American Dinner Recipes
A quick, curated collection of american recipes for weeknights — designed for fast decisions and easy cooking.
Showing 36 american-related recipes.
Red Lentil Soup
This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be Based on a Turkish lentil soup, mercimek corbasi, it is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make The cooking is painless
Lemony Shrimp and Bean Stew
With minimal prep and a quick cook time, this shrimp stew feels elegant for such an easy weeknight meal You can also take the dish in a number of directions: Substitute the shrimp with an equal amount of flaky white fish or even seared scallops, or stretch the dish into a meal for six by stirring in some butter and serving over cooked spaghetti or rigatoni A good glug of your best olive oil would also be welcome.
Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens
Bright with lemon and herbs, and packed with hearty greens, this highly adaptable soup can be either light and brothy or thick and stewlike, depending on your preference Smashing some of the beans to release their starch will give you a thicker soup that’s almost worthy of a fork To keep it on the brothy side, add a little more liquid and leave the beans intact
Sheet-Pan Chicken With Potatoes, Arugula and Garlic Yogurt
Your typical sheet-pan chicken recipe roasts everything together on a pan at once This version pairs potatoes with the poultry, and tops everything off with fresh herbs and arugula, making it a true one-pan meal, salad included A savory yogurt sauce adds a creamy touch, but it’s optional if you’re not a yogurt sauce fan
Chicken Breasts With Lemon
In this recipe, which Pierre Franey brought to The Times in 1992 in one of his 60-Minute Gourmet columns, two teaspoons of lemon zest are added to a simple sauce of lemon juice, thyme, garlic and shallots It is, at once, lively and elegant To round it out, it needs a sturdy accompaniment
Rishia Zimmern’s Chicken With Shallots
Here is a simple, excellent one-pot recipe for a midweek feast, full of rich flavor, with a sauce that you won't want to waste It came to The Times in 2014 via the Twitter account of Andrew Zimmern, the chef and globe-trotting television personality who thrills to home cooking when he's not at work, which is not often His then wife, Rishia Zimmern, adapted it from Martha Stewart, and he put it on the social network: “Brown 8 thighs, 3 C shallots
One-Pan Roasted Fish With Cherry Tomatoes
In this quick, elegant dinner, cherry tomatoes are roasted with garlic, shallots, sherry vinegar and a drizzle of honey, turning them into a sweet and savory condiment for simple roasted fish This versatile, year-round recipe is delicious with juicy end-of-summer tomatoes or even with a pint from the grocery store Thick white fish such as cod or halibut work best here
Vegetarian Skillet Chili
If you keep canned beans, tomatoes, onion and garlic in your pantry, you can make this dish on any weeknight without having to shop The pickled onions aren’t strictly necessary, but they are simple to make and add a welcome tangy contrast to the beans Pickled peppers are a fine substitute
Three-Cup Chicken
Ask 30 people how to make this simple Taiwanese recipe, and you’ll receive 30 different responses Some fry the chicken before braising it, use more oil, less wine, different blends of soy sauce Debates rage over how thick the sauce should be, over which parts of the chicken to use
Chicken and Rice Soup
This soup is simultaneously cozy and fresh It’s just the kind of thing you want to eat when you’re sick and seeking something that’ll perk you up and get you through it The soup simmers long enough for the rice to start to break down so it thickens the soup
Sheet-Pan Sausages and Brussels Sprouts With Honey Mustard
This hearty pan of sticky, honey mustard-glazed sausages, brussels sprouts and potatoes only adds to the argument that sheet-pan dinners make the best weeknight meals As the sausages roast, they yield a delicious fat that coats and seasons the caramelized vegetables Use any fresh sausage you like, as long as it pairs well with the honey mustard
Creamy White Beans With Herb Oil
Canned beans are transformed into a hearty, elegant main swirled with an herb oil that comes together in no time with the aid of a food processor This particular oil includes chives, cilantro and basil, but feel free to use what you have on hand Parsley and mint would also work well
Roasted Honey Nut Squash and Chickpeas With Hot Honey
Colorful and meatless, sweet and fiery, this sheet-pan dinner is an exuberant combination of cold-weather vegetables and warming spices that will perk up any weeknight Although the recipe takes about an hour from start to finish most of it is hands-off, and the actual prep time is relatively short If you don’t have hot honey, you can substitute regular honey and a pinch of cayenne
Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro
This garlicky, herby chicken is full-flavored and very tender, thanks to its piquant yogurt marinade It’s flexible, too — marinate the meat for as little as a couple of hours, or as long as overnight And the chicken is just as good cooked under the broiler as it is on the grill (see Tip)
Quinoa and Broccoli Spoon Salad
This easy chopped salad fits loads of texture and flavor onto a spoon by combining finely chopped raw broccoli with chewy dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, fluffy quinoa and chunks of sharp Cheddar cheese The mixture is tossed in a punchy mustard vinaigrette that soaks into the florets, only getting better as it sits Feel free to substitute the quinoa for any grain, like brown rice, farro or buckwheat groats, though the cook time may vary.
