Instead of ordering takeout, you can whip up a delicious dinner with these low-calorie meals. These recipes are packed with protein and vegetables to create a well-rounded meal that's on the table in 30 minutes or less. Recipes like Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl and Beef & Bean Chile Verde are flavorful and fast.
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Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl
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This flavorful burrito bowl features grilled chicken coated in a spicy chipotle glaze. Loading it with vegetables and using quinoa in place of rice adds nutrition for a healthier dinner.
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General Tso's Chicken
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To recreate this beloved dish, we've reduced the fat content by not frying the chicken and cut the sodium by using reduced-sodium soy sauce. Serve with steamed baby bok choy or sautéed spinach and steamed brown rice.
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Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap
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This chicken Caesar salad wrap recipe is elevated by the irresistible smoky flavor of grilled chicken and grilled romaine. Whisk together this easy Caesar salad dressing, toss with the grilled chicken and romaine and wrap it all together for a delicious lunch or dinner.
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Five-Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps
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These turkey lettuce wraps come together fast for a healthy dinner or try them as a fun appetizer for entertaining. Adding instant brown rice to the filling increases the fiber, making these wraps more satisfying. Serve with chile-garlic sauce and rice vinegar for extra zip.
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Spaghetti Squash Lo Mein
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Swap regular noodles for veggie "noodles" in this low-calorie, healthy spaghetti squash recipe. For a fun presentation, serve the lo mein in the hollowed-out spaghetti squash boat. If you like it hot, serve with extra Sriracha.
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Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas
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These sheet-pan poblano-and-corn chicken fajitas are seasoned with mild ancho chile powder, paprika and cumin. The chicken and vegetables cook on a sheet pan under the broiler so you can forget working over a hot stove or grill to get dinner on the table fast. Plus, with only one pan, cleanup is a breeze!
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Garlic Shrimp with Cilantro Spaghetti Squash
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Garlicky shrimp are served on top of buttery, cilantro-flecked spaghetti squash in this quick, healthy dinner recipe inspired by shrimp scampi. Pair with a side of sautéed greens, such as kale, collards or spinach.
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Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry
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This tofu veggie stir-fry is quick and easy, making it a great go-to weeknight meal. Baked tofu has a firm, toothsome texture that crisps well in a hot pan. You can find it in flavors like teriyaki and sesame, both of which are delicious here. Or opt for a smoked version, which has the same texture with a more robust flavor. Serve over brown rice.
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Stir-Fried Clams with Snow Peas
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Bright green and crispy snow peas combine with clams in this quick and easy stir-fry. Brown rice at the bottom of the bowl soaks up the sweet and savory sauce. Feel free to swap out the rice for rice noodles or udon to change things up!
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Easy Miso-Chicken Ramen
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Warm up a chilly evening with this healthy chicken-and-vegetable ramen noodle bowl recipe. For a little spice, top with hot sauce, such as Sriracha. Look for dried curly Chinese-style noodles near other Asian ingredients in most well-stocked supermarkets. For a substitute, try whole-wheat angel hair pasta and cook for a few minutes longer.
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25-Minute Chicken & Veggie Enchiladas
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These chicken enchiladas are great for using up any veggies you have lingering in your fridge. Our chicken enchilada recipe calls for zucchini, squash and onion, but you could easily swap them for spinach or potatoes.
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Steak Burritos
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Here's a burrito inspired by San Francisco's super burritos that come packed with meat, beans, rice, cheese, guacamole and salsa. We've kept this home-style version a bit simpler to make and a whole lot healthier with brown rice, whole-wheat tortillas and a more reasonable serving size. We recommend wrapping it in foil—the traditional way to serve it—so you can pick the burrito up and eat it without it falling apart, peeling back the foil as you go. Serve with a cold beer and vinegar-dressed slaw.
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25-Minute Peanut Noodles
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These super-quick peanut noodles will surely find their way into your weeknight rotation. If you have a little more time on your hands, stir in wilted spinach or sautéed veggies for a colorful and nutritious pop. For some extra protein, top with grilled chicken. Garnish with crushed peanuts, if desired.
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Shirataki Noodles with Tofu & Veggies
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Shirataki noodles, which are made fromkonjac yam, have a mild flavor and can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups to stir-fries. Here, we pair them with tofu and veggies for a sweet and salty dish featuring crisp-tender bok choy and cabbage. The tofu has a nice crust on the outside, adding texture to this quick vegetarian meal.
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Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
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Rotisserie chicken tacos are the perfect way to get tacos on the table fast. The chicken is gently heated and flavored with chili powder and ground cumin. Toppings can be customized but sticking with a quick pico de gallo and the classic toppings of shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream keeps things quick and simple.
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Beef & Bean Chile Verde
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Chile verde, usually a slow-cooked stew of pork, jalapeños and tomatillos, becomes an easy weeknight meal with quick-cooking ground beef and store-bought green salsa. Make it a meal: Serve with fresh cilantro, red onion and Monterey Jack. Add cornbread on the side and your favorite hot sauce.
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Saucy Ginger-Tomato Chicken
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Inspired by the flavors of chicken tikka masala, this recipe uses convenient canned tomato soup so that you can get this dish on the table on any busy night. Rather than cooking the chicken in a tandoor, we add it directly to the sauce so it gets coated in the ginger-tomato flavors.
