Main Course
8665 recipes found
Baked Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs have all the makings of a weeknight staple: they’re inexpensive, they cook quickly and they are dependably moist and flavorful with the simplest of seasonings. In this hands-off recipe, the thighs are baked at a high temperature until the skin is crisp and the meat is tender. If you have time to marinate the thighs for a few hours, the chicken will be even more flavorful, but even 30 minutes will do the trick. Consider the herbs and seasonings in the marinade a starting point, but feel free to use what you have on hand. If you want to brown the chicken skin further, place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two at the end of cooking.
Skillet Chicken With Peppers and Tomatoes
This one-pan dinner is coated in a sauce anchored by onion and garlic and a summery mix of bell peppers. A splash of sherry vinegar and squeeze of honey balance the mild flavors of the peppers with a little acidity and sweetness, while cherry tomatoes simmered into the sauce at the end add bright, tangy pops to the meal. A shower of fresh herbs is optional, but go with basil if you’d like a more assertive aroma. Serve everything over steamed rice for soaking up the sauce or with crusty bread for dipping.
Cumin and Cashew Yogurt Rice
Yogurt rice is a nostalgic dish for many South Asians, and especially South Indians. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and a no-fuss dinner that’s easy to put together. Cool, creamy yogurt and crunchy, warm spices create a dreamy contrast that makes this dish feel more whole meal-worthy than snack-friendly (though it’ll serve you well for both). Traditional versions include mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal, but this variation includes a different set of pantry staples: cumin seeds, cashews and red chile powder. The trio, plus fresh green chiles, gets sizzled in ghee, enhancing all the rich, smoky, spicy flavors, then gets poured directly over the yogurt rice. Add grated carrots and zucchini to give the rice more heft, or try it with a different combination of spices.
Pasta With Corn, Mint and Red Onions
Practically a no-cook recipe, this celebration of corn, tomatoes and plenty of herbs is about as easy as summer pasta gets. A dollop or two of ricotta adds milky softness, enriching the tangy, garlicky tomatoes and plump kernels of corn, but you can leave it out if you prefer. Although this dish is best with seasonal tomatoes and freshly shucked corn, it’s also excellent made with frozen corn and year-round grape tomatoes, cut into cubes. You can serve this versatile salad warm, at room temperature or even cold as a pasta salad. And leftovers make a terrific lunch the next day.
Za’atar and Labneh Spaghetti
Creamy labneh produces a pasta dish with the texture of an Alfredo, but with a bright tang that brings levity. A Middle Eastern yogurt that is strained or hung until the texture of soft cheese, labneh provides a rich, luscious texture, but strained yogurts, like Greek yogurt or skyr, are suitable substitutes. Be sure to add the dairy at the end, and don’t let it come to a boil while you stir. Boiling will cause the yogurt to break, leaving you with a sauce that isn’t creamy or rich. If the pasta sauce tightens up and breaks from sitting for too long, there’s a simple solution: Add some reserved pasta water and stir vigorously over medium-low heat until the sauce comes back together, lusciously smooth, saucy and glossy.
Pizza Salad
For pizza in salad form, this recipe tosses a crisp and briny mix of romaine lettuce, pepperoncini, black olives and red onion in a fresh, grated tomato vinaigrette. Spicy pepperoni strips are sizzled until crisp; their zesty fat gets sopped up by toasty bread crumbs that are spiked with the classic New York slice flavors (oregano, garlic and red-pepper flakes). (You can make a big batch of these crumbs, store them in the fridge and use them to top pasta, eggs, roasted veggies and anything else you want to take to pizza town.) This salad is showered with the salty pepperoni crumbs, offset by mozzarella morsels running throughout.
Chilled Soba in Dashi With Tomatoes and Corn
This chilled noodle dish is extremely refreshing on a hot summer’s day. Corn, shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes simmer with water to make a vegan take on dashi that is packed with umami. The buckwheat noodles have a lovely nutty flavor, adding depth to the dish, but feel free to try with different noodles, such as thin wheat noodles (somen) or rice noodles. The dashi is extremely light and clean, while the toppings add bursts of flavor. The balance between sweet, salty and sour is very delicate, so be sure to be somewhat pedantic when measuring for seasoning. You can get ahead by making the dashi a day in advance and chilling it overnight.
Easy Baked French Toast
Perfect for an impromptu breakfast or brunch, this baked French toast requires barely any prep and delivers results that are so rich and custardy that the dish veers into bread pudding territory. Though many baked French toast recipes require stale bread — or bread that has been soaked or toasted — this one requires no extended soaking and involves a relatively short bake time. It can easily accommodate whatever type of bread you have: Rustic bread will retain more texture, but standard fluffy sandwich bread works as well, with even less resistance. This recipe allows you to customize its sweetness levels as desired, with cinnamon sugar and maple syrup passed tableside to ensure it tastes just right to you and any guests.
