Looking for easy last minute dinners for those busy, hectic weeknights? We’ve got 25+ of the best dinner recipes that you can whip up in no time at all.
Life can get super duper busy. We totally get that!
That’s why most of the recipes you’ll find here on Urban Bliss Life can be made in 30 minutes or less, and almost all of them (save slow cooker recipes or baking recipes) can be made in under an hour.
But what about those really crazy days when you’ve got 15 minutes or less and need dinner now?
We’ve got you covered! In this new recipe collection, we’ve compiled 25+ of our favorite and best easy last minute dinners.
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Jump to:
- 🌟 About these recipes
- 🍽 Quick side dishes to serve with last minute dinners
- 👩🏻🍳 Last minute dinner FAQs
- The best easy last minute dinner recipes
- Breakfast for dinner 🍳🥓
- Salsa Eggs
- Egg Vegetable Scramble
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
- Air Fryer Hash Brown Patties
- Pizza Pizza 🍕🍕
- Easy Pizza Cups
- Chicken Pesto Flatbread
- Barbecue Chicken Flatbread
- Prosciutto Flatbread
- Air Fryer Mini Pizzas
- Easy last minute meat dinners
- Ground Turkey Teriyaki
- Air Fryer Filet Mignon
- Thai Basil Beef
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Easy last minute pork and chicken dinners
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Paprika Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
- Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap
- Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice
- Easy last minute seafood dinners
- Thai Basil Shrimp
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Dairy-Free Shrimp with Tortellini
- Easy vegetarian dinners
- 20-Minute Creamy Paprika Pasta
- Vegetarian Burrito Bowl (Instant Pot Recipe)
- Tex-Mex Vegetarian Sheet Pan Nachos
- Chili Garlic Noodles
- 🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
- More 30-minute dinner recipes
🌟 About these recipes
While most of the recipes we create for you on this site are quick and easy, these particular recipes are made for the busiest of busy nights.
In this recipe collection of easy last minute dinners, you’ll find:
- Breakfast for dinner recipe ideas
- Easy pork + chicken dinner recipes
- Easy last minute seafood recipes
- Quick and easy vegetarian recipes
You’ll find Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker recipes, air fryer recipes, and stovetop recipes.
We also share some tips and ideas for substitutions to make these recipes even faster!
🍽 Quick side dishes to serve with last minute dinners
We do make some suggestions for side dishes with some of the recipe descriptions.
In general, you want some side dishes you can easily make while the main course is cooking. Some of our favorite fast and easy side dishes to serve on busy weeknights include:
👩🏻🍳 Last minute dinner FAQs
Other than cooking frozen meat in the Instant Pot (see below), we’ve found the Cold Water Method to be the fastest, safest way to defrost meat.
• Place the meat in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent water from seeping in.
• Submerge the bag in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.
• Small cuts of meat can defrost in an hour or less, while larger cuts may take a few hours.
NOTE: Cook the meat immediately after defrosting using this method.
Yes, you can cook frozen meat in an Instant Pot! The Instant Pot is designed to handle frozen ingredients, and it’s a great way to save time when you forget to thaw your meat. Here are a few key things to keep in mind:
• Avoid overcrowding
• Thicker cuts take longer to cook
• You’ll need to increase the cooking time by about 50% when using frozen meat. For example, if a recipe calls for cooking fresh chicken breasts for 10 minutes, you’ll need to cook frozen ones for around 15 minutes.
• Like with any Instant Pot recipe, make sure to add enough liquid (such as broth or water). The steam created by the liquid is what allows the pressure cooker to work effectively.
• Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches safe cooking levels (e.g., 165°F for chicken, 145°F for pork and beef).
Every dish is different, but in general, most dishes should be stored properly in the refrigerator for anywhere from 2-5 days at the most. Some food can be stored for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to check the FDA food storage recommendations for your specific leftovers. If there is an odd smell or discoloration, those can be telltale signs that it’s time to throw out those leftovers.
The best easy last minute dinner recipes
Breakfast for dinner 🍳🥓
When in doubt, breakfast for dinner is always a great idea!
This salsa eggs is such a fast and easy breakfast and hearty enough to enjoy as breakfast for dinner on those super busy weeknight dinners.
Breakfast for dinner with lots of veggies? Yes please! This is a fast and easy dinner that is also a great recipe to use up veggies in the fridge before they go bad.
