5-Ingredient Dinners You (Yes, You!) Can Create on the Busiest Evenings

Number of Ingredients: Five

Who needs Asian takeout when you can whip up a homemade 5-ingredient meal full of flavor? We will enthusiastically dig into these quick-marinated chicken thighs basted with a sweet-hot glaze. Round out this quick dinner with any veggies you have on hand; we're green bean fans here.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Cooking perfectly flaky seafood at home need not be stressful. Proof: This 5-ingredient dinner recipe that is as easy as seasoning the salmon and veggies, roast, and serve. The shallots, garlic, and oregano amp up the complexity for better-than-restaurant results.

Number of Ingredients: Five

A few strips of bacon make these hearty open-face sandwiches a meal. Each toast scores you several food groups (dairy, vegetable, starch) in one tasty 5-ingredient meal. Add a fresh fruit salad and you have a well-rounded dinner.

Number of Ingredients: Five

For a 5-ingredient meal that’s easy, cheesy, and full of comfort food appeal, turn to this semihomemade lasagna recipe. This traditional Italian favorite can be prepared and cooked in 30 minutes in one skillet. Seek out mini lasagna noodles (aka mafalda) to skip the fussy layering step.

Number of Ingredients: Four, plus desired toppings

Skillet-browned cauliflower florets (one of the trendiest veggies around) absorb chorizo flavor like little sponges. These flavor-packed tacos stand on their own, but the optional toppings make a big impact. Round out the meal with 5 ingredients or less by crowning each taco with your choice of jalapeños, queso fresco, and/or green onions.

Number of Ingredients: Four

One of 2020’s most popular appliances meets 5-ingredient dinner idea with delicious results in this impressive yet easy entrée. Fresh parsley and briny capers perk up the horseradish crust. Pop it in the air fryer and the healthy cooking tool does all the work. This crunchy-coated salmon is a catch as a date night dinner for two.

Buy It: Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, $169.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

Number of Ingredients: Five

No smoker is required to prepare the meat for these pork sandwiches. (Although if you needed one, did you know you can DIY on a standard grill?) Braise the shoulder roast low and slow in spicy barbecue sauce and sweet Dr. Pepper—trust us!—in your slow cooker, and the results will have you asking, “Why didn’t I try this 5-ingredient dinner recipe before?!”

Number of Ingredients: Five

Extend tea time from midafternoon to the dinner hour. Lightly floral, herbal jasmine tea supplies the base of an unexpected marinade that pairs beautifully with grilled salmon. To balance the heat of the chipotle in adobo sauce, drizzle some honey on this easy recipe with few ingredients for dinner.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Here’s one 5-ingredient dinner that’s good to grill (or sear on a grill pan indoors come cold weather). Rather than sandwiching slider patties inside mini hamburger buns, try loading them into corn tortillas. Top the pint-size burger recipe with salsa or queso to match the Mexican flavors in the spice blend. 

Number of Ingredients: Five

This is one of the most chill chili recipes our Test Kitchen has ever developed. Easy-prep ingredients, such as canned diced tomatoes, chili beans, and vegetable juice, mean you can have this 5-ingredient meal stewing in the slow cooker in 15 minutes flat. For a lower-calorie entrée, trade ground chicken or turkey breast for the beef.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Stock potato-and-onion pierogies in the freezer and you’re never more than 25 minutes from a family-friendly meal. This 5-ingredient dinner recipe is a great last-minute supper solution for hectic weeknights. Once you boil the dumplings to tender perfection, all that’s left to do is dress up the Polish favorite with cherry tomatoes, watercress, and chorizo.

Number of Ingredients: Three

You'll be hard-pressed to find 3-ingredient recipes for dinner that taste like comfort food. But this fall-flavor soup fits the bill. Once the butternut squash cubes are roasted, this creamy blender soup recipe is ready in minutes. Sprinkle with chives, if you please, and serve with a side salad or a whole wheat baguette to complete the meal.

Buy It: Instant Pot Ace Blender Plus, $149.95, Williams Sonoma

Number of Ingredients: Four, plus desired toppings

Try this mash-up recipe the next time you can’t decide between heading to the pizza parlor or the local tavern for wings. Stay home and cook this speedy meal with 5 ingredients instead so you can savor both in one supper. Pita-crust pizzas put a less-mess twist on the classic chicken wing flavor combo.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Meet your new dinner hero: This 5-ingredient dinner is saucy, crunchy, and supremely craveable. The loaded Italian sandwich couldn't be easier to prepare. A hoagie bun can substitute for the hero in a pinch.

Related: 24 Piled-High Sandwich Ideas Fit for Lunch or Supper

Number of Ingredients: Five

Pasta salads are rarely as filling and flavorful as this 5-ingredient meal. Multitask by using pesto as a steak seasoning and pasta topping for this salad-inspired pasta dinner recipe. Small fresh mozzarella pearls (also called bocconcini) can be traded for the sliced mozzarella to save time and mess.

Number of Ingredients: Two, plus desired seasonings and toppings

This sheet-pan recipe is endlessly customizable. Simply pick your protein and vegetables, sprinkle with olive oil and spices, then roast 20 to 30 minutes, and top as desired. Try this 3-ingredient dinner if you’re unsure of where to start: chicken breasts (seasoned as desired) + tomatoes + tzatziki.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Whether you prepare this salmon dinner on a grill pan indoors or on an outdoor charcoal or gas grill, it will be ready to plate in less than 30 minutes. The rosemary-mustard butter melts into a delectable sauce for the 5-ingredient dinner recipe. Our optional but recommended item number six: a bottle of your favorite white wine to share.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Shrimp is one of the quickest-cooking proteins. (Not to mention one of the highest in protein and healthiest too. Choose one of these sustainable options at the seafood counter.) Use the versatile seafood superstar in this pasta party of a 5-ingredient dinner spiced with chopped jalapeños.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Go ahead and give this 20-minute meal a twirl! Add color and protein to this restaurant copycat fettuccine Alfredo recipe by mixing in sautéed zucchini, chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes. Come winter make a seasonal swap by trading mushrooms for the zucchini in this 5-ingredient dinner.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Pork chops and apples are a classic combo, but we’re fond of mixing things up by using pineapple in this Asian-inspired 5-ingredient dinner recipe. Give pork chops and pineapple slices a sweet schmear of orange marmalade as they grill for a pleasantly caramelized crust. Cool each bite with the yogurt-marmalade dipping sauce.

Number of Ingredients: Five

En brodo, meaning "in broth," refers to how firm fish is cooked in this light 5-ingredient dinner recipe. The poaching process works well for any firm whitefish. Confession: We’re skirting the rules a bit by including this recipe in this roundup since a sixth item—warm bread—is a nearly mandatory side to soak up every last drop of the broth.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Take a break from boxed mac. This decadent dish is almost as easy and fits the bill as a 5-ingredient meal. (That’s pretty much on par with the pasta, cheese powder, butter, and milk you’d need for the box mix.) This baked mac and cheese is uber-creamy because of the Alfredo sauce, pumpkin puree, and Fontina cheese. Cook the pasta casserole uncovered for the final 5 minutes to lightly brown the top.

Number of Ingredients: Five

Add some sizzle to your supper menu anytime of year with this 5-ingredient dinner recipe using frozen fajita vegetables. If you can't find pork strips at your grocery store, slice pork loin into thin pieces to make this 20-minute meal. The sweet plum sauce and spicy jerk seasoning make this speedy stir-fry recipe taste surprisingly complex.