Photography: John Paul Urizar. Styling: Michele Cranston.
These easy dinner recipes will be on the table fast. There’s no need for a takeaway menu when you’ve got quick and easy dinner ideas that are great for busy weeknights.
These dinner recipes are perfect for when you don’t have a lot of time to cook, or don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. From soups to salads to stir-fries, we’re here to help get dinner on the table in a flash. We’re talking 30 minutes or less.
Or try one of these ideas to transform a tin of tuna. Or these ways to turn microwave rice into a delicious easy meal.
Julie Goodwin’s honey prawn stir fry with noodles
A quick and flavoursome dinner for tonight.
Chicken pesto pasta with tomatoes
You’ll love the ease with which this tasty meal can be thrown together.
Easy san choy bow
This no-cook recipe uses quick shortcuts to get dinner on the table fast.
Steph de Sousa’s teriyaki beef mince stir fry
This tasty stir fry has just five ingredients.
Air fryer hot honey salmon salad
A speedy summer dinner for two, served with a peach and quinoa salad.
Julie Goodwin’s chicken stroganoff
It’s simple to make – and cheaper than the beef version.
Lemon pasta with chilli & crispy crumbs
Take that packet of dried spaghetti to a new level.
Lamb steak with mushroom cream sauce
Savoury, earthy mushroom cream sauce is gorgeous paired with tender lamb steaks.
Mushroom parmigiana
An easy meat-free dinner for two.
Pork larb with rice noodles
Those delicious Thai larb flavours, served with rice noodles to make a flavour-packed, budget-friendly dinner.
Baked barramundi with cherry tomatoes & green olives
A fast and fresh tray bake dinner.
Minestrone pasta salad
This speedy Italian-inspired pasta salad with a punchy sundried tomato pesto dressing is the perfect BBQ salad and side dish star.
Julie Goodwin’s creamy chicken & mushroom pasta
A family favourite pasta.
Air fryer dumplings & crunchy salad
Transform frozen dumplings into a quick, flavour-packed dinner.
One pot pasta
A fresh and easy spaghetti that cooks in just 15 minutes!
Julie Goodwin’s Lebanese-style pizza
A quick and easy dinner using tasty lamb mince.
Satay chicken noodle salad
Transform a barbecue chicken into a delicious 15-minute dinner.
Pasta alla vodka
A speedy dinner idea for solo diners.
Easy chicken stir fry
Whip up this simple stir fry in just 30 minutes.
Julie Goodwin’s spiced chicken with brown rice & cauliflower
A zesty salad with crispy spiced chicken.
Marry me chicken pasta
Our 20-minute twist on the popular dish.
Green goddess pasta
A creamy salad with crisp asparagus, sweet peas and fresh herbs.
Barbecue chicken salad with rice & chargrilled corn
Dish up an easy, flavour-packed dinner.
Spinach pasta with hot smoked salmon
It’s a weeknight dinner winner, ready in just 30 minutes.
Fettuccine alfredo
For those evenings when you want great food with minimum effort.
Julie Goodwin’s pesto pasta salad
A quick and easy salad to share.
Air fryer miso salmon
Cook a complete dinner for four in just 25 minutes.
Air fryer pizza supreme
Because who doesn’t love pizza night!
Pink sauce pasta
Also known as rose pasta, it’s a creamy, dreamy weeknight wonder.
Vermicelli noodle salad with lemongrass chicken
Fresh and full of flavour.
Quick & easy chicken & corn soup
A speedy version of the classic soup to serve two.
Quick & easy potato soup with cheddar toasts
A cosy meal for two, ready in just 30 minutes.
Julie Goodwin’s curried prawns
Pick up some school prawns for this easy and tasty dinner.
Quick & easy minestrone & ravioli soup
A healthy and delicious twist on the classic minestrone stew.
Pork, sopressa and kale pesto pasta
Make this budget-friendly pesto pasta the next time you’re stuck on what to cook.
Panko crumbed chicken schnitzel with apple slaw
Take your weeknight chicken schnitty to a new level.
Easy oven-baked mushroom gnocchi parcels
A simple oven-baked recipe made with store-bought gnocchi.
Potato and pea soup with pesto, ricotta cream and crispy croutons
Turn frozen peas into a tasty weeknight dinner.
Pappardelle with tomatoes, basil, ricotta and olives
A quick and easy dinner idea.
Pork burgers with easy slaw
Spice up burger night with miso and chilli.
Green goodness in a bowl
This delicious bowl of green goodness makes for a tasty, nourishing meal. Quick, easy, and full of superpower ingredients – you simply can’t go wrong!
Broad bean and ricotta orecchiette
This nourishing broad bean and ricotta orecchiette is perfect for dinner with the family any night of the week.
Soy and sriracha air fryer chicken thighs
This air fryer chicken recipe is perfect to add to your weeknight rotation, on the table in 30 minutes.
