Our Top 10 Most-Saved 30-Minute Dinner Recipes

Overhead view of Baked Potato Soup — Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Our readers at Serious Eats love a good project recipe—the kind that reads like a nerdy science experiment, focuses the small details, and refuses to cut corners in the pursuit of better bread, cake, or stew. But judging by our most-saved recipes on MyRecipes—our tool for saving and organizing recipes from Serious Eats and beyond—you also sometimes need dinner on the table fast. Fortunately, fast doesn’t have to mean flavorless or half-baked. These are the 30-minute dinner recipes you turn to when time is tight, but standards are still high: deeply savory pastas, a few smart, speedy soups, and classic dishes streamlined without sacrificing what makes them great.

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Spaghetti Puttanesca (Spaghetti With Capers, Olives, and Anchovies)

Melissa Hom

This is a deeply savory, pantry-driven pasta that tastes far more complex than the clock would suggest. Anchovies melt into olive oil, garlic turns fragrant, and capers and olives deliver briny punch in every bite. It’s fast, bold, and ideal for nights when you want big flavor with minimal effort and don’t plan on close conversation afterward.

Spaghetti Puttanesca (Spaghetti With Capers, Olives, and Anchovies)
Chicken Paillard (Chicken With Lemon-Herb Butter Sauce)

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Pounded thin and cooked hot and fast, chicken paillard shows that boneless, skinless breasts don’t have to be boring. The cutlets develop a golden crust while staying juicy, then get finished with a bright, herb-flecked lemon butter that tastes far fancier than the effort required would suggest.

Chicken Paillard (Chicken With Lemon-Herb Butter Sauce)
Chicken Saltimbocca

Serious Eats / Frederick Hardy II, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey

Another thin-cut chicken hit—and for good reason. In this streamlined saltimbocca, chicken breasts cook quickly until golden and crisp, then are finished with a lemony pan sauce.

Chicken Saltimbocca
Philly Cheesesteaks

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

This is the classic Philly cheesesteak done right: well-marbled beef, sautéed onions, and plenty of melty cheese tucked into a soft-but-sturdy hoagie roll. To save time, use presliced ribeye and skip the freezing-and-slicing step for a sandwich that comes together in about 15 minutes.

Philly Cheesesteaks

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Cacio e Pepe (Spaghetti With Black Pepper and Pecorino Romano)

Serious Eats / Julia Estrada

Pasta, black pepper, and Pecorino Romano come together to form one of the simplest and most delicious classic Roman pasta dishes.

Cacio e Pepe (Spaghetti With Black Pepper and Pecorino Romano)
3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe

Photographs: Vicky Wasik. Video: J. Kenji López-Alt

This stovetop mac and cheese uses just three ingredients and still comes together in about the same time as the boxed stuff—minus the powdery cheese packet. The trick is to cook the pasta in a minimal amount of water to concentrate the starch, then finish with evaporated milk and cheese for a smooth, stable emulsion.

3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese Recipe
Sicilian-Style Spaghetti Alla Carrettiera (Fresh Tomato and Garlic Sauce) Recipe

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Another reminder on this list that pantry pastas are a fast route to a great meal. Fresh tomatoes break down quickly with garlic and olive oil, while basil adds a hit of brightness that keeps the sauce light and summery.

Sicilian-Style Spaghetti Alla Carrettiera (Fresh Tomato and Garlic Sauce)
Eggs in Purgatory Recipe

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

This one-skillet dish features eggs gently poached in a bright, savory tomato sauce spiked with red pepper flakes and a pop of fresh basil. The rich yolks mingle with the spicy sauce, and everything gets scooped up with crusty bread, making it an excellent breakfast‑for‑dinner option.

Eggs in Purgatory

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Microwaving the potatoes concentrates their flavor and helps them better absorb aromatics, while a ricer keeps the soup silky instead of gluey. Finished with sour cream, sharp cheddar, and chives, this is loaded baked potato soup that tastes rich and indulgent—but still comes together quickly enough for a weeknight.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Cabbage Soup With Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Coconut Milk

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

This recipe comes from our Birmingham, Alabama test kitchen colleague Julia Levy, who created a streamlined cabbage soup that delivers real depth in a short amount of time.

Cabbage Soup With Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Coconut Milk

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