Sometimes the best meals are the ones that are made last minute, on a time crunch, and with the bare essentials! It doesn’t matter whether you’re a metropolitan real estate broker or stay-at-home mom. It’s safe to say that the longer prep and cook time a meal takes, the less likely we are to make it. I don’t know about you, but I am ready to stop giving all my money away to DoorDash, so it’s time to get creative. If I can take a nap long enough to re-energize myself in 15 minutes, I can feed my family in the same amount of time! With the help of these 25 speedy recipes, you’ll never order takeout again!
1. Quick and Easy 15-Minute Chicken Pasta
This meal’s short cook time is all in the prep process. Enjoy a cheesy chicken pasta in minutes by cooking the pasta first and sauteeing the chicken in a pan simultaneously. The chicken takes about 10 minutes. Add it to the pasta and tomato sauce and top with cheese. It’s simple and satisfying!
2. 15-Minute Pasta Carbonara
This carbonara isn’t only a breeze to prepare, but it has star quality, too. It has just a few ingredients like linguine, bacon bits, and fresh parmesan. This is a dish best-served family-style with French bread and a house salad.
3. 15-Minute Honey Garlic Chicken
A must-have staple in my pantry is definitely honey. It softens, sweetens, and deepens any flavor profile! This honey garlic chicken achieves a high level of sophistication and couldn’t be easier to make. Grab boneless and skinless chicken, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes to take pleasure in this tangy protein over a bed of brown rice.
4. 15-Minute Chicken Stir-Fry Noodles
The number one late-night craving I get is for Chinese lo mein. Are you telling me I can make this genuinely addicting masterpiece in 15 minutes? Sign. Me. Up. It’s made in a simple garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. That gets poured over thin spaghetti, broccoli, scallions, and chicken and topped with sesame seeds. Sorry, Panda Express, but I can take care of myself now.
5. 15-Minute Spicy Chicken
Want to slap together a seamless rice bowl with a kick? Look no further than this spicy chicken to bring your meal to another level. Be sure to add a special ingredient to your grocery list because this dish requires it, and that’s sambal oelek. The search is worth it for this rich and robust stir-fry chicken. If you can’t find it, try Asian chili garlic sauce as a substitute.
6. 15-Minute Chicken Burritos
The life hack in this recipe is store-bought cooked rotisserie chicken, which is an absolute must-have in your fridge. This dish is just chicken, refried beans, onion, and shredded cheese in a pan-grilled flour tortilla. Serve it with a side of salsa and sour cream for a meal that requires two hands and a whole lot of napkins.
7. 15-Minute Italian Garden Pasta
This dish is truly delectable for anyone who is lactose intolerant or prefers little to no cheese. This spaghetti has just a few classic items like fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, and tomatoes. Make this your main course and pair it with a vibrant Caprese salad for an appetizer for a light but incredibly pleasing meal.
8. 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Pasta
If you’re looking to feed a large group of people but are short on time, this is the perfect pasta dish to serve. This recipe cuts your time in half by utilizing tomato paste. It’s already cooked and has the level of flavor that fresh tomatoes would need an hour to achieve. Toss frozen garlic bread in the oven, and you’ll have a lot of happy bellies!
9. 15-Minute Picnic Pasta
This dish makes reminds me so much of summer. This is such a sophisticated dish. It has a clever ingredient selection of dried conchiglie, cucumber, red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta.
10. 15-Minute Chili
Chili in 15 minutes? What kind of magic trick is this? The secret is in canned ingredients! Cooked in a flash, this dish utilizes canned pinto and kidney beans, canned stewed tomatoes, and ground turkey. Blend everything together, top it off with shredded cheese, and dunk a dinner roll in this bowl of goodness.
11. 15-Minute Shrimp Tacos
Hang 10 with these super chill and refreshing shrimp tacos. This recipe uses store-bought coleslaw, saving you tons of time chopping veggies. Sautee fresh shrimp for a couple of minutes and wrap them in warm corn tortillas, lime, and cilantro. Each bite is totally gnarly, dude!