Easy Pizza Dough
This pizza dough is very easy to put together, and it's enough for four 10-inch-diameter pizzas To make it even easier to roll out, prepare it ahead, and refrigerate it overnight Refrigerated dough will keep several days
Baked Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs have all the makings of a weeknight staple: they’re inexpensive, they cook quickly and they are dependably moist and flavorful with the simplest of seasonings In this hands-off recipe, the thighs are baked at a high temperature until the skin is crisp and the meat is tender If you have time to marinate the thighs for a few hours, the chicken will be even more flavorful, but even 30 minutes will do the trick
One-Pot Beans, Greens and Grains
Many filling, flavorful and flexible meals are within reach with this technique: It produces fluffy grains, just-soft-enough greens and creamy and garlicky beans all in one pot Customize your mix based on your cravings and your pantry: Use any dark leafy greens and any cooked legumes Use quinoa, rice or a mix of the two for a variety of textures; for other grains, refer to the cooking instructions on their package and add the greens in the last 5 to 7 minutes
Roasted Chicken Thighs With Hot Honey and Lime
These sweet and spicy chicken thighs pack enormous flavor using only a handful of pantry ingredients Generously seasoned with salt, pepper, and onion and garlic powders, they’re roasted at a high temperature to maximize the crispiness of the skin Halfway through cooking, the chicken is brushed with a butter-and-hot-sauce blend
Broiled Salmon With Mustard and Lemon
In this simple salmon recipe, a quick stint under the broiler transforms smooth Dijon mustard into a savory, caramelized crust, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds just the right brightness and tang to the rich, sweet fish Covering the baking pan with a protective layer of aluminum foil helps with the cleanup, meaning you can cook dinner and wash up in under 30 minutes.
Honey Garlic Shrimp
This speedy dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes and relies on pantry staples like honey and soy sauce for easy weeknight flavor The honey-garlic sauce works double-time, serving as a sweet-and-savory marinade and as a pan sauce for the crustaceans While large shrimp work best for this recipe (and are the most forgiving when it comes to cooking time), smaller shrimp will work, too
Coconut-Lime Shrimp
You can make this gingery, lightly sweet shrimp stew as tangy and spicy as you like by adjusting the amounts of chile and lime juice Using full-fat coconut milk gives you the richest and most flavorful dish But light coconut milk will also work, resulting in something brothier and more souplike
Vegan Caesar Salad With Crisp Chickpeas
There are many ways to mimic the rich, creamy texture of emulsified, egg-based Caesar dressing: Tofu, vegan mayonnaise, aquafaba whipped with oil, the list goes on Blended raw cashews prove themselves the best base in this version, which is fortified with garlic, mustard, miso paste and caper brine to achieve the tangy-salty-punchy balance found in the real deal Crisp chickpeas and hand-torn croutons add a crunchiness that plays well with the velvety dressing.
