Our Favorite 30-Minute Meals That Aren't Pasta
Faster than ordering delivery.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
We have nothing against pasta. In fact, we love it. But it's often too easy to fall back on pasta when you don't have much time to cook a meal. If you're frequently busy (like us), you may end up eating a lot of pasta.
If you want to switch it up, we have 15 non-pasta recipes that take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish. You're bound to find a few new favorites to add to your repertoire of lightning-fast meals.
Shrimp Fried Rice
If you have leftover cooked rice, turn it into what one reader calls the "best shrimp fried rice ever!" It's a one-pot dinner that's incredibly easy to customize, making it a crowd pleaser.
Get Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice
Italian Greens and Beans
Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph
The trick to this 30-minute tasty meal that tastes like it's been stewing all day? Using canned white beans.
Get Recipe: This 30-Minute Meal Is a Weekly Staple for My Italian Family
Chopped Cheese
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
Turn ground beef into a tasty sandwich with a vibe that is somewhere between a cheesesteak and a burger. It's a New York City bodega classic that's easy to make at home.
Get Recipe: Chopped Cheese
Easy Chicken Skillet Enchiladas
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
These skillet enchiladas have all of the same flavors of the classic but with some clever shortcuts. They're ready in 30 minutes flat—just enough time to heat up some rice and beans.
Get Recipe: Easy Chicken Skillet Enchiladas
Tortilla Española (Spanish Tortilla)
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Whip up this potato omelette and dine like you're Spanish tapas bar. It takes just four ingredients and gives your cast-iron pan a workout.
Get Recipe: Tortilla Española (Spanish Tortilla)
Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
What's better than beef and broccoli? Thirty-minute beef and broccoli that's made entirely in one pot.
Get Recipe: Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Unstuffed Peppers
Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
Enjoy all the flavor of stuffed peppers without having to stuff the peppers. It's a complete, one-pot meal the whole family will love.
Get Recipe: Unstuffed Peppers
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Whip up a restaurant-quality dinner on your stovetop in record time. How good would this creamy, cheesy, flavorful chicken be with freshly cooked pasta?
Get Recipe: Creamy Tuscan Chicken Is My Favorite Weeknight Dinner (It’s Ready in 30 Minutes)
Air Fryer Dijon Salmon with Charred Green Beans
Simply Recipes / Ross Yoder
The air fryer is the key to this quick, high-protein dinner. It also gives the green beans a delicious char and perfectly cooks the salmon fillets for a quick meal that feels like a treat.
Get Recipe: Air Fryer Dijon Salmon with Charred Green Beans
Microwave Shakshuka
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
For flavorful shakshuka featuring perfectly poached eggs in a fraction of the time, turn to your microwave. Serve with crusty bread and dinner is served.
Get Recipe: Make Shakshuka Fast and Easy in the Microwave
Fattoush Salad
Simply Recipes / Sheryl Julian
This fresh, flavor-packed salad with tons of texture is hearty enough to serve as a main dish, especially on summer nights. You can save even more time by toasting the pita ahead.
Get Recipe: Fattoush Salad
Baked Ground Beef Tacos
Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RD
Make a bunch of tacos at once by whipping up a ground beef filling as the oven preheats, then assemble your tacos and slide the baking sheet in the oven. It'll give you just enough time to set out toppings and set the table.
Get Recipe: My Mom’s Baked Tacos Are a Weeknight Family Favorite
Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus
You just need thirty minutes for a versatile meal you can serve on its own or over rice, which you cook while the asparagus and shrimp are roasting in the oven.
Get Recipe: Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus
Copycat Ronto Wraps
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
This recipe is inspired by an iconic dish at Disneyland, but it's incredibly easy to whip up at home and makes for a delicious weeknight meal.
Get Recipe: Copycat Ronto Wraps
Creamy Chicken Florentine
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
You can make creamy, dreamy chicken with spinach and mushrooms in under 30 minutes—how cool is that? Enjoy as a protein-packed meal, or make some rice or pasta as the chicken cooks.
Get Recipe: Creamy Chicken Florentine
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