Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinner Recipes That Save Time and Calories

Katlyn Moncada
·6 min read

Pork and Noodle Bowl

Start to finish:

Stir together a dressing of soy, rice vinegar, and ginger, then put it to work two ways: Use a portion as the starter for the pork marinade and the rest for a plum relish on this fresh noodle bowl.
Stir together a dressing of soy, rice vinegar, and ginger, then put it to work two ways: Use a portion as the starter for the pork marinade and the rest for a plum relish on this fresh noodle bowl.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Low-fat Asian dressing, multigrain spaghetti, and broccoli slaw mix keep the calories in this Asian-inspired noodle bowl surprisingly low. Almonds add a bit of crunch to the dish, while the tender pork provides a whopping 29 grams of protein.

Bacon, Potato, and Kale Frittata

Start your morning right with a healthy frittata recipe that requires just a few vibrant fixings.
Start your morning right with a healthy frittata recipe that requires just a few vibrant fixings.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Indulge in a quick and clever breakfast for dinner with our hearty frittata recipe. It's packed with homey potatoes, salty bacon, and fresh kale. It’s held together by an egg mixture that adds protein and gives the healthy 5-ingredient recipe a comfort food quality.

Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

Oranges add bright citrus flavor to this easy five-ingredient seafood salad.
Oranges add bright citrus flavor to this easy five-ingredient seafood salad.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Keep your dinner low-calorie (we're talking under 300 calories!) with a mix of fresh produce and high-protein quinoa and shrimp that will keep you full even with the lower calorie count. The combination of the zesty orange burst of flavor and a nutritious dinner ready in about 45 minutes will have you making this meal on repeat.

Turkey Taco Panini

Customize the flavor of these taco-style sandwiches with your choice of salsa. Pick one that is thick and chunky for best results.
Customize the flavor of these taco-style sandwiches with your choice of salsa. Pick one that is thick and chunky for best results.

Number of Ingredients: 5

A taco-stuffed panini is the perfect infusion of ethnic flavor to complement your weeknight dinners. OK, the panini is not actually stuffed with a taco, but all the flavors are there! Customize the Mexican-style sandwiches with your favorite purchased chunky salsa.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Apples

For a fresh and flavorful fall dinner, serve chicken thighs with maple syrup-drizzled Brussels sprouts and fresh apples.
For a fresh and flavorful fall dinner, serve chicken thighs with maple syrup-drizzled Brussels sprouts and fresh apples.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Yes, it is possible to create an indulgent chicken dinner with just a handful of ingredients. Baked with apples and finished with a sweet drizzle of maple syrup, this comforting dinner recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal or for guests.

Pork, Brussels Sprouts, and Barley Bowls

When you need a comfort food recipe under 400 calories, this pork and barley bowl makes the perfect choice. It's at its best in the fall and winter months when Brussels sprouts and citrus are in peak season.
When you need a comfort food recipe under 400 calories, this pork and barley bowl makes the perfect choice. It's at its best in the fall and winter months when Brussels sprouts and citrus are in peak season.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Add flavor dimension to savory pork tenderloin with bright orange and aromatic thyme. Then serve it with Brussels sprouts over hot, whole-grain barley for a filling meal that's less than 400 calories. Adding barley into your menus will also help with digestion and fight off hunger cravings (thanks to its fiber content).

Mediterranean Couscous and Beef

This less-stress dinner features just five ingredients yet remains full of flavor thanks to a lemon-pepper marinade.
This less-stress dinner features just five ingredients yet remains full of flavor thanks to a lemon-pepper marinade.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Make a Mediterranean-inspired dinner with just a few ingredients. The feta cheese, couscous, and tomatoes mimic the coastline flavors; the lemon-pepper marinade adds zest and spice to the flank steak.

Pancetta-Wrapped Chicken with Glazed Date Sauce

Number of Ingredients: 5

Your guests will never believe such a fancy-looking meal came from so few ingredients. This spiced-up chicken recipe adds savory herbed cheese before wrapping with pancetta for a unique take on pan-fried chicken. The homemade date glaze adds a unique burst of sweetness to this quick recipe.

