Busy men and women need easy recipes that can help them get dinner on the table in a hurry. All of these meals, snacks and desserts can be made in less than a half hour. Perfect for busy weeknights or breakfasts when you just have to get out the door quickly. 30 Minute Meals are a real time saver for me.
If you have a busy life like I do, you will find that the dinner hour rolls around each day and the “what’s for dinner” question has not been answered. That is where these recipes come in handy. They are easy to prepare, not overly complicated when it comes to ingredients and best of all – TASTY!
I’ve divided the recipes in categories to make them easier to browse for you. Also, be sure to check back often, since I add to this page regularly. Some of these meals time out just at the 30 minute mark. A few can be done in about 15 minutes and one or two take 35 minutes in total. And this includes prep and cooking time!
Got 30 Minutes - turn it into a tasty meal. I ♥ #30minutemeals! Share on XSo grab a cup of coffee and enjoy looking through this selection of 30 minute meals.
30 Minute Meals for Breakfast
Breakfast in my house is a rush. We like to sleep late and that means that we need something quick and easy to get us out the door in a hurry. Sometimes, that means a hearty muffin, and other times it’s a fully cooked breakfast. But all are tasty, fun and ready in 30 minutes or less!
- Breakfast Chicken Hash – Who says a cooked breakfast needs a long time to make? Not this one!
- Got 25 minutes? Then you’ve got some Banana Pumpkin Pie Spice Waffles. Perfect for cold autumn mornings.
- Just 15 minutes is all the time you need to make a Whole30 Breakfast bowl that will stay with you until well after lunchtime.
- No need to buy granola when you can make your own Stove Top Granola in 20 minutes.
- This 30 Minute Caramelized Mushroom Bowl is a hearty blend of eggs, fruit, bacon and veggies on a bed of spinach. Ready in 15 minutes!
- This Bananas Foster Oatmeal Bowl is a hearty and filling breakfast ready in just 10 minutes.
- This Coconut Crusted French Toast is crunchy, sweet and ready in 15 minutes.
- Try this Whole30 Bacon Frittata for a healthy start to the day.
- Use up your leftovers for breakfast with this tasty Whole30 turkey hash.
- Who could believe that you’d get Strawberry Belgian Waffles on the table in just 10 minutes?
- Whole30 and Paleo Breakfast ideas – clean eating ideas for a great start to the day.
- Yummo! Chocolate Chip Pancakes with a Peanut Butter Syrup!
30 Minute Lunch Time Meals
Whether you want to eat something at your desk, or have the time to relax with lunch, you probably don’t have a ton of time for meal prep. Try one of these delicious and quick lunch ideas.
- California Cobb Salad – The home made dressing is Whole30 compliant and the taste is amazing!
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup in just 20 minutes? Yes, that’s right!
- Cheeseburger Taco Wraps are ready in just 15 minutes.
- French Bread Pizzas are super quick to make and taste great too.
- It’s copycat recipe time with these Joe’s Crab Shack Crab Cakes.
- Light on time and light on calories. This Skinny Cauliflower Mexican Rice makes a fun mid day meal in less than 15 minutes.
- This Mediterranean Chicken Salad has a home made marinade recipe that is also used as a dressing for the salad.
- Serve this Greek Chopped Salad with the home made lime vinaigrette dressing for lunch or as a side dish.
- Slimmed Down Broccoli Cheddar Soup makes a hearty lunch meal without all the calories of the normal version.
- These Beef Taco Lettuce Wraps take only 15 minutes and make a light lunch time meal.
- These Cabbage Wraps with Cranberries and Chicken are a very tasty lunch time treat.
30 Minute Dinners
The main meal sometimes means getting in right before something needs to go on the table. That is where 30 minute meals really come into play. From start to finish, including the time for prepping the meal, all of these delicious recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less.
- 5 minutes extra but it’s a chili, guys. A chili in 35 minutes! And it’s amazing, too. Try this Smokey 3 Bean Chili.
- 15 minutes later, this Creamy Chicken with Cilantro Lime Sauce is on the table.
- 20 minutes is all you need to pull together this creamy Garlic Mushroom Chicken recipe.
- A few shortcut helpers get this Broccoli Cheese Chicken and Rice Skillet dinner on the table in 15 minutes.
- Baked Salmon with Honey Dijon and Garlic Sauce is one of my family’s favorite quick meals.
- Basil Garlic Chicken with a Buttery Tomato Sauce. One of my most popular 30 minute meals.
- Beef Broccoli and Couscous Stir fry goes from stove top to table in 15 minutes.
- Easy Weeknight Chicken Scallopine is Italian cooking at it’s best.
