27 Five-Ingredient Dinner Recipes for Stress-Free Meals (2024)

There are few kitchen nightmares that are worse than finding a recipe that sounds ah-mazing, then seeing an ingredient section longer than your phone’s contact list. We share your pain. That’s why these 27 recipes will become your new dinnertime manual: Each includes just five ingredients so you can focus on flavor, not on grocery shopping.

1. Grilled Chicken With Tomato, Soy, and Sesame Seeds

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This recipe is so simple yet doesn’t skimp on flavor in the slightest. Combine four marinade ingredients, then pour it over the chicken. Bake. Serve. Done!Pair it with brown rice, serve it over a salad, or shove it inside lettuce wraps.

2. Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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Say hello to your new favorite no-stress Tex-Mex enchilada recipe. It uses shortcuts like leftover chicken and canned enchilada sauce so you can literally throw dinner together in minutes. Serve with a side salad and (lots of) avocados for a complete meal.

3. White Bean Chicken Chili

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You don’t need many ingredients to turn boring chicken breasts into a dish you’ll want to make on a weekly basis. This brothy and super-filling stew can be made quickly with leftover chicken or completely from scratch with a slow cooker.

4. Lemon Chicken With Asparagus

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Looks like takeout but can be made in less than 20 minutes? Yes, please! Simply dredge chicken breasts in flour, brown them in a pan, and then sauté the asparagus and lemon to layer on top.

5. Breaded Lemon Chicken

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The secret to getting crunchy, perfectly breaded chicken? Use lemon juice in place of an egg wash to keep the breadcrumbs intact. Lemon juice’s acids will keep the chicken super juicy while it pan-fries, adding a whole new flavor dimension.

6. Slow Cooker Maple-Dijon Ham

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Slice the ham almost all the way through to let the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and clove mixture seep into every nook and cranny. For serving, get creative: Eat it as a main dish, use it in sandwiches, dice it into your scrambled eggs, add it to a stir-fry. The world is your… ham?

7. Baked Fajita Chicken

Get dinner on the table with minimal prep by adding a new spin to fajitas: Bake them! Smothered in salsa, peppers, and onions, the dish spends most of its time in the oven, giving you time to de-stress after a long day. Serve in a whole-wheat tortilla, on a salad, or with a side of rice.

8. Pineapple Salsa Chicken

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Ready to upgrade your tacos? This pineapple salsa chicken is so simple it basically cooks itself. Dump the protein, pineapple chunks (and juice), and favorite salsa in the slow cooker and let time do the work.

9. Pesto Chicken Stuffed Peppers

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Roast sweet bell peppers first, then fill with shredded chicken, quinoa, pesto, and mozzarella cheese. Bake again, then serve. If you like a firmer pepper, skip the pre-roasting step and just bake them with the other ingredients.

10. Bourbon Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

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Five ingredients and one of them is bourbon? Sign us up. This easy pork marinates for a few hours or overnight—it’s easily whisked together in the morning—and then is grilled or baked in less than 20 minutes. And why not enjoy any leftover bourbon while it cooks?

11. Sticky Stovetop Balsamic Drumsticks

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These simple drumsticks are a dream on busy weeknights or lazy Sundays. Just place all the ingredients in a pan, bring to a boil, and let the sauce do its thing.

12. Creamy Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese

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Ditch that box! You can make your own healthier mac and cheese in about the same time as the boxed stuff. Greek yogurt adds creaminess and protein, while two cups of spinach provide vitamins A and K, plus almost a quarter of your day’s calcium needs.

13. Eggroll in a Bowl

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This inside-out eggroll keeps the fillings you love, like shredded cabbage and carrots, and nixes the deep-fried wrapper. Add ground sausage (or chicken, turkey, or shrimp!), soy sauce, ginger, and green onions for a low-carb, high-flavor dish that’s way better than takeout.

14. Kale Caesar Pasta Salad

Roast cherry tomatoes to add sweetness and a subtle charred flavor, and crunchy kale to add antioxidants and iron to the mix. Use your favorite bottled creamy dressing to speed things up—we won’t tell.

