Choose the shortest night first
Put a 20-minute dinner on the evening with the least spare time, rather than hoping a longer meal will somehow fit.
Dinner in 20 minutes
20-minute dinner ideas for the busiest nights
Some nights need a genuinely short path from kitchen to table. These reviewed recipes have a total preparation and cooking time of 20 minutes or less, making them useful for late finishes, sport nights and evenings when dinner simply cannot become another project.
Make the week easier
Keep sides simple
Fast mains work best with quick sides such as salad, steamed vegetables, rice or bread instead of adding another involved recipe.
Use pantry shortcuts deliberately
Rice, noodles, pasta, canned beans and familiar sauces can help make a genuinely fast dinner repeatable on busy weeks.
Reviewed dinners ready in 20 minutes or less
These recipes are filtered from the live catalogue by total time. Start with the quickest options, then use the planner to spread faster and slower meals across the week.
46 matching recipes in the reviewed catalogue · showing 24
Guava-Glazed Roast Chicken Drumsticks
0 min · Caribbean-inspired
Recipe by Chef Dwight Smith
Chickpea and Tuna Salad
10 min · Italian
Recipe by GialloZafferano
Easy Airfryer Tortilla Pizza Recipe
10 min · American
Recipe by Cafe Delites
Tuna Melt
10 min · Australian
Recipe by Myfoodbook
Tuna salad For One Recipe
10 min · American
Recipe by Cafe Delites
Asian Beef Bowls
12 min · Asian
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats
Honey Garlic Chicken Breast
12 min · Western
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats
Parmesan Crumbed Fish
12 min · Western
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats
10 Minute Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
13 min · Italian
Recipe by Simple Home Edit
Pasta with ricotta cheese and basil
13 min · Italian
Recipe by GialloZafferano
15-minute chicken, broccoli and cashew stir-fry
15 min · Asian
Recipe by Coles Recipes
15-minute chicken pasta
15 min · European
Recipe by BBC Good Food
Baked Fish with Lemon Cream Sauce
15 min · Western
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats
Cauliflower Steaks with Herbed Scramble
15 min · Australian
Recipe by Myfoodbook
Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles
15 min · Asian
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats
Curried Fried Egg Open Naan
15 min · Indian
Recipe by Myfoodbook
Easy Baked Scallops Recipe
15 min · French
Recipe by Cafe Delites
Juicy Turkey Burgers
15 min · American
Recipe by The Stay at Home Chef
One Pan Mongolian Beef Noodles with Broccoli
15 min · Asian
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats
Ricotta, Leek and Corn Fritters with Zucchini Noodles
15 min · Australian
Recipe by Myfoodbook
Chicken Piccata
16 min · Italian
Recipe by GialloZafferano
Cacio e Pepe Pasta
17 min · Italian
Recipe by Myfoodbook
Pasta with salmon & peas
17 min · European
Recipe by BBC Good Food
Aglio e Olio (Garlic Oil Spaghetti)
18 min · Italian
Recipe by RecipeTin Eats