5 Ingredient Dinners collage top left enchiladas being served, top right salmon and green beans, bottom left sloppy Joes, bottom right lasagna.

30 Crazy Easy Dinners With 5 Ingredients (Or Less)

ByAnnie Brown

Made with five ingredients or less, these easy dinners are simple and delicious.

You’ll love these five-ingredient dinners, including enchiladas, lazy lasagna, chicken parmesan stuffed peppers, chili, mustard roasted salmon, and more.

Weeknight dinners are about to get easier and cheaper since you don’t need to buy a ton of ingredients.

Table of Contents show

Pesto Salmon

Pesto chicken with veggies on a white plate.
Photo Credit: Garlic & Zest
  • Number of Ingredients: 4
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s ready in just 20 minutes and will be your new go-to weeknight dinner. The parmesan pesto crust is outstanding.

Get the Recipe: Pesto Salmon

Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Sausage and peppers in sauce in a white bowl.
Photo Credit: Kalyn’s Kitchen
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours

Why You’ll Love It: Italian sausage is one of the cheapest protein options, making this filling dinner a great budget-friendly option.

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers

Air Fryer French Bread Pizza

French bread pizza covered in cheese with pepperoni.
Photo Credit: All You Need Is Brunch
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 13 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s a quick dinner ready in under 15 minutes that even the kids will love.

It’s perfect for busy weeknights or when you want to save money and avoid takeout on the weekend.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer French Bread Pizza

Instant Pot Salsa Chicken 

Salsa chicken in a white bowl with wood spoon.
Photo Credit: Get Inspired Everyday
  • Number of Ingredients: 3
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: Since it’s made with only three ingredients, you can make rice and a veggie as a side, and your entire dinner will have only five ingredients. Talk about easy!

Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Salsa Chicken

Lazy Lasagna

Lasagna in a white dish.
Photo Credit: Foodess
  • Number of Ingredients: 3
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: This lasagna recipe has only 5 minutes of prep time thanks to a genius ingredient hack.

Get the Recipe: Lazy Lasagna 

Crock-Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Pot roast over potatoes on a white plate.
 Photo Credit: Glenda Embree
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “Easily one of my all-time favorite recipes. I’ll be making this over and over again for years!”

(By the way, this recipe received so many glowing reviews that you know it’s worth making.)

Get the Recipe: Crock-Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Fried Tacos

Crispy tacos on a light background and in a skillet.
Photo Credit: My Mini Chefs
  • Number of Ingredients: 4
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “This is so good! My family goes crazy when I make these! So simple and delicious!”

Get the Recipe: Fried Tacos

Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Chicken Pot Pies on a white plate and in baking pan.
Photo Credit: Semi Homemade Kitchen
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: These are freezer-friendly, so you can make a big batch ahead of time and reheat them when you want a hassle-free, comforting dinner.

Get the Recipe: Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Beef stroganoff in a white dish next to a croissant.
Photo Credit: Food Hussy
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: You can throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and come home to a tasty comfort food dish.

Get the Recipe: Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff

Potato Soup

Potato Soup in a white bowl with a cutting board in the background.
Photo Credit: Bless This Meal
  • Number of Ingredients: 4 
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s the best budget meal, made with only four inexpensive ingredients.

Get the Recipe: Potato Soup

Mustard Roasted Salmon

Mustard roasted salmon with green beans on a white plate.
Photo Credit: Life As A Strawberry
  • Number of Ingredients: 4
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It uses simple and wholesome ingredients.

Get the Recipe: Mustard Roasted Salmon

Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders (Air Fryer)

Cheese-It Chicken Tenders on a tray with dipping sauce.
Photo Credit: Happy Honey Kitchen
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s breaded in Cheese-Its and ranch seasoning, do we really need to say more? 

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders

Creamy Italian Sausage Soup 

Creamy soup in a black bowl with a spoon.
Photo Credit: Mandi of the Mountains
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s a one-pot meal, so cleanup is a breeze.

Get the Recipe: Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

Chicken parmesan stuffed peppers in a white casserole dish.
Photo Credit: Lynn’s Way of Life
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: This dish has plenty of substitutions and variations, so you’ll never get bored of this easy dinner.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers

Pesto Shrimp

Shrimp Pesto Pasta in a white bowl.
Photo Credit: Healthy Fitness Meals
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s a healthy, no-fuss meal packed with flavor.

