21 Meals That Take Minimal Effort When You're Feeling Lazy

    DIdn't meal-prep or plan ahead? Give these super-easy recipes a try.

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    You've been cooking for weeks straight and you're running out of patience and ideas. Look no further. Here are a bunch of easy meals that you can make in minutes even when you haven't gone grocery shopping or meal-planned.

    1. 20-Minute Frittata For Two

    The Beader Chef / Via thebeaderchef.com

    The best thing about frittatas is you can fill them with literally whatever protein and veggies are in your kitchen. And remember, for two can mean you and your bestie, your significant other, or just you and yourself for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow. Get the recipe for 20-minute frittata for two here.

    2. Five-Ingredient Honey Sriracha Chicken

    A plate of shredded honey Sriracha chicken over white rice.
    Fit Foodie Finds / Via fitfoodiefinds.com

    Defrost those boneless chicken breasts from the freezer and toss them into your slow cooker with soy sauce, honey, Sriracha, and garlic. Set it, forget it, and return to a satisfying meal. Get the recipe for five-ingredient honey Sriracha chicken here.

    3. Baked Lemon Shrimp

    Cooking For Keeps / Via cookingforkeeps.com

    For a meal that looks so fancy, you'll be shocked to realize it calls for just four ingredients: shrimp, lemon, garlic, and butter. Serve this lazy shrimp scampi over rice, orzo, or your favorite pasta. Get the recipe for baked lemon shrimp here.

    4. Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta With Spinach

    Little Broken / Via littlebroken.com

    Chances are you have most of these ingredients in your kitchen, and what you don't have you can do without or get creative! Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for fire-roasted peppers or replace spinach with any leafy greens. Get the recipe for sun-dried tomato pasta with spinach here.

    5. Cold Noodles in Peanut Sauce

    Spaghetti noodles with scallions and carrots in a creamy peanut sauce with chopped peanuts
    The Cozy Cook / Via thecozycook.com

    Got spaghetti and peanut butter? Great, you're halfway to a home-cooked dinner that rivals the take-out version. Get the recipe for cold noodles in peanut sauce here.

    6. Poached Egg on Parmesan Tomato Toast

    A fork cutting into a poached egg on top of a slice of tomato and cheese toast
    Eating European / Via eatingeuropean.com

    If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can even top your toast with marinara sauce or any canned tomatoes. Then, add a poached egg to turn it into a filling meal. Get the recipe for poached egg on parmesan and cheese toast here.

    7. Ramen Noodle Stir-Fry

    What's In The Pan / Via whatsinthepan.com

    Packaged ramen noodles plus your favorite protein and veggies get tossed in soy sauce, sugar, and Sriracha for a seriously comforting dish you can mix and match depending on what's in your kitchen. Get the recipe for ramen noodle stir-fry here.

    8. Spaghetti With Tuna, Lemon, and Dill

    The View From Great Island / Via theviewfromgreatisland.com

    This sophisticated-looking pasta dish comes together with mostly pantry ingredients like boxed pasta, canned tuna, and olives. Get the recipe for spaghetti with tuna, lemon, and dill here.

    9. 10-Minute Vegetarian Quesadilla

    Homemade Mastery / Via homemademastery.com

    Cover a tortilla with tomato paste (or tomato sauce), cream cheese, and garlic, then load it up with lots of veggies. You can always add in whatever protein you have in your fridge. Fold it all up and heat in a nonstick skillet until melty and delicious. Get the recipe for 10-minute vegetarian quesadilla here.

    10. Ground Turkey Stir-Fry

    The Girl on Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com

    You can make this Asian-inspired stir-fry with whatever ground meat you like best. If you don't have all the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce, just use some combination of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and spicy Sriracha or chili oil. Get the recipe for ground turkey stir fry here.

    11. Margherita Pizza Pitas

    Two pizza pitas topped with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
    Honey and Birch / Via honeyandbirch.com

    Store-bought pita bread, naan, or flatbread makes for the perfect pizza crust substitute. Just top it with your favorite ingredients and quickly pop it into the oven. Get the recipe for margherita pizza pitas here.

    12. Baked Ravioli

    Centsless Deals / Via centslessdeals.com

    This baked ravioli dish is sort of like a lazy lasagna. You don't really need all the ingredients listed to make this meal delicious. Just start with store-bought raviolis and layer them in your favorite pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Get the recipe for baked ravioli here.

    13. 10-Minute Gazpacho

    Healthy Seasonal Recipes / Via healthyseasonalrecipes.com

    Hot summer nights call for cold tomato soup. This gazpacho comes together in no time right in the blender. Get the recipe for 10-minute gazpacho here.

    14. Easy Egg Fried Rice

    A skillet with egg fried rice and mixed veggies like carrots, peas, and scallions
    Healthy Nibbles and Bits / Via healthynibblesandbits.com

    If you're craving more protein go ahead and add whatever is in your kitchen from bacon or pancetta to shrimp or tofu. Get the recipe for easy egg fried rice here.

    15. Avocado Pesto Grilled Cheese

    Cooking With Coit / Via cookingwithcoit.com

    It's easy to turn this childhood classic into a grown-up sandwich with just a few ingredients. Add in a different kind of cheese like gouda or mozzarella along with a few veggies and a delicious condiment like store-bought pesto, bacon jam, chili crisp, or honey mustard. Get the recipe for avocado pesto grilled cheese here.

    16. Baked Beef Taquitos

    Six Sisters' Stuff / Via sixsistersstuff.com

    If you don't have ground beef, swap in your favorite meat or just pop open a can of black beans and keep things vegetarian. Get the recipe for baked beef taquitos here.

    17. Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad

    Simple Veganista / Via simple-veganista.com

    If you don't have fresh corn on the cob or cherry tomatoes, use canned black beans, canned diced tomatoes, and canned corn kernels to keep this salad mostly from the pantry. Get the recipe for black bean and roasted corn salad here.

    18. 20-Minute Black Bean Burgers

    Gimme Some Oven / Via gimmesomeoven.com

    These patties are made with canned black beans, mushrooms, garlic, onion, egg whites, and breadcrumbs. It's as simple as that! Get the recipe for 20-minute black bean burgers here.

    19. Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

    Sliced chicken breast filled with cheesy broccoli on a plate
    The Little Pine / Via thelittlepine.com

    You can use pretty much any vegetable if you don't have broccoli. Just steam or boil the veggies and mix them with sour cream or cream cheese plus some spices. Get the recipe for cheesy broccoli stuffed chicken here.

    Laughing Spatula / Via laughingspatula.com

    If you don't have or love salmon, you can make this easy seafood dish with just about any fish or shrimp. Grab honey from the pantry and orange juice from the fridge and you've got dinner. Get the recipe for honey-glazed salmon with orange and ginger here.

    21. Cowboy Pasta Salad

    A bowl of cowboy pasta salad with bow tie noodles, ground meat, cheese chunks, cherry tomatoes, and herbs in a creamy dressing
    Carlsbad Cravings / Via carlsbadcravings.com

    From now on, you might want to eat your tacos entirely in pasta salad form thanks to this savory salad made with bow tie noodles, ground meat, tomatoes, canned black beans, and pretty much whatever spices are in your pantry. The dressing is a mixture of all the condiments in your fridge like ketchup, mayo, mustard, and sour cream. Get the recipe for cowboy pasta salad here.