20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (2024)

All you need is 5 ingredients—aside from pantry staples like salt, pepper and oil—to make one of these delicious meals. Plus, they only take 30 minutes or less to prepare, so dinner tonight is bound to be a breeze. Recipes like our Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms and Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice are healthy, tasty and easy choices for any night.

01of 20

Creamy Chicken & Mushrooms

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (1)

Whether you scored wild mushrooms at the farmers' market, found cultivated maitake or shiitake at the supermarket or just have some baby bellas on hand, this healthy creamy chicken recipe is delicious with any of them. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

02of 20

Black Bean Fajita Skillet

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (2)

You can often find presliced and ready-to-cook fresh vegetables in your grocer's produce section. Use these to your advantage to cut down on dinnertime prep. Here, presliced fajita vegetables are sautéed with canned black beans and Southwest seasoning for a quick and easy Tex Mex-inspired meal. Plus, this recipe requires just three ingredients, not including basics like salt, pepper and oil. You can easily take your bowl up a notch by adding some cheese, sour cream or another tasty topping.

03of 20

Spinach & Egg Scramble with Raspberries

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (3)

This quick egg scramble with hearty bread is one of the best breakfasts for weight loss. It combines protein-packed eggs and superfood raspberries with filling whole-grain toast and nutrient-rich spinach. The protein and fiber help fill you up and keep you going through the morning.

04of 20

Chicken & White Bean Soup

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (4)

Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

05of 20

Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (5)

You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.

06of 20

Cauliflower Gnocchi with Asparagus & Pesto

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (6)

While the cauliflower gnocchi crisp up in a sauté pan, steam fresh asparagus in the microwave to keep it bright green and crisp-tender. Substitute frozen asparagus (or green beans or peas) in a pinch. Toss them together with prepared basil pesto for a satisfying supper.

07of 20

Teriyaki-Glazed Cod with Cauliflower Rice

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (7)

This healthy fish recipe comes together fast with just three ingredients you can always have on hand in your freezer and fridge. Store-bought teriyaki glaze makes a great marinade for cod that doubles as a sauce for the cauliflower rice.

08of 20

Spaghetti Genovese

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (8)

Traditionally, this Italian pasta recipe combines pasta and pesto with potatoes and green beans. In our recipe for Spaghetti Genovese we give pesto a nutritional boost by adding spinach and toss it all together with fiber-rich whole-wheat pasta for a warm, comforting weeknight meal. Serve with escarole and radicchio salad.

09of 20

White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (9)

Turn lower-carb cauliflower gnocchi into a complete and satisfying meal with this riff on classic brown butter and sage gnocchi. We added beans to amp up the fiber and protein for a fast and healthy dinner.

10of 20

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with Chicken

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (10)

In this healthy copycat of a takeout salad favorite we combine precooked (or leftover) chicken and poppy seed dressing with fresh greens, strawberries and goat cheese for an easy throw-together meal that's ready in 10 minutes.

11of 20

Chipotle-Orange Broccoli & Tofu

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (11)

Chipotle peppers add kick to this tofu and broccoli stir-fry recipe. If you're shy about spice, cut back on the amount or leave them out completely. Serve over brown basmati rice.

12of 20

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (12)

This recipe is so beautiful and yet so simple to prepare--it's perfect for entertaining. You just spread a side of salmon with minced garlic, sprinkle with fresh basil, then layer sliced tomatoes on top. Put it on the grill for 10 minutes and you're done!

13of 20

Cauliflower Gnocchi Caprese

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (13)

This super-easy dish is perfect for summer. Store-bought frozen cauliflower gnocchi are crisped up in a pan, then tossed with mozzarella cheese, plenty of basil and balsamic vinegar for a hearty and healthy spin on the classic caprese salad.

14of 20

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Halloumi

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (14)

Take advantage of healthy convenience foods, such as pureed vegetable soups, to make a healthy meal in minutes. We enhance the flavor of boxed butternut squash soup with curry powder, then top it with irresistible halloumi cheese. Serve with warm whole-grain pita bread.

15of 20

Marinara Meat Sauce Topped Baked Potato

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (15)

Break out of your pasta routine by subbing in a baked potato in this simple and satisfying dinner for one.

16of 20

Grilled Pizza with Summer Squash, Feta & Basil

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (16)

Spreading roasted red pepper hummus on this easy grilled pizza makes a fast and easy base for tender summer squash and salty chunks of feta. Best of all? This healthy pizza is ready in 20 minutes.

17of 20

Shrimp Oreganata Cauliflower Gnocchi

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (17)

This cauliflower gnocchi dinner is ready in just minutes on busy nights. A simple flavor-packed sauce marries the tender pasta with cooked shrimp. If you don't eat shrimp, use rotisserie chicken instead.

18of 20

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus & Lemon

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (18)

Tilapia, a relatively plentiful fish, has the unfortunate reputation of being dull. All it needs is a spice rub, a familiar barbecuing technique that works just as well indoors. You could also use this rub on chicken breasts or toss it with lightly oiled shrimp before cooking.

19of 20

Egg Drop Soup with Instant Noodles, Spinach & Scallions

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (19)

Whisking a beaten egg into simmering broth is a quick and easy way to add creaminess and protein to noodle soup mix. Add freshness with a handful of baby spinach at the end. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve 2 and use the whole package of noodles. To cut back on sodium, look for noodle varieties with less than 600 mg sodium per serving or use less of the seasoning packet.

20of 20

Pesto Ravioli with Spinach & Tomatoes

View Recipe

20 Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less (20)

This easy ravioli recipe calls for just five ingredients but is loaded with fresh flavors. By using grape tomatoes, prewashed spinach and prepared pesto, we eliminate all prep work, making this 15-minute Caprese-inspired ravioli the ideal weeknight meal.