With busy schedules, making meals that are quick, easy, and delicious can be a challenge. 30 minute meals are a great solution for getting dinner on the table fast without sacrificing flavor. But with so many recipes and cookbooks out there, it can be tough to know where to start. Here’s an overview of some popular chefs and brands that are known for their 30 minute meal recipes.
Rachael Ray
One of the queens of quick meals is celebrity chef Rachael Ray. She’s published numerous cookbooks aimed at busy home cooks who want to make tasty food fast. Some of her most popular 30 minute or less cookbooks include:
- 30 Minute Meals
- 30 Minute Meals 2
- 30 Minute Meals: Cooking ‘Round the Clock
- Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals: Get Togethers
- Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals for Kids
Rachael Ray’s 30 minute recipes run the gamut from appetizers and snacks to main courses and desserts. Her recipes rely on fresh ingredients and clever shortcuts like using pre-chopped vegetables or rotisserie chicken. She also emphasizes one-pot meals, pastas, sheet pan dinners, and 30 minute recipes you can make in a slow cooker.
The Pioneer Woman
Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman, also has many quick and easy recipes on her blog and in her cookbooks. She takes inspiration from her life as a busy mom on a ranch in Oklahoma. Some of The Pioneer Woman cookbooks with 30 minute meals include:
- The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays
- The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime
- The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier
Like Rachael Ray, Ree Drummond’s 30 minute recipes rely on fresh flavors, along with shortcuts like using frozen vegetables or rotisserie chicken. Her meals also highlight comfort foods with a twist, like chicken pot pie, meatloaf, enchiladas, and goulash.
Jamie Oliver
British chef Jamie Oliver also includes many 30 minute meals in his cookbooks and TV shows. Some examples include:
- Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals
- Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes
- 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food
Jamie Oliver focuses on using just 5 ingredients or less to pull together delicious meals in 30 minutes or less. He relies on fresh, high quality ingredients and combines flavors from different cuisines. His recipes include lots of pastas, risottos, fajitas, stir fries, and more.
Budget Bytes
The Budget Bytes blog features lots of 30 minute meal recipes aimed at home cooks on a budget. The blog covers everything from breakfasts, to snacks, main dishes, and desserts that can be made quickly and affordably. Some examples of 30 minute Budget Bytes recipes include:
- One Pot Cheesy Mexican Rice
- Baked Pork Chops with Cream of Mushroom Sauce
- Easy Homemade Vegetable Soup
- One Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Vegetables
These recipes rely on simple ingredients like rice, beans, eggs, chicken, ground beef, pasta, and vegetables to create fast and filling meals. The recipes also include tips for repurposing leftovers into new dishes.
Americas Test Kitchen
Americas Test Kitchen develops extensively tested recipes aimed at home cooks. Many of their recipes are designed to come together quickly. Some of their most popular 30 minute meals include:
- Skillet Chicken Fajitas
- Pork Schnitzel
- Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
- Spicy Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Their recipes include shortcuts like using pre-prepped ingredients when possible, as well as tips for multi-tasking and organizing your time in the kitchen. The recipes cover family-friendly options like tacos, pasta, pizza, soup and more.
5 Ingredients or Less
The blog and cookbook series 5 Ingredients or Less features easy, everyday recipes made with just 5 main ingredients or less. From breakfast tacos to chicken dinners, these recipes take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Some examples include:
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa
- Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Zucchini Boats with Chicken and Feta
Relying on just a few ingredients helps keep these recipes simple and fast. The recipes also utilize handy appliances like slow cookers, sheet pans, and air fryers to speed up cooking.
Tasty by Buzzfeed
The Tasty brand from Buzzfeed is known for their short recipe videos. Many of their recipes are designed to be made in 30 minutes or less. Some quick and easy Tasty recipes include:
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Veggie Fried Rice
- Air Fryer Chicken Tacos
From stir fries to skillet dinners, Tasty’s recipes rely on fresh ingredients and clever cooking hacks. Their videos demonstrate quick prep and cooking techniques.
Conclusion
When you need to get dinner on the table fast, turning to recipes from trusted chefs and brands that specialize in 30 minute meals can make cooking less stressful. Relying on fresh ingredients, one-pot meals, sheet pan dinners, and heavy use of shortcuts like pre-chopped produce and rotisserie chicken are key to pulling together tasty meals in under 30 minutes. With a good arsenal of quick recipes, even busy home cooks can enjoy delicious homemade dinners any night of the week.