50 best dinner ideas to dial up the flavour (but not the labour)

Quick-cooking proteins, spices, herbs and aromats, plus seasonal vegetables – this is your shortcut for the best dinner ideas for the week. Because after a long, hard day at work during a busy week, all you want to turn to are reliable, quick dinners.

In this fast-paced age of meal-kit delivery services and Thai takeaway, it’s easy not to step foot in the kitchen during the workweek. We get it. Sometimes, you can’t be bothered to cook a weeknight dinner. But we believe quick, easy meals are worth cooking from scratch — from buying the freshest seasonal produce to adding your own culinary flair to your favourite midweek meal ideas you cook repeatedly.

Our best dinner ideas are anything but dull. These recipes are quick, crowd-pleasing and packed with aromats and nutrients. Whether you’re in search of dinner ideas for one, a low-key date night or dinner recipes for the household, we have you covered.

Looking for an easy chicken recipe that’s ready in under the 30-minute mark? We’ve got it. What about a stir-fry that’s big on flavour but not the labour? Yes, of course, we have a few of those. Plus, quick, easy dinner recipes that range from aromatic curries and speedy tofu mains to simple baked fish dishes and vibrant seasonal salads. Not to mention the ultimate dinner ideas: one-pot recipe wonders — because who wants mountains of cleaning up after a quick dinner? No one.

Whip your way through these speedy recipes for soups, pasta, stir-fries and more. Trust us, our best dinner ideas and super-speedy weeknight recipes won’t let you down.

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The best dinner ideas for quick midweek meals in 2024

Salmon soba noodle with ginger butter and radish in bowl with orange napkin with gold fork.

Salmon with ginger butter, soba noodles and radish

Dive fork-first into this umami salmon and soba noodle dish, served warm with an ever-so slightly spiced ginger butter.

Fast chicken satay

Fire up the grill and keep the good times rolling.

fast prawn linguine is the best of all dinner ideas

Prawn linguine with semi-dried tomatoes and olives

A summery prawn pasta that’s a no-fuss midweek meal? Yes please.

Lamb with fennel, salsa verde and preserved lemon

A spring-ready midweek dinner, spiked with bright and spicy salsa verde.

potato and mushroom tortilla donner recipe

Potato tortilla with marinated mushrooms

A speedy dinner idea for the cooler months.

Bird's eye view of white bowl filled with white rice, green vegetables, herbs and egg

Sushi bowls

A quick and easy dinner idea for when you can’t be bothered to cook.

Chicken, carrot and orange tray bake with chive butter

A one-tray roast with the added boost of flavoured compound butter. You won’t look back.

An aerial view of grilled lamb chops and grilled zucchini with lemon and rosemary.

Lamb chops with grilled zucchini and tahini

Quick grilled lamb chops with a side of vibrant zucchini is just the way to welcome in the warmer months.

pastrami and fennel slaw sandwich recipe

Pastrami and spiced fennel slaw sandwich

Who said sandwiches were boring?

Italian sausage skewers

Perfect for both dinner parties and midweek suppers.

Lamb, zucchini and haloumi flatbreads with chilli honey

This fast lamb and flatbread recipe is a great one to enjoy when it’s warm outside and you need something simple, quick and delicious.

Chilli and soy butter noodles with poached duck egg

A fast noodle dish that’s loaded with flavour and easy to prepare.

Prawns with saffron, chilli and quinoa

A light midweek dinner made easy.

Cheat’s wonton soup

This wonton soup is an express version of the recipe that cuts time, not flavour.

Tonkatsu with curry sauce

It’s made for cold nights and second helpings.

squid ink pasta with chilli in black bowl

Chilli squid-ink spaghetti

If you’re not a fan of squid, you can easily substitute prawns or firm white fish for a similar texture and flavour.

Saganaki with watermelon and cucumber salad

Oozy, gooey cheese with a slight golden crust? What’s not to love.

bowl of Cambodian noodle dish lort cha with Asian greens and fried egg

Cambodian lort cha

This bowl of noodles is a balm for the soul.

seared tuna salad with spring vegetables and leafy greens

Seared tuna with baby spring greens

Poke bowls have had their moment. Here’s a vibrant seasonal salad that transcends trends.