Get the Recipe: Pesto Shrimp

Air Fryer Tilapia

Tilapia with green beens on a blue plate and tilapia in an air fryer.
Photo Credit: Kitchen at Hoskins
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 16 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “Made this last night. Super crispy coating and moist fish.”

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Tilapia

Slow Cooker Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Slow cooker Caribbean jerk chicken in a plate and in a Crock-Pot
Photo Credit: Whiskful Cooking
  • Number of Ingredients: 4
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “Made jalapeno cornbread to go along and it was so good.”

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Caribbean Jerk Chicken

Apricot and Ginger Glazed Chicken

Apricot glazed chicken in a black skillet.
Photo Credit: What a Girl Eats
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “This was a huge hit at my house, and it really only took 20 minutes to throw together.”

Get the Recipe: Apricot and Ginger Glazed Chicken

Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Pizza Casserole in a dish.
Photo Credit: Cook Clean Repeat
  • Number of Ingredients: 4
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s an inexpensive family dinner that even picky eaters will love.

Get the Recipe: Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

Sloppy Joes 

Sloppy Joes on a white plate.
Photo Credit: The Short Order Cook
  • Number of Ingredients: 3
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 12 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s even better than store-bought sloppy joe mix.

Get the Recipe: Sloppy Joes

Chili Recipe

Chili in a white bowl with a spoon on a light background.
Photo Credit: The Slow Roasted Italian
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “This is such a quick and easy chili recipe! Love having a nice meal that doesn’t take forever to make.”

Get the Recipe: Chili Recipe

Copycat KFC Bowl

KFC Bowl Copycat with corn and chicken in white bowl.
Photo Credit: Princess Pinky Girl
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It tastes just like the real thing, but it’s cheaper to make, and you won’t have to wait in a drive-thru line.

Get the Recipe: Copycat KFC Bowl

Meatloaf

Meatloaf on a white plate.
Photo Credit: Haute & Healthy Living
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour

Why You’ll Love It: It’s a healthier spin on traditional meatloaf. Plus, if you or someone in your household avoids gluten, this recipe is gluten-free.

Get the Recipe: Meatloaf

Prosciutto and Pesto Sandwich

Sandwich filled with meat with bowl of pesto and tomatoes next to it.
Photo Credit: Living Lou
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: A sandwich is something different to add to the weekly dinner rotation. Sandwiches don’t have to be just for lunch.

Get the Recipe: Prosciutto and Pesto Sandwich

Air Fryer Roast Beef

Air Fryer Roast Beef on a cutting board.
Photo Credit: Always Use Butter
  • Number of Ingredients: 3
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: While some roast beef recipes turn out dry, this one is perfectly juicy. Plus, the herb crust is delicious.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Roast Beef

Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese in a white bowl.
Photo Credit: Food Hussy
  • Number of Ingredients: 4
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It’s incredibly creamy and is even better than the boxed store-bought mac and cheese.

Get the Recipe: Mac and Cheese

Lazy Enchiladas

Person serving enchiladas out of a casserole dish on a white background.
Photo Credit: Princess Pinky Girl

This collection of easy dinners has just five ingredients or less. Salt, pepper, and water are the only freebies that don’t count toward the five ingredients. 

  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It uses frozen taquitos, a clever time-saving hack made popular on TikTok.

Get the Recipe: Lazy Enchiladas

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole in a white bowl.
Photo Credit: Princess Pinky Girl
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: Cleanup couldn’t be easier since you use just one dish. Also, it makes yummy leftovers to pack for work the next day.

Get the Recipe: Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Baked Gnocchi

Baked Gnocchi in a dish with spoon.
Photo Credit: A Taste Of Madness
  • Number of Ingredients: 3
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes

Best Recipe Review: “This is one of our favorite go to weeknight recipes. So darn quick and easy. Everyone loves it!”

Get the Recipe: Baked Gnocchi

Chicken Penne Pasta

Chicken penne pasta in a casserole dish being served with a wood spoon.
Photo Credit: Zona’s Lazy Recipes
  • Number of Ingredients: 5
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes

Why You’ll Love It: It uses rotisserie chicken, a time-saving shortcut.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Penne Pasta

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