Barbecued Salmon with Corn Relish

For the perfect summer dinner, try this grilled salmon with a barbecue twist. Add in a kick with corn relish that has sweet and spicy peppers.
For the perfect summer dinner, try this grilled salmon with a barbecue twist. Add in a kick with corn relish that has sweet and spicy peppers.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Putting some salmon on the grill will give it a delicious, smoky char on the outside and make it flaky and tender on the inside. The homemade relish made from fresh cut corn and jalapeños gives it a spicy kick and bright freshness to balance the salmon's smokiness.

Steaks with Roasted Garlic

Steak recipes are a great way to celebrate a special occasion, but this garlic steak is so good, you'll end up making it normal weeknights too. Serve with a grilled garlic spread on top for a delectable dinner.
Steak recipes are a great way to celebrate a special occasion, but this garlic steak is so good, you'll end up making it normal weeknights too. Serve with a grilled garlic spread on top for a delectable dinner.

Number of Ingredients: 4

Try our sizzling grilled steaks for your next weeknight dinner. Yes, steaks for a weeknight dinner! A simple salt-and-pepper rub keeps the ingredient list minimal, while a roasted garlic-and-basil mix turns this simple recipe into an enticing main course.

Mexican Meatball Stew

You need just five ingredients to make this slow cooker Mexican Meatball Stew! Well, seven if you include the (highly recommended) toppings of fresh oregano and crushed tortilla chips.
You need just five ingredients to make this slow cooker Mexican Meatball Stew! Well, seven if you include the (highly recommended) toppings of fresh oregano and crushed tortilla chips.

Number of Ingredients: 5

After 10 minutes of prepping, this homemade soup is ready to go in the slow cooker. The result is a mouthwatering meatball stew that's bubbling with spicy Mexican flavor. Tomatoes, corn, and turkey load this easy soup with healthy nutrients.

Chicken with Summer Squash

This chicken and squash main dish is sprinkled with arugula, a peppery salad green, just before serving. Add it to your list of favorite recipes that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
This chicken and squash main dish is sprinkled with arugula, a peppery salad green, just before serving. Add it to your list of favorite recipes that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

Number of Ingredients: 5

No one would ever guess you used a store-bought roasted chicken with this quick dinner recipe. After browning chicken in the skillet, add bright summer squash and cherry tomatoes for a burst of healthy color. Delicious and simple.

Summer Stew

You won't heat up the kitchen during the summer when you prepare this easy one-dish meal. This beef, carrots, potatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes recipe can be ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.
You won't heat up the kitchen during the summer when you prepare this easy one-dish meal. This beef, carrots, potatoes, and fire-roasted tomatoes recipe can be ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.

Number of Ingredients: 5

All you need for this savory, summer-inspired stew is beef, carrots, and garlic-laced potatoes. Make the easy meal even simpler with precooked beef and ready-to-use vegetables.

Shrimp and Watercress Salad

Watercress has a peppery bite that provides contrast to mild-mannered asparagus in this simple main-dish salad.
Watercress has a peppery bite that provides contrast to mild-mannered asparagus in this simple main-dish salad.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Crisp-tender asparagus spears, watercress, tomatoes, and shrimp are all it takes to pull together a sophisticated salad in a flash—the entire meal is finished in just 15 minutes!

Sunday Dinner Stew

Cozy up on the couch with a hearty bowl of Sunday Dinner Stew. This easy recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes and requires just five ingredients.
Cozy up on the couch with a hearty bowl of Sunday Dinner Stew. This easy recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes and requires just five ingredients.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Hot and delicious, this shortcut Sunday (or any day) stew will be ready to eat in a flash. Trade out the white potatoes for sweet potatoes for fewer carbs and some extra vitamins B and C.

Denver Potato Casserole

Number of Ingredients: 5

Potatoes and ham combine to make a comforting casserole for dinner. This easy-to-make baked dish is layered with onion, sweet green peppers, and cheese. Pop it in the oven to let the veggies get tender and melt the cheese, and you'll have a filling all-in-one dinner ready to serve the family.

Related: 45 Healthy One-Pan Dinners

Maple-Mustard Turkey Thighs

Maple and mustard are an amazing combination for these maple-mustard-sauced turkey thighs. Use red-skinned potatoes for added color.
Maple and mustard are an amazing combination for these maple-mustard-sauced turkey thighs. Use red-skinned potatoes for added color.

Number of Ingredients: 5

Sweet and tangy, the mustard sauce on these juicy turkey thighs will make your house smell delightful after a day in your slow cooker. The secret to the thick and velvety sauce is the instant tapioca, so make sure to add that to the grocery list.