40 Dinner Ideas for Tonight

Here’s a quick dinner idea that’s always satisfying and works for nearly every diet. That’s right, the good old Burrito Bowl! Throw rice, veggies, and burrito fillings in a bowl and call it meal! Want a burrito bowl that’s lightening fast to make? We’ve got you. 

Need dinner ideas for tonight? Try quesadillas in the oven! This recipe makes the humble solo meal into a delicious dinner, resulting in a big batch all at once on a sheet pan. All the quesadillas are done at the same time, and they come out with a beautifully crispy exterior. In fact, it feels like a whole new version of this classic. Add dipping sauces and it's a quick meal everyone can enjoy.

There are salmon recipes and then there’s this creamy Tuscan salmon, which we like to call “Marry Me Salmon!” The tender fish is bathed in a luscious cream sauce with garlic, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and capers, making each bite bright, salty, and luxurious. 

Introducing our new favorite easy dinner idea…this Black Bean Chili recipe! It’s beyond simple to make, and the flavor is outstanding. (We hope you’ll agree.) It’s got a hint of smokiness to highlight the tangy tomatoes and savory black beans. Top it with your favorite toppings, and it’s so hearty and savory, you’ll forget it’s healthy, too.

Try this Honey Garlic Shrimp recipe! There’s nothing like the sweet savory combination of honey garlic glaze and juicy shrimp. The best part? It takes 10 minutes to make. This dinner idea hits all the comforting, satisfying notes with a lightning fast prep speed. It’s hard to find those recipes with that elusive trifecta of healthy, easy and delicious: and this one has it in spades.

Need quick dinner ideas? Try this cheese tortellini in creamy marinara sauce! In just 15 minutes, you’ve got a pasta skillet that’s a literal symphony flavor. The fresh basil-infused marinara sauce is perfectly complimented with pillows of tangy goat cheese.

If there’s one recipe that’s a sure hit in our house, it’s creamy chicken skillets. And this one is an absolute family favorite: try this creamy lemon garlic chicken! The chicken is coated in spices and pan fried until tender and juicy, then topped with a quick pan sauce made with lemon, garlic and a little cream. 

Everyone is always asking for easy weeknight dinner ideas. Guess what: so are we! The two of us are always experimenting and on the lookout for the best concepts for quick and easy dinner ideas. So we present: our favorite easy weeknight dinner: this chickpea curry! It takes only about 20 minutes to make! Warm spices and coconut milk make it one the most tastiest things you can make in that short time window—hands down.

Here’s a recipe that’s a total winner every night of the week: Greek chicken! We’re suckers for impressive-looking one pan meals, and this Mediterranean-style meal has charisma in spades. Bake the chicken with tomatoes, olives, garlic, lemon, and feta cheese, and it comes out with beautiful bold flavors. 

Here’s a crowd-pleasing dinner recipe to put in your rotation: chicken enchiladas recipe! It’s hard to find someone who will turn down this Tex Mex favorite. Each enchilada is stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese, then drowned in a zingy red sauce and baked until warm and gooey.

You know those recipes where people rave and only you know the secret that it’s actually easy to make? That’s the case with this Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta! There’s major wow-factor to this pasta, which comes together in just 30 minutes. Earthy, fruity sundried tomatoes lend a meaty quality to this easy vegetarian dish, which is bathed in a Parmesan cream sauce. 

A lot of recipes claim to be the best baked salmon, but this one lives up to the hype. Meet the very best baked salmon recipe! The tender fillet is perfectly seasoned with brown sugar and spices and has a lovely crisp topping, a feat for baked salmon which can often turn out mushy and under-seasoned. After years of making salmon recipes, we’ve taken all our knowledge and rolled it into this master recipe

If we could eat just one dinner for the rest of our lives, this might be it: a skillet of creamy Tuscan chicken! What is it that makes it so outrageously good? Maybe it’s the dreamy sauce of sun dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan, or the savory flavor explosion from the pan seared chicken breast. Either way, it’s beyond delicious, you can whip it up in 30 minutes, and it will please absolutely everyone. Get ready for the chicken dinner of your dreams!

Try this Quick Black Bean Soup! Using canned beans makes it possible to whip up this tasty soup in 30 minutes. It’s creamy, garlicky and hearty, and a big bowl feels positively restorative. Top it with pico de gallo for a bright and zingy contrast in flavors. Serve it with a quesadilla as a quick meal.