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Grilled Skirt Steak with Corn-Tomato Relish
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Corn, tomato and basil scream summer, but simplicity makes this easy dinner recipe perfect for the season. Serve the grilled skirt steak and relish with salad greens for a quick and healthy dinner you'll want to make over and over.
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Chicken Tomato Tortilla Soup
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Transform canned tomato soup by adding chicken, black beans and corn for a filling and quick lunch or dinner. Garnish with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, avocado and tortilla chips.
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Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
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Two of our favorite comfort-food sandwiches join forces in these family-friendly dinner sandwiches. We found that softer buns make this easier to eat, and it's all the better when wrapped takeout-style in a sheet of foil.
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3-Ingredient Chicken Salad Tostadas
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For this three-ingredient dinner, a premade salad kit is the perfect shortcut because it has everything you need in one bag, including the dressing. Swap in canned black beans for the chicken to make this vegetarian.
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California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries
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Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.
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3-Ingredient Teriyaki Edamame Sauté
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Whip up this high-fiber, plant-based stir-fry for a quick and convenient dinner. Look for bottled teriyaki sauce labeled less sodium or reduced sodium to cut back on the salt without sacrificing flavor.
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Spicy Shrimp Tacos
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These spicy shrimp tacos owe their kick to a smoky chipotle shrimp seasoning blend. Cooling avocado and tangy pico de gallo round out the flavor. This vibrant, easy dinner comes together in a flash, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
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Scrambled Egg Curry
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This mildly spiced Indian scrambled egg recipe makes a great light lunch or light dinner. Tuck the curried eggs into a warm whole-wheat tortilla or an Indian flatbread, like paratha, which can be found in the freezer case at Indian markets. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.
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Honey Walnut Shrimp
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Walnuts are given a brown sugar coating that pairs nicely with sweet and savory shrimp in our version of this popular restaurant dish. Serve the shrimp with rice and steamed veggies to make it a full, healthy meal. This ultra-quick dinner recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite.
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Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes
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Skip the bun and serve all of your favorite cheeseburger ingredients—beef, cheese, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce—with baked potatoes for a hearty and easy dinner recipe that kids and adults will love. Feel free to swap the ground beef for ground turkey or tofu crumbles.
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Zucchini Noodle Primavera
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This primavera recipe cuts carbs by swapping the pasta for zucchini "noodles." This quick vegetarian dinner is chock-full of colorful vegetables smothered in a light, creamy sauce. We like using prepackaged spiralized zucchini noodles to keep this recipe ultra-fast, but if you have a spiralizer and zucchini on hand, you can easily make your own.
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Sweet & Sour Chicken with Broccoli
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This easy chicken and broccoli recipe makes a delicious, healthier alternative to Chinese takeout—and it takes just 20 minutes to make, so it's ideal for an easy weeknight dinner. When toasted, ramen noodles make a tasty, crunchy topping for a stir-fry or salad.
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Cauliflower Tikka Masala with Chickpeas
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In this vegetarian riff on a popular Indian dish, we swap cauliflower and chickpeas for the chicken in tikka masala. The cauliflower's nooks and crannies are particularly good at soaking up all the intense flavors of the sauce. Serve over rice for an easy healthy dinner that's ready in just 20 minutes.
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Vegetarian All-American Portobello Burgers
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Portobello mushrooms stand in for meat patties in this recipe for veggie burgers with all the fixings. Mushrooms are a source of glutamate, a naturally occurring compound that gives the fungi their umami flavor. But to really give these "patties" a savory boost, we brush them with steak sauce. Add a simple side salad or some grilled veggies for a satisfying and easy dinner on the grill.
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Chicken Nachos
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These chicken nachos have crunchy chips topped with hot spiced shredded chicken, beans and melted cheese with cooling chunks of avocado, red onion and cilantro. If you like the heat, add jalapeño slices at the end. These quick nachos work well with shredded chicken breast or rotisserie chicken if you have leftovers around.
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Prosciutto Pizza with Corn & Arugula
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This grilled prosciutto and arugula pizza makes the perfect summer dinner. If you have time, let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to make rolling it out easier in this 20-minute healthy pizza recipe. Thawed frozen corn works in place of fresh, just pat it dry before sprinkling it on the pizza.
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Molletes (Cheesy Mexican Bean Sandwiches)
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These hearty open-faced sandwiches are ready in no time and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They're typically made with refried beans. Here, we use pureed black beans scented with cumin and oregano instead for a similar effect.
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Beef Stir-Fry with Baby Bok Choy & Ginger
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All the ingredients for this easy beef stir-fry recipe are cooked in one wok (or skillet), so not only is the meal-prep fast for this healthy dinner, but cleanup is quick too. Look for Lee Kum Kee Premium oyster-flavored sauce in the Asian foods aisle of your grocery store. It has the most concentrated oyster flavor.
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Chicken & Shrimp Alfredo
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This easy pasta with creamy homemade Alfredo sauce, chicken and shrimp takes less than 30 minutes to make! Add a simple green salad, and you have a family-friendly weeknight dinner that you'd be happy to serve to company.
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Sheet-Pan Chili-Lime Salmon with Potatoes & Peppers
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Busy weeknights beg for something simple like this salmon sheet-pan dinner. Like the name suggests, it's all cooked on one pan. The potatoes get a head start, followed by sweet bell peppers and finally chili-coated salmon fillets. It's a complete meal with easy cleanup!
