Recipes

Weeknight Grilling Ideas: Fast Dinners in 30 Minutes

Weeknights are hectic for many American families, making home-cooked sit-down dinners seem like an impossible, Rockwellian dream. Fast food or take-out often chinks the gaps between evening obligations, making dinner a “grab and go” affair. But your grill (or griddle) can bring the family together again on weekdays, just as it does on lazy Sundays. It can put dinner on the table fast, and with minimal prep or clean-up, delivering maximum flavor. Below are our suggestions for proteins, but remember that you can always toss vegetables like asparagus, eggplant, or zucchini with extra virgin olive oil and seasonings, and grill them for an easy but impressive side dish.

Weeknight grilling ideas focus on quick-cooking proteins like flank steak, pork chops, chicken thighs, and shrimp. Most of these meals can be grilled in 30 minutes or less with minimal prep and cleanup, making them ideal for busy families.

On the short list of 30-minute meals are:

• Quick-cooking beef cuts like flank steak, skirt steak, burgers, and beef short ribs (cross-cut short ribs);

  

• Pork tenderloin (whole or medallions), pork chops (3/4-inches-thick or less), or country-style ribs;

  

• Chicken breasts, thighs, or chicken tenders (serve with a simple sauce—bottled ranch dressing is even an option);

  

• Shrimp cooks in 6 minutes or less; other seafood options include fish fillets or steaks (salmon is on the rotation at Steven Raichlen’s house), scallops, lobster, and other shellfish.

  

Weeknight grilling doesn’t have to be complicated. A hot fire, a good cut of meat, and a simple side can turn an ordinary evening into something memorable. Keep exploring—there are dozens of fast, flavor-packed recipes here to help you keep dinner interesting all week long.

Plan your next cook with our full recipe collection—weeknight grills, weekend projects, and special-occasion feasts.

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