20 Healthy Dinners for Two in 30 Minutes or Less

20 Healthy Dinners for Two in 30 Minutes or Less Credit: Brie Passano

Cooking for 2? These wholesome recipes are prepared in half-hour or much less, so that you’ll have a perfectly-portioned dinner on the desk in half an hour. Even in case you’re doing dinner solo, these dishes are an ideal choice to make if you need leftovers to deliver to work or faculty the following day. Recipes like our high-protein Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Arugula-Tomato Salad or our 5-star Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili for Two are wholesome and scrumptious dinners that will not take up area in your fridge.

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Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Arugula-Tomato Salad

Food: Sammy Mila, Photos: Jason Donnelly, Props: Breanna Ghazali.


This simple hen dinner is a flavor-packed dish the place juicy hen thighs are cooked till golden, then coated in a tangy-sweet balsamic glaze. They’re served over a crisp arugula and tomato salad. It’s a easy dinner for 2 that tastes scrumptious and comes collectively shortly.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili for Two

This satisfying vegetarian chili for 2 is studded with black beans and candy potatoes. Serve with some warmed corn tortillas and tossed salad with orange segments and avocado. This recipe was tailored from our widespread Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili to serve two as an alternative of 4.

High-Protein Cheeseburger Salad

Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams , Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee


This cheeseburger salad is a enjoyable twist on a traditional burger. It encompasses a crisp base of chopped iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced purple onion, pickles and juicy cherry tomatoes. A melty cheeseburger patty is served heat on prime, together with a tangy ketchup-mayo-pickle sauce that ties all of the flavors collectively. Optional sesame seeds add a touch of crunch and nod to the normal burger bun.

Air-Fryer Cider Pork Chops with Apples

Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Sammy Mila

Enjoy this elevated tackle pork chops and applesauce. Serve caramelized chops and apple slices with tender inexperienced beans drizzled with a cider syrup. Even higher? It’s prepared in 25 minutes.

Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast Sandwiches

Matthew Francis


This caprese stuffed hen breast options the traditional substances of a caprese salad—juicy tomatoes, contemporary mozzarella cheese, basil and balsamic vinegar—nestled right into a seasoned and cooked hen breast that may be picked up and eaten like a sandwich. The good hen breast for this recipe is small, however keep away from thin-cut breasts so you may slice them open simply. You can trim an everyday hen breast right down to the best dimension, or lower a big 8-ounce breast in half crosswise to get two smaller items.

Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce for Two

Brie Passano

Sun-dried tomatoes are used twice on this wholesome dinner recipe: the oil from the jar is used to cook dinner the hen whereas the tomatoes are added to the cream sauce for a wealthy, flavorful dish. This recipe was tailored from our widespread Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce to serve two as an alternative of 4.

Bell Pepper & Feta Chickpea Salad

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly

This simple no-cook chickpea salad comes collectively shortly, making it the right alternative on busy days. Red-wine vinegar brightens the dish, whereas feta provides a tangy, barely salty taste.

Chicken, Chard & Sun-Dried Tomato Quesadillas

Rachel Mark


This simple hen quesadilla options earthy chard, sun-dried tomatoes and fontina cheese. For added taste, you should utilize the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to cook dinner your veggies.

3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli

Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Swap out common pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you may greater than triple the fiber and double the protein on this easy, satisfying dish. Be certain to save lots of among the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to make use of frozen broccoli in a pinch (you may blanch the broccoli in the identical water you employ to cook dinner the pasta).

Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette

Sara Haas

In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a little bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot French dressing will shortly change into your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies when you look forward to the pasta to cook dinner, then combine every part and revel in!

Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries

Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

If you are packing this grain bowl for work, mix the dressing substances in a small container. When you are able to eat, shake the dressing properly, add it to the salad and toss. If you do not have time to make a home made dressing, use 3 tablespoons of store-bought olive oil French dressing. Keep prep time brief by utilizing rotisserie hen (or leftover hen) and a pouch of microwavable quinoa.

Air-Fryer Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers

Sharp uncooked garlic, contemporary herbs and tangy feta cheese beautifully taste these turkey burgers. Since the patties are air-fried with little or no oil, there’s room so as to add a little bit of olive oil to the meat to maintain the patties from drying out.

Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub

A crust of contemporary horseradish, parsley and capers turns delicately crispy on this air-fried salmon. It’s a powerful dinner that is additionally tremendous easy to make. If you may’t discover contemporary horseradish, use a high-quality ready product. Be certain to empty and squeeze it to take away as a lot moisture as potential.

California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Inspired by an choice on the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe retains the carbs in verify with a lettuce wrap as an alternative of a bun. The aspect of candy potato fries bakes when you prep the burgers, so this whole wholesome dinner is prepared in beneath half-hour.

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

The secret to a great cream sauce is all the time the identical: not an excessive amount of cream or it may be overpowering, masking the extra delicate flavors. Here it accommodates a bountiful quantity of mushrooms and is served over hen breasts.

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp for Two

Brie Passano

This wholesome dinner recipe comes collectively in file time because of quick-cooking shrimp. Lemon juice brightens the sauce whereas yogurt provides creaminess. This recipe was tailored from our widespread Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp to serve two as an alternative of 4.

Spring Green Frittata

Frittatas are a flexible dish that may be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner. This simple frittata, that includes inexperienced spring greens accented by chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese, might be in your plate in simply 25 minutes.

Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens

Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add endurance to this zesty and wholesome salad recipe.

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan for Two

Brie Passano

In this simple weeknight dinner, we mix lean hen breast and sautéed spinach for a flavorful meal that’s easy and fast. This recipe was tailored from our widespread Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan to serve two as an alternative of 4.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Sally Mckay, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel


This wholesome hen saltimbocca recipe makes a powerful, but quick, stylish dinner. Serve this Italian-inspired hen with roasted broccoli rabe and creamy polenta to spherical out this elegant meal.

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