30+ Easy 4-Ingredient Recipes for Dinner
Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming to be delicious. With just four ingredients, you can whip up a variety of tasty and satisfying meals. Whether you’re a busy professional, a parent juggling multiple tasks, or simply someone looking for quick and easy meal ideas, these 30+ four-ingredient recipes are perfect for you. Let’s dive in!
1. Garlic Butter Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
1 lemon, juiced
Instructions:
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Squeeze lemon juice over shrimp and serve.
2. Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a saucepan, heat tomato sauce and heavy cream together.
Combine with cooked pasta.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
3. BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a baking dish, coat with BBQ sauce, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
4. Honey Mustard Salmon
Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Mix honey and Dijon mustard together.
Brush salmon fillets with olive oil and place in a baking dish.
Pour honey mustard mixture over salmon and bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Sausage and Peppers Skillet
Ingredients:
4 sausages, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add sausages and cook until browned.
Add bell peppers and onion, cooking until vegetables are tender.
Serve hot.
6. Cheesy Baked Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Rub potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Bake for 45-60 minutes until tender.
Top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
1 lb beef strips
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook beef strips until browned.
Add cream of mushroom soup and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in sour cream and heat through.
Serve over noodles or rice.
8. Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a baking dish, top with garlic and lemon slices, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
9. Pork Chop with Apples
Ingredients:
4 pork chops
2 apples, sliced
1/2 cup apple cider
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook pork chops until browned.
Add apple slices and apple cider.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes until pork is cooked through and apples are tender.
10. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Ingredients:
8 oz spaghetti
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
Red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
In a skillet, heat olive oil and cook garlic until golden.
Toss spaghetti with garlic oil and red pepper flakes.
Serve with grated Parmesan if desired.
11. Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 fajita seasoning packet
Instructions:
Heat a skillet and cook chicken until browned.
Add bell pepper, onion, and fajita seasoning.
Cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked.
Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings.
12. Stuffed Bell Peppers
Ingredients:
4 bell peppers
1 cup cooked rice
1 lb ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Cook ground beef until browned and mix with cooked rice and tomato sauce.
Stuff mixture into halved bell peppers.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
13. Greek Yogurt Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Mix Greek yogurt and lemon juice.
Coat chicken thighs with the mixture and place in a baking dish.
Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes.
14. Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 lb meatballs
1 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook meatballs until browned.
Add sweet and sour sauce and pineapple chunks.
Simmer until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is heated.
15. Tuna Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
1 can tuna, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup frozen peas
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Mix pasta with tuna, mayonnaise, and frozen peas.
Chill before serving.
16. Cheesy Broccoli Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chicken broth
Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions, using chicken broth instead of water.
Add broccoli florets and cook until tender.
Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
17. Balsamic Glazed Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken breasts until browned.
Mix balsamic vinegar and honey, pour over chicken.
Simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened.
18. Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Toss pasta with pesto sauce, Parmesan cheese, and cherry tomatoes.
Serve warm.
19. Chicken Quesadillas
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup salsa
Instructions:
Heat a tortilla in a skillet.
Sprinkle half with shredded cheese, chicken, and salsa.
Fold tortilla in half and cook until cheese is melted.
Slice and serve.
20. Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup broccoli florets
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook chicken thighs until browned.
Add teriyaki sauce and broccoli.
Simmer until chicken is cooked through and broccoli is tender.