Thai beef salad with chilli lime dressing
Sweet, sour and spicy, this flavour packed salad makes for a healthy lunch or dinner.
Fresh pesto pasta
Simply delicious.
Cheat’s salt and vinegar tortilla
Dinner’s ready in just 25 minutes.
Quesadillas with black beans & corn
A quick and easy midweek dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s quick orecchiette pasta
This 5-ingredient dinner is ready in 20 minutes.
Lemon parmesan pan chicken
Serve this delicious weeknight wonder with creamy mashed potato.
Chickpea, gnocchi and spinach curry
A hearty weeknight dinner made with store-bought gnocchi and pantry staples.
Pan fried chicken with lemon and tahini
A quick weeknight dinner.
Julie Goodwin’s barbecued corn fritters
A quick and easy barbecue dinner.
Dan dan noodles
An easy dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes.
Pork skewers with satay sauce & coconut rice
Fire up the grill.
Pork mince stir fry with crisp green beans
A fast, fresh & gluten-free dinner.
Kimchi noodles with prawns & broccolini
A spicy single-serve dinner.
Spaghetti carbonara
This spaghetti carbonara recipe requires just a few ingredients. It’s low in effort and high in flavour.
Hokkien mee with beef
A quick and tasty dinner for busy weeknights.
Jerk salmon with yoghurt potatoes
Master the art of quick and tasty weeknight dinners with this easy salmon recipe.
Chow mein
Fast and delicious, chow mein is a dreamy midweek feed.
Miso udon soup
Packing a classic savoury Japanese punch, this warming and nourishing miso udon soup by Woman’s Day is head and shoulders above any other ‘just add hot water’ concoctions you can buy.
Warm green pea pasta
Transform those frozen peas! This green pea pasta takes 30 minutes to make. It’s a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.
Satay pork cutlets
They’re sticky, sweet and easy to eat!
Smoked salmon pasta with crispy capers
A delicious family-friendly salmon pasta that will have everyone going up for seconds!
Pumpkin risotto with Italian sausage & rosemary
Serve up this warming pumpkin risotto for dinner tonight!
Crisp skin salmon with herb yoghurt
A healthy, dinner-for-one doesn’t take long to make and makes for a great leftover-lunch.
Satay chicken
Delicious sweet and nutty satay chicken.
Minestrone soup
The hearty Italian soup we all love.
Tuna potato cakes
You say scallop, we say cake.
Spicy peanut butter ramen
If you’re looking for a quick and tasty pantry dinner, this single-serve recipe is perfect.
Zucchini Greek salad
Thin, curly strips of zucchini give the classic Greek salad a tasty twist.
Tuna mac ‘n’ cheese
A classic dish with a fishy twist!
Mushroom and goat’s cheese omelette
Get cracking on this quick and simple meal.
Chilli chicken stir-fry
Quick, easy and absolutely delicious.
Chicken stir fry with zucchini noodles
This stir fry recipe uses zucchini noodles to create a light and tasty dinner for one.
10 minute chicken and bean tortilla soup
An easy lunch idea!
Minute-steak sandwiches
Ready in a flash.
20-minute pork steaks with sesame Asian slaw
An easy and delicious weeknight winner the whole family will enjoy.
Brought to you by Australian Pork
Hot smoked salmon and sesame salad
For a super quick and tasty lunch or dinner recipe, try our hot smoked salmon salad with an Asian style sesame dressing. There’s no cooking required, perfect for throw-together work meals.
Fennel and grape salad with pork cutlets
Spruce up that pork cutlet dinner and make the most of autumn fennel and grapes.
Vegetable soup
The most comforting way to get your five-a-day.
Want more easy dinner recipes?
Here at the Test Kitchen we understand that sometimes the time you have available for cooking a nutritious meal is limited – especially during the week. That’s why we love creating wholesome meals that can be put on the table with minimal prep time.
For more easy dinner recipes that use time-saving hacks, see these recipe collections:
- 4 ways with canned tuna
- 28 BBQ chicken recipes for easy dinners
- 4 ways with microwave rice
- 4 ways with store-bought gnocchi
- 30 canned tuna recipes
More ways to make dinnertime easy
Another way to save yourself some time during the week is with bulk cooking on the weekend. You can then freeze meals ready to quickly reheat on weeknights. See our recipe collection of 65 freezer-friendly meals to find easy dinner ideas that freeze well. The list includes recipes like pea and ham soup, chilli con carne, pork stew, zucchini slice, and lasagnes. The article also has best-practise advice for safely freezing food. With these dinners stocked in your freezer, you’ll be able to avoid the temptation to order takeaway on those hectic weeknights.
However, if you’re looking for homemade ‘fake-away’ recipes, we’ve got you covered! See our takeaway-style dinner recipes to make at home, from fried rice and pizza to laksa and burgers.
