30+ Simple Dinner Recipes with Just 4 Ingredients

When time is tight and you’re craving a delicious meal without a long ingredient list, these 4-ingredient recipes come to the rescue. They’re quick, easy, and perfect for busy weeknights. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or the whole family, these dishes will help you get a satisfying meal on the table with minimal effort.

1. Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken breasts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, butter.

Instructions:
Melt butter in a pan and add minced garlic.
Cook chicken breasts until golden brown and cooked through.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and let it melt before serving.
2. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Ingredients: Spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes.

Instructions:
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions.
Sauté minced garlic in olive oil.
Toss cooked pasta with garlic oil and red pepper flakes.

3. BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients: Flour tortillas, cooked chicken, BBQ sauce, shredded cheese.

Instructions:
Spread BBQ sauce over one side of each tortilla.
Add cooked chicken and shredded cheese.
Top with another tortilla and cook on a skillet until crispy and cheese is melted.

4. Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients: Canned tomatoes, cream, garlic, onion.

Instructions:

Sauté chopped onion and garlic until translucent.
Add canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
Stir in cream and blend until smooth.

5. Baked Salmon with Lemon

Ingredients: Salmon fillets, lemon, olive oil, salt.

Instructions:

Drizzle salmon with olive oil and season with salt.
Place lemon slices on top of the fillets.
Bake until salmon is cooked through.

6. Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients: Bell peppers, cooked rice, ground beef, tomato sauce.

Instructions:

Mix cooked rice with ground beef and tomato sauce.
Stuff the mixture into halved bell peppers.
Bake until peppers are tender.

7. Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients: Cooked rice, eggs, soy sauce, green onions.

Instructions:
Scramble eggs in a pan.
Add cooked rice and soy sauce.
Stir in chopped green onions.

8. Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients: Chicken breasts, Alfredo sauce, pasta, Parmesan cheese.

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Cook chicken and toss with Alfredo sauce.
Combine with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

9. Caprese Skewers

Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, basil, balsamic glaze.

Instructions:
Thread cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls onto skewers.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh basil.

10. Simple Tacos

Ingredients: Taco shells, ground beef, taco seasoning, shredded cheese.

Instructions:

Cook ground beef with taco seasoning.
Fill taco shells with beef and top with shredded cheese.
11. Crispy Chicken Tenders

Ingredients: Chicken tenders, flour, egg, breadcrumbs.

Instructions:
Coat chicken tenders in flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with breadcrumbs.
Bake or fry until crispy and cooked through.

12. Avocado Toast
Ingredients: Bread, avocado, lemon juice, salt.

Instructions:
Toast bread slices.
Mash avocado with lemon juice and salt.
Spread avocado mixture on toast.

13. Honey Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients: Shrimp, honey, garlic, soy sauce.

Instructions:
Sauté garlic in a pan, add shrimp.
Stir in honey and soy sauce until shrimp is cooked and coated.

14. Cheesy Broccoli Bake

Ingredients: Broccoli, shredded cheese, cream, breadcrumbs.

Instructions:

Cook broccoli until tender.
Mix with cream and shredded cheese.
Top with breadcrumbs and bake until bubbly.

15. Chili Lime Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken breasts, lime juice, chili powder, olive oil.

Instructions:

Marinate chicken in lime juice, chili powder, and olive oil.
Grill or bake until cooked through.

16. Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients: Corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, cilantro.

Instructions:
Mix corn, black beans, and cherry tomatoes.
Toss with chopped cilantro.

17. Pita Bread Pizzas

Ingredients: Pita bread, pizza sauce, shredded cheese, your favorite toppings.

Instructions:

Spread pizza sauce on pita bread.
Top with shredded cheese and desired toppings.
Bake until cheese is melted.

18. Peanut Butter Banana Wraps
Ingredients: Tortillas, peanut butter, bananas, honey.

Instructions:
Spread peanut butter on tortillas.
Add sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey.
Roll up and slice.

19. Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken breasts, spinach, feta cheese, olive oil.
Instructions:

Stuff chicken breasts with spinach and feta.
Secure with toothpicks, drizzle with olive oil.
Bake until cooked through.

20. Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients: Canned tomatoes, basil, cream, garlic.
Instructions:
Sauté garlic in a pot, add tomatoes and basil.
Stir in cream and blend until smooth.

21. Zucchini Noodles with Pesto

Ingredients: Zucchini, pesto sauce, Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes.

Instructions:
Spiralize zucchini into noodles.
Toss with pesto sauce and top with Parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes.


22. Chicken Caesar Wraps

Ingredients: Tortillas, cooked chicken, Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce.

Instructions:
Toss chicken with Caesar dressing.
Place on tortillas with romaine lettuce and wrap.

23. Fruit Salad
Ingredients: Mixed fruit (like berries, melon, and grapes), mint, honey, lime juice.

Instructions:
Mix fruit in a bowl.
Drizzle with honey and lime juice, and garnish with mint.

24. Creamy Garlic Pasta

Ingredients: Pasta, garlic, cream, Parmesan cheese.
Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Sauté garlic in a pan, add cream and Parmesan cheese.
Toss pasta in the creamy sauce.

25. Turkey and Cheese Roll-Ups

Ingredients: Sliced turkey, cheese, lettuce, mustard.

Instructions:

Layer cheese and mustard on turkey slices.
Roll up with lettuce inside.

26. Sliced Avocado and Tomato Salad
Ingredients: Avocado, tomatoes, olive oil, salt.

Instructions:
Slice avocado and tomatoes.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

27. Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients: Cooked chicken, buffalo sauce, cream cheese, shredded cheese.

Instructions:
Mix chicken, buffalo sauce, and cream cheese.
Top with shredded cheese and bake until bubbly.

28. Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients: Bread, cream cheese, cucumber, dill.

Instructions:

Spread cream cheese on bread.
Add sliced cucumber and a sprinkle of dill.

29. Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients: Pork chops, maple syrup, garlic, soy sauce.

Instructions:
Sauté garlic and add pork chops.
Drizzle with maple syrup and soy sauce, and cook until done.

30. Stuffed Avocados

Ingredients: Avocados, cooked quinoa, black beans, salsa.

Instructions:
Halve avocados and remove pits.
Fill with a mixture of quinoa, black beans, and salsa.

These 4-ingredient recipes are not only easy to make but also perfect for when you want a quick and satisfying meal. With minimal prep and cooking time, you’ll have a delicious dinner ready in no time!