10 Fifteen-Minute Dinners for Nights You Are Tired
Garlic noodles, quesadillas, shrimp tacos, fried rice, pesto pasta and more: real dinners on the table in about fifteen minutes.
On the nights when you are running on empty, fifteen minutes is about all the cooking there is. These dinners are fast because of a few smart shortcuts, not because they skip flavor.
Shortcuts that make 15 minutes possible
- Boil the water first. Put the kettle or pasta pot on before you do anything else.
- Use quick-cooking proteins: shrimp, eggs, canned beans, rotisserie chicken, thin-sliced chicken and ground meat.
- Keep a few flavor-makers in the cupboard: pesto, salsa, soy sauce, curry paste and a good jar of marinara.
- Cook small pieces. Thin strips and bite-size cubes cook in minutes.
Too tired even for this? Try the dinner decider, or our 7 low-effort dinners.
Garlic butter Parmesan noodles
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
Cook the pasta and toss with garlic butter, cheese and a splash of pasta water.
Shrimp tacos
- 1 pound peeled shrimp
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 8 small tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- Lime and sour cream
Season the shrimp and cook in a hot oiled pan for 2 to 3 minutes until pink. Pile into warm tortillas with cabbage.
Egg fried rice
- 3 cups cold cooked rice
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Scramble the eggs, add the peas and rice and stir-fry with soy sauce until hot.
Chicken quesadillas
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 8 flour tortillas
- Salsa
Fill, fold and toast in a dry skillet, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Pesto tortellini
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
Cook the tortellini, drain and toss with the pesto, halved tomatoes and spinach until it wilts.
Lemon garlic shrimp pasta
- 12 ounces linguine
- 1 pound shrimp
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
Cook the shrimp in garlic butter while the pasta boils, then toss together with lemon.
Black bean burrito bowls
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
- 2 cups microwave rice
- 1 cup corn
- Salsa, cheese and avocado
Warm the beans with a little cumin, heat the rice and build bowls with the toppings.
Ramen noodle stir-fry
- 3 packs instant ramen (noodles only)
- 3 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 eggs
Boil the noodles 2 minutes, stir-fry the vegetables, add the noodles, sauce and beaten eggs and toss until set.
Turkey and cheese melts
- 8 slices bread
- 8 ounces sliced turkey
- 4 slices cheese
- Butter
Build the sandwiches, butter the outsides and cook over medium heat until golden and melted.
Chicken Caesar wraps
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 3 cups chopped romaine
- 1/3 cup Caesar dressing
- 4 large tortillas
Toss everything except the tortillas, then fill and roll.
Questions, answered
What can I make for dinner in 15 minutes?
Pasta with a quick sauce, fried rice, quesadillas, shrimp tacos, tortellini with pesto and egg dishes all come together in about 15 minutes.
How do I make dinner faster on weeknights?
Start the water boiling first, cut ingredients small, use quick proteins like shrimp, eggs and cooked chicken, and prep a few things on the weekend.