Here’s a delightful Italian eggplant dish that makes dinnertime more special: Eggplant Rollatini! It’s like a combination of eggplant Parmesan and lasagna roll ups. Tender strips of eggplant are wrapped around a creamy three-cheese filling, then baked in homemade tomato sauce and more cheese. They’re extremely satisfying and make for the best showstopping dinner!

The best way to eat mac and cheese, in our opinion? Broccoli mac and cheese! Why eat broccoli on the side when you can stir it right in? This makes a tasty one pot meatless meal that kids and adults alike will go mad for. It comes out creamy, cheesy, and loaded with broccoli for a dose of nutrients and fiber. 

There is nothing quite like seared tuna as an easy dinner idea! Seared ahi tuna is one of the most delicious foods on the planet, and it literally cooks in less than 5 minutes! Put it together with leftover veg or rice and you’ve got a quick dinner. 

Here’s a quick and easy taco dinner idea for tonight: try these Mushroom Tacos! Portobello mushrooms have enormous savory flavor: throw them in a skillet with some punchy seasonings and they make plant-based magic. This recipe is for when you have just a few minutes to throw together a meal: combine those portobellos with creamy refried beans and the quickest slaw, and you’ve got dinner!

Over the years, we’ve become huge fans of tofu. And here’s a way to prepare it that we cannot get enough of: this crispy tofu recipe! It’s easy to make and comes out perfectly seasoned, with extra crunchy edges and a tender interior. There’s no need to even press the tofu! It’s actually pretty amazing that it can go from bland to meaty, savory cubes in just 20 minutes.

A dinner idea for tonight: make sheet pan salmon and asparagus! It’s simple, it’s elegant, but it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. Roasting it up on a sheet pan with lemon slices and fresh herbs adds effortless flavor that feels fresh yet refined.

Need dinner in a hurry? Enter pan fried chicken thighs! It’s hard to find meal that comes together quickly with little fuss, but this one is an absolute game changer. All you need is a simple blend of spices and this comes together in just about 20 minutes! This one is a huge hit at our house and perfect for when you need to get dinner on the table fast. Here are all the tricks to a simple dinner!

When we need a super quick dinner, we think naan pizza! Get this: it’s faster than delivery pizza, healthier, and it tastes better. So why order out when you can make tasty pizza in? It’s for those nights where you need dinner on the table without thinking too hard. Packaged naan bread is easy to find these days, making it easy to run to the store on a naan pizza run.

Some nights call for beyond easy dinner ideas that taste incredible, and this one is it. Is it odd to count a tuna melt in your “best of” foods? It might sound basic or ordinary. But this tuna melt: this is the stuff dreams are made of. Between crusty bread is sandwiched a creamy, gooey mess so perfectly seasoned that you won’t be able to stop taking bites.

Want to eat your greens and love it? Try this creamy spinach pasta recipe, starring chewy al dente pasta and an irresistible Parmesan garlic cream sauce! The way the creamy sauce and garlic accentuate the leafy greens makes it one of our top vegetarian pasta recipes to date. Cozy up to a bowl and it’s positively life-giving.

Got eggs and need a meal? Enter, The Frittata! A frittata is an Italian dish that’s best described as a crustless egg pie. It’s often served for breakfast or brunch, but it works for dinner too. You can eat it at any temperature and it saves well: and it’s great for using up odds and ends in your veggie drawer.

Want a salmon dinner recipe to impress? This Cajun Salmon is so tender and full of savory flavor, everyone around the table will fall head over heels. This beautiful piece of fish has a crispy blackened top, seasoned with a special blend of homemade Cajun spices. It packs a bit of heat, just enough to make you immediately want another bite. Even better: pan searing salmon is the fastest and easiest way to cook it! 

Looking for a 5-minute dinner idea for tonight? Meet these Amazing Egg Tacos! This is one of our favorite kitchen tricks and we’re so excited to share it with you. Did you know that eggs can taste like taco meat? Yes, somehow the spiced scrambled eggs filling channels the flavor of taco meat plus chorizo.

Looking for an easy, tasty 30 minute meal that’s a hit every time? Try these classic Shrimp Fajitas! Every time we serve these, they get rave reviews from everyone around the table. The fajita veggies are seasoned to perfection, and the shrimp are juicy and buttery. Throw them in a tortilla and spritz with lime, and each bite makes you want to do a happy dance. 

