Top 25 easy weeknight dinners for family
Keep busy weeknights simple with our easy recipes including pasta bakes, curries, one-pots and more. See our speedy recipes, plus veggie options.
Tired of repeating the same recipes every week? Freshen up your weeknights with our easy, tried-and-tested dinner ideas for the whole family.
For more inspiration, see our easy 7-day family meal plan to organise for the whole week or get kids involved in the kitchen with our kids’ cooking recipes.
For the ultimate selection, see our family meal recipe collection and easy kids’ dinner ideas.
Refresh your recipe repertoire with our top dinners for when you don’t know what to cook, plus our best dinners to add to your weekly rotation.
Weeknight dinner ideas
1. Campfire stew
Enjoy this easy stew made with gammon and plenty of veg including carrots, peppers and celery. It’s full of goodness, delivering four of your five-a-day, and can also be cooked in a slow cooker to make weeknights even easier.
2. Chicken pasta bake
This top-rated pasta bake is the perfect weeknight dinner to feed the whole family. Serve with a side of green veggies or a fresh salad.
3. Peanut butter noodles with tofu & veg
Looking for high-protein meals to feed the whole family? These vegan and protein-packed noodles with tofu will satisfy everyone at the table. The dish comes together in no time at all, and you can easily swap out the veg for seasonal alternatives.
4. Air fryer veggie curry
Needing just 10 minutes' prep, this veg-packed chickpea curry should make an appearance on your weeknight dinner rotation. Find a heatproof tin that fits inside your air fryer and is big enough to hold all the ingredients.
5. Honey chicken
This family-friendly honey chicken comes together in under 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner. Use garlic, soy sauce, lemon and ginger to create a flavourful sauce and serve with fresh veggies and fluffy brown or white rice.
6. Prawn tikka masala
This low-calorie prawn tikka masala is a lighter take on a takeaway favourite. Blitz onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor, fry the onion paste and combine with curry paste and chopped tomatoes to make a sauce. Then combine with ground almonds, prawns and cream to finish up and serve with white rice.
7. Pulled BBQ aubergine & black bean burgers
Get the kids to help you prep the veg for these family-friendly burgers. These veggie buns have all the comforting textures of meat but are completely vegan.
8. Easy chicken curry
Chicken curry is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dinner and this version has never been easier. Use thrifty chicken thighs and cook in a rich sauce with ground almonds, chopped tomatoes and creamy Greek yogurt. The powerful flavours come from fragrant curry paste, warming ginger and punchy garlic.
9. One-pot garlic chicken
Dig into this creamy garlic chicken dish for a comforting midweek meal. It's an easy one-pot dinner which will save on washing up. It's a versatile main that works well with a side of rice, potatoes or pasta.
10. Healthy beef stew with veggie mash
This tasty balsamic beef stew provides all five of your 5-a-day. It’s perfect for chilly winter nights and served with a comforting veggie mash.
11. Crispy sesame lemon chicken
Crispy sesame lemon chicken is a crowd-pleasing dinner sure to fill up the whole family. Make an easy sauce with storecupboard ingredients like honey, soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve with classic egg noodles or fluffy white rice and scatter with spring onion.
12. Sausage ragu
This top rated sausage ragu is sure to become a go-to weeknight dinner. Make an easy tomato sauce and combine with cooked pork sausagemeat to make a hearty ragu. Then stir through your favourite pasta and top with a generous sprinkle of shredded cheese.
13. Baked chicken breasts
These baked chicken breasts are a versatile protein that can be added to salads, wraps or on their own with side dishes for dinner. Make an easy spice mix with paprika, thyme, oregano and garlic and use to add loads of flavour.
14. Chicken & chorizo paella
This highly-rated paella swaps out the seafood for a mix of chicken breasts and sliced chorizo. This easy one-pot wonder saves on washing up for a simple weeknight solution.
15. Sausage stroganoff tagliatelle
Cook large chunks of sausagemeat with sliced chestnut mushrooms until golden brown then make a rich creamy sauce with soured cream, wholegrain mustard and beef stock. This speedy dinner is ready is less than 20 minutes for busy evenings.
16. Chole with cumin rice & raita
Make this flavourful chickpea curry served with creamy raita for a brilliant budget-friendly family meal. This healthy curry is gluten-free while also quick and easy for weeknights.
17. Creamy spinach chicken
Pack in those greens with this creamy spinach chicken dinner. It makes enough to feed the whole family and can be served with pasta, rice or cooked potatoes.
18. Ravioli lasagne
Save on time by using shop-bought ravioli for this unique take on lasagne. Make a hearty tomato sauce with sausage meat and layer with wilted spinach, ravioli and a mixture of grated cheddar and mozzarella. Then simply bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and hot all the way through.
19. One-pan piri piri chicken dinner
Try this one-pan piri piri chicken for a family dinner and adjust the chilli levels to suit your family’s tolerance. This top-rated recipe is gluten-free and easy to make
20. Easy chicken fajitas
Let kids build their own fajitas and topping with salad, veggies, salsa, guacamole, cheese or sour cream. Marinade sliced chicken breasts in a flavourful mix of coriander, cumin, crushed garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Then cook in a griddle pan until golden brown and serve in warm flour tortillas.
21. Chicken & bean enchiladas
This low-calorie family dinner delivers four of your five-a-day, loaded with tender chicken, red peppers and black beans. Cook the sliced chicken with peppers and onions then combine with beans, coriander and passata. Divide the mixture onto tortillas, fold, then assemble and bake.
22. Slow-cooker sausage casserole
You can use your favourite type of sausages to make this family-friendly slow-cooker casserole. Serve it over pasta, in baked potatoes or with bread. It's also freezable for low-effort meal planning.
23. Spinach & ricotta pancake bake
Try this savoury pancake bake filled with an easy tomato sauce and a rich ricotta and spinach filling. Spread a mixture of spinach and ricotta over four pancakes, fold into triangles and layer together in a traybake, covered with tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.
24. Burnt aubergine veggie chilli
This warming aubergine chilli is low fat and four of your five-a-day. Serve up this smoky spiced vegetarian supper with brown rice and all your favourite trimmings like cheese, sour cream or guacamole.
25. Lentil & sweet potato cottage pie
Serve your family our hearty meat-free pie for dinner. The rich umami sauce is made with soy and mustard powder, and pumpkin seeds add a good crunch. It's a colourful twist on a classic recipe.
Looking for more ideas? See more inspiration...
Freezable vegetarian family meals
Cheap and healthy family meals
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