Healthy 5-Ingredient Dinner Recipes

Who wants to spend hours in the grocery store? With these supersimple recipes, you can make a delicious meal quickly. All have five ingredients or fewer (salt, pepper, cooking spray, and oil are freebies).


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Pan-Roasted Chicken with Shallots

Ingredients: shallots, chicken breast, zucchini, parsley

So simple but so delicious, this bistro-style dish is great for a special dinner. Great protein without a high-fat payoff? Yes, please!

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Peppered Steaks with Asiago Cheese

Ingredients: tenderloin steaks, beef broth, mushrooms, Asiago cheese

On-hand ingredients: pepper, olive oil

Pepper provides the main seasoning for steak; the add-ins include mushrooms simmered in shaved Asiago cheese.

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Roasted Pork with Apples

Ingredients: sage, pork tenderloin, red onion, cooking apples, apple juice

On-hand ingredients: salt, pepper, canola oil

Savory pork and so-sweet apples combine for a traditional taste that never wears out its welcome. Even discriminating diners will enjoy this luscious dish.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 15 mins
Roast: 20 mins 425°F
Stand: 10 mins
Asian Grilled Tuna

Ingredients: rice vinegar, minced shallot, fresh ginger, tuna steaks, sugar

On-hand ingredients: canola oil, salt

A zippy marinade made from sugar and vinegar-laden spices adds loads of flavor to heart-healthy tuna steaks. Finish it off for less than 300 calories per steak.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 10 mins
Marinate: 2 hrs to 4 hrs
Grill: 8 mins
Chipotle Baby Back Ribs

Ingredients: pork loin back ribs, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, cornstarch

On-hand ingredient: water

Great-tasting ribs with just five ingredients? Chipotle chiles make it happen -- they lend a nice balance of sweet and hot flavors to this meaty favorite.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 15 mins
Broil: 10 mins
Cook: 6 hrs to 7 hrs (low) or 3-3.5 hours (high)
Spinach and Feta Omelet

Ingredients: refrigerated egg product, mushrooms, onion, spinach, feta cheese

On-hand ingredients: salt, pepper, nonstick cooking spray, olive oil

This Mediterranean-style omelet is ideal for a leisurely weekday breakfast or dinner. You can enjoy it for less than 200 calories and very little cholesterol.

Makes: 2 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Spinach-Apricot Salad

Ingredients: spinach, dried apricots, garlic, balsamic vinegar, slivered almonds

On-hand ingredients: olive oil, salt, pepper

The surprise of dried apricots will tickle your tongue in this not-so-traditional take on fruit-and-spinach salad. Bonus: You can enjoy it for just 91 calories.

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Pasta with Garden Veggies

Ingredients: penne pasta, crumbled cheese, tomatoes, yellow pepper, chopped leafy greens

On-hand ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Opt for whole grain pasta for an extra nutritional boost in this quick-fix vegetarian dinner with just five fresh ingredients.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 25 mins
Grilled Pork and Pineapple

Ingredients: top loin pork chops, pineapple, orange marmalade, plain yogurt, roasted cashews

On-hand ingredients: salt, pepper

These couldn't-be-cheaper pork chops (about $2.41 per serving) get their tang from fruit and fruit-flavored marmalade.

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 18 mins
Apple-Glazed Turkey

Ingredients: turkey breast tenderloin, lemon juice, dried sage leaves, apple jelly, lemon

On-hand ingredients: Olive oil, seasoned salt

In this under-20-minute dinner, you'll love the boost the turkey gets from lemon and sage, while the apple jelly provides a subtly sweet finish.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 10 mins
Broil: 9 mins
Barbecued Salmon with Fresh Raspberry Salsa

Ingredients: salmon fillets, barbecue sauce, nectarines, raspberries, toasted pecans

On-hand ingredients: salt, pepper

Grilled salmon topped with our special-recipe raspberry salsa (it only requires four ingredients) makes for a delightfully light and easy dinner.

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Mushroom Plum Chicken Skewers

Ingredients: chicken breast, mushrooms, green onions, plums, balsamic vinegar

On-hand ingredients: canola oil, pepper

Thread the fresh ingredients on a skewer, brush on vinegar and oil, and lay on the grill for 12 to 15 minutes. Sound easy? It is, and it's only 122 calories per lip-smacking kabob.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Grill: 12 mins to 15 mins
Chicken with Orzo

Ingredients: whole wheat orzo pasta, lemon, shredded spinach leaves, roasted chicken

Deli-roasted chicken makes this recipe extra easy; whole wheat orzo and spinach make it extra good for you.

