
    Photo Credit: Haute & Healthy Living.

    This blackened cod is quick to prepare and healthy, taking only 20 minutes to cook. Just season the fish with a homemade blend and pan-sear it for a fast family meal.

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    Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Walnuts

    15-Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Walnuts
    Photo credit: always use butter

    This Cherry Tomato Pasta is a quick and tasty dish that you can prepare in just 20 minutes. It feels like a fancy meal, especially when you add some creamy mozzarella or burrata on top.

    Get the recipe

    Buffalo Chicken Pasta

    Buffalo chicken pasta.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Buffalo Chicken Pasta is a quick and flavorful dish that combines spicy sauce, tangy blue cheese, pasta, and chicken. This meal is perfect for busy nights when you want something that feels like it took a lot longer to prepare.

    Get the recipe

    Cauliflower Gnocchi Pasta Salad

    Warm Vegan Pasta Salad.
    Photo credit: Healing Tomato.

    Cauliflower gnocchi pasta salad is a quick and delicious vegan meal that you can whip up in just 10 minutes. It's perfect for a fast lunch or dinner when you're short on time.

    Get the recipe

    Halloumi Pasta Primavera

    Halloumi pasta primavera.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    In just 20 minutes, you can prepare a delicious vegetarian halloumi pasta loaded with fresh veggies. This light and refreshing meal is ideal for a quick dinner that showcases the great taste of the vegetables.

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets

    Air fried chicken cutlets.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    These air fryer chicken cutlets are ready in just 20 minutes, offering a satisfying meal that feels fancy without the long cooking time. With their crispy exterior and tender, flavorful meat, you'll want to enjoy them again and again.

    Get the recipe

    Instant Pot Cheese Tortellini

    Instant pot tortellini.
    Photo credit: Piping Pot Curry.

    This rich and cheesy tortellini dish is quick to prepare, taking just 20 minutes. It's a comforting meal that everyone will enjoy.

    Get the recipe

    Spicy Vodka Pasta

    spicy vodka pasta.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Vodka Pasta is full of spicy and creamy flavors that everyone will love. You can prepare this dish in just 20 minutes, and it doesn't even require vodka.

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    Creamy Spinach Pasta

    Creamy Spinach Pasta.
    Photo credit: Six Hungry Feet.

    This creamy spinach pasta sauce is quick and easy to make with just six simple ingredients and a blender. It's a hit with everyone, even those who are usually picky about their food!

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Shrimp

    A bowl of air fryer shrimp.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Frozen shrimp cook quickly in the air fryer, taking only 3-5 minutes. Seasoned with garlic and paprika, they are full of flavor and can be enjoyed on a salad or with your favorite sauces and sides.

    Get the recipe

    Mac and Cheese Pizza

    20 Minute Mac and Cheese Pizza
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    This bacon mac and cheese pizza is a quick and satisfying meal that you can whip up in no time. Using leftover mac and cheese, it turns a simple dish into something fun and delicious.

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    Air Fryer Salmon Bites

    Salmon bites.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Air fryer salmon bites are quick to prepare and deliver a tasty meal that everyone will enjoy. These well-seasoned bites are perfect for a weeknight dinner.

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    Easy Pesto Pasta

    Easy Pesto Pasta.
    Photo credit: Joy Food Sunshine.

    This tasty pesto pasta can be ready in just 20 minutes, making it a great option for a quick meal. It works well as a main dish or a side, and you can enjoy it hot or cold.

    Get the recipe.

    Salmon Stir-fry

    Salmon stir-fry.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This veggie-packed stir-fry is ready in just 20 minutes and has a bright, citrusy flavor. It’s great on its own or served with rice for a filling meal.

    Get the recipe

    Sundried Tomato Pasta with Chicken

    Sundried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
    Photo credit: Always use butter

    Sundried Tomato Pasta with Chicken is a quick and easy dinner option that you can prepare in just 20 minutes. The creamy sauce is full of flavor from crème fraîche, sun-dried tomatoes, and dried herbs.

    Get the recipe

    Shrimp Scampi Without Wine

    Shrimp scampi.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Prepare a quick and tasty Shrimp Scampi in just 10 minutes, packed with the flavors of garlic, lemon, chili, and parsley. The wonderful smell will fill your kitchen, making it feel like you spent a long time cooking.

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Steak Tips

    Air Fryer Steak Tips.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Air Fryer Steak Tips come together quickly, offering a delicious dinner that feels fancy. With just a few common seasonings from your pantry, this easy dish is sure to please everyone.

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    Fried Green Curry Spaghetti

    A bowl of fried spaghetti with green curry.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Thai curry spaghetti is packed with flavor and can be ready in just 20 minutes. It has the rich taste of a dish that has been cooking for hours, but it's quick and easy to prepare.

    Get the recipe

    No Boil Baked Ziti

    No Boil Baked Ziti
    Photo Credit: Cooking With Carlee.

    Baked ziti is a comforting dish that comes together quickly and easily. There's no need to boil the noodles or cook the meat separately; just layer everything and pop it in the oven.

    Get the recipe

    Larb Gai

    Larb gai.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Thai chicken salad is a fast and tasty dish. It features real flavors topped with crunchy peanuts.

    Get the recipe

    More Recipe Roundups

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      22 Stress-Free Chicken Recipes for the Exhausted Cook
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      22 Dump-and-Bake Dinners That Will Revolutionize Your Weeknight Meals

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has more than 20 years of experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN  and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, Daily Kos, The Grio, The Asian Parent, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

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