- Everything in one pan. What could be easier than this One Pot Balsamic Chicken Recipe?
- Fire up the grill with these Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kebabs. Over and out in just 10 minutes!
- For a one pot meal with a fabulous sauce that is made in 30 minutes, try this chicken piccata with artichoke hearts recipe.
- Gluten free and Paleo dieters will love this teriyaki beef stir fry.
- If you follow a Paleo diet, try this Paleo Mongolian Beef recipe.
- It’s stir fry time with this Teriyaki Chicken with Vegetables Recipe.
- Lighten up the traditional Italian favorite with this skinny shrimp Alfredo. The flavor is still amazing!
- Making this pan seared Honey Glazed Salmon with a Browned Butter Lime Sauce takes just 15 easy minutes.
- This baked trout recipe is easy to make and so crispy and crunchy without pan frying.
- This BBQ Ranch Chicken Casserole is gluten free and slimmed down for a healthier version of the original.
More 30 Minute Dinners!
- Normally, beef stroganoff takes a long time to prepare, but this Easy Beef Stoganoff is ready in 30 minutes.
- One Pot Sausage Rotini Bake makes the easiest of easy dinners.
- Salmon in Parchment Paper is easy, tasty and fun to present for a special occasion. And it only takes 20 minutes!
- Shortcut pasta helper gets this Easy Shrimp Alfredo on the table in a hurry.
- Spicy shrimp with Garlic and Parsley – quick easy and super tasty with a bit of heat!
- Super delicious and ready in just 15 minutes. Try these Garlic Lemon Roasted Shrimp.
- The kids will love these Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders. No more take away for me!
- This one is just a smidge over – it takes 35 minutes. But the taste of these Apple Pecan Stuffed Pork Chops will make those extra five minutes worth it!
- Time for a BBQ with this Grilled Pork with Mango Salsa. Perfect for an impromptu summer gathering.
- Try this Spicy Shrimp and Tomato Pasta for a super quick and tasty evening meal.
- Your family will love this recipe for Cumin Grilled Chicken Breasts.
- If you love chicken with a creamy sauce, try this Parmesan chicken and mushrooms recipe. It’s amazing.
- We loved the flavor of the creamy garlic sauce on this Balsamic chicken and mushrooms recipe at our house.
Don’t forget snacks, desserts and appetizers!
30 Minute Appetizers
I love easy appetizers. And if they can be put together in 30 minutes or less, that is even better. Start your next party off with one of these quick appetizer ideas.
- 4 Easy Crostini Party Appetizers in less than a half hour? Yup! That’s right!
- A quick pulse in a food processor and this Red Pepper and Toast Pine Nut Hummus is almost ready.
- Appetizers like these Saucy Asian Meatballs are ones that your guests will love. Good thing they only take 25 minutes.
- BBQ Phyllo Appetizers – A real crowd favorite!
- It’s party time with this Strawberry Peach Jalaneño Salsa with home made tortilla chips.
- Looking for a tasty appetizers that is ready in 20 minutes? Try these Ham and Spinach Pinwheel Appetizers.
- Pizza Cups make the perfect slumber party food.
- Roasting Red Peppers brings out their natural sweetness. They also make a great healthy snack or party appetizer!
- Start your next party with these Cream Cheese, Tomato and Bacon appetizers.
- These Grilled Shrimp Tostadas are ready in a flash and your guests will love them!
- This wonderful Descendants Hawaiian Dip takes only 5 minutes to prepare but it likes to sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you serve it.
30 Minute Desserts
I love baked cheesecake recipes as much as the next person, but they take a lot of time to make. Not so with these delicious snacks and desserts. Gather your ingredients and in a half hour, you will have a sweet treat to end your meal with.
- Anyone for thee fast and easy Candy Cane Kiss Cookies? They’re delicious and so festive!
- Irresistible Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – perfect for an afternoon snack.
- It’s snack time with these super easy Snickers Peanut Butter Cookies – The kids will love them!
- Ready in less than 30 minutes, these Peppermint Rice Krispie Bars are the perfect holiday sweet treat.
- These 30 minute Strawberry Buttercream Cupcakes make the perfect Valentine’s day dessert.
Check out these kitchen gadgets that are real time savers for making 30 minute meals.
Sometimes the meal preparation can really be much faster if only you had just the right kitchen tools. These handy gadgets will make light work of slicing, dicing and even cooking.
More 30 Minute Meals Inspiration
For more quick meals, snacks and desserts, be sure to check out my 30 Minute Meals Board on Pinterest.
More Recipe Ideas
If you enjoyed this recipe list, be sure to check out these, too!