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Delicious 15-minute meals ANYONE can make
15-minute meals anyone can cook
By Jane Curran · July 1, 2025
Originally published on loveEXPLORING
Speedy suppers
Forget takeaways – you can eat fabulous home-cooked food every night, even if you're short on time. Our simple recipes not only look and taste great, they'll be on the table in 15 minutes or less. Choose from mouthwatering meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options, and relax knowing your midweek meals are sorted.
Click or scroll through this gallery to see 30 delicious dishes that won't take long to cook.
Black and kidney bean chilli
How about a recipe that's made almost entirely from store-cupboard ingredients? A bean-filled chilli is high in protein, so it's a lovely, filling weeknight option. Serve it with brown rice for added fibre – just buy a pre-cooked pouch, which you can microwave in two minutes. Jazz it up with some sour cream, chopped spring onions and grated cheese.
Apple and turkey quesadillas
When making quesadillas, you can fill the tortillas with all sorts of meat and vegetables (though cheese is the essential ingredient) and they're also a great way to use up leftover chicken or pork. Veggies, or even fruit, add a satisfying crunch – this particular recipe features apples, but red peppers would work well too. There's no need to marinate the meat, but you can if you have some extra time.
Satay noodle stir-fry
Where would we be without a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard? Here it transforms udon noodles as the signature ingredient in a simple satay sauce. Use straight-to-wok noodles to keep things really speedy and add long-stem broccoli and sugar-snap peas for a fantastic crunch. The fact it's vegan is a great bonus too.
Steak with garlic butter
Cooking a great steak is surprisingly quick and not too difficult if you follow a few simple rules: oil the steak, not the pan; buy a great-quality steak to begin with; and make sure your pan is really hot. This recipe gives you the full step-by-step treatment and it's served with a delicious garlic butter. You can buy ready-made garlic butter to shave off even more time.
Cheese, ham and fig crêpes
A savoury, wafer-thin pancake makes for an easy, speedy supper. This crêpe is filled with soft goats' cheese, ham, grated cheese and fig jam (though you could just as easily use onion chutney from a jar). Make the batter entirely with all-purpose flour, rather than a mix of plain and buckwheat, so you don't need to rest it.
Miso ramen bowl
It's not too often you find a recipe for comfort food that's both speedy and healthy, but miso ramen bowls are exactly that. Cook the noodles with your chosen veggies (this recipe opts for peas, but check what's lurking in your fridge), and add the miso paste to the cooking water. Leftover chicken, beef or pork can go in too. This recipe serves one, but double up for a cosy night in for two.
Huevos rancheros
This Mexican classic is traditionally a breakfast dish, but it works just as well for a quick dinner. There are many variations, but all should include eggs and some kind of tomato. This version includes re-fried beans (you can buy them in a can) and is served on corn tortillas with avocado and, of course, topped with an egg.
Cheat's chicken curry
There's no need to order in when you can rustle up a chicken curry in no time. Buy a good-quality curry paste – mild korma or fiery madras, the choice is yours – then fry a large onion in oil, add chunks of chicken breast and brown. Next stir in coconut cream and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in fresh coriander and serve with a pouch of pre-cooked basmati rice.
Gnocchi with tomato and basil
Having a pack of gnocchi in the fridge is a real bonus when you're pushed for time. It cooks very quickly and makes a nice change from pasta. You could add some pesto (find our recipe for homemade pesto here) or try this recipe with a tomato and basil sauce. Just buy, rather than make, the gnocchi and you'll have dinner in a dash.
Get the recipe for gnocchi with tomato and basil here
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Fish stick tacos
Here's a recipe you'll no doubt come back to time and time again. The tacos are filled with a decadent avocado cream – avocado whizzed up with sour cream, lime and garlic – and served with a crunchy watermelon salsa. Buy, rather than make, your fish sticks to keep things quick. You could also swap them out for juicy, cooked shrimp instead.
Seared soy and sesame tuna
A fillet of tuna requires such little cooking. You want to sear it in a very hot pan, then just cook for two minutes per side – otherwise it becomes really dry and tasteless. Rub with oil, then dip each side into sesame seeds on a plate. Add oil to the pan, cook then remove. Spoon over soy sauce then serve with stir-fried greens and rice, if you like.
Super-fast pea soup
We're always singing the praises of frozen peas, and they make a mean soup too. For two people, sweat a large onion in a little oil. Then add 7oz (200g) frozen peas and 10fl oz (300ml) vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then simmer for five minutes. Blend with a stick blender, season well then add 3tbsp heavy cream. You could add some fresh basil, crisp bacon or cooked ham too.
Pad Thai shrimp noodles
Rustle up a noodle dish in no time. Cook 7oz (200g) rice noodles, then stir-fry 7oz (200g) shrimp, 3.5oz (100g) bean sprouts and five spring onions with the noodles. Then add 5oz (150g) frozen peas, 3tbsp peanuts, and 2tbsp each chilli sauce and soy sauce. Over a high heat, stir in two beaten eggs until cooked through. Scatter over 3tbsp peanuts and 2tbsp chopped fresh coriander. And there you have it: instant dinner.
Chunky fish soup
Here's a quick and simple version of a Mediterranean favourite, made using a bag of frozen mixed seafood, cooked in a tomato and saffron broth. All it needs is some crusty bread to accompany it. For a real taste of the Med, stir in some garlic mayonnaise once it's cooked.
