Recipe Roundup

The 19 Most Popular Weeknight Dinner Recipes of 2023

Yes, you can make a Caesar salad for dinner and call it a day.
A platter of chicken fajitas being served with tortillas cheese avocado and pico de gallo..
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert

Sure, our readers love a fanciful, chocolate-packed dessert, but the really heroic recipes are the ones that get us excited to cook dinner after a long day of work. Here, we have brought together the most popular weeknight-friendly dinner recipes on Epicurious this year. Even if your commute took twice as long as it should have and you arrive home starving, these rapid stir-fries and zippy salads will keep the vibes up all week long.

  • Stir fried string beans with tofu in a skillet.
    Photo by Maggie Zhu
    1/19

    Stir-Fried String Beans With Tofu

    One of the secrets to easy meals that taste impressive is filling your pantry and fridge with flavor-packed staples. Homemade (or store-bought) black bean sauce lends this speedy tofu stir-fry deep umami.

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  • A caesar salad topped with croutons and parmesan on a plate.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Mira Evnine
    2/19

    Caesar Salad

    Top your Caesar with cold-smoked salmon from the grocery store or grilled chicken that you prepped over the weekend; just don’t skip the homemade croutons and lemony, garlicky dressing.

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  • A platter of chicken fajitas being served with tortillas cheese avocado and pico de gallo..
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert
    7/19

    Chicken Fajitas

    Get the chicken in the marinade while you prep a little pico de gallo, grate some cheese, and cut up the peppers and onions.

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  • Two bowls of pureed butternut squash topped with parsley and pumpkin seeds.
    Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Judy Haubert
    8/19

    Butternut Squash Soup

    Starting with precut butternut squash cuts the prep time of this soup—you may want to double the recipe for an even-easier leftovers dinner.

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  • A shakshuka being served from a saut pan.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
    9/19

    Shakshuka

    This version of the classic dish of eggs poached in tomato-pepper sauce is made entirely on your stovetop, so you can monitor the progress of those whites and yolks.

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  • A platter of crispy chicken wings being served with dip peppers and beer.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele
    10/19

    Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

    Everyone’s happy when it’s wings night, and these get remarkably crispy without deep-frying. Just add chile mayo for dipping.

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  • Masala urad dal in a green bowl.
    Photo by Nassima Rothacker
    11/19

    Masala Urad Dal

    This cozy vegetarian recipe also reheats well, so you may want to prep extra for future meals.

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  • Two tacos made with grilled mahi mahi pico de gallo and crema on a plate.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    12/19

    Grilled Mahi-Mahi Tacos

    The fish takes only a couple of minutes to cook, so you’ll want to prep all your toppings before you start grilling.

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  • Four sole fillets topped with butter chopped parsley and lemon wedges on a serving platter.
    Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell
    15/19

    Classic Sole Meunière

    If you’ve only had this French dish in a restaurant, you might be surprised to hear that the total time required to make it is 15 minutes. Call it a weeknight date night dinner.

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  • A bowl of red broth with noodles with limes avocados and queso blanco on the side.
    Photo by Mely Martinez
    16/19

    Sopa de Fideo

    Top each bowl of this simple soup with queso fresco and creamy avocado.

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  • A serving bowl of sweet and sour chicken being served with rice.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    19/19

    Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

    This recipe gets its tangy sweetness from a mix of distilled white or apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and canned pineapple.

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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
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