8 Quick Dinner Ideas for Busy Families

Need quick dinner ideas? Here are some of my family's top favorite recipes and they are all delicious and easy to make! 

One place many moms spend their time is in the kitchen. Three meals need to be made every day and a countless number of snacks.

While I love cooking, I also love recipes that don't require me to be in the kitchen the entire day. I'm a busy mom with many other things on my to-do list! I just don't have time to spend hours upon hours cooking. However, my family needs to eat and I'm the one in charge of the food. Luckily, I have quite a few quick dinner ideas for a busy family like ours that I can turn to on those busy weekdays. I can whip up a home cooked meal in just a matter of minutes!

I want to share some of my favorite quick dinner recipes that I love to make and my family loves to eat. These meals are simple but delicious. There is also a good range of variety among these recipes so you can make them all in a week without ever growing tired of eating the same type of foods.

I know that you will adore these easy meals perfect for those busy weeknights! You will also love how quickly you can make dinner and then get back to your other mom duties!

8 Quick Dinner Ideas

Sheet Pan Chicken with Artichokes and Potatoes

Sheet pan meals are simply amazing. All you need is one rimmed sheet pan to make an entire meal. No mess, no pile of dishes to scrub, just one, simple pan to create an entire dinner. It is like a dream come true.

My sheet pan is made with chicken breasts, marinated artichoke hearts and fingerling potatoes. It is a complete meal with sides and everything! I season the dish with garlic powder, thyme, lemon, salt and pepper. You probably have everything you need to make this meal in your kitchen already! It will only take about 5 minutes to prep and dinner will be in the oven, baking to perfection.

Shrimp and Veggie Foil Packs

Baking shrimp and veggies in foil packs is simple and delicious. Anyone can make this meal, even the most novice chef. However, the amazing blend of flavors will taste like the dinner was made by a professional chef!
Raw shrimp is placed on top of a large piece of foil. Zucchini, squash, green beans, corn, peppers and onions are added to the foil. The mix is seasoned and then everything is sealed inside the foil to bake. The food steams inside the foil, keeping it juicy and tender as it cooks. This is a super healthy, easy meal that is quick to prepare. You'll love this one for sure!

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

I absolutely love using my air fryer. It makes foods crispy without using a lot of oil and cooks quickly. Pop some chicken wings in the air fryer and you will have a drool worthy dinner in just minutes.

I love making my air fryer chicken wings on Friday nights when the long week is finally over. A little garlic powder, some salt and pepper and a touch of oil is all you need! Everyone in my family picks their favorite dipping sauce and we sit down to enjoy a nice, end of the week meal. Add a quick side salad or some air fryer french fries for a complete, simple meal!

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

There is nothing quite as welcoming as a big Italian meal during a busy week. My whole family looks forward to these chicken parmesan meatballs and I don't mind making them! They are easy, tasty and very hearty. No one leaves the table hungry after this dinner!

I use ground chicken, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese to make the meatballs. Some simple Italian seasoning and garlic really makes them taste authentic. I boil some spaghetti while the meatballs cook in my favorite jarred sauce. Easy, delicious and filling is what this Italian dinner is all about.

One Pan Garlic Herb Butter Chicken with Potataoes and Asparagus

Here is another one of my favorite one pan meals. The side dishes and main entree all bake together on a simple sheet pan. Sheet pan meals really are the best for busy weeknight dinners!

This recipe begins with a quick garlic butter herb sauce. The sauce is poured over a sheet pan full of chicken breasts, red potatoes and asparagus. The ingredients simmer in the sauce, growing more and more flavorful as they bake. Add some zucchini to the pan or maybe a few bell peppers to switch it up. This is a dinner you will want to make at least once a week!

Thai Red Chicken Curry

Do you like a little spice in your meal? If you said yes, this Thai red chicken curry is for you. That red curry paste packs a whole lot of heat!

While this dish may be nice and a bit spicy, it is also quite flavorful.The blend of ginger, garlic, brown sugar and curry paste mixes perfectly to create an irresistible chicken dish. I like to serve the curry over white rice to make a complete meal. Cook the rice while the surrey is simmering and you will have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

Chicken Stir Fry

Skip the take out and make your own chicken stir fry instead. I promise that you can make this stir fry recipe even faster than you could order take out!

Don't be fooled by the long list of ingredients in this recipe. You need a lot of ingredients to get that authentic, stir fry flavor but the recipe itself if super simple. All you need to do is measure and mix! The whole meal cooks in one large saute pan and only takes about 20 minutes. Add some microwaved white rice and you will have a restaurant worthy dinner on the table in no time.

Baked Ranch Chicken

Everyone in my family loves ranch seasoning, ranch dressing and really anything ranch flavored and that's how I got the idea to make ranch chicken. Let me tell you, it's always a huge hit in my house!

Chicken breasts are marinated in a homemade, creamy ranch mix. The chicken bakes in a casserole dish for about 25 minutes and then it is ready to enjoy. I like to serve the chicken with veggie fries, roasted potatoes or a simple bowl of creamed corn. Choose your sides but keep that tasty ranch flavor in mind!

Give these quick and easy dinner ideas a try and let me know what you think. I know that at least a few of them will end up in your weekly meal rotation. They are all just so tasty and simple and that is exactly what we busy moms need- easy, yummy meal options that will make our family smile. Let me know which meal you love the best. Enjoy!

LOVE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER!