23 Quick Healthy Dinners That Take 20-Minutes or Less
We’re always on the lookout for quick healthy dinners that don’t have us slaving away at the oven for half the evening. It’s the ultimate way to beat burnout, combining delicious and nutritious food with time-saving tricks! We asked some of our favourite food bloggers for their quick healthy dinner recipes that we could rustle up in 20 minutes or less. Here are 23 of the very best quick, healthy and delicious dinners, split into meat and fish and plant-based recipes.
Quick Healthy Dinners – Meat and Fish
If you’re a meat and/or fish eater then this quick, healthy dinner recipes are for you! We have also included plant-based recipes further down for those who don’t eat – or at cutting down on – meat and dairy.
1. Healthy Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Jessica has put together this crowd-pleasing taco recipe that is the perfect example of a quick and healthy dinner recipe! They take just 5 minutes to prep and then 15 minutes to cook, meaning you can have these served up in just 20 minutes. The glaze is made using Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and some honey, and it’s served with salad (and perhaps a little sprinkling of cheese).
2. Easy Prawn Curry with Coconut Milk
Helen is all about tasty and speedy recipes, and this prawn curry is no exception! As far as quick healthy dinners go, this is a must-try recipe that will make you want to ditch the takeaway menus. Who said curries have to take forever to cook?! You can prep, cook and serve up this delicious dish in 20 minutes. This recipe can also be frozen, so you can batch cook and save leftovers for a rainy day.
3. Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Julie is a dietician, cookbook author, and general whizz in the kitchen! One of her favourite quick healthy dinners are these cashew chicken lettuce wraps which take 20 minutes to make and are a perfect easy weeknight meal. You’ll make a homemade, Asian-inspired cashew sauce to combine with the ground chicken and then spoon it all into lettuce cups. This is a must-try recipe!
4. Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Kaylie from A Peachy Plate is a big fan of her air fryer – and for good reason! An air fryer is a great way to be able to cook quick healthy dinners in half the time, just like these yummy turkey meatballs. They take 20 minutes to make and Kaylie has given you a few options of how to serve them, including spaghetti or even a meatball sub!
5. One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
Rebecca from Nourish Nutrition is all about making life a little easier and this chicken parmesan pasta is the ideal quick and healthy dinner recipe that only needs one pot. Yay to less washing up! It’s packed full of flavour, takes just 20 minutes to make, and Rebecca also has tips for what to do with any leftovers you may have as well.
6. Chicken Teriyaki Bowls
These 20-minute chicken teriyaki bowls by Kathryn are so much better tasting (and healthier) than a takeaway. You can pack this dinner with more vegetables for an extra boost of feel-good foods, and serve with either rice, noodles, or perhaps an alternative such as cauliflower rice. This dinner will be a hit with the whole family!
7. Air Fryer Burgers
Bintu is another air fryer fan and has plenty of recipes on her site for those who want to cook their dinners double-quick! One of the best things about this recipe is that you only need five ingredients for the actual burger, then add whatever you’d like to serve it with. They take 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook, making this one of the speediest quick healthy dinners on our list.
8. Pork Stir Fry with Tofu
Joanne from Fifteen Spatulas swears by this easy weeknight dinner recipe, which is ideal for those new to tofu (or who don’t usually like the taste). The tofu will soak up all of the flavours from this recipe and stop it from being too meat-heavy too. It also takes just 5 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. If you’re making a move to eat less meat, this is the perfect recipe for that.
9. 20-Minute Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki
This has to be one of my favourite recipes on the list (I’m a big fan of Greek food). Jessica has turned this Greek classic into a quick 20-minute dish that is packed full of flavour and is good for you too! If you have the time, you can marinate the chicken overnight so it’s even more juicy and delicious the next day.
10. 15-Minute Pan Seared Salmon with Basil Tzatziki
Shelley has put together a quick, healthy dinner recipe that is perfect for busy weeknights but luxurious enough to serve at a dinner party! It actually takes just 6 minutes to prep and 6 to cook, so you could have this on the table in less than 15 minutes. It’s also packed full of ingredients that are good for your body and mind. Serve this up with plenty of veggies, too!
11. Chicken and Peach Salad With Arugula And Burrata
Farrukh is a microbiologist turned foodie and whips out some of the most incredible flavour combinations I have ever seen. This salad makes use of leftover chicken (ideal for after a roast), peppery rocket (arugula), sweet peaches and blueberries, and creamy burrata. It’s one of the fanciest quick healthy dinners out there! It also takes just 15 minutes to make with the leftover chicken.