Store-bought cinnamon rolls make a sweet breakfast for dinner and cook up quickly in the air fryer. Serve them with bacon and eggs for a super satisfying meal.
We always have frozen hash brown patties in the house and they cook up quickly in the air fryer. Serve them with sausage and sauteed veggies for a quick & easy dinner.
Pizza Pizza 🍕🍕
Pizza is a family favorite, and these pizza recipes are fast, easy, and better tasting than delivery!
We love these pizza cups! Made with refrigerated pizza crust dough and filled with your favorite pizza toppings, this is a quick and easy dinner that everyone can customize.
Store-bought flatbread like naan bread, topped with rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, and jarred pesto sauce is a quick, tasty dinner for even the busiest of weeknights.
Forget delivery, top your fave flatbread with BBQ sauce, rotisserie chicken, and red onions for a flavorful BBQ chicken pizza.
Prosciutto flatbread is an elevated yet easy dinner, with piled-high argula and your fave cheese or non-dairy cheese alternative.
When time is tight, we make these mini pizzas in the air fryer. It's a great way for each person in the family to make their own personal pizzas.
Easy last minute meat dinners
These beef recipes come together quickly and offer big flavor for dinner.
This ground turkey teriyaki recipe is super versatile and can be made in 20 minutes. Serve it over rice or noodles.
Filet mignon on a hectic Monday night? You betcha! Thanks to the air fryer, filet mignon is tender and juicy. The perfect elevated homecooked dinner for even the busiest weeknights.
This Thai Basil Beef is better than takeout! Serve it over rice for a hearty, satisfying quick dinner.
These steak bites are flavorful and cook quickly thanks to the air fryer. Serve them with pasta, rice, over a salad, or use the meat for tacos!
Easy last minute pork and chicken dinners
Pork and chicken cook up quickly in these easy last minute dinner ideas.
Not just for Game Day, crispy chicken wings are a great last minute dinner idea! The air fryer gets the chicken skin nice and crispy without extra oil.
This air fryer paprika chicken is one of my family's favorite easy last minute dinners. So flavorful and so easy, there's little prep time, and the air fryer cooks the chicken up quickly.
Chicken drumsticks turn out tender and juicy, and cook fast, thanks to the Instant Pot. We serve these with rice, fries, or tater tots.
Chicken thighs are an inexpensive cut of chicken, and the meat is so juicy and flavorful when cooked in the Instant Pot.
Make these Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps even faster by using store-bought frozen chicken tenders. Such a great last minute dinner idea!
Pork chops and rice cook up together in the Instant Pot for a quick, easy, flavorful dinner. Just add some sauteed frozen veggies to complete the meal!
Easy last minute seafood dinners
Seafood cooks up faster than most other proteins, making it a great choice for those busy nights when time is limited.
You can make this tasty Thai Basil Shrimp even faster than the time it takes to order take-out and pick it up or have it delivered. So good!
Salmon cooks quickly in the air fryer, and you only need light seasonings to add big flavors. We love serving these air fryer salmon bites with a side of rice or noodles, or over a big green salad.
Store-bought tortellini is a great shortcut for busy weeknight dinners. The shrimp cooks quickly, and we add frozen peas for veggies but you could also use frozen broccoli or a veggie medley of peas, carrots and corn.
Easy vegetarian dinners
No meat? No problem! You can whip up these easy vegetarian dinners in a flash!
This creamy paprika pasta is simple yet satisfying. Serve it with a side of your fave veggies.
These Instant Pot vegetarian burrito bowls are hearty and oh so satisfying. So great for busy nights when there's a chill in the air, as a big bowl of this dish will warm you right up!
Nachos are one of my family's longtime fave last minute dinners. This Tex-Mex vegetarian nacho recipe is made in one sheet pan in the oven, making clean-up a breeze!
I am in love with these chili garlic noodles and think you will fall for them too! They come together quickly - in 15 or 20 minutes - and you can adjust the heat to make them as mild or as spicy as you want. So great with a side of veggies, or you can always add seafood or meat.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make these recipes? Here are some kitchen tools that help make busy weeknights less hectic when you need to whip up last minute dinners.
More 30-minute dinner recipes
Did you make any of these recipes? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and comment below letting us know which one you made and how it turned out. Thank you!
