Top 20+ emergency dinners for when you don't have time to cook

No time to cook? No problem?

Sometimes, there is just not enough time—no time to shop for specialty ingredients, no time for elaborate prep, and definitely no time to wait for the oven to heat. Thankfully, there's always a quick fix. Here are some great, quick, and tasty meals that anyone can make in 15 minutes or less.

01 of 20

3-Ingredient Pasta

"The recipe is as easy as recipes get. All you do is boil your pasta, then heat the pasta sauce and cream cheese together on the stove until warmed through so that the cream cheese has melted to create a creamy sauce. Then combine the sauce and pasta, and top with optional Parmesan cheese." —Allrecipes' Bailey Fink

02 of 20

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

You just might make a fish-lover out of your picky eater with this one. Tender tilapia is broiled with a creamy, cheesy coating.

03 of 20

Leveled Up Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken

"Because this meal is so simple and doesn't need much to make it stellar, all you need is four ingredients: onions, garlic, soy sauce, and rice vinegar and the prep is almost as simple as the recommended method on the package." —Allrecipes' Keaton Larson

04 of 20

Asian Beef with Snow Peas

Keep the ingredients for this super-fast dish in your pantry and freezer, and you'll have a delicious dinner on the table in no time.

05 of 20

Vegetarian Chickpea Tacos

These quick and nutritious meatless tacos come together in minutes thanks to canned chickpeas and taco seasoning. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese for an easy meal.

06 of 20

Sicilian Anchovy Pasta

How do you make simple boiled pasta taste amazing? Here's your answer. Once you try this recipe, you'll be hooked.

07 of 20

2-Ingredient Dollar Store Dinner

"This meal only ran me about $4 and it's great to stock up on because it's shelf stable. I buy these mashed potato packets and cans of beef stew two at a time so I always have them on hand for nights when I need a quick dinner without having to do a grocery run." —Allrecipes' Victoria Soliz

08 of 20

Shrimp and Peanut Butter Noodles

"This shrimp stir-fry recipe with frozen vegetables, frozen shrimp, and a simple stir-fry sauce—comes together in less than 30 minutes for a quick and easy dinner!" says recipe submitter damialyon. "Serve over rice or with noodles, and enjoy."

09 of 20

4-Ingredient Hamburger Casserole

"This 4-ingredient hamburger casserole is so comforting and easy to make, and leaves plenty of room for you to doctor it up as you see fit." —Recipe submitter LaDonna Langwell

10 of 20

Sheet Pan Chickpeas, Broccoli, and Chicken Sausage

11 of 20

Trader Joe's Pan Pizza

"There's nothing better than an easy meal that uses a store-bought shortcut—except for one that also tastes gourmet to boot. This pan pizza recipe highlights ready-made dough, a flavorful sauce, and customizable toppings—all from Trader Joe's—for an unforgettable dish even more delicious than takeout." —Allrecipes' Andrea Lobas

12 of 20

Mexi-Chicken Avocado Cups

In a mere 10 minutes, you can serve up these zesty chicken avocado cups. The recipe calls for canned chicken, but you can use leftover chicken as well.

13 of 20

Easy Linguine with White Clam Sauce

This easy but satisfying dinner qualifies as the perfect pantry meal. Keep dried pasta and canned clams on hand for a go-to recipe you can always count on.

14 of 20

Lemon Pepper Cod

All you need are cod fillets, lemon juice, black pepper, and some veggie oil for cooking.

"I added white wine to deglaze the pan and before adding any lemon juice. To thicken the resulting sauce I added about 1 Tbsp of butter and added dried parsley," says Allrecipes member plates4u.

15 of 20

3-Ingredient Crunchy French Onion Chicken

"Awesome crunchy baked French onion chicken that goes well with any side dish. It's quick and easy too!" —Recipe submitter Janine S

16 of 20

Spicy Asian Ramen Noodles

Pull a handful of basic ingredients from the pantry (like peanut butter, chili-garlic sauce, and soy sauce) and whisk together a super-quick no-cook sauce. Then stir the sauce into cooked ramen noodles and garnish with peanuts and chopped green onions. That's it! Dinner's ready in 15 minutes.

"In this yummy recipe, expect fast, easy, and spicy with salty, sweet, and sour flavors kicking in," says Allrecipes Allstar lutzflcat.

17 of 20

Skillet Burrito Bowl

This simple-but-flavorful burrito bowl features ground beef, fajita seasoning, a can of pinto beans, and salsa. This is a great recipe for using up leftover brown rice.

"I really like taco and burrito bowls and wanted to make something that was quick and easy at home," says recipe creator earlzey. "Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, lettuce, etc."

18 of 20

Easy 5-Ingredient Salmon

Salmon fillets are sprinkled with simple seasonings and seared in a little melted butter. "This is a very simple but delicious way to prepare fresh salmon using just a few ingredients from your pantry," says recipe submitter Angela.

19 of 20

2-Ingredient Costco Wonton Dinner

"Costco's mini wontons elevate any broth, and it only takes five minutes for a delicious flavorful soup," says Allrecipes community editor Ansley Emmet, who plans on "eating this all winter long."

20 of 20

2-Ingredient Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake

You need just two ingredients for this shockingly simple (yet incredibly crowd-pleasing) dinner: chicken breasts and store-bought spinach artichoke dip.