Weeknight Meals

The 19 Most Popular Weeknight Dinner Recipes of 2022

These were the quick, reliable dinners that Epicurious readers cooked the most this year.
A serving bowl of kung pao chicken with bowls of rice.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

On many weeknights, when 6:00 p.m. rolls around, you can find me standing in my kitchen, staring dazedly into my phone while typing something like “chicken” or “easy pasta” into the search bar of the Epicurious app. Judging from the lineup of Epicurious’s most popular recipes of the year, it seems that a lot of you can also appreciate the art of a speedy, reliable recipe that gets dinner on the table without needing to prepare a million different components or courses.

In this collection we’ve brought together the most popular weeknight-friendly dinner recipes of 2022, like a tuna melt that doesn’t skimp on the cheese, an easy grilled salmon that gets an no-sticking assist from some foil, and Hong Kong–style crispy rice that’s made in a skillet. You’ve had a long week, so let us help with dinner ideas.

  • Platter of spaghetti with quick cherry tomato sauce one of our favorite easy summer pastas.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    1/19

    15-Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta

    Burst cherry tomatoes, garlicky olive oil, and basil join forces in this summery weeknight pasta.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    2/19

    Classic Seafood Boil With Lemon-Butter

    You’ll need your favorite seafood seasoning and your biggest pot for this seafood boil brimming with shrimp, sweet corn, smoky sausage, and tender potatoes.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    5/19

    Baked Salmon With Lemon and Thyme

    Baking salmon in a low oven keeps the fillets moist and tender for an elegant meal that’s virtually guaranteed to become a staple in your repertoire.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    6/19

    Cacio e Pepe

    This classic Roman pasta only has a few ingredients, but they merge into a surprisingly silky, flavor-packed sauce.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad
    9/19

    Lemony Risotto With Asparagus and Shrimp

    Make this shrimp risotto for a weeknight dinner. With bright flavor from lemon zest and fresh asparagus, it’s an ideal meal for spring.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    10/19

    Kung Pao Chicken

    Cooking this dish at home allows you to adjust the recipe to suit your pantry: Use cubed chicken thighs or breasts, swap out the peanuts for cashews or walnuts, or use more or fewer chiles to cater to your family’s palates.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    15/19

    Crispy Curried Chicken Cutlets With a Lot of Cabbage

    Eric Kim’s ultra-crispy curried chicken cutlets and cabbage slaw come together for a delicious and easy weeknight meal.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    16/19

    Toasted Tomato-Paneer Sandwiches

    Paneer is perfect for this toasted sandwich recipe—the cheese is creamy but doesn’t melt completely, adding a satisfying texture to an easy tomato sauce that’s spiced with jalapeño, ginger, coriander, and cumin and mustard seeds.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
    17/19

    Turkey Meatloaf

    Too many turkey meatloaf recipes have resulted in a dry, uninspiring dinner. But soaking breadcrumbs in milk prevents the meatloaf from drying out as it cooks.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    18/19

    Tuna Melt

    The best tuna melt is properly cheesy and made with a tuna salad that’s good enough to shine on its own.

    Get This Recipe
  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton
    19/19

    Cheesy Potato Soup With Bacon

    This hearty homemade potato soup owes its richness to plenty of melted cheddar cheese and a topping of crispy bacon.

    Get This Recipe
Anna Hezel is a Buffalo-born, Brooklyn-based food and culture writer. Before joining Epicurious in 2022, she was the senior editor at TASTE. Anna has written about food, drinks, and culture for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Rolling Stone, GQ, Eater, and more. She’s the author ... Read More
Senior Editor
Read More
The 32 Best Cookbooks of 2022
The 32 Best Cookbooks of 2022
These are the cookbooks we loved most this year, the ones that inspired our cooking and taught us new techniques. 

Genevieve Yam

Don’t Underestimate Garlic Powder
Don’t Underestimate Garlic Powder
Garlic powder is no substitute for fresh garlic—it’s more.

Genevieve Yam

This Quick Vegetable Massaman Curry Breaks All the Rules
This Quick Vegetable Massaman Curry Breaks All the Rules
This shortcut curry gets its bite from red curry paste, a touch of sweetness from Granny Smith apple, and plenty of depth from cinnamon and star anise.

Leela Punyaratabandhu

37 Best Easy Cookie Recipes to Make Again and Again
icon
Gallery
37 Best Easy Cookie Recipes to Make Again and Again
Discover delicious (but easy) cookies to make the next time you're in the mood for something sweet. 
83 Best Cookie Recipes to Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth
icon
Gallery
83 Best Cookie Recipes to Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth
When you're looking for the best cookie recipes, chocolate chip is only the beginning.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Like grilled chicken wings and a citrus bitters cocktail.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in May
Like green falafel smash burgers and a crispy rice salad.
23 Fresh Basil Recipes for Pesto and Beyond
Grilled corn with basil butter, pineapple shrimp noodles, slow-cooker pork with zesty basil sauce, and more.
The Best Mac and Cheese You'll Ever Make (Restaurant-Quality)
In this edition of Epicurious 101, professional chef and culinary instructor Frank Proto demonstrates how to make the best mac and cheese at home. From the perfect melty sauce to a delicious toasted crust, follow Frank’s guide and never make a dry mac and cheese again.
41 Father’s Day Breakfasts to Say, “Thanks, Dad”
Extra-tender cinnamon rolls, everything-bagel quiche, a chorizo and egg crunchwrap, and more ways to show your gratitude.
31 Fourth of July Desserts for Star-Spangled Summer Fun
Like butter-pecan icebox cake, sour cherry pot pie, sheet pan shortcake, and more.
All the Recipes From Bon Appétit’s Drinks Issue
We’ve got coffee cake scones, pad kra pao, and a frozen espresso martini.