40 Fast and Filling 4-Ingredient Recipes (2024)

40 Fast and Filling 4-Ingredient Recipes (1)

By SPARK_MRUDY,SparkPeople Blogger 8/26/2016

You mean well. You bookmark yummy recipes with the best of intentions, but when it comes time to shop for ingredients, the list just looks so—long. And your evenings, filled with carpools, exercise classes and rush hour, are quite the opposite. Before weeknight chaos renders the drive-thru dangerously appealing, allow us to introduce some of our favorite four-ingredient recipes. Don't let their simplicity fool you: These dishes are low on hassle, but high on flavor.

Entrees

1.Four-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Bake: Throw together a delicious, whole-food dinner in just five minutes.

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Image viaSimply Sissom


2. Turkey Burger, Avocado and Egg with Sweet Potato Hash
: Move over, beef burgers and fries, there's a new crave-conqueror in town.

3.Oven-Baked Pork Chops: Discover this delicious, gluten-free twist on a classic family favorite.

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Image viaAvocado Pesto

4.Orange Mustard Glazed Salmon: High in protein, low-calorie, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb and ready in just 15 minutes? Sign us up.

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Image via Tastes Lovely

5. Chicken Carnival Cones: There's plenty to celebrate about this simple, yet sassy, 10-minute dinner.

6.Healthy Four-Ingredient Enchilada Casserole: Ole! Enjoy festive Mexican flavors in less than 15 minutes—with none of the guilt.

7.Dead Easy Steak Marinade: This simple, all-season marinade will turn your choice cut of meat into a slice of heaven.

8.Chicken Pasta Casserole: Budget-friendly, super easy and downright delicious, this is sure to become a weeknight staple.

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Image via Gimme Delicious

9.Chicken Enchilada Casserole: Add a little spice (and simplicity) to your life with this zesty and easy Mexican dish.

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Image via Jo Cooks

10.Low-Fat Pineapple Chicken Tenders: The pineapple, brown sugar and soy marinade adds a tropical twist to classic grilled chicken.

11.Four-Ingredient Chicken and Pineapple Stir Fry: Enjoy this mouthwatering medley on whole-wheat tortillas, or just with a fork.

12.Stuffed Chicken Breast: Gorgonzola cheese, tomatoes and tarragon create a tantalizing filling for these pan-fried chicken breasts.

13.Four-Ingredient Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls: Veggie ground is the star of this easy Italian dish, which is great for Meatless Monday or any day.

14.Veggie Kebab: Yet another benefit of fresh veggies: They grill to perfection in just two minutes.

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Image via 4 Ingredients

15.Four-Ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken: This versatile shredded chicken mixture is great in soups, on tortillas, in salads or on top of potatoes.

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Image viaSimply Sissom


Appetizers

16. Four-Ingredient Potstickers
: Instead of calling for takeout to curb your craving for Chinese, throw together these versatile, portable potstickers as a healthy, and no less delicious, alternative.

17.Chickpea Crepes: Just four ingredients and 20 minutes of prep will yield these crispy delicacies.

18.Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings: Who says chicken wings have to be fried and fatty? This healthier version is cooked in the oven and flavored with an amazing sweet-and-salty sauce.

19.Four-Ingredient Bean Dip: Take Taco Tuesday to a new level with this smooth, flavorful bean dip that comes together beautifully in just two quick minutes.


Breakfasts

20.Eggs in Clouds: It's like biting into a cloud—only with a whole lot more flavor. This light, airy and low-calorie dish gets an egg-celent rating from us.

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Image via The Cooking Jar

21.Grain-Free Crepes: If you've got a blender, four ingredients and just a few minutes, you can enjoy these grain-free, Paleo-friendly crepes for breakfast, dessert or a satisfying post-workout snack.22.Pink Power Smoothie: Get your day off to a rose-colored start with this refreshing concoction—it's also a great post-workout hydration option.23.Date Loaf: What if we told you that you could enjoy a moist, flavorful loaf with no eggs, sugar, butter or cream?

24.Pineapple-Raspberry Smoothie: Life is short, so don't settle for a smoothie that's anything short of delicious, healthy and positively gorgeous.