Sheet-Pan Chopped Salad With Chicken
A vibrant mix of vegetables roast alongside chicken in this recipe, transforming into a warm chopped salad. Quickly marinated chicken breast pieces stay juicy and moist during cooking, emerging with the texture of chicken that has been gently poached. Zucchini and bell peppers release flavorful juices as they cook; the resulting liquid gets transformed into a tangy vinaigrette that comes together in the pan. Leftovers are great the next day, tucked into a baguette. You could also chop the chicken and veggies, then simmer them in marinara sauce for a heartier pasta meal.
Chicken Karaage
At 750 Myrtle Diner in Brooklyn, Kaoru Ayabe single-fries his chicken karaage low and slow at a steady 320 degrees. In this variation of Japanese fried chicken, inspired by Mr. Ayabe’s wonderfully light and crunchy karaage, boneless thighs are gently seasoned with ginger, soy and sake — plus a hint of sugar for balance — so the flavor of the meat can be appreciated. What’s special about this karaage recipe, beyond the low and slow single fry, is that the marinated chicken pieces get dipped in beaten egg before gaining their craggy armor of starch (corn or potato). Fried in a rippling pool of neutral canola oil, this humble but stellar appetizer is best enjoyed with a carafe of sake or an ice-cold beer. (Watch Eric make this on YouTube.)
Grilled Harissa Shrimp
Harissa paste is a spicy North African condiment that is typically made from some combination of red chiles or peppers, garlic and a slew of fragrant spices, often including coriander and cumin. Here the paste is used alongside a bit of honey and lemon as a quick marinade for grilled shrimp. Prepared harissa varies quite a bit from brand to brand in its heat level, but this dish is meant to be punchy and spicy. Serve the grilled shrimp with rice or flatbread, or on top of a crunchy salad, and you’ll have an easy dinner sorted. Make sure that your grilling area is very well ventilated, as the paste will get quite smoky once it hits the hot grates.
Grilled Steak With Tomatoes, Basil and Cheddar
This sunny dinner for two forms a happy union between charred steak and salty, umami-rich aged white Cheddar, rounded out with sweet, juicy tomatoes and fresh basil. Somewhat like a salad, the steak is dressed with a punchy shallot vinaigrette that ties everything together. If you don’t have a grill, you can cook the steak in a grill pan or a skillet: Cut the steak into two or three portions and cook in batches to avoid overcrowding, which will help you get a deeper sear on the steak. To round this meal out, try it with grilled garlic bread or even salt and vinegar roasted potatoes.
Baked Fish With Pomegranate Sauce
Assembled over a bed of caramelized onions, brushed with a tangy pomegranate sauce and baked until flaky, this stunning Iraqi fish recipe comes from the artist Oded Halahmy, who was born in Baghdad and has explored pomegranates in his artwork and at his Pomegranate Gallery, which has locations in New York City and Israel. The dish is fit for company but can be enjoyed any time. Amba, a pickled mango condiment, can be used, or substitute Dijon mustard if you can’t find amba. You can also swap in tart tamarind sauce or sweet date jam for the pomegranate molasses. You can even grill a whole fish rather than buying fillets, brushing the pomegranate sauce on the skin before and after cooking. The dish is then finished with pomegranate seeds, scattered, alongside parsley, over the fish. Serve with rice, bulgur or any cooked grain.
Salmon and Corn Cakes With Jalapeño Mayonnaise
Made with fresh corn, cilantro and lime juice, these summery salmon cakes are a great way to use leftover salmon. Canned pickled jalapeños are the magic ingredient here by adding heat and vinegary tang to both the cakes and the accompanying mayonnaise. (Any leftover sauce would be delicious as a dip for shrimp or with any simply cooked fish.) Canned salmon works well here, too, just be sure to buy the boneless, skinless variety. Finally, when you’re cooking the cakes, keep an eye on the heat level, hovering between medium and medium-low once the oil heats up. If the oil gets scorching hot, kernels of corn may start to pop and splatter. A quick dip in seasoned flour also helps prevent this, providing a barrier between the cakes and the oil and ensuring the cakes come out nice and crispy.
Bánh Mì
Bánh mì are, frankly, perfect sandwiches. From the baguettes (“bánh mì” literally translates to bread) to the fillings, they leave room for endless variation while remaining entirely distinct as a complete, complex Vietnamese dish. For this recipe, pork is the star: Following a brief marinade, the meat is broiled, then stuffed in a warm baguette alongside pickles, mayo, butter and a sprinkling of herbs. Ideally, it’s worth picking up the baguettes and butter from your local Vietnamese bakery or bánh mì shop (just ask; they’ll likely sell some to you). Both the pork and the pickles can be made ahead of time. Any extra cooked pork shoulder would serve as delicious leftovers when reheated alongside rice and eggs, or tossed between noodles, or folded into yet another bánh mì. Any extra pickles will hold in the fridge for several weeks — and are endlessly adaptable for later meals.
