22 Easiest Ever Dinner Recipes

Looking for easy dinnertime inspiration? Scroll down for 22 of my favorite and easiest dinner recipe ideas!

1. Fiery Asian Chicken Cutlets
These spicy chicken breasts are amazing sliced over a salad or in Banh Mi style sandwiches. Especially good paired with my quick soy sauce veggie pickles.

2. Turkey Quinoa Meatballs
Cooked quinoa takes the place of breadcrumbs in these tender turkey meatballs. Make a big batch to enjoy for quick dinners all week long.

 3. Mushroom & Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini
My favorite easy vegetarian dinner recipe! Hollowed out zucchini boats filled with a creamy and hearty mushroom filling.

 4. Orange & Ginger Glazed Salmon
Tangy orange marmalade is the secret behind this easy Asian-inspired salmon dish. 

5. Crispy Roasted Lemon Chicken Thighs
Easy enough for weeknight dinners, it's also an elegant dish to serve for company. Just add a side of rice or mashed potatoes and a salad, and you have a perfect meal.

6. Latin Spice Roast Chicken with Chimichurri
Three meals in one! Delicious roast chicken the first night, then make chicken salad the second day, and turn the leftovers into a spicy homemade chicken soup. Talk about convenient!

7. Mustard & Panko Crusted Salmon Fillets
I love this easy and crunchy salmon dish made with a few ingredients.

8. Cooked Shredded Chicken for Easy Weeknight Meals
Learn how to make a huge batch of shredded chicken that you can keep in the freezer for quick and healthy meals all week long! (Plus! A BUNCH of recipe ideas for the chicken.)

9. Pan-Seared Shrimp with Mango Salsa
This one is perfect for hot days when you want something lite. Ready in just a few minutes!

10. Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup
Feeling under the weather or in need of something a little comforting? This easy homemade tomato soup recipe is just the thing. Perfect with a grilled cheese!

11. Whiskey Orange Chipotle Chicken Thighs & Drums
One of the most popular recipes on my site, and with good reason! This is always a crowd-pleaser and perfect when serving a big group (or just a hungry family!). I include variations for a non-alcoholic version.

12. Chipotle Roasted Eggplant
This one is perfect for those meatless mondays. Just 3 ingredients and perfect on top of a salad, in a sandwich, or just on its own with a yogurt sauce. Spicy and satisfying!

13. 10-Minute Broiled Chipotle Salmon Fillets
Chipotle Tabasco is the secret ingredient behind these easy and spicy salmon fillets. How gorgeous does that glaze look?!

14. Crispy Pan-Fried Fish with Lemony Arugula
One of my go-to recipes. Try this with cod, tilapia, hake, sole--really just about any milk white fish will work. Crispy and delicious!

15. Chimichurri Fish Tacos
I'm such a fish taco fan, and this is one of my favorite ways to make them at home. The tangy herb sauce blitzes right up in a blender and then can be used for lots of other great recipes, too!

16. Easy Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts
The quickest and tastiest chicken marinade ever. Be sure to check out the neat trick for making clean-up a breeze!

17. Roasted Garlic Mushroom Sauce for Nearly Everything
Learn how to make this sauce and you'll be set for a dozen different dishes. Serve them on top of grilled chicken or fish, add to a burger, toss with cooked pasta or rice, serve on its own as a side, puree with a little cream into a soup--seriously so many things you can do with this basic recipe!

18. Turkey Bacon Meatballs
Seriously one of my favorite meatball recipes ever. Lean turkey + smokey bacon = meatball perfection!

19. Cleaning Out the Fridge Fried Rice
Turn leftovers into the most perfect bowl of homemade fried rice ever!

20. Basil Arugula Pesto Pasta
Got wilting herbs? Turn them into a tasty and easy pasta sauce!

21. Sweet & Spicy Broccolini with Sausage
Sauteed veggies and spicy Italian sausage are a quick and comforting weeknight dinner recipe.

22. Cold Sesame Soba Noodle Salad
Another great summertime recipe. This cold salad is rich with flavor, but light for those hot summer nights. 