15. Butternut Squash, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Pasta

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Roasted butternut squash and fresh arugula transform what could be just another pasta dish into something spectacular. With the goat cheese serving as the “sauce” and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, this is a dinner that’s awesome when you’re dining solo yet good enough to serve guests.

16. One-Pot Asian Peanut Noodles

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One pot of deliciousness coming right up. A simple peanut sauce with soy sauce and sriracha, chicken, and chopped peanuts, this noodle bowl is comfort food at its finest. Feel free to add sauteed veggies like mushrooms, broccoli, and peppers for added flavor.

17. Miso Soup

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No need to call in an entire sushi order just to get a bowl of miso soup. With just five ingredients, you can make it right at home in five minutes—seriously. Plus, it’s easily made vegan by subbing mushroom broth for Dashi.

18. Spinach Parmesan Pasta

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Remember how good plain buttered noodles were when you were a kid? It’s time for an adult version. Angel hair is the perfect pasta, since it cooks up super fast. Add in sautéed spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly ground salt and pepper—tastes just as good as the simple pasta of your youth.

19. Spinach Quinoa Vegetarian Patty

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Keep on walking past the frozen food aisle: You can make your own veggie patties with only five ingredients, thank you very much. Eat them as burgers, load them into a wrap, or crumble them into a salad topping. So versatile, and so tasty.

20. Cheesy Portabella Pizzas

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If you’re craving pizza every night, change up the flavor instead of ordering another takeout pie. In this recipe, portobella mushroom caps serve as your “dough.” Pile on all the sauce and cheese you can eat, and add pepperoni and veggies too.

21. Thai Pumpkin Soup

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This pumpkin-based soup has all the flavors of your favorite Thai curry, but is easily prepared at home. Add your favorite protein, such as shrimp, chicken, or tofu, to make it a full meal.

22. Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

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Tired of your usual chili recipe? Try this vegetarian version. Smoky and sweet, it’s ready in under an hour (no more waiting all day for this dish). Serve with lots of extra toppings, like guacamole, sour cream, and cilantro. Pro tip: Freeze individual servings for a ready-made dinner or lunch.

23. Honey Mustard Salmon

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If you’re nervous about cooking fish, this recipe will ease your fears. Simply brush grainy mustard over superfood salmon, then give it a quick pan sear. Coat with honey mustard, then transfer the fish to the oven. This sweet-and-spicy dish is delicious over a salad or with your favorite greens and brown rice.

24. Baked Coconut Curry Cod

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Coconut milk and curry paste create a creamy, spicy sauce sans dairy in this super-fast dish. Finish it off with lots of freshly chopped cilantro (or parsley, if you’re one of those folks who can’t stand cilantro!).

25. Spicy Shrimp With Chilies

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Spicy, garlicky, lemony, this shrimp is begging to be part of your next summer dinner. Plus, it’s gluten-free and Paleo-friendly. Serve with French bread (to soak up all that tasty sauce if you’re not Paleo) and a side salad.

26. Almond-Crusted Tilapia

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Packed with healthy fats, this almond-crusted fish cooks in just five minutes. With every biteof this rich and crispy dish, former fish-haters will regret all they’ve been missing.

27. Tuscan Baked Fish

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Sauté onions, tomatoes, and capers; then add in your favorite boneless, skinless fish. Toss it into the oven and bake until tender and flakey. The best part? This bad boy is ready in less than 30 minutes.

27 Five-Ingredient Dinner Recipes for Stress-Free Meals (2024)

FAQs

27 Five-Ingredient Dinner Recipes for Stress-Free Meals? ›

5 Ingredient Fix is a television series starring Claire Robinson, the premise of which is that she creates entrées solely from five main ingredients.

What is the 5 ingredient meals cooking show? ›

5 Ingredient Fix is a television series starring Claire Robinson, the premise of which is that she creates entrées solely from five main ingredients.