12. Tomato Basil Baked Cod
If you want something you can quickly prep and pop in the oven without much thought, Toni has you covered with this baked cod recipe. Cooking the cod with tomatoes, onions, basil and lemon ‘en papillote’ (in paper) ensures a healthy, nutritious dinner that’s minimal fuss but tastes delicious. This is a quick, healthy dinner recipe you’ll want to make time and time again!
Quick Healthy Dinners – Plant-Based, Vegetarian and Vegan
If you’re looking for plant-based quick, healthy dinners then look no further! Here are all of the recipes for those following a vegetarian and/or vegan diet.
13. Vegan Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry
Ginny’s mission is to create healthy recipes for busy families, and this veggie-packed stir-fry is bound to be a hit with adults and kids alike. Whip up the homemade sauce (much better than the packet stuff), cook the veggies up, add the sauce, and serve with rice or noodles. This recipe also comes with plenty of variations if you’d like to add something different, such as other vegetables, meat or fish.
14. Vegan Bean Burrito Recipe
Alena is a certified nutritionist who has a real passion for making going vegan fun! This quick and healthy vegan bean burrito is ideal for dinner or even to take to work for lunch. You can make your own tortillas with a few ingredients or save even more time by buying whole wheat tortillas to wrap the delicious fillings in.
15. Vegan and Gluten-Free Chickpea Spinach Curry
Geetha has whipped up this quick, healthy dinner that is vegan and gluten-free and takes just 20 minutes to make. Combine plenty of spices with a tomato-based sauce, spinach and chickpeas for a healthy meal that everyone in the family will love. You can serve with rice or any kind of flatbread.
16. Vegan Strawberry Avocado Pasta Salad
Bintu from Budget Delicious has put together this bright and beautiful recipe, that is fully deserving of a spot on our quick healthy dinners list. It would also make a great side dish to bring to parties or a lunch on the go! This colourful salad combines spinach, strawberries, avocados, spring onions and pasta for a refreshing dish packed with goodness.
17. Vegan Mushroom Aglio Olio
Good for your body and mind, good for your bank account, and good for freeing up time – this vegan dinner recipe ticks all of the right boxes. Sarah from The Aussie Home Cook has whipped up this quick and healthy dinner recipe that utilises vegan pasta and just five other ingredients, that’s also perfect for batch cooking and using for lunches throughout the week.
18. Vegan and Gluten-Free 10-Minute Coconut Yogurt & Chickpea Curry
Rebecca is a big fan of putting together healthy and allergy-free recipes, and this 10-minute curry is a delicious quick dinner idea. This recipe is packed full of vegetables and swaps the usual dairy yoghurt for a coconut alternative that gives it even more flavour. It’s top-8 allergy-free making it a great choice for those with allergies and intolerances too!
19. Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Kalamata Olive Dressing
Aubrey has created what is going to quickly become my new favourite recipe (did I mention I love Greek food?!) with this easy Mediterranean chickpea salad. It takes just 10 minutes to whip together and is perfect for dinner, as a side dish, or even for work lunches. The kalamata olive dressing gives this salad a really unique twist!
20. Vegan Pesto Pasta with Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
As far as quick and healthy plant-based recipes go, Elena has you covered over at Happy Kitchen Rocks! If you’ve been craving a classic pesto pasta dish, then you’ll love this recipe which takes just 20 minutes to put together. You can opt for vegan pesto from a jar or use Elena’s delicious homemade recipe which is packed full of flavour.
21. Vegan Pasta e ceci (Italian pasta and chickpeas)
Andrea is an Italian with a passion for her home country’s cuisine and has shared this Sicilian-style recipe handed down from her mum. This is a one-pot pasta recipe, meaning less washing up, and takes just 20 minutes. Most of the ingredients are likely found in your cupboards at home already too!
22. Vegan Thai Basil Tofu Stir Fry
Dan and Jess (AKA Vegan Punks) put together some truly amazing recipes from their travels around the world and this is no exception. This Thai basil tofu stir fry can be served up in 15 minutes and is packed full of delicious ingredients that are good for you too. Inspired by the Thai street food classic, Pad Krapow, this will make you feel like you’re eating in Thailand!
23. Vegan Creamy Cannellini Bean & Tomato Pasta
Louise and Vanessa have created one of my favourite quick healthy dinners on this list, with a delicious creamy bean and tomato pasta. This is the kind of recipe you’ll want to make a big batch of so you can have it for lunch the next day (or for seconds). You only need a few ingredients and just 20 minutes to get it ready.
These quick healthy dinners are perfect for when you’re short on time, but still want to eat well. The only problem now is choosing which one to cook first!