Here’s a must-make dinner idea for tofu fans: and eaters on the fence, too. Try this irresistible BBQ Tofu recipe! Each bite has just the right chewy texture, bathed in a silky, sweet, savory sauce. You’ll want to keep eating it for days. This recipe is easy to put together and you can serve it on a plate or in sandwich form.

Calling all mushroom lovers! Here’s the meal for you: this Mushroom Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce! It’s creamy and savory, harnessing the power of lemon, butter and Parmesan cheese. It makes the most of the intense umami of mushrooms: one of the most powerful ingredients in all of cooking. This dish has just the right proportion of ‘shrooms to pasta, so that each bite has a generous pop of flavor.

Here’s an easy dinner idea for tonight that will plase just about everyone: Taco Salad! This Tex-Mex salad has been impressing for decades, and it gives us all the 1990’s nostalgic vibes. It’s customizable for any eater and easy to scale up for a crowd. Here are the tricks to how to make the best taco salad…that’s pretty darn healthy, too!

Here’s a dinner idea that takes just 30 minutes and results in so much flavor…you’ll put it on your regular rotation immediately. Try this Tofu Curry recipe! The brilliant red broth is flavored with coconut milk and red curry paste, with the zing of lime and a hint of spicy sweetness. The Thai-style flavors are the perfect way to introduce tofu to those wary of it. And if you’re already a lover (like us!), you’ll appreciate this delightfully colorful way to serve it.

Here’s a soup that will make people come flocking and might result in a few marriage proposals: this creamy tortellini soup! This is one for the books. You can make it in under 30 minutes, and the flavor that results is simply killer. Tomatoes, basil, Parmesan and cream make a lusciously flavored broth that floats with doughy orbs of tortellini.

Poke bowls are fun and easy to make for dinner! This Hawaiian bowl of seasoned raw fish, rice and crunchy veggies has caught on here on the mainland, and everybody’s doing it! Because poke is that good. And guess what? You can easily make poke in the comfort of your own home.

Does nachos count as a dinner idea? Because on crazy weeknights, we think it does! This Tex Mex favorite is one of life’s great pleasures, and we’re here for them. Here’s the best part about our Ultimate Nachos Recipe: it works for any diet. We’ve got a variation for meat eaters, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free eaters! 

Try pizza soup as a dinner idea for tonight! The broth is flavored with pizza sauce, tomatoes, and a little Parmesan to make it creamy. The toppings are swimming along inside: bell peppers, garlic and mushrooms, making for a savory pop that surprises you in every bite. Serve with garlic toast, grilled cheese or simply crusty bread.

Looking for a healthy dinner idea for tonight? Here’s a veggie-packed idea: this cauliflower stir fry! Fry the florets until lightly charred and tender, then add bell peppers and a punchy stir fry sauce. It’s the best way to make eating your veggies irresistible! See the protein adder ideas in the recipe.

Here’s a genius trick that makes a fast dinner or healthy lunch with no cooking required. That’s right, no need to grab your pan and spatula. Try this Smoked Salmon Salad! It’s healthy, fresh, and 100% cook free. Imagine: savory smoked salmon, fresh greens, fluffy goat cheese dollops and a tangy shallot vinaigrette. It comes together in 15 minutes flat.

Here’s one of the easiest dinner ideas for tonight...ever. Try this chickpea salad sandwich! It’s basically a vegetarian chicken salad sandwich (aka chickpea tuna salad!). Mash the chickpeas with mayo and a few seasonings, and it makes the tastiest sandwich filling!

This pesto cavatappi recipe is a tasty dinner idea that everyone around the table will love! Make a quick and easy pesto cream sauce, then drench the curly noodles and add a few handfuls of shredded Parmesan cheese. It’s simple, but it’s got mighty big flavor!

No one’s going to complain about more quick and easy dinner ideas, right? This one the ultimate quick weeknight meal, a filling vegetarian dinner that comes together in 20 minutes flat. Meet this soba noodle bowl! It’s filled with stir fried broccoli, red pepper and onion, mix with a savory sauce with creamy peanut butter. Even better: eggs are scrambled right into the mix (like fried rice, but with noodles!). 

Got more time? Try Roasted Vegetable Pasta.

Looking for an easy dinner idea for tonight? Enter: lemon dill salmon. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s even fancy enough for a dinner party. The baked salmon is perfectly savory, and doused in a zingy lemon dill sauce, it’s absolutely irresistible.