Flavorful dinner recipes for when you don’t know what to cook! Quick noodles, tacos, bowls, curries, and weeknight favorites to save time.
32 Dinner Recipes For When You Don’t Know What To Cook
If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the kitchen at 5 p.m. thinking I have no idea what to make for dinner, these dinner recipes are for you. Recipes that are weeknight-friendly, flavor-packed, and just… doable.
These are the meals I make over and over when decision fatigue hits: quick noodles, easy tacos, cozy curries, sheet-pan situations, and a handful of simple-but-exciting bowls that always pull me out of a rut. Whether you’re craving something fresh and veggie-forward, something saucy and comforting, or something with a little kick, you’ll find a good “I can actually cook this tonight” option here.
These are the real-life, crowd-pleasing dinner recipes that get dinner on the table fast without feeling boring. So if you don’t know what to cook tonight… start here.
My Favorite Dinner Recipes
Chicken Wontons in Spicy Chili Sauce
Big, beautiful, bossy flavors ahead! Shiitake mushrooms and chicken wontons swim in a brothy flavor-filled sauce and get finished with a swirl of sesame oil and chili crisp on top. Yum!
Miso Peanut Ramen Bowls
A sweet and creamy savory broth ladled into bowls with noodles, crispy crumbled tofu, and fresh veg! These ramen bowls are SO GOOD.
Cauliflower Black Bean Tostadas with Queso and Pickled Onion
Tangy, creamy, crunchy, smoky, seasoned vegetarian goodness on a perfectly crisp little corn tortilla disk. Cauliflower Black Bean Tostadas to the rescue!
Bang Bang Salmon with Avocado Cucumber Salsa
Bang Bang Salmon! Creamy, sweet, savory, and punchy. Served with some steamy rice and an avocado cucumber salsa. Weeknight perfection!
Gochujang Chicken Burgers with Kimchi Bacon Jam
Wow wow wow! These Gochujang Chicken Burgers are next-level good. And a perfectly sweet-spicy kimchi bacon jam piled high on top? Yes, please!
Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa
Super easy salmon tacos loaded with a mango, sweet corn, and cucumber salsa!
Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry with Spicy Cashew Sauce
Caramelized red curry chicken sits next to a bed of hot, fluffy rice and steamed broccoli and then totally sauced up with the BEST spicy cashew sauce. Ooof, this is so, so good.
Burger Bowls with House Sauce and Ranch Fries
A burger in a bowl! Ranch-seasoned fries topped with a burger patty and all the fixings, with a drizzle of house sauce to take it over the top!
Crockpot Chicken Bowls with Yellow Rice and Cilantro Pesto
Saucy shredded chicken, yellow rice, pickled onions, greens, and cilantro pesto on top. It’s a flavor and color delight!
Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki
Part bowl, part salad, part sandwich folded up into any kind of bread you like, and I’m here for it in every form.
Ridiculously Good Chicken Tacos with Green Sauce
Just 20 minutes to get these chicken tacos on the table! Juicy, flavorful, and absolutely mindless in the best way.
Trader Joe’s Sun-Dried Tomato Focaccia Turkey Sandwich
Pillowy sun-dried tomato focaccia gets piled with pesto mayo, turkey, juicy tomato slices, and greens. This sandwich is a beauty and practically a lifestyle!
Saucy Gochujang Noodles with Chicken
A spicy, peanutty, noodley bit of super easy comfort food! These gochujang noodles require just a handful of ingredients – like ramen noodles, peanut butter, sesame oil, and soy sauce – and come together in just 20 minutes.
5 Ingredient Spicy Pork
5 Ingredient Spicy Pork! A fancy-feeling dinner recipe that actually comes together in snap. Serve it in bowls, stir-fry it with some veggies, or add it to burritos!
Chicken with Coconut Kale
Golden, juicy, thinly sliced pan-fried chicken swims in a creamy coconut-kale gravy-like situation with slips of shallot and a bit of heat. Super easy, minimal ingredients!
Chicken Teriyaki Burgers with Sesame Slaw
These Chicken Teriyaki Burgers are amazingly simple while also being ridiculously delicious. Caramelized burgers that are fried up in minutes, a pile of sesame slaw on top, and a perfectly toasted bun. YUM.
Sesame Beef and Broccoli
Sesame Beef and Broccoli! Full of protein, green broccoli goodness, and sticky-sweet garlic and ginger flavor. Perfect at-home takeout!
Avocado Mojo Bowls with Sweet Potato and Chicken
We are living our best bowl life this week. Seasoned sweet potato wedges and chicken meatballs or rotisserie chicken all piled onto a plate with a little puddle of punchy green avocado mojo sauce. Yes, wow, repeat.