Creamy One-Pot Orzo With Corn and Bacon
In “Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook,” Joe Yonan suggests grating corn to take the kernels off and extract the delicious milky pulp from the cob. This method maximizes the amount of pure corn flavor that you can add to any dish. Here, most of the corn is grated to create a super creamy, one-pot pasta that tastes sweet and summery. Calabrian chile paste, which is usually made of chiles from the Calabria region of Italy, oil and vinegar add heat, acidity and a bit of smokiness to this dish. If you can’t find it, swap in some homemade red chile sauce or harissa.
Galbi and Tteok Skewers
Salty, tangy and supremely textural, this dish from David Shim, the executive chef at Cote in New York City, harnesses the flavors of galbi, partnering marinated short ribs with crisp-tender tteok, spearing them on skewers and grilling them until smoky. It was served at the New York Times Food Festival in 2022, but Mr. Shim’s recipe delivers great results on any grill. “The strongest galbi flavors come from the sweetness of the marinade, which is especially a result of the Asian pears,” Mr. Shim said. The pear-and-soy marinade tenderizes the meat as it flavors it. Cut into small batons that readily soak up the seasoning, the boneless short ribs are well suited to grilling due to their high fat content. They even send a signal when they’re done: Once they’re grill-marked, they’ll be perfectly tender, juicy and medium-rare, as if by magic.
Fish in Tomato-Basil Broth
Steamed in a savory tomato broth, the fish in this easy recipe remains exceptionally moist. For the best results, use a white-fleshed fish, like cod, striped bass or halibut. Any extra broth is great to have on hand: Make this dinner, and you'll also get about a quart of chilled soup for lunch.
Prime Rib
Prime rib, also known as a standing rib roast, is a cut of meat that makes an impressive centerpiece for a holiday meal or special occasion. There are several different ways to cook a prime rib, but the most forgiving is the reverse sear: The roast goes into the oven at a low temperature for several hours, then rests on the counter before getting a final blast of high heat. While it’s not difficult to cook, precision is important here, so you should use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast to test the temperature. This method works well with smaller or larger rib roasts, though the time will vary accordingly. Serve with jus and traditional side dishes, such as Yorkshire pudding, green beans and mashed potatoes.
Taco Soup
This cozy soup has very little to do with traditional Mexican tacos, but is inspired by the ingredients and flavors in the hard-shell ground beef variety. You can use a taco seasoning packet from the store, but it’s very easy to make your own blend to suit your taste (and whip up extra, if you like, to have on hand for other dishes). If using a packet, it will also include salt, so adjust accordingly when seasoning. You can easily make this soup vegetarian by omitting the meat and using an extra can of beans or subbing in a meat substitute. Set up a colorful toppings bar and be sure to squeeze on a little lime to brighten up all the flavors.
Breakfast Casserole
The breakfast casserole is a perennial favorite for good reason: It’s easy to make, crowd-pleasing and endlessly customizable. Frozen hash browns provide great texture in this simple version, but feel free to use leftover cooked potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces, in their place. Fry up a pound of bacon or use 1/2 pound of cubed ham instead of the Italian sausage, and experiment with different shredded cheeses. Made as written, or with your own additions, this casserole is a dependable and delicious breakfast standby.
Oatmeal
For a loving bowl of oatmeal you can pull off first thing in the morning, use a trick from Samantha Seneviratne: Cook the oatmeal in a skillet instead of a pot. The oatmeal will be creamier and more evenly cooked in under 10 minutes, ready to be topped to your heart’s desire. Plus, a skillet is easier to wash, making this recipe extra kind to your still-waking-up self.
Rosé Shrimp
This zippy, pink shrimp dish captures the crisp and flowery flavors of rosé wine in just 20 minutes. A dusting of herbes de Provence, bloomed in hot, shrimpy olive oil, amplifies the savoriness that crustaceans cooked in butter and wine tend to provide, like that of shrimp scampi. Piment d’Espelette — the fruity, moderately spiced pepper named after a commune in France and prevalent in Basque cooking — turbocharges the color and flavor of the shrimp. This chile can be swapped in a pinch (see Tip), but don’t skip the orange zest; it brings out the wine’s inherent fruitiness. Serve this dish as an appetizer with crusty bread, or as an entrée with pasta or white rice, whatever can sop up the rosy pan juices.
Goulash
Hungarian goulash, a stew of paprika-spiced braised meat and vegetables, likely arrived in the United States with a wave of immigrants in the late 1800s. The dish began a game of telephone, slowly evolving into something new entirely. While American-style goulash may not bear much resemblance to its Hungarian namesake, the hearty one-pot dish has endured as an easy and comforting family weeknight dinner. Made with ground beef, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and macaroni, it falls somewhere between a beef chili and a meaty pasta. A sprinkle of Cheddar, stirred in just before serving, thickens the sauce and adds richness. Serve the goulash on its own or with a green vegetable and cornbread on the side.