14 Wholesome Dinners Made With Only Five Ingredients

    Minimum effort. Maximum flavor.

    Jesse Szewczyk
    by Jesse Szewczyk

    BuzzFeed Staff

    After a long day of work, the last thing you want to do is prepare an elaborate dinner made with a laundry list of ingredients and complicated steps.

    So we rounded up 14 low-effort dinners that are made with just five ingredients or less — from lemony chicken with asparagus to creamy gorgonzola pasta — so you can spend more time eating and less time cooking.

    1. Lemon Garlic Asparagus Pasta

    budgetbytes.com

    Feel free to swap in whatever hearty green vegetable you have on hand in place of the asparagus. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and chopped kale would all work well.

    Get the recipe: Lemon Garlic Asparagus Pasta

    2. Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

    cookingclassy.com

    OK, so this recipe technically has more than five ingredients if you're counting the pantry items — but you can use a store-bought balsamic glaze instead of making your own to save some time.

    Get the recipe: Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

    3. Garlic Steak and Potato Foil Packs

    lecremedelacrumb.com

    Throw everything into a foil packet, roast it, and dinner is done. No cleanup. No mess.

    Get the recipe: Garlic Steak and Potato Foil Packs

    4. Sheet Pan Steak and Veggies

    damndelicious.net

    The best part about this recipe? You'll only have to wash one dish.

    Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Steak and Veggies

    5. Lemon Chicken With Asparagus

    pinchofyum.com

    This recipe uses boneless chicken breasts, but you can use boneless thighs if that's more your style.

    Get the recipe: Lemon Chicken With Asparagus

    6. Black Bean Tacos With Avocado

    naturallyella.com

    The perfect easy-to-make taco that just happens to be vegetarian.

    Get the recipe: Black Bean Tacos With Avocado

    7. Thai Peanut Beef

    lecremedelacrumb.com

    Serve this flavorful beef over rice, noodles, or quinoa for the ultimate (and easiest!) weeknight dinner.

    Get the recipe: Thai Peanut Beef

    8. Thai Pumpkin Soup

    foodiecrush.com

    Red curry paste can be found in the international section of most grocery stores in either small glass jars or metal tins — or it can be easily ordered online.

    Get the recipe: Thai Pumpkin Soup

    9. Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti

    gimmesomeoven.com

    Kale haters: Simply swap out the kale for chard, spinach, or collards. No biggie!

    Get the recipe: Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti

    10. Parsley Lemon Baked Cod

    brookelark.com

    If cod is unavailable in your grocery store, go ahead and use any fresh fish that looks good. Salmon, tilapia, or halibut would all work well in this recipe.

    Get the recipe: Parsley Lemon Baked Cod

    11. Pasta With Tomatoes, Basil, and Garlic

    cupofjo.com

    How can you go wrong with the classic combination of basil + tomatoes + pasta?

    Get the recipe: Pasta With Tomatoes, Basil, and Garlic

    12. Broccoli Cheese Soup

    gimmesomeoven.com

    The ultimate comforting soup. Serve it with crusty bread or grilled cheese for a perfect cold weather dinner.

    Get the recipe: Broccoli Cheese Soup

    13. Sichuan Crispy Beef

    omnivorescookbook.com

    The secret ingredient that makes this dish so flavorful is Lao Gan Ma spicy chili crisp (a spicy chili oil that is hot, tingly, and super flavorful). It can be found in either the international or hot sauce sections of most grocery stores, or ordered online.

    Get the recipe: Sichuan Crispy Beef

    14. Gorgonzola Orecchiette

    cookingforkeeps.com

    Blue cheese haters, don't be nervous! Gorgonzola is less punchy and significantly milder than most blue cheeses, so give this pasta a chance!

    Get the recipe: Gorgonzola Orecchiette