Bowl of soup with torn pasta noodles, fennel and croutons

Torn pasta soup with fennel and parmesan croutons

Made with a flavoursome vegetable stock and adorned with crunchy croutons and shreds of fennel, this torn pasta soup recipe makes for a quick and easy dinner.

Spanish-style chopped steak open sandwich recipe

Pintxo-style chopped steak sandwiches

A speedy steak snack that’ll transport you to a Spanish wine bar at first bite.

Aerial view of a circular tart topped with long slices of leeks.

Bitter greens, leek and Comté tart

Use whichever cheese you have in the fridge – or keep it interesting by adding a few different types.

Udon noodles recipe stir fried with mustard greens, mushroom, tofu and peanut sauce

Stir-fried udon noodles with mustard greens, tofu and peanut sauce

A fast vegetarian udon noodle recipe that takes little time to make but is big on flavour.

Mushroom miso soup

A light and flavourful Japanese-inspired soup, featuring miso and four types of mushrooms.

Black pepper tofu

Crack the pepper fresh, and don’t skimp on it.

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Pasta from the pantry. A quick sauce. This puttanesca is a no-brainer for a midweek meal.

Giovanni Pilu’s potato salad with chickpeas, fennel, radicchio and anchovy dressing

A hearty salad that holds its own.

Drunken corn and ginger stir-fry with silken tofu

Why order in when you can whip up a stir-fry in half the time?

John Dory with shiitake mushrooms and ginger

A quick pan-fry in butter, a simple side of mushrooms and green beans – dinner done.

Chicken scallopini with mushrooms and broccoli rabe

Chicken, mushrooms and greens. This meal is the complete package.

Three portions of ocean trout topped with strips of crisp fish and dill, with a bowl of yoghurt, on a white oval platter. A bowl of shredded kohlrabi is position at the top-right.

Pan-fried ocean trout with kohlrabi salad

The easy fish dinner that’s all crisp and crunch.

Wedges of roasted pumpkin, fried speck, chopped almonds and polenta on a eggshell blue round plate on a marble background.

Polenta with roast pumpkin, speck and almonds

What winter comfort food is made of.

Tomato and spring onion omelette

A lightning-fast meal that’s equal parts simple and satisfying.

Mild chicken curry

With India’s murgh makhani as our culinary inspiration.

Seafood in hot-and-sour broth

Turn up the heat with this fragrant tom yum-style soup.

Carbonara, Japanese-style

From the world of wafu pasta comes this umami-rich take on carbonara.

Linguine with goat’s cheese and caramelised leek

A colourful, vegetable-packed pasta dish; butter and goat’s cheese bring richness and oomph.

Chicken with buckwheat and mushrooms

Dried mushrooms add depth of flavour while fresh mushrooms add a beautiful earthiness to this dish.

Two sides of white fish, skin side up, surrounded by black olives, in a metal fry pan, on a grey tea towel.

Pan-fried snapper with black-olive vinaigrette

White fish and black olives – what a team.

Gemfish in vermouth sauce

No gemfish? No problem. Any firm, white-fleshed fish – trevally, say – will work here.

Salad of fried Brussels sprouts and sorrel leaves on a white plate

Brussels sprout salad

Fried and charred, Brussels sprouts take on a sweet, nutty flavour all their own.

Kung pao chicken

This Sichuanese classic can do no wrong.

Blue cheese and leek tarts with roasted grapes

An easy solution for lunches and light dinners.

Chicken, vermicelli and lemongrass soup

A fresh, cleansing noodle soup for cooler nights and head colds.

Snapper curry with green beans and coriander

This mild yellow curry is incredibly easy to whip up when you’ve got a good-quality curry powder on hand. Add a generous squeeze of lime to enhance the flavour.

Chana masala

A comfort bowl that’s ready in minutes.

Baked salmon with black bean sauce

In a hurry? Whip up this simple fish dish with an easy, DIY black bean sauce.

Ten-minute spaghetti with olives, capers and lemon

All flavour, no filler.

Penne with broccoli and pancetta pangrattato

A simple bowl of pasta that strikes the right balance in terms of crunchy elements and tender greens.

Salt and pepper prawn and pork noodles

A flavour-packed noodle dish that requires very little time and effort.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

The best dinner ideas for quick midweek meals in 2024

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