Farfalle with pancetta and peas
It's always worth having a bag of peas in the freezer – they're incredibly versatile. In this recipe, they're cooked with crisp pancetta (smoked bacon is also fine to use), onion and stock before being added to farfalle pasta with plenty of Parmesan. If you're vegetarian, you could easily omit the pancetta and stir in some pesto at the end.
Crab linguine
When fresh crab is in season, make the most of it – it needs little embellishment. In this recipe, it's served with just a hint of chilli and garlic, which brings out the flavour of the crab meat, then fresh basil is added at the end. Remember not to add any Parmesan: fish and Parmesan do not go so well together.
Teriyaki chicken
Teriyaki chicken is always a crowd-pleaser and it's super straightforward to make. In this recipe, you prepare the teriyaki sauce yourself, but you could save even more time by buying it ready-made. Serve this with some straight-to-wok noodles, stir-fried with greens, such as spinach or long-stem broccoli, and garnish with coriander, spring onions or sesame seeds.
Mushroom chow mein
This is an easy vegetarian Sichuan stir-fry. Sichuan dishes are always hot and spicy, but you can reduce the amount of chilli if you prefer – you'll probably have most of the necessary ingredients already in your store cupboard too. Oyster mushrooms work best in this dish, but you can use any mushrooms you like.
Chilli spaghetti with garlic and parsley
The Italians do love a bit of chilli with their pasta. It's not supposed to add a lot of heat – it just brings out the flavours of the olive oil and the grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese. You'd be hard pushed to find a simpler dish with fewer ingredients that tastes so good.
Get the recipe for chilli spaghetti with garlic and parsley here
Smoked salmon and pea frittata
A frittata is just a thick, chunky omelette with extra ingredients added to the egg mixture. This recipe uses smoked salmon trimmings, but cooked smoked haddock would also be a great addition. Serve your frittata with a salad doused in a creamy, lemony dressing which you can whip up in minutes.
Glazed salmon
Wondering what to do with salmon? Try this Asian-inspired glaze. For four pieces of salmon fillet (skin removed), mix together 4tbsp mirin, 3tbsp soft brown sugar and 4tbsp soy sauce. Put the salmon in a shallow dish, add the sauce and marinate for two minutes each side. Fry the salmon in a hot non-stick pan for a couple of minutes per side then remove. Add the marinade to the pan with 2tbsp rice vinegar and bubble, then pour over the fish. Serve with rice.
Smoked salmon omelette
Omelettes are always a lifesaver if you're short on time, and this recipe has upped the ante, filling the omelette with smoked salmon and Boursin (garlic and herb cream cheese). It serves one, but you can just double the ingredients then cut your omelette in half to serve two.
Scallops with chorizo
Scallops and chorizo are a great combination and super quick to cook. Fry off some cooking chorizo until crisp, then set it aside using a slotted spoon. Cook the scallops in the oil from the chorizo for a minute or two – don't overcook them or they'll turn rubbery. Finally add some chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread and a green salad.
Three grain tofu stir-fry
This easy stir-fry sees tofu marinated in honey and soy, before being stir-fried with grains, spring onions and broccoli. To make it even quicker, we suggest you omit the pearl barley and double the brown rice quantity. Buy a pouch of cooked rice too: this works so well in stir-fried rice dishes as it's dry, so doesn't make the stir-fry watery.
Seafood pasta
You'd never think such a glamorous dish as this would be on the table in just 15 minutes – but it can be! While the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce with mussels, white fish and prawns – the mussels are cooked in white wine and this provides the base for the sauce. Cream, a hint of chilli, lemon and garlic finishes this dish and lifts it to new heights.
Indonesian fried rice
Inspired by nasi goreng – Indonesian fried rice – this is so easy. The sauce is made from simple store-cupboard ingredients – no need to spend hours tracking down an elusive ingredient or two – and you can make it even quicker by buying pre-cooked brown basmati rice in a pouch (you'll need two pouches for the recipe). The thin omelette topping with crunchy peanuts adds pleasing contrasting textures.
Moules marinières
Now that the majority of mussels are farmed on rope, they are very clean and don't require lots of scrubbing, saving you time in the kitchen. To make this classic dish, sweat off a large onion in butter in a big pan, then stir in some garlic and around 5fl oz (150ml) white wine. Add the mussels on a high heat, cover with a lid, shaking occasionally until they open. Discard any broken ones, then stir in some chopped parsley and a little cream if you like. Serve with crusty bread.
Now check out the quick and easy vegan recipes even meat-eaters will love
Spinach orecchiette
Orecchiette, meaning "little ears", are small pasta shapes which are great for scooping up sauce – like the creamy spinach one in this recipe. The dish uses frozen spinach, which has a stronger flavour than fresh and is so quick to cook. The recipe also suggests you thaw the spinach in a pan, but you could zap it in the microwave for a few minutes to speed up the process. A glug of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly grated Parmesan will take this simple meal to the next level.
Pasta alla puttanesca
Puttanesca is a perfect midweek meal as all the ingredients are from the store cupboard. Anchovies don't make the dish taste fishy but add umami (the savoury taste). If you're serving vegetarians, you can omit them from the sauce. To keep it traditional, a long, thin pasta is needed, so spaghetti or linguine will work best here.
Ham and egg linguine
Strips of cooked ham combine with honey, mustard and spring onions to make a pasta sauce with a difference here. Topped with a poached egg, it's a simple and tasty meal that can only be bettered by adding some freshly grated Parmesan at the end.
Get the recipe for ham and egg linguine here
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