Quick-cooking proteins, spices, herbs and aromats, plus seasonal vegetables – this is your shortcut for the best quick dinner ideas for the week. Because after a long, hard day at work, all you want to turn to are reliable, easy meals. Especially in winter, when it’s dark and dreary as soon as you leave the office.
In this fast-paced age of meal-kit delivery services and Thai takeaway, it’s easy not to step foot in the kitchen during the workweek. We get it. Sometimes, you can’t be bothered to cook a weeknight dinner. But we believe quick, easy meals are worth cooking from scratch — from buying the freshest seasonal produce to adding your own flair to your favourite midweek meal ideas, you can cook repeatedly without getting bored.
Looking for an easy chicken recipe that’s ready in under 30 minutes? We’ve got it. What about a stir-fry that’s big on flavour but not the labour? Yes, of course, we have a few of those. Plus, quick, easy dinner recipes that range from fragrant curries and speedy tofu mains to simple baked fish dishes and vibrant seasonal salads. Not to mention the ultimate dinner ideas: one-pot recipe wonders.
Whip your way through these speedy recipes for soups, pasta, stir-fries and more.
The best dinner ideas for quick midweek meals this winter
Bold spices, golden roast veg and vibrant harissa — this dish is your new lamb signature.
A Nonna classic in the rural regions of Italy.
Bittersweet radicchio and porcini bring depth to this easy weeknight mushroom risotto.
A quick and easy tart recipe for an impressive vegetarian lunch.
Drawing on traditional Turkish flavours, this roast eggplant salad is well-balanced and flavourful.
Fire up the barbecue and get sizzling with these punchy pork skewers.
Sicilian green olives deliver a salty punch to this whole flounder.
These honey pork cutlets make the perfect weeknight dinner.
The delicate flavours of flounder are elevated by the richness of a traditional Greek avgolemono sauce in a sensory escape to the Greek Islands.
This warm and comforting Chinese-style egg drop soup is the definition of a winter warmer.
Spaghetti alla carbonara
(Credits: William Meppem)The proper way to make this Italian classic.
Fresh, fast and flavourful: this is the easy way to make prawns a midweek meal.
(Credits: Jeremy Simons)
An impressive pasta dish that’s perfect for any day of the week.
(Credits: Jeremy Simons)
A flavour-packed noodle dish that requires very little time and effort.
A fast, everyday salad recipe that doesn’t skimp on flavour.
(Credits: Jeremy Simons)
This quick and easy dinner-worthy salad comes together in minutes, making it perfect for warmer weather.
Lamb doesn’t have to be a long drawn out cook. These roasted lamb racks are ready for the plate within 30 minutes, salad and all.
Salmon tataki served with diced cucumber, jalapeño slices and chilli oil for an extra kick of heat.
A light and flavourful Japanese-inspired soup, featuring miso and four types of mushrooms.
A fast vegetarian udon noodle recipe that takes little time to make but is big on flavour.
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The famous Japanese curry bread gets a fast makeover in this easy toastie recipe.
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This spiced fish recipe makes for a simple yet flavoursome dinner idea.
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An everyday lamb recipe that requires little effort.
(Credits: Alicia Taylor)
A speedy steak snack that’ll transport you to a Spanish wine bar at first bite.
Made with a flavoursome vegetable stock and adorned with crunchy croutons and shreds of fennel, this torn pasta soup recipe makes for a quick and easy dinner.
(Credits: Alicia Taylor)
A quick, easy and aromatic chickpea dish to have on rotation.
(Credits: Alicia Taylor)
A Mediterranean meal that’s big on flavour and a cinch to make.
A speedy lamb dish that doesn’t skimp on flavour.
These zingy fritters make for a quick and vegetable-packed midweek meal.
Add some cooked crab or lobster meat to this weeknight favourite and transform it into a luxe dinner party entertainer.
A winning midweek meal to have on rotation.
This fragrant salad works beautifully with lamb but the fresh mint, basil and coriander will go just as well with beef, chicken or duck.
(Credits: John Paul Urizar)
A fresh and punchy addition to your dinner party table.
Make it a meal: for a more substantial dish, stir-fry prawns in sesame oil and garlic and toss through the noodle.
This quick and easy Peruvian fried rice is the perfect meal to get your five serves of vegetables in.
A prawn pasta that’s a no-fuss midweek meal? Yes please.
These quick satay skewers are as easy to make as they are to eat.
Who said sandwiches were boring?
A simple seafood recipe for midweek meals.
A quick and easy dinner idea for when you can’t be bothered to cook.
Easy, quick, and vegetarian — this is the ultimate weeknight meal.
This fresh pasta dish is just the way to welcome weeknight cooking.
Seared tuna with baby spring greens
(Credits: James Moffat)Poke bowls have had their moment. Here’s a vibrant seasonal salad that transcends trends.
The trick with this simple dish is to sauté the broccoli rabe enough so that it’s wilted and tender, without becoming soft.
Quick, easy, warming, and hearty, this recipe for grilled rump steak with Massaman curry is the perfect way to add intrigue to your regular Wednesday steak and chips.
Swordfish is one of the meatiest fish, and these steaks with a light honey dressing will show you why.
A simple and light recipe for zucchini flower, mint and pecorino penne.
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How to improve on fresh prawns with avocado? Adding a smoky, spicy tomato dressing to the mix.
Chicken, boring? Things look up with the addition of harissa, the North African spice paste.
The fast and easy roast chook you need for the week.
A quick, satisfying meal that punches above its weight in the flavour game.
A spring-ready midweek dinner, spiked with bright and spicy salsa verde.
A little spice and sweetness equals this very worthy midweek meal.
A satisfying, vegan-friendly salad.
It’s sweet and sour but not as we know it. Tony Tan reveals the true brilliance of this much-loved Cantonese classic.
A fast and easy way to up your vegetable count.
We’ve brightened up the haloumi with the crunch of zucchini and a fresh, vibrant mint dressing.
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Pasta from the pantry. A quick sauce. This puttanesca is a no-brainer for a midweek meal.
A lightning-fast meal that’s equal parts simple and satisfying.
A simple bowl of pasta that strikes the right balance in terms of crunchy elements and tender greens.
There are plenty of options in this extensive recipe collection for those wanting a delicious but quick dinner. A simple sushi bowl requires only a bit of protein (eggs work well, but any leftover protein in your fridge is perfect), a quick sauce, some rice (for those without a rice cooker, packet rice will do in a pinch!) and some fresh vegetables.
But the fastest dish to make is our egg drop soup, which is ready in just 15 minutes.
The ideal lazy but delicious quick dinner is a simple pasta. It doesn’t have to be oil, cheese and pepper (though this ten-minute spaghetti with olives, capers and lemon is one to try) for a quick one, either! This spaghetti puttanesca is ready in just 15 minutes, with a seriously salty and fragrant sauce. Or for something a little more out there, try this Japanese-style carbonara, with only seven ingredients and tonnes of flavour.
For just a little bit more effort (put still quick as a flash), bake a salmon fillet with a four-ingredient DIY black bean sauce in just 20 minutes, or if a bowl of chewy, flavour-packed noodles is more your style, this Cambodian lort cha is the dish for you.
There’s only one answer: An omelette. Specifically, our tomato and spring onion omelette recipe.
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