What to eat with home ingredients? ›

  • Surprise Macaroni Cheese. This the best macaroni cheese ever.
  • Vegetarian Tomato, Pea and Chickpea Curry. ...
  • Super-Quick Sushi Fried Rice. ...
  • Chickpea Masala. ...
  • Rigatoni Pasta Bake with Zucchini, Salami and Mozzarella. ...
  • Pie maker spaghetti bolognese muffins. ...
  • Meatball, Zucchini and Chickpea Soup. ...
  • Cheap and Easy Vegemite Spaghetti.

Is there a website where I can list ingredients and get recipes? ›

RecipeRadar helps you to search for recipes by ingredients, plan your meals, and create food shopping lists. The service aims to be distraction-free, privacy-respecting, and is provided as free and open source software so that you can inspect and modify the code - feedback and contributions are welcome.

What food can you eat unlimited of? ›

Let's take a look at some of these wonderful foods:
  • Celery. Celery is a vegetable that is made up of 95% water! ...
  • Broccoli. It is well known for the natural substance it contains – sulforaphane, which has an anti-cancerous effect. ...
  • Kale. ...
  • Cucumber. ...
  • Lettuce. ...
  • Cauliflower. ...
  • Blueberries. ...
  • Raspberries.

How can I eat large amounts of food without feeling full? ›

Nutrition Tips for Managing Feeling Full Quickly
  1. Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day.
  2. Avoid foods and actions that may cause gas or bloating.
  3. Drink liquids between meals rather than during meals.
  4. Keep your head up after meals.

What food is delicious but hard to eat? ›

8 Foods That Are (Almost) Too Difficult to Eat
  • Spaghetti. ...
  • Oysters. ...
  • Steamed Artichokes. ...
  • Hard-Shell Tacos. ...
  • Crabs, Lobsters, and other Crustaceans. ...
  • Mango. ...
  • Escargot, Whelks, and Periwinkles. ...
  • Wine That Doesn't Come With a Screw Cap.
Mar 31, 2023

What are three healthy food choices you could make away from home? ›

Eating on the Go

These tips can help you make wise choices: Go for balance. Choose meals that contain a balance of lean proteins (like fish and chicken, or beans if you're a vegetarian), fruits and vegetables (fries and potato chips don't qualify as veggies!), and whole grains (like whole-wheat bread and brown rice).

What food is most commonly eaten at home? ›

They found that pumpkin bars, mozzarella cheese sticks, ranch chicken, mini chicken pot pies, baked macaroni and cheese, southern fried chicken, chicken enchiladas, banana bread, pulled pork, chocolate cake, chewy cookies, crock pot roast beef, garlic chicken, zucchini bread, peanut butter chocolate dessert, pancakes, ...

What is the healthiest meal you can make? ›

30 healthy dinners you can cook in 30 minutes or less
  • Prawn and pork rice paper rolls. ...
  • Mussels with fermented chilli sugo. ...
  • Gochujang minute steak skewers with charred broccolini and lime. ...
  • Steamed silken tofu with herbs and chilli. ...
  • Pumpkin soup. ...
  • Vegetarian cold noodles. ...
  • Chipotle prawn tacos. ...
  • Chin Chin's poached chicken salad.

What is the cooking show where they get weird ingredients? ›

Who comes up with these crazy basket ingredients?" This is a statement that I commonly hear and read after watching an episode of Chopped. But the truth is, someone does have to research and choose what four ingredients will go into a Chopped basket — three different baskets per episode.

Do cooking show contestants know ingredients beforehand? ›

You get to tour the pantry beforehand.

So that contestants know what ingredients are available to them in the pantry, each one is given a walk through before filming or cooking starts.

What is the cooking show where they are given ingredients? ›

Chopped After Hours

Episodes consist of three segments, each featuring judges from a different Chopped episode as they prepare dishes using one of the mystery ingredient baskets given to the original contestants.

Do contestants on cooking shows get recipes? ›

It's up to each contestant to memorise any recipes they hope to use on the show, as well as spend any spare time practising new techniques and dishes as the competition progresses. "We can't take recipes," Mupedzi tells Refinery29 Australia. "I did a lot of studying and a lot of practising."

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