Salads, Soups and Sides

25.Easy Italian Flatbread: This doughy deliciousness is great dipped in marinara or sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

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Image via Gimme Some Oven

26.Broccoli and Cheese Squares: Sneak a serving of veggies into these grab-and-go squares, and the kiddos will be none the wiser.

27.Four-Ingredient Chili with Cauliflower Couscous: We're always on the lookout for unique chili recipes and this one’s zesty cauliflower couscous fits the bill.

28.Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad: Fill up on superfoods with this clean, refreshing and flavorful veggie medley.

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Image via What's Gaby Cooking

29.Avocado Egg Salad: Good, quality fats have a place in every healthy diet, and they're deliciously utilized in this easy, lunch-transforming recipe.

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Image via The Roasted Root

30.Zucchini Tater Tots: We can't think of a more fun, family-friendly way to use up leftover zucchini.

31.Four-Ingredient Quinoa Salad: Sometimes it's the most unlikely combinations—like the hummus and salsa in this flavorful, filling recipe—that work best.

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Image via Fannetastic Food


Desserts


32. Four-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
: Chocoholics, take note: This Paleo-approved indulgence will quickly become your non-guilty pleasure.33.Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies: Take peanut butter off your "naughty" list and add these gluten-free, naturally sweetened cookies to your rotation.34.Healthy Applesauce Cookies: In less than 15 minutes, these gluten-free, vegan cookies can take center stage on your after-school snack or breakfast table.35.Banana Blondies: These naturally sweetened treats are gluten-free and low-carb—but your taste buds would never guess!36.Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Cake: If a moist, gooey, shockingly healthy chocolate and raspberry cake in less than two minutes sounds too good to be true…then you've never tried this recipe.

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Image via 4 Ingredients

37.Banana and Date Milkshake: Bananas and dates add natural sweetness to this rich, creamy treat. "Dessert" is kind of a misnomer, as we love it for breakfast or a pre- or post-workout snack.38.Strawberry Granola Yogurt Bark: When you want the taste and nutrients of yogurt but you've just got to have that satisfying crunch, this naturally sweet bark won't take a bite out of your goals.

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Image via Six Sisters Stuff

39.Banana-Oatmeal Cookies: Banana, oats, peanut butter and dairy-free chocolate chips are a quarter made in smart snacking heaven.

40 Fast and Filling 4-Ingredient Recipes (25)
Image via The Pretty Bee

40.Oreo and Strawberry Popsicles: These petite treats satisfy any size sweet tooth. In addition to cooling down hot summer days, they also work as festive party favors all year round.

Have you tried any of these recipes? What are some other four-ingredient meals you'd add to the list?

See more: recipes meal ideas recipe ideas 4 ingredients four ingredients

40 Fast and Filling 4-Ingredient Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What can you cook in 40 minutes? ›

30 - 40 Minute Meals
  • Creamy Chicken and Pasta.
  • Weeknight Cajun Chicken.
  • Shake and Bakish Style Pork Chops.
  • Italian Stallion Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
  • Cube Steak with Mushroom and Onion Beef Gravy.
  • Mexican Shepherd's Pie.
  • Chicken Piccata.
  • Weeknight Stir-Fry Rice and Vegetables.
Mar 5, 2016

What is the recipe conversion formula? ›

Determine the required yield of the recipe by multiplying the new number of portions and the new size of each portion. Find the conversion factor by dividing the required yield (Step 2) by the recipe yield (Step 1). That is, conversion factor = (required yield)/(recipe yield).

What is the most important ingredient in food? ›

Turmeric is one of the significant and most essential ingredients for food that should be available in Indian kitchens.

How much do you have to change a recipe to make it your own? ›

The general rule [...] is that three major [emphasis added] changes are required to make a recipe "yours." However, even if you make such changes, it is a professional courtesy to acknowledge the source of or inspiration for the recipe.

What is the 90 minute rule in cooking? ›

It is important to cool food as quickly as possible in order to prevent the growth of bacteria. Ideally this should be cooled to less than 8 degrees Celcius within 90 minutes. Food can be cooled quickly by a variety of methods.