12. 15-Minute Pizza Dough
I know what you’re thinking, a quick pizza means frozen dough, obviously. Well, get ready to have your mind blown. This is a 15-minute recipe for fresh dough. You’ll spin pies in no time with this yeast-less dough that only requires flour, baking powder, and salt. Lather it with cheese and your choice of toppings and voilà! That’s amore.
13. 15-Minute Lasagna
A meal you’ll never have to convince me to eat is lasagna. I’m not one of those people that try to force veggies into this dish. I like my lasagna cheesy and meaty. Save the greens for a side salad! This snappy recipe is quite unique with its use of breakfast sausage. It also contains ground beef, cheese, and tomato sauce that makes for a layered and hearty meal.
14. 15-Minute Mac and Cheese
I love this dish for a no-fuss dinner option that doesn’t come from a box. No kid can deny a creamy mac and cheese, and frankly, no adult can either! All it takes is shredded cheese, milk, and a few spices. Serve it with air fryer chicken tenders, and your kids will wipe their plates clean.
15. 15-Minute Mongolian Beef
White rice is always a great meal base for a quick bite, and this Mongolian beef is a treat to put on top! This dish calls for flank steak, ginger, soy, brown sugar, and hoisin sauce. It’s an elevated weeknight meal.
16. 15-Minute Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
I have to say, this might be a dish you break out for the in-laws! It’s perfect for a family-style dinner and looks truly impressive. Save even more time by using frozen stir-fry veggies instead, or quickly chop up broccoli, onion, and pepper to fold into this creamy flank steak.
17. 15-Minute Skillet Pepper Steak
I love this dish for a quicker rendition of steak fajitas. Layer thinly sliced top round beef, bell peppers, and onion in a grilled flour tortilla and top it with a dollop of sour cream. Pair it with Mexican rice and refried beans for a sizzling dinner destined to be enjoyed with a skinny margarita.
18. 15-Minute Beef and Noodles Skillet
Throw away that Hamburger Helper because this recipe is just as quick with 10 times more flavor! Put your favorite noodles to boil while you sautee ground beef that’s marinating in tomato soup and cream of mushroom soup. Toss in tons of shredded cheddar cheese, and you have gravy-filled and melted pasta.
19. 15-Minute Chicken and Halloumi Burgers
This is clearly the Iron Chef of burgers with diverse flavors and is served quicker than a Chopped appetizer challenge. These whole chicken breasts are pan-fried and topped with grilled halloumi, peppers and hummus, and fresh coleslaw for a gourmet meal.
20. 15-Minute Grilled Salmon
Have leftover sides in the fridge and want to add protein to re-invent tonight’s dinner? Try this straightforward grilled salmon. Take your filets to the grill in the yard with just a few spices slathered on top for a charred but moist delight.
21. 15-Minute Garlic Butter Shrimp
Don’t have time to create a shrimp scampi in under 30 minutes? Try this garlic butter shrimp and add noodles instead! All you need is garlic, butter, lemon, and parsley to make these juicy and tasty shrimp.
22. 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Soup
Elevate your lazy grilled cheese dinner with this tomato soup that will be done at the same time as your sandwich. No need to crack open a can of lifeless Campbell’s soup! This recipe only demands peeled stewed tomatoes, garlic, onion, and spices.
23. 15-Minute Wonton Soup
If you’re someone who usually keeps frozen wontons in your fridge, you’re a step ahead of the rest of us. This simple wonton soup cooks up a rich broth. It’s filled with bite-sized wontons, leeks, and your choice of dark greens like baby spinach, bok choy, or chopped kale.
24. 15-Minute Pork-Fried Rice
This pork fried rice would be a perfect companion to the wonton soup above for an Asian fusion spread that’s all made in a jiffy. Take out that leftover white rice and add it to your pan with ground pork, frozen stir-fry veggie mix, and eggs. Then cover it in soy sauce and oyster sauce blend.
25. 15-Minute Stovetop Enchiladas
Enchiladas can be a lot of work with having to make stuffing, wrapping it in tortillas, then carefully laying them in an oven dish. This recipe takes all the flavors you love and creates a deconstructed bowl that has a faster prep time. Click on a star to rate it!
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