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Salmon Potato Scramble

Ingredients: salmon fillets, Old Bay seasoning, new potatoes, eggs, green pepper

On-hand ingredients: olive oil, water, salt, pepper

This quick-fix recipe combines heart-healthy salmon with a breakfast favorite -- scrambled eggs -- for a quirky, tasty dinner.

Tip: Instead of prepping the fresh new potatoes, buy a 20-ounce refrigerated package of red potato wedges.

Makes: 6 servings
Start to Finish: 30 mins
Eggs and Canadian Bacon in Pita Pockets

Ingredients: refrigerated egg product, Canadian-style bacon, green onion, whole wheat pita bread

On-hand ingredients: water, salt, nonstick cooking spray

A delightful mixture of eggs, green onion, and savory bacon tucked in pita breads makes for a heart-healthy sandwich that's surprisingly light on fat and calories.

Makes: 2 servings
Start to Finish: 15 mins
Garlic-Basil Halibut

Ingredients: halibut steaks, basil, butter, garlic

On-hand ingredients: salt, pepper

A tasty glaze made from basil, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper tops these lean halibut steaks for a 241-calorie delightful dinner.

Makes: 2 servings
Start to Finish: 20 mins
Salmon and Asparagus

Ingredients: asparagus, salmon fillets, lemon peel, parsley

On-hand ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Sizzling salmon at a high temperature results in an incredibly moist taste highlighted by the burst of lemon. With asparagus on the side, you have a true dynamic duo.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 10 mins
Bake: 12 mins 450°F
Gingered Chutney Chicken

Ingredients: mango chutney, chili sauce, tapioca, ground ginger, chicken thighs

Chutney, a spicy condiment that originated in the East Indies, provides the major flavor in these saucy chicken thighs. The surprise ingredient? Tapioca, which gives the dish some sweetness.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 5 hrs to 6 hrs (low) or 2.5-3 hours (high)
Asparagus Basil Soup

Ingredients: asparagus, vegetable broth, frozen hash browns, soymilk, fresh basil

On-hand ingredients: water, salt, pepper

Here's a treat: a creamy soup that's actually good for you! Set aside 30 minutes and shop for five ingredients to make this 119-calorie comfort food.

Makes: 4 servings
Start to Finish: 30 mins
Grilled Fish Tacos

Ingredients: cod fillets, lemon juice, chili powder, ground cumin, flour tortillas

On-hand ingredients: olive oil, salt, pepper

Grilled fish packs lots of flavor into these tacos while keeping down the fat and calories. Grill 'em in 4 minutes flat.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 mins
Chill: 15 mins
Grill: 4 mins to 6 mins
All-Wrapped-Up Salad

Ingredients: Whole grain tortillas, shredded romaine, avocado, cucumber, Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Toss together a salad featuring Mexican favorites such as spicy cheese and avocado, then wrap it up to-go style in a whole grain tortilla to get your veggie servings on the run.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Chill: 6 hrs
Northwest Roasted Halibut

Ingredients: halibut fillets, margarine, chopped hazelnuts, frozen mixed berries

On-hand ingredient: nonstick cooking spray, sugar

This sweet and delicious sauce may be heated or not -- either way, you'll love the addition of blended frozen mixed berries on top of your roasted halibut fillet.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 15 mins
Roast: 8 mins to 10 mins 400°F
Garlic Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients: garlic, rosemary, roasting chicken, sweet potatoes, onion

On-hand ingredients: olive oil, salt, pepper

Whole garlic gloves become mellow and buttery-soft when they're roasted with a whole chicken. Reserve just 25 minutes for prep work and 1-1/2 hours for roasting for this dinner for five.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 25 mins
Roast: 1 hr 30 mins to 1 hr 45 mins 375°F
Stand: 15 mins
Salmon in Parchment

Ingredients: salmon fillets, fresh mint, dill, lemon, capers

On-hand ingredients: olive oil, pepper

Tear off some parchment paper, place fish in the middle, then top with the other ingredients in this simple dinner that's light on calories and cleanup!

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 13 mins 375°F
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