Cooking for two? These healthy recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less, so you’ll have a perfectly-portioned dinner on the table in half an hour. Even if you’re doing dinner solo, these dishes are a great option to make when you want leftovers to bring to work or school the next day. Recipes like our high-protein Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Arugula-Tomato Salad or our 5-star Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili for Two are healthy and delicious dinners that won’t take up space in your fridge.
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Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Arugula-Tomato Salad
Food: Sammy Mila, Photos: Jason Donnelly, Props: Breanna Ghazali.
This easy chicken dinner is a flavor-packed dish where juicy chicken thighs are cooked until golden, then coated in a tangy-sweet balsamic glaze. They’re served over a crisp arugula and tomato salad. It’s a simple dinner for two that tastes delicious and comes together quickly.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili for Two
This satisfying vegetarian chili for two is studded with black beans and sweet potatoes. Serve with some warmed corn tortillas and tossed salad with orange segments and avocado. This recipe was adapted from our popular Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili to serve two instead of four.
High-Protein Cheeseburger Salad
Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams , Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee
This cheeseburger salad is a fun twist on a classic burger. It features a crisp base of chopped iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, pickles and juicy cherry tomatoes. A melty cheeseburger patty is served warm on top, along with a tangy ketchup-mayo-pickle sauce that ties all the flavors together. Optional sesame seeds add a hint of crunch and nod to the traditional burger bun.
Air-Fryer Cider Pork Chops with Apples
Enjoy this elevated take on pork chops and applesauce. Serve caramelized chops and apple slices with tender green beans drizzled with a cider syrup. Even better? It’s ready in 25 minutes.
Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast Sandwiches
Matthew Francis
This caprese stuffed chicken breast features the classic ingredients of a caprese salad—juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil and balsamic vinegar—nestled into a seasoned and cooked chicken breast that can be picked up and eaten like a sandwich. The perfect chicken breast for this recipe is small, but avoid thin-cut breasts so you can slice them open easily. You can trim a regular chicken breast down to the right size, or cut a large 8-ounce breast in half crosswise to get two smaller pieces.
Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce for Two
Sun-dried tomatoes are used twice in this healthy dinner recipe: the oil from the jar is used to cook the chicken while the tomatoes are added to the cream sauce for a rich, flavorful dish. This recipe was adapted from our popular Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce to serve two instead of four.
Bell Pepper & Feta Chickpea Salad
This easy no-cook chickpea salad comes together quickly, making it the perfect choice on busy days. Red-wine vinegar brightens the dish, while feta adds a tangy, slightly salty flavor.
Chicken, Chard & Sun-Dried Tomato Quesadillas
Rachel Marek
This easy chicken quesadilla features earthy chard, sun-dried tomatoes and fontina cheese. For added flavor, you can use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to cook your veggies.
3-Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta with Broccoli
Swap out regular pasta for pasta made with chickpeas and you’ll more than triple the fiber and double the protein in this simple, satisfying dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to make a sauce. Feel free to use frozen broccoli in a pinch (you can blanch the broccoli in the same water you use to cook the pasta).
Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette
In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy!
Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries
If you’re packing this grain bowl for work, combine the dressing ingredients in a small container. When you’re ready to eat, shake the dressing well, add it to the salad and toss. If you don’t have time to make a homemade dressing, use 3 tablespoons of store-bought olive oil vinaigrette. Keep prep time short by using rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken) and a pouch of microwavable quinoa.
Air-Fryer Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers
Sharp raw garlic, fresh herbs and tangy feta cheese superbly flavor these turkey burgers. Since the patties are air-fried with very little oil, there’s room to add a bit of olive oil to the meat to keep the patties from drying out.
Air-Fryer Salmon with Horseradish Rub
A crust of fresh horseradish, parsley and capers turns delicately crispy on this air-fried salmon. It’s an impressive dinner that’s also super simple to make. If you can’t find fresh horseradish, use a high-quality prepared product. Be sure to drain and squeeze it to remove as much moisture as possible.
California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.
Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce
The secret to a good cream sauce is always the same: not too much cream or it can be overpowering, masking the more delicate flavors. Here it contains a bountiful amount of mushrooms and is served over chicken breasts.
Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp for Two
This healthy dinner recipe comes together in record time thanks to quick-cooking shrimp. Lemon juice brightens the sauce while yogurt adds creaminess. This recipe was adapted from our popular Creamy Lemon Pasta with Shrimp to serve two instead of four.
Spring Green Frittata
Frittatas are a versatile dish that can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner. This easy frittata, featuring green spring vegetables accented by chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese, can be on your plate in just 25 minutes.
Quinoa, Avocado & Chickpea Salad over Mixed Greens
Protein-rich quinoa and chickpeas add staying power to this zesty and healthy salad recipe.
Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan for Two
In this easy weeknight dinner, we combine lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a flavorful meal that is simple and quick. This recipe was adapted from our popular Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan to serve two instead of four.
Chicken Saltimbocca
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Sally Mckay, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
This healthy chicken saltimbocca recipe makes an impressive, yet fast, classy dinner. Serve this Italian-inspired chicken with roasted broccoli rabe and creamy polenta to round out this elegant meal.
