This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Don’t have a lot of time to cook? Here are five single serving meals you can make in under 20 minutes. These dishes come together quickly, are made with easy-to-find ingredients, and they taste absolutely delicious.

Just like you, I’m tired at the end of the day, and sometimes the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing a meal. Well, I’ve come up with my favorite go-to 20 minute meals and I’m so excited to share them with you today.

Why These Recipes Work

  • Ready in 20 minutes!: It’s true, each of these single serving recipes can be prepped and cooked in just 20 minutes.
  • Made with easy-to-find ingredients: You won’t find a long list of hard-to-find ingredients here. Each dish is made with ingredients that are easy to find, and many might already be in your kitchen already.
  • Hearty and satisfying: These meals are winners! They each look and taste gourmet but are so easy to make.
  • No waste: In every one of our recipes we list ways to use leftover ingredients. You can find this information at the bottom of every recipe page.

20 Minute Dinners For One Video

20 Minute Dinners For One That Are Quick and Easy

Expert Tips

If you truly want to make these meals in 20 minutes, you’ll need to prepare. Here are a few things to make it easier:

  • Meal plan: Plan ahead and visit the grocery store to purchase the ingredients you need for a recipe. There’s nothing worse than starting a recipe and realizing you are missing one or two ingredients.
  • Gather your ingredients: Each of these recipes come together quickly so it’s important to read through the entire recipe first, then gather your ingredients so that you don’t have to stop cooking and search for something.
  • Thaw meat: If you have frozen meat or fish, you will need to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.

Five 20-Minute Meals For One

Below we’ve gathered five of our most popular single serving 20-minute dinners. Click on the boxes to go straight to the recipes.

mustard chicken in a blue bowl on a silver tray

Creamy Mustard Chicken For One

5 from 30 votes
Easy-to-make classic French inspired Creamy Mustard Chicken recipe that's ready in only 20 minutes. Tender chicken in a creamy sauce flavored with mustard and tarragon.
Creamy Mustard Chicken Recipe
vegetarian chili in a bowl

Vegetarian Chili For One

5 from 5 votes
This easy vegetarian chili recipe will be a favorite of both meat eaters and vegetarians. It's made with convenient canned beans and can be ready in 20 minutes. Hearty, healthy, and incredibly delicious!
Vegetarian Chili For One Recipe
baked salmon on top of roasted asparagus in a red bowl

Sheet Pan Salmon for One

5 from 9 votes
A one-pan meal that makes cleanup easy! Ready in 20 minutes, one salmon fillet is topped with garlic herb butter and baked along with asparagus on a single sheet pan.
Sheet Pan Salmon for One Recipe
ratatouille in a bowl next to a block of Parmesan cheese

Ratatouille For One

5 from 8 votes
Ratatouille single-pan vegetable stew ready in 20 minutes with onions, zucchini, sweet red pepper, tomatoes, and aromatic herbs and spices.
Ratatouille For One Recipe
a bowl of shrimp fettuccine on a silver tray next to a fresh block of parmesan cheese

Shrimp Fettuccine For One

4.95 from 18 votes
Single Shrimp Fettuccine in 20 Min! Skip takeout, get restaurant-quality flavor! This easy recipe delivers perfectly cooked shrimp in a garlicky butter sauce, tossed with fettuccine for a delicious & satisfying meal. Perfect for busy weeknights or to satisfy your cravings!
Shrimp Fettuccine For One Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Benefits Of Cooking At Home?

There are many benefits to cooking your meals at home. At the end of a hectic day, eating out or ordering in might feel like the easiest, quickest option. But convenience and processed food aren’t all that great for you. Here are a few reasons why cooking at home is a great idea:

* When you prepare your own meals, you have more control over the ingredients.

* Restaurant portions are often huge which encourages you to eat more than you may want to eat.

* Convenience food is typically high in salt, sugar, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives.

* Cooking at home can take less time than eating a meal out.

* Cooking can be therapeutic. I find cooking a meal to be relaxing at the end of the day. It can be intensely satisfying to follow a recipe and put together a wonderful meal.

Do You Have Any Single Serving Dessert Recipes?

Yes! We have hundreds of single serving and small batch desserts. You can find them on our dessert page.

Can These Recipes Be Doubled?

Absolutely. If you’d like to make a meal for two or if you’d like to make extra so you can have leftovers for the next day, double the ingredient amounts in each of the recipes.

What Should I Do With Leftover Ingredients?

We list ways to use up leftover ingredients in every one of our recipes. You can find this information in each of the recipes posts.

So there you have it, five 20 minute single serving meals plus a bonus recipe. I hope you try these easy recipes and love them as much as I do. Even though you may be tired at the end of the day, you can still enjoy a fabulous meal in minutes.

If you have a favorite quick dinner idea, please let me know in the comments below and if you try one of our 20 minute meals, let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!

For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

Red 5-inch square baking dish with One Dish Kitchen branded paper sleeve around it.

Make 80+ Recipes With This Dish!

Ideal for home chefs, this individual square ceramic baking dish is safe for oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher. Simple to use & easy to clean!

Welcome!

I’m Joanie and I’m incredibly happy you’re here! Our aim is to inspire individuals with access to single serving recipes, education, and a supportive community that will enable them to enjoy the preparation of a meal that will nourish both body and soul.

More Ideas

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 Comments

  1. Love the recipes – good to know that I can eat well and cook something good for one person.thank you so much!

  2. I am so happy to have found One Dish Nation! I have made and thoroughly enjoyed several recipes more than once. The small batch brownies are delicious, so are the banana and blueberry muffins. I have doubled some of the dinner type recipes. Thanks, Joanie; you are the best!