Salmon with Basil Sauce and Tomato Salad
We’re making a summery salmon with a beautiful, big-flavored basil sauce that is so good, you’re going to want to just drink it. Perfectly-spiced, fresh, and a dinner for everyone!
Crunchy Roll Bowls
A block of tofu, nicely browned in teriyaki sauce, served on a bed of sticky rice with edamame, cucumber, avocado, jalapeño, and a handful of crushed-up crunchy onions, buried under a thick drizzle of extra teriyaki and spicy mayo.
Ricotta Meatballs with the Crispy Topping
These Ricotta Meatballs are an easy and delicious family favorite! Tender, juicy homemade meatballs with a jar of good marinara and a crispy topping to finish it all off. YUM!
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce
These vegetarian tacos have a deliciously satisfying black bean filling with fresh salsa and seasonings all tucked into a golden crispy tortilla and served alongside a cool and creamy cilantro lime sauce. YUM!
Butter Chicken Meatballs
These butter chicken meatballs are covered in a rich and mildly spiced tomato gravy that is made luxurious with just a little bit of butter and cream. Serious weeknight magic!
Ginger Peanut Chicken with Coconut Rice
Juicy, quick-marinated, Ginger Peanut Chicken on a bed of THE MOST LUSH coconut jasmine rice, with speckles of crunchy peanuts, bright fresh cilantro, and lime squeezes.
Coconut Curry Salmon
Coconut Curry Salmon! Broiled salmon with a salty-sweet spice rub, creamy coconut curry sauce, and steamy rice to soak it all up.
Sheet Pan Jambalaya
Maximum flavor, minimal dishes. Sausage, peppers, onions, shrimp, and cauliflower rice all roasted up on a sheet pan. Big flavor, easy dinner!
Crispy Chicken Tikka Bowls with Mint Sauce
Crispy bits of chicken tenders, crispy cucumbers, and briny pickled onions, all on a bed of fluffy quinoa with a swoop of cool mint sauce on top. You absolutely cannot go wrong with these bowls.
Ginger Chicken Meatball Sandos
Golden brown chicken meatballs cozied up next to fixings like cucumbers, shallots, kewpie mayo, mint, a bit of chili crisp, and some fresh cilantro to make the ultimate chicken sando!
Steph’s Chickpea Curry with Spinach and Rice
Amazingly creamy, saucy chickpea curry served over rice with a dollop of chili crisp and a side of cucumber salad. Ready in 20 minutes!
Brandon’s Egg Roll Tacos
Egg rolls meet tacos! I love this! Easy to make and ridiculously good with a classic egg roll filling, crunchy veg, pillowy tortillas, and a spicy gochujang sauce.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw
THE BEST shrimp tacos loaded with avocado, spicy shrimp, and a homemade creamy lime slaw? HELLO YUMMY!
Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls
These Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls are a meal prep / weeknight dinner life-saver! Crispy tofu, roasted veggies, fluffy rice, and a spicy sweet peanut sauce all over top.
My Dinnertime Essentials
Dinner doesn’t just *happen*, so I’ve locked in some of my one-and-only dinnertime products that make these dinner recipes really delicious and really easy.
The links below are affiliate links and I may receive a commission from your purchase!
- My Favorite Skillet: These healthy nonstick ceramic skillets are PFAS-free, made in the USA, and super versatile! Love them so much.
- Air Fryer: My original dinnertime lifesaver is the Air Fryer Chicken, and there are several recipes above that use the air fryer as well! It cooks food quickly, makes it super crispy, and is easy to clean.
- Instant Pot: I love to use an Instant Pot for soups, but is also my go-to appliance for making perfect rice!
- My Favorite Sheet Pans: A sheet pan dinner is a happy dinner! I use these for dinnertime, but also for baking cookies too!
- Dutch Oven: I think every kitchen should have a dutch oven – it can right from stovetop to oven, heats and simmers evenly, and just *looks* so cozy. Affordable, too!
- Shallow Casserole Pan: Very similar to the dutch oven above, but shallower – love this for all kinds of casseroles, including those Ricotta Meatballs above.
Simple Dinner Sides That Go With Everything
Looking for something to round out dinner? Whether it’s a salad and bread to go with ricotta meatballs, rice for beef and broccoli, or some broccoli for the curry salmon – these are the sides that can pair with just about anything.
- Simple Green Salad
- No Knead Bread
- Favorite Brussels Sprouts
- Crispy Broccoli
- House Favorite Garlic Bread
- Perfect Rice
Want even more recipe ideas for dinner? Head here!
December 5, 2025
Hi, I'm Jenna!
General Manager of Pinch of Yum. Proud Minnesota dweller. Lover of a good iced americano, a cozy bowl of pasta, and days on the lake. ♡