What are hidden instructions in recipes? ›

The instructions may have some hidden ingredients (like water, for example), or split the ingredients within the list in an expected way (like using one egg for batter and one for an egg wash). You want to know the lay of the land before you start throwing things in a bowl.

How to calculate the number of servings in a recipe? ›

How do you calculate servings for a recipe? To calculate the serving size of a recipe, ingredient quantities are divided by the number of servings. For instance, if a recipe with a serving size of 2 requires 1 onion, we divide 1 onion by 2. Then, we know that 1 serving requires 0.5 onions.

How to multiply a recipe? ›

How To Scale Up A Recipe: 4 Easy Steps
  1. Step 1: Determine the Conversion Factor for the Recipe. ...
  2. Step 2: Convert all Weights in the Recipe to Ounces and all Volumes to Fluid Ounces. ...
  3. Step 3: Multiply Each Ingredient in the Recipe by the Conversion Factor. ...
  4. Step 4: Simplify and Round the Numbers for Easier Recipe Use.

What is the most used food in the world? ›

Rice is a food staple for more than 3.5 billion people around the world, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and parts of Africa.

What is the most important seasoning ingredient? ›

Salt has a greater impact on flavor than any other ingredient. Learn to use it well, and food will taste good. Salt's relationship to flavor is multidimensional: It has its own particular taste, and it both balances and enhances the flavor of other ingredients.

What are the four basic ingredients for cooking? ›

Not counting the basic pantry staples of salt, pepper, oil, and water, all 26 of these recipes—which range from eye-catching appetizers to complete entrées—use four main ingredients (a few even clock in at just two or three!).

How do I come up with my own recipe? ›

Tips to keep in mind when writing recipes:
  1. List ingredients in chronological order. ...
  2. Separate ingredients for major steps in a recipe. ...
  3. List steps in order, keeping instructions short and to the point. ...
  4. Give specifics about doneness. ...
  5. Include storage suggestions. ...
  6. Offer extra methods or substitutions (when tested).
Nov 19, 2020

Is it cheaper to cook your own food? ›

Determining how much your time is worth and how much money you save can be difficult. It's also important to note that some meals at home are much quicker to prepare than the time you'd spend waiting in line at a restaurant. So according to the data, it's pretty clear you will save money cooking your own grub.

Is it illegal to use someone else's recipe? ›

They are also independently created by a human author — usually someone's grandma, it would seem. However, despite meeting most of the requirements, standing alone, recipes are usually not protected by copyright.

What takes 45 minutes to cook? ›

45 Minute Meals
  • Smoky Chicken Wraps.
  • 8 Layer Fiesta Dip.
  • Fiesta Artichoke Dip.
  • Crispy Seasoned Kale Chips.
  • Easy Mini Pizzas.
  • Grilled Fiesta Shrimp co*cktail.
  • Grilled Sweet Chile Wings.
  • Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings.

What can I cook in 30 min? ›

30-minute meal recipes
  • Mustard-stuffed chicken. A star rating of 4.6 out of 5. ...
  • Air-fryer fish tacos. This is a premium piece of content available to registered users. ...
  • Coconut fish curry. ...
  • Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) ...
  • Air-fryer sweetcorn fritters. ...
  • 30 minute chicken & tarragon pasta. ...
  • Thai prawn noodles. ...
  • Pork noodle stir-fry.

What food can be cooked quickly? ›

Dinner's Done in 20 Minutes (or Less!) with These Lightning-Fast Recipes
  • Orzo and Chickpeas with Turmeric-Ginger Broth. ...
  • Shrimp Wedge Salad with Old Bay Breadcrumbs and Hot Sauce Dressing. ...
  • Three-Pepper Cacio e Pepe. ...
  • Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard. ...
  • Creamy Lemon Pasta. ...
  • Florentine Butter Chicken.
Nov 20, 2022

What's for dinner?: 30 minute quick and easy family meals.? ›

So, dig in for delicious dishes such as Halloumi Bean Bake, BLT Pasta, Peanut Pork Noodles, Tortilla Pizzas, Chorizo Risotto, Crispy Pesto Cod, Steak Fajitas, Lentil Linguine, Tikka Naan Burgers, plus weekend breakfasts and sweet treats – all ready in 30 minutes or less!

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