Fast Family Meals in 30 Minutes or Less

Saute bite-sized chicken breast and chopped broccoli in a simple stir-fry sauce. Spoon onto a bed of rice and your easy weeknight dinner is served!

Alexandra F. said:  Our entire family LOVES this meal and it has become a staple that we eat just about every other week. At about 30 minutes, it is super quick and easy to make!! :) I always make sure to have a bag of frozen broccoli on hand for it.

This easy recipe combines savory sausage, garlic, and wilted spinach with pillowy gnocchi and Parmesan for a quick, flavorful weeknight dinner.

Kelly R said:  The flavor of this dish is deceptively complex, even though it just calls for a handful of simple ingredients. It's one of my go-to easy family dinners! The Italian sausage (use a chicken or turkey variety if you prefer) makes it delicious, and makes even the leafy greens kid-approved.

Fried rice is a versatile "clean out the fridge" meal. This cheap family dinner idea uses leftover rice and frozen peas and carrots, but you can use whatever veggies you need to use up in the freezer or fridge. If you'd like, you can also add in a protein like chicken, shrimp, tofu or edamame.

Alexandra F. said:  Ever since I discovered how easy it is to make fried rice, we've started buying rotisserie chicken whenever we are at Costco to make sure we have some to add to the fried rice we make almost every week. I started out using this recipe, and I like it, but I've realized that fried rice is one of those awesome pantry recipes you can easily adapt with whatever you have on hand, and that exact measurements are definitely not necessary if you want to keep things moving. Keep a bag of frozen peas and carrots on hand to make this an especially quick and easy meal!

Tender pieces of chicken combine with broccoli and ramen noodles in a sweet-savory sauce for a homemade, healthier alternative to takeout that gets to the table just as quickly!

Katie G. said:  It was during quarantine of 2020 that I discovered this recipe which has now become a family favorite. The combination of ramen, chicken and broccoli in a sweet Asian sauce is a winner with everyone. The leftovers (if there are any) are great as leftovers.

Nachos are a great meal for picky eaters, since everyone can pick and choose their favorite toppings for their chips.

Alexandra F. said:  This is another easy meal that everyone in our family eats without fail, and it's an especially great meal for picky eaters because everyone can assemble their own nachos to add whatever they like. We sauté a pound of ground beef on the stove, adding about 1/3 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons of this DIY taco seasoning once it's cooked. We melt some grated cheddar cheese on tortilla chips in the microwave (or not, depending on the picky eater!), then add ground beef, refried beans, guacamole, avocado pieces, sour cream, tomatoes and/or salsa as everyone prefers.

Fajitas is a crowd-pleasing family meal that is quick and easy to prepare. Use chicken, or any other protein or veggies you prefer, and serve with warmed tortillas, cheese, avocados, guacamole, or any other favorite add ons.

Alexandra F. said:  Chicken fajitas is our go-to meal when we need to make sure our picky eaters will eat well, as they almost always go for seconds and thirds. They are also so fast to make on busy weeknights. We used to buy the fajita seasoning packages, but now like to make our own using this recipe, which takes less than five minutes to put together.

Don't be turned off if your kids don't like spicy food. This super-fast 15 minute saucy chicken wontons recipe from Pinch of Yum uses teriyaki sauce in its slightly sweet brothy base, and spicy chili crisp can be added individually at the table depending on how hot everyone likes it.

An air fryer makes quick work of a simple salmon meal for the family. Add rice, veggies or whatever the kids will eat on the side, and dinner is served in well under 30 minutes.

These BBQ chicken tostadas from Six Sisters' Stuff are a quick and customizable meal featuring baked or fried tortillas topped with bbq sauce, chicken, cheese, and fresh toppings, making them a simple and satisfying family dinner for busy weeknights.

This Korean beef bowl is a tasty 15 minute dinner from Damn Delicious, with flavorful seasoned ground beef over rice. Go light on the red pepper flakes if your kids don't like spicy food.

Potatoes, peppers and onions stretch a package of turkey kielbasa into a hearty, satisfying and inexpensive family dinner in 15 minutes.