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Baked Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Breasts

Whenever I head out of town, I try to make sure to leave a few goodies in the fridge for Eugene to eat while I'm away. I make a few mains and sides, then let him put them together however he'd like.

This weekend, I'm heading up to Vermont for a few days to work as a guest chef at Good Commons, so I want to make sure that Eugene is as well-fed as the retreat participants.

First up on this list are these Baked Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Breasts, which are beautifully fragrant, with just a touch of heat.

This is an easy dinner recipe that's perfect for busy weeknights. I especially love this recipe because it requires practically zero prep on my part.

All the ingredients are pureed in the blender and then poured over the chicken--then the oven does the work.

So easy, and the final dish is rich and flavorful. Serve this one over fluffy jasmine rice or quinoa to soak up that lovely sauce. Leftovers would also be wonderful in a sandwich or wrap.

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!       

Baked Thai Coconut Curry Chicken Breasts
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (not cutlets)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 (14oz) can full-fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 small bunch cilantro, root ends trimmed (leave the stems--they add amazing flavor!)


Directions
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a roasting pan. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and black pepper.

In a blender, combine coconut milk, curry paste, ginger, garlic cloves, and cilantro. Puree until smooth, then pour mixture over chicken. Bake chicken for 30 minutes, then turn on broiler and broil for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and slightly charred on top (keep on eye on the chicken as broilers vary).

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve over rice or vegetables, with leftover pan sauce drizzled on top.

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Ceviche for Beginners: Easy Key Lime Scallop Ceviche

There was a time when I was terrified of ceviche.

A bowl of raw fish?! Cooked without heat??

I remember feeling suspicious about the whole thing.

I've never really been a fan of things that are too raw. Even today. I tend to stay away from very rare steak, only eat the cooked edges of seared tuna, and generally prefer complicated trendy Americanized rolls over more aggressively raw slices of bare sushi. Plates of tartare and carpaccio get pushed in my husband's direction. And while I'm ok with raw egg yolks when they disappear into a chocolate pudding, pasta carbonara, or mayonnaise, I prefer to not see bright yellow oozing all over my breakfast plate.

But the ceviche made regular appearances at the Latin restaurants we frequented growing up, and it wasn't long before I'd braved a bite, then two, and then entire plates of it.

Fresh, bright with citrus and herbs, and just a bit of heat from chile peppers. It was fish, but not fishy. Raw, but tasted somehow, magically, cooked.

It was an ideal summer choice, served alongside crispy tortillas or salty plantain chips.

And the truth is that as far as quick cooking methods,  ceviche is about as easy and no-fuss as you can get. At its most simple, it's simply good seafood or fish tossed with lime or lemon juice.

That's seriously it!

Then you can add herbs, spices, sliced chiles, diced fruit, nuts or vegetables...really just about anything but the base is simple.

This recipe only calls for 4 required ingredients (not counting salt & pepper), and the flavor is incredible. I love these rolled up into warm tortillas for easy ceviche tacos (add some diced avocado for creaminess) or even served with tortilla chips like a kind of entree salsa.

As far as raw seafood is concerned, scallops are one of the safest things you can eat. Tiny bay scallops are in season right now and require no prep, but you can also use large sea scallops and just dice them up.

And key lime juice is particularly special with a brighter and slightly sweeter flavor than regular limes. I juiced my own, but you can buy fresh bottled key lime juice at many grocery stores. Or just use regular limes.

Have you ever tried ceviche? Would you make it at home?

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Easy Key Lime Scallop Ceviche Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound fresh bay scallops, rinsed under cold water
3/4 cup fresh key lime juice (from about 15 key limes, or use regular fresh lime juice)
1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed and very thinly sliced (I used one red and one green for color)
1/4 cup minced chives (substitute finely minced red onion or scallions)
Kosher salt and black pepper

Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro leaves, diced avocado, tortilla or plantain chips, for serving

Directions
Place bay scallops in a large non-reactive bowl (such as glass) and pour in the key lime juice. Add the sliced peppers, and chives. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat well. Cover with plastic. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, and not longer than 3 hours.

Serve cold garnished with cilantro, and with tortillas, plantain chips, or chips on the side.

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