Vegetarian Mushroom Shawarma Pitas
Dusted with smoky spices like cumin, coriander and paprika, these thick-cut roasted portobello mushrooms are inspired by shawarma, Middle Eastern spiced lamb — and they taste surprisingly meaty The flavors are bold, but the prep is simple: While the mushrooms and onions roast, make an easy turmeric and Greek yogurt sauce, and toss sliced red cabbage with salt Pile everything into a pita with a flurry of cilantro and mint to freshen things up (parsley or salad greens would also do the job in a pinch)
Roasted Salmon With Peas and Radishes
Salmon and sweet peas are the perfect pairing for a quick and satisfying supper The salmon is roasted skin-side up, to protect the delicate flesh and keep the fish moist Peppery radishes mellow during cooking, turning slightly sweet and juicy as they soften
Easy Sheet-Pan Chicken
Crisp-skinned and very juicy, this is a more sophisticated version of the crumb-coated, oven-fried chicken dishes of childhood In addition to bread crumbs, the chicken is slathered with two kinds of mustard plus fresh thyme and minced garlic, which makes it deeply flavored, bright and complex And because it calls for only one pan, clean up is minimal
Oven-Seared Salmon With Corn and Tomatoes
This one-pan dinner pairs browned fish with a colorful salad of charred corn, tomatoes, scallions, herbs and lime, proving that summer cooking is best when you get out of the way of the ingredients The salmon develops a crisp crust without requiring a sear on the stovetop thanks to a light coating of mayonnaise and the direct scorch of the broiler You won’t taste the mayonnaise; instead, it’s there to caramelize the salmon’s surface while insulating the delicate flesh
Ginger Chicken and Rice Soup With Zucchini
A simple base of aromatic garlic, ginger, bay leaf and turmeric flavors this cozy and nourishing chicken soup Tender chicken, zucchini and chewy brown rice provide bite and substance, and simmer together at the same pace The rice will swell and soften in the broth as the soup sits, and you can cook it longer than called for to give this soup more of a stewy or even porridge-like texture, depending on your preference
Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts
This chicken takes a cue from piccata then heads in a decidedly summery direction: A quick pan sauce of butter, shallots, tomatoes, capers and a splash of red wine vinegar turns rich, juicy, and bright — just the thing to spoon over the top A handful of fresh basil at the end wilts gently in the heat of the sauce No lemon here, but the vibes are still tangy, savory, and buttery
Sausage Tortellini Soup
This lighter take on hearty sausage soups is cozy with chicken sausage, delicate tortellini, fennel and whatever green vegetables are gracing your market Fennel is a late winter-early spring crop that works triple time for us here: The bulb is sweet and soft, sliced stalks are crisp-tender and the fronds are chopped for an herb garnish While fully cooked chicken sausage adds just enough richness, feel free to use any fresh or fully cooked chicken or pork sausage you have and like (just remove fresh sausage from its casings before browning).
Dijon Chicken With Tomatoes and Scallions
A one-pot dish that guards all the delicious flavors it creates as it cooks — the crispy browned bits of seared chicken, simmering soft scallions and burst tomatoes — and transforms them into a sauce with the addition of white wine and mustard The tomatoes pop and deflate as they soften, adding their juices to the liquid, which helps gently braise the chicken Tip in pickled jalapeños and a bit of brine to add punch
Hamburger Soup
Not to be confused with tasting like an actual burger, this soup is actually named after ground beef, which is sometimes referred to as “hamburger” in certain parts of the United States Here, it’s combined with any mix of vegetables you like or have on hand, making it an ideal one-pot meal to use up odds and ends from both your crisper and freezer The key to unlocking a speedy, fully loaded soup is using frozen, pre-chopped vegetables — just be sure not to thaw them before adding to the broth so they don’t lose their bite
Everything Salmon With Creamy Caper Sauce
Covered in a crisp, everything-seasoning crust and served with a creamy, tangy caper sauce, this quick, weeknight salmon dinner is inspired by the beloved flavors of bagels and lox The application of everything bagel seasoning forms a crisp crust on the fish fillets, adding deep flavor while preserving moisture (You can use store-bought everything bagel seasoning, if you’ve got it, or create your own blend using pantry staples like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, granulated garlic and granulated onions.) Beneath the salmon, there’s a tangy cream cheese caper sauce laced with a subtle hint of lemon
Healthy Weeknight Dinners
Healthy doesn't have to be a chore: Most of these exciting, flavor-packed recipes can be prepared in about an hour.
Blackened Chicken Breasts
Blackening is a technique that should live in the repertoire of every home cook With a heavy- bottomed skillet and a Cajun-style spice blend, you can take proteins like shrimp, fish, scallops and the chicken breasts in this recipe and flip them into something flavorful, delicious and juicy Most grocery store chicken breasts are large, so slicing the chicken in half horizontally ensures they cook quickly and more evenly
Chickpea Noodle Soup
With a golden broth, creamy chickpeas and bouncy angel hair noodles, this quick vegan soup will remind you of chicken noodle soup To create a savory broth, sizzle carrots, celery and onion with nutritional yeast, turmeric and herbs in oil A generous amount of oil adds silkiness to the broth and helps carry the flavor of the aromatics, while nutritional yeast gives the broth the soul-satisfying properties of chicken bouillon