Fast and easy cooking: tips for quick, 30-minute dinners

After a long day at work, all we want is something fast and easy to cook and, preferably, hassle-free, tasty and comforting. This isn’t too much to ask and can be easily achieved with these tips and tricks for fast cooking recipes, including easy-to-prep ingredients and time-saving gadgets. Most importantly, you’ll find a range of easy dinner recipes for family mealtimes, including some 30-minute dinner recipes for really speedy cooking. Ready, set, let's cook!

Only have 30 minutes? Dinner ingredients made simple

If you only have 30 minutes, dinner preparation can feel quite overwhelming. The key to cooking a quick dinner is efficient preparation. It’s easy to turn a supposedly simple dinner recipe into a marathon: the potatoes need to be peeled and cut, the vegetables cleaned and washed and the meat diced. The best way to combat this is to deliberately choose recipes with as few ingredients as possible or to prep your ingredients in advance.

To prepare dinner recipes at lightning speed, follow these useful hacks that will help you learn how to cook fast:

Frozen or canned veggies: Canned or frozen vegetables are vitamin-rich and usually pre-chopped and easily heated up – perfect for adding to sauces or soups.
Pre-sliced meat: At the butcher's and in supermarkets, you can buy freshly sliced or chopped meat, which saves considerable time during preparation.

Pre-made carbohydrates: Have some fresh pasta prepared in the fridge for quick midweek meals. For inspiration, check out our quick and easy recipes for making your own pasta dough.

Plan ahead: Spend a few hours of your Sunday preparing the bulk of your meals for the coming week – you’ll be thanking yourself by the time Wednesday rolls around! Meals like our turkey chili are perfect to refrigerate or freeze in plastic containers. Similarly, try cooking a backup of staple ingredients, such as a tomato sauce that you can easily add to your pasta.

How to cook fast – 6 must-have items:

To prepare your dinner as quickly and easily as possible, the right equipment is essential. Because the truth is, even a blunt knife or a missing pot lid can delay preparation and cooking time!

Pot lid: Using a lid will help you cook faster and in a more environmentally-friendly manner – because a shorter cooking time means less energy consumption.

Smoke-less Indoor grill: This saves time on opening windows and fanning smoke alarms when all you really want to do is eat dinner. Grill year round with the Philips Smoke-less Indoor Grill that uses advanced infrared technology, together with special reflectors, which guide the heat towards the grill for evenly cooked food. The grease tray is left cool enough to minimize any unpleasant smoke.

Pasta & Noodle maker: Pasta is such a quick and easy dinner, but so much better fresh. Save time with the Philips Pasta & Noodle Maker – you’ll be able to whip up your own in no time.

Vegetable slicers: With these handy tools, you can avoid tears and cuts when slicing onions and similar foods – as well as being able to quickly, but carefully, shred your vegetables.

Hot air fryer: The speediest of cooks use a hot air fryer at home, such as the Philips Airfryer XXL. With it, you can fry, grill, bake, roast or even toast, save time preheating the oven and prepare a delicious, quick dinner at the touch of a button. It’s 4 times faster than an oven!*The Airfryer XXL is also quick and easy to clean, with a removable QuickClean basket and non-stick drawer for fast, easy and dishwasher-safe cleaning.

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Fast cooking recipes – with the right preparation

Like everything in life, good preparation is the key to speed. Here are some things you should consider if you want something fast and easy to cook.

Find recipes: Sometimes it can take a while to decide what you want to eat and then, when it gets down to cooking, you find that one ingredient is missing! Make time during the weekend to find five recipes for the upcoming week and compile a grocery list. You’ll find three ideas for delicious meals below.
Buy supplies: Be sure to have extras on hand. Frozen vegetables, canned goods and other long-lasting ingredients such as vegetable stock should always be nearby, just in case fresh alternatives are not available.
Prepare the work space: Save time by clearing the cooking surface immediately after preparation. Ingredients that do not need to be chilled can be left out in the mornings to prepare quick recipes for dinner immediately after work.

What to make for a quick dinner?

Now that you’re perfectly prepped, the only question left to answer is: what to make for a quick dinner? Here's the perfect inspiration for something fast and easy to cook:

Pork satay with peanut sauce: This recipe not only tastes divine, but it can also be cooked in just ten minutes with the Philips Airfryer XXL.

Tomato and basil pizza: A favorite with kids and surprisingly easy to whip up.

Ratatouille: For a quick, delicious way of making sure you’re getting enough vegetables, this classic French